Save Me from Dangerous Men (Nikki Griffin #1)(47)

“David,” said Gunn. His fingers drumming on the table. “You’re being melodramatic. Put the gun away.”

The guard half lowered the pistol. “You’re sure, sir?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem to be doing you or anyone else much good, now, does it?” Gunn exclaimed. He looked around the room. “This meeting is adjourned.”

The other two got up to leave. The big guy looked like he still wanted to tackle me. I hoped he wouldn’t. Things were settling down a bit. The security guard stood in the doorway. “Do you need me?”

Gunn looked at him. “I think, David, that if I had needed you, it was about five minutes ago, when she was in the lobby. I don’t need you anymore.”

The guard didn’t look happy. There were a few ways to take that last bit. He walked out of the room and the two of us were left alone together.

“Nikki,” Gunn said. His voice was cold. A different man than the bubbly, energetic guy who had walked into my bookstore like he was delivering a million-dollar pitch. “Do you always burst in on your employers like this? I can’t say it’s an endearing habit.”

I shrugged as I took my boot off the table and sat up. The boot left a muddy streak against the smooth wood. “You’ve been to my office. Figured it was about time I stopped by yours.”

“Except that I hired you. You work for me.”

“That’s the thing.” I poured myself a glass of ice water from a pitcher and took a swallow. “I did work for you. But not anymore. I came by to submit my resignation.”

That surprised him. “What? I paid you a considerable sum of money, in case you forgot.”

“That’s true. You did.” I took the same manila envelope from my purse and slid it across to him. “Twenty thousand dollars. Fully refunded. Every penny. Not even billing you for expenses.”

He looked at the envelope but didn’t touch it. “You came here to quit. Why?”

“You hired me to follow a woman. Karen Li.”

“Yes. So?”

“Karen Li is dead.”

He reared back in his seat. “Dead? What are you talking about?”

I was watching Gunn closely. If he had known, he was doing a good job of hiding it. There was a pretty healthy mix of shock and disbelief on his face.

“Last night. She had her head knocked in.”

“Someone killed her? What are you talking about?”

“You hired me to tail a woman. That woman was murdered. I don’t much like the idea of blood money, and I sure won’t be following her anymore. I quit.”

“She’s dead?” He looked distressed. “You’re sure? How do you know?”

“I know,” I said, standing. “And now you do. That’s what I came here to tell you.”

His gaze wandered around the room and then found its way back to me. “Next time, an e-mail will do.”

I paused at the door. “One last thing, Mr. Gunn.”

“Yes?”

“Karen Li. I didn’t know her well, but she didn’t deserve what she got. She got a pretty lousy ending, you know. Not really the storybook type.”

Gunn sat completely still for the first time since I’d met him. “What’s your point?”

“She didn’t deserve what she got. But the people who gave it to her—they deserve what they’ll get. Do you follow?”

“No.” His voice was soft. “I don’t follow you, I’m afraid.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything. Not yet, anyway. But a woman is dead.”

“I agree,” Gunn said. “Whatever problems she was causing, you’re crazy if you think I wanted something like this to happen to her.”

“I don’t know much about you, your company, or what you want. But if you know something about how Karen died, you should tell me now.”

“Nikki,” he said. His brown eyes were flat and hard. “You look exhausted. Like you haven’t slept. Maybe you should head home, take a nap. Take a vacation, even. Hawaii’s nice this time of the year. No tourists clogging the beaches. I’ll pay, even—spend a couple of weeks snorkeling and kicking sand, send me the bill. I’m happy to pick it up; you did good work.” He leaned forward. “But you should think about these crazy accusations you’re making. Think about that nondisclosure you signed and what you’re insinuating, before you go running around acting out some misguided revenge fantasy.”

“Hawaii,” I said. “One day. In the meantime, though, I think I’ll stick to California. Plenty of sand to kick here, without getting on a damn plane.”

Gunn pushed his chair back and shrugged. “You take care, Nikki.”

“I’ll let myself out.”

I walked out, thinking about the paper I had glimpsed in the conference room before Gunn turned it. Bullet points, the date “NOVEMBER 1” just visible at the top, like they had been going through a checklist item by item. I would have given a lot for a few more seconds with that piece of paper. I didn’t see anyone else as I took the elevator back down to the lobby. As though everyone in the building was so busy they were nailed to their desks. Or had been told to keep away from me. For the hundredth time that day, I felt a rush of stomach-turning self-hatred for allowing Karen Li out of my sight in Mendocino.