Page 48 of Hoodoo House
Declan looked at his watch, then up towards Charlie. “I want you to handle Cody White on your own.”
“What?”
“You’re ready for it,” Declan assured him.
“No, I’m not!”
“You are. In every single interview you’ve been involved in, you’ve instinctively known what to say and do to put the client at ease. And you’re not physically imposing, so you don’t threaten people.”
“You’re saying I’m good because I’m skinny?” Charlie asked.
“No. I’m saying you’re good because you’reyou—likeable and approachable. You just have to find out what this guy wants. Get all the details of what he’s willing to tell you, and we’ll start with that.”
“What if I miss something?”
“Then you miss it.”
Declan gathered his phone from his desk and made his way towards the office door. “Charlie, this is only the first meeting. You don’t have to solve the case tonight. I guarantee you’ll never get everything out of a client. They forget. They get mixed up. They lie. It’s our job to take all that, figure out what’s important and what we still have to learn.”
Charlie knew he should be excited, but something felt off. “So, while I’m talking to Cody out at my desk, you’ll be in your office if I need something, right?”
Declan walked past Charlie. “No. I’ve got to meet up with someone.”
“Does this have anything to do with Michael?”
Declan turned. “It’s…unfinished business I’ve got to deal with. So, when Cody gets here, just treat it like it’s a first date. Offer him a coffee and a snack, and smile a lot. Pick up a few of Gwen’s pastries. I bet that and a nice cup of coffee’ll help put him at ease. Anyway, I’ve gotta go. I’ll text you when I’m done and see how it went.”
Declan patted Charlie on the shoulder, then headed out of the office.
Charlie picked up one of the pillows on the couch, buried his head in it and screamed. Once he’d let out his frustration, he stood up, adjusted the pillows, and quickly exited down the stairs to Gwen’s shop. He returned fifteen minutes later with enough pastries to feed a dozen clients.
Charlie set the pastries out on a platter on the coffee table in the reception room. He thought about how that would look—a bunch of snacks left over from an office function—so he took them into Declan’s office—hisoffice for now. Charlie might come across as pleasant and unimposing, but he was damned if he was going to come across as just the office boy.
He quickly worked out a game plan. He set out a notepad and pen on the spartan desktop, ready to jot down a few notes, so he’d look professional. He also set out his cell phone, which he would use to record the conversation just in case he needed to check the facts.
The alarm system beeped as someone entered the street-level door. Charlie pressed record on his phone and walked out to the reception area. The office door opened and in walked a good-looking young man. He wore a jean jacket, with the collar pulled up, and a baseball cap with the brim pulled down in front of his eyes which were obscured by a pair of aviator sunglasses. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his perfectly worn jeans. He looked as if he’d stepped out of a contemporary film noir. A very sexy film noir. The man looked vaguely familiar. Charlie wondered if he might have seen him before at Bar-None.
“Cody White?” Charlie asked.
“Mr Hunt?” the man said uncertainly.
Charlie walked up to him and firmly shook his hand. “No, I’m Charlie Watts, Mr Hunt’s…partner.”
“I thought I’d be meeting with Declan Hunt this afternoon,” Cody said, removing his sunglasses and looking at Charlie.
Don’t lie! He’ll know you’re lying. Hot guys like him can sense it. They’ve been around. Now say something!
“My job this afternoon is to take down the details of your situation for Mr Hunt. He’s out wrapping up another case at the moment. We’ve been very busy and he felt bad that you had to wait this long, so he wanted to get you in as soon as possible to see if we can help you.”
“So you’re the secretary?”
“Cody—is it all right if I call you Cody?”
“Sure.”
“Cody, at Declan Hunt Investigations we work as a team—Declan, meandyou. Once we get the details of your case, we’ll be able to best assess how we can help you. Why don’t you step into the office and grab a seat. Can I get you a coffee?”
“Sure. A latte if you’ve got it,” Cody said.
