I took them silently, glancing at the picture. I wondered how she came to have a set of keys for Troy"s apartment.
"What"s his job?" I asked.
"He"s the head chef at the Golden Harvest restaurant. He didn"t show up for work over the weekend. The police won"t do anything yet. All that information is on the drive."
I nodded. The Golden Harvest was her signature restaurant and the priciest place in town. Certainly not somewhere I could afford to eat, but I had heard the chef was something special. People would notice his absence.
"Married? Partner? Local family?" She just shook her head.
"Okay. I"ll start with his apartment and I"ll call you."
She nodded her thanks and made a call to her driver to pick her up, before turning back to me.
"May I ask a personal question, Amber?"
I shrugged. "Of course."
"Those are really beautiful boots. They"re handmade, aren"t they?"
I pulled my jeans up to the tops of the boots and stretched my legs out beside the table to show her, obscurely pleased she"d noticed. "Yup. Made by a friend of mine."
"They"re so soft!" She felt the supple leather. "Does he do it as a business?"
"Sure. Here, I"ll give you his contact info." I fiddled with my cell and sent Werner"s details to her.
"Werner Schumacher?" she asked. "Mr. Schumacher is the shoe maker?"
"Indeed he is." I laughed. "Your car"s here." I pointed at the black limo and the driver shouldering his way through the doors.
She got up and took my hand, squeezing it.
"Thank you, Amber. Please call as soon as you can." She started towards the door and stopped as if something had just occurred to her. She turned back and waved at my boots. "Do you ride?"
I shook my head with a little smile. "Not unless you count a couple of hours when I was fourteen."
"Oh. Never mind. Maybe we can do some, after we straighten this business out. I have horses. Bye." And with that she was out the door.
I loved the cheerful a.s.sumption that all would go well.
I sat there, watching a car that had gone around the block a couple of times do it again, and wondered why I hadn"t picked up my gun when I walked out of the office.
In between, I wondered what the h.e.l.l I was getting into, let alone what I was already in. And what were the prospects for a private investigator in, say, Alaska?
Reader feedback for Sleight of Hand:.
"I couldn"t put it down!"
"This book was a blast!"
"I can"t wait until the next one!"
"Loved it, loved it, loved it."
Purchase Sleight of Hand:.
US Amazon Amazon Amazon CA Amazon seemed harder producing a novella than a novel! My thanks to all who worked with me.
The cover image team: Chris Mann, Maria Askew and Gideon Henwick.
My major feedback readers: Jessica, Gail, Leiah, TK, Nori.
My editor: Lauren Sweet.
And, without which nothing, my wife and family.
Chris Mann : www.chrismannphotography.co.uk/ - photographer, actor.
Gideon Henwick : www.GideonHenwick.com digital artist Lauren Sweet : www.LaurenSweet.com author, editor.
Maria Askew : www.MariaAskew.co.uk actor, model Reviews, schedules & news on.
www.athanate.com.
eend.