Fake News & Office Blues (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 20) by Amanda M. Lee

Author:Amanda M. Lee [Lee, Amanda M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WinchesterShaw Publications
Published: 2022-03-07T16:00:00+00:00

“THEY’RE NERVOUS,” ANDRE ANNOUNCED when everybody settled. “Be gentle with them.”

“I think you’re suggesting I’m some sort of ogre,” I said. “Just for the record, I’m not.”

“I think you’re funny. But you’re not always soft,” Andre responded. “That’s okay most of the time. Today you need to be soft.”

In other words, the girls were ready to bolt if the questions got to be too much. He was warning me. “I don’t want to make anybody uncomfortable,” I said, darting a quick look to Eliot, who was hanging in the back of the office by the window. He’d ceded his desk to me, seemingly fine with letting me call the shots. “This is important. Maybe you should tell me what you know and then I’ll ask questions.”

Andre nodded. “Sounds good. Nia, start talking.”

Nia glared at Andre before crossing her legs. There was a petulance about her that I remembered from that day in front of the courthouse. I couldn’t blame her.

“I saw the car when I was coming out of the restaurant,” she started.

“Which restaurant?”

“The steak place, down by the turnoff to northbound Gratiot. You know, where the circle allows you to keep going to southbound Gratiot or turn right to northbound Gratiot.”

I nodded. “I know the place. It’s been like five different restaurants in the last six years.”

Nia nodded. “Yeah. I work there. That’s one of my jobs.”

“One of your jobs?”

“I want to go to college in a year. I need to save.”

“That’s a good goal.” I smiled. “Continue.”

“I usually walk through the downtown area, head to Cass before crossing over because the light there makes it easier to deal with the traffic. That means walking in front of the courthouse. The car followed me, and I was nervous,” she explained. “It didn’t go very fast. I knew I was in trouble. I’d been hearing the stories. I was thinking about going into the courthouse when you ran into me and knocked me down.”

“I was trying to make sure that guy didn’t grab you.”

“I know,” Nia said quickly. “I just … well … I was freaked out. You were making a lot of noise. All I could think about was getting home.”

“You left because you didn’t want to talk to the cops,” I surmised.

“They weren’t going to listen to me.” Her tone was accusatory. “I just wanted to get home, where I would be safe. Except it’s not safe now. There are more cars hanging around the neighborhood. I think they’re going to come for me.”

I shifted my eyes to Andre, and he nodded.

“We’re watching at least five cars,” he volunteered. “Could be rivals, but anyone parked outside a house that has nothing to do with business is suspect.”

“Are you going to move on them?” I asked

“There’s been talk.” Andre shifted his eyes to Shanice for a beat and then blew out a sigh. “I thought I should talk to you first. What do you want me to do?”

Eliot stirred. “Don’t put that on her,” he said in a low voice.

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