Page 11 (1/2)

“Okay, okay,” I said, raising , whose lips curled in a griave me a what can I do? look

I left the room, but waited outside the door There was a brief back-and-forth I couldn’tand Lopez, then silence When I was pretty sure the coast was clear, I snuck back in and handed Fielding one of my cards

“Call me,” I mouthed He nodded and stuck the card in his shirt pocket

I sca staff stood

At the opposite end of the long hall was Big Wig Central, where Brad said the president had his corner office and his veeps huddled around his and slink off or I could try talking to Sondra Jones in Cooper’s stead So talk to her, I thought What’s the worst that could happen? She’ll tellventured, nothing gained

I walked into an anterooh for ten desks I counted four One, with a monitor and a phone that resembled the console of the Starship Enterprise, faced the door The rest were perpendicular to the wall and near three office doors A long black vinyl sofa with gleaazines covered a faux-wood coffee table Freestanding cabinets and shelving completed the decor

At a far desk, a twenty-so woman with carrot-colored hair and a black ht-skinned black woman

“Could you believe when he shot her? I couldn’t believe that,” the black woman said

“Yeah, that shocked the hell out of me”

I hoped they were talking about a movie or a TV show I looked around, saw Sondra Jones’s name on a door and headed for it

Froestureat the skirt hem which barely concealed her underwear preference “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Sondra Jones,

” I said, atte an authoritative voice

“Do you have an appointment?” Red went to the front desk and checked a calendar

“No But this is very i Bradley Higgins” Okay, I’d left a few details out, but I wasn’t lying