Death by Sample Size by Susie Black

Author:Susie Black [Black, Susie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: os Angeles Fashion Mart Murder Mystery;Contemporary Whodunnit;Workplace comedy;Amateur detectives;Sassy heroine quirky characters;Ill-fated romance;Be
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2021-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Queenie and I got the last table in the back of the mart deli conveniently located ladies’ room adjacent. We settled into our seats at a tiny two-top meant for contortionist midgets and gave our regular server Laura our order.

Queenie slurped iced tea and frowned. “Whaddya make of Louis and Ronnie using one another as punching bags?”

“My guess is Bunny’s murder was a collaborative effort and it went off the rails. And now they’re trying to save their own asses by fingering each other.”

Queenie squeezed a lemon wedge into her tea glass. “Did Martin fire them?”

I blew out my cheeks. “He should, but I bet he didn’t.”

Queenie crossed her eyes. “Why not? After all the shenanigans they’ve pulled, if I were Martin, those two clowns would be out on the curb with the trash by now.”

“They may not last past this season, but for now, a statement of a united front to the market is the smartest thing Martin can do to minimize the mess those two morons made.”

Queenie wrinkled her brow. “Is Detective Martinez gonna arrest one of them?”

I bit my lip. “Nah, at least not now. Martinez can’t wrap his arms around the concept the killer could be a he instead of a she. Unless one of them confesses or a smoking gun magically appears, Martinez isn’t gonna arrest either one of them.”

Queenie said, “On my way to meet you, I walked past Clothing Concepts. The construction crew must have worked all night. It’s like the fight never happened. No sign Ali and Frasier had torn the place apart.” Queenie wiggled her brows. “Maybe now someone can locate the smoking gun…”

****

Queenie wrapped her fingers around the door handle. “Shall we?”

I took a step closer. “No time like the present.”

Queenie pushed the glass door and surprisingly, it opened. She waved me through. “Age before beauty.”

I called, “Hello? Anybody home?”

Nothing.

Queenie asked, “If nobody’s here why’s the door open?”

Good question.

I eyed the vacant reception desk. “Where’s the mousy-faced receptionist?”

Queenie motioned to the hallway. “Gone. After the first punch was thrown, she duck-walked around Louis and Ronnie and ran out the door. She called human resources from home to quit, told them to mail her paycheck, and swore she’d never step foot in the showroom as long as those two maniacs were there.”

I groused, “If the two maniacs are in the back, they’re deaf as doornails. Don’t they hear us yelling?”

Queenie sniffed, “Or, more likely, the two jerks are ignoring us.” She motioned to the entrance. “They should put a bell or a buzzer or something on the door.” Queenie giggled. “Can you imagine Sue Ellen coming in and the reception desk is vacant? She yells hello and nobody drops what they’re doing and jumps out to greet her? Whaddya think she’d do to those two clowns?”

The thought made me shudder. “Let’s check if either of the golden gloves is present.”

“If they are, why are we here?”

I arched my brows. “Concerned neighbors checking in on them?”

Queenie made the gag sign. “And if not, what are we looking for now?”

“Dunno.

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