Page 12 of Alibi for Murder
They took a booth near the back since the diner would likely fill quickly on a Saturday morning. A waitress materialized, carafe of fresh coffee in hand. She filled the waiting mugs and took their order.
When she disappeared back into the kitchen, Allie said, “Tell me about your work at the Colby Agency.” It would be nice to think about something else for a little while.
He nodded. “The Colby Agency is the best in the business. Truly the best. Victoria is an incredible force, as is the entire staff. It’s a privilege to be a part of the team. I’m happy there.”
“Do you investigate cases?” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Like this mess I find myself in?”
“Actually—” he took a sip of coffee then set his mug aside “—I don’t do the investigating, but I get involved when there are potential issues that fall into the legal category. I do a lot of advising on cases with the investigators. My time with Chicago PD helped with that aspect of my work. It’s one of the reasons Victoria was interested in interviewing me when I finished law school.”
Allie studied him for a moment. “I always got the impression that college was not your thing. I mean, you never talked aboutit. What made you change your mind and go to college and then to law school? That’s a serious commitment for someone who wasn’t big on the idea of university life.”
He laughed. “I think my experience is a little like your own. I very much enjoyed my work on the force, but I felt there was more I could do from this perspective, so I changed gears.”
The waitress arrived with their orders, and they dug in. Apparently, Allie really had been starving. She’d barely eaten last night. The food he’d brought had been great, but her appetite had been absent. The whole situation with the murder and those FBI agents had been overwhelming.
It still was, but her body was adjusting to this new stressor.
After the need for food had been satisfied for the most part, she lifted her gaze to his. “Tell me about what happened inside my house. You spoke to Fraser and Potter, I assume.”
He nodded and set his fork aside. “Both are convinced the woman in the video is you.”
Her hopes sank.
“That said,” he went on, “both are fully aware the video could have been created from one taken when you were employed at the hospital. They aren’t convinced that you are the person who murdered Mr. Madison, but the only evidence they have points to you. For the most part, I believe they feel whatever happened is somehow connected to you, and this is the leverage they have, so they’re using it.”
Allie shook her head. “Why would I kill a man I don’t even know?”
“Exactly. They’re aware.”
“Did they go into the case that involved Madison—the one they were working prior to his death?”
“They did not, but it is related to Ledwell. I was able to get that out of Fraser. This has something to do with the company, and your father’s connection—however old—to that companylends credence to your possible involvement. Which is why they wanted to see whatever was in the house and on your computer.”
Allie’s heart sank, joining the hopes that had fallen around her feet. “They took my computer.”
He nodded. “And your laptop and cell phone and tablet.”
The thought shook her. How would she do anything without one or the other of those devices? Her whole life was electronic.
She sagged deeper in the booth.
“They will return all your belongings,” he promised. “The only question is when. For now, we will get you another phone and a laptop if you need one for work.”
She shrugged. “I’m on vacation until a week from Monday. I can live without my laptop. But not my phone.”
He grinned. “Who could?”
“Well, well, if it ain’t my favorite goddaughter.”
The boom of Red Shepherd’s voice turned every head in the diner, and the place had pretty much filled up at this point. Allie wasn’t so much concerned about anyone recognizing her. She rarely left the house. Anyone who had known her growing up wouldn’t remember her now. Likely wouldn’t even recognize her.
Along with social media, she hadn’t bothered to cultivate friends. Her life was all about work. But there were other people—ones who had known her parents and grandparents—who still remembered her. There were a few at work she considered friends, sort of. She knew their online work profiles, their voices.
But that didn’t really fit the definition of a friend.
Allie worked up a smile. She wasn’t actually Red’s goddaughter, but he had claimed the title when she was a kid. “Great to see you, Red.”
He slid into the booth next to her. He studied Steve a moment. “You’re Martha’s boy, aren’t you?”
