“Let’s see.” Detective Mikeloff tapped his lantern-like jaw with a bony finger. “Perhaps because you lost your high-paying job. And instead of getting a new one, you went into debt in order to open some weird hybrid business. Seems to me you were seeking a benefactor. Someone who would recommend you to all her rich friends.”
“First,” Dani said, in her stop-screwing-around-with-me voice, “I did not lose my job. I made a decision to leave and tendered my resignation. Second, Chef-to-Go isn’t weird, it’s creative.”
“But you are in debt.”
Dani opened her mouth to defend her business plan, then crossed her arms. If she had learned anything from her last job, it was never to miss a good opportunity to shut the heck up.
“Nothing to say?” Mikeloff gloated.
“I’m finished talking until you tell me what this is all about.”
“We can do this at the police station if you prefer.” Detective Mikeloff glared at her, then added, “And I mean all four of you.”
“Fine.” Dani refused to back down. “I’ll call my attorney and have her meet us there.”
“And I’ll call my uncle.” Ivy moved so that she was shoulder to shoulder with Dani. “He’s the head of campus security.”
“Guess I better call my mom.” Tippi joined them. “She’s a judge.”
“Well, shoot.” Starr stood up. “My father’s only the thoracic surgeon that saved the mayor’s life, but he’ll want to know what’s going on too.”
Minutes went by as Detective Mikeloff stared at the four women, and when they didn’t break the growing silence, he blew out an angry breath. “Regina Bourne was found dead yesterday afternoon.”
“No!” Dani had been prepared for something bad, but not that.
As she tried to come to terms with the fact that someone she had spoken to less than twenty-four hours ago was no longer alive, Mikeloff turned to Ivy and dropped another bombshell. “I understand Miss Bourne said some nasty things to you before you left her party. What were you doing back at her house later that night?”
“What?” Dani gaped at her friend. “You told me you were going to the library.”
“I went there, but as I was studying, I reached for my locket, and when it wasn’t around my neck, I remembered that I had left it in Regina’s kitchen,” Ivy explained. “The chain broke while we were prepping the appetizers and I put it on the windowsill. I went back to get it.”
“At one in the morning?” Detective Mikeloff jeered. “Why not just text Miss Bourne and ask her to bring the thing to class?”
“I didn’t want to take a chance on it getting lost.” Ivy’s cheeks reddened. “My first boyfriend gave it to me and he died in a car crash our senior year.”
“So when Miss Bourne refused to let you in the house, you must have been angry.” Detective Mikeloff checked his notebook. “I understand she had Lazarus Hunter escort you off her property.”
“Yes, I was sort of mad.” Ivy put her hands on her hips. “But when Laz walked me to my car, he promised to find the necklace and bring it to me. He said he’d text me to get a time that we could meet up.”
“Really?” Detective Mikeloff’s eyebrows rose. “Funny he didn’t mention that.”
“That’s—” Ivy started, but Tippi clamped her hand across Ivy’s mouth.
“She won’t be making any further statements without an attorney present.”
“Which is your right.” Detective Mikeloff jotted something on his pad. “But don’t think this is finished. You’re on my radar.”
Dani took a relieved breath. She really should have had Ivy phone her uncle as soon as she heard Regina was dead. Thank goodness Tippi was prelaw and came from a family full of lawyers.
Still berating herself for her lack of judgment, Dani startled when the detective whirled on her and said, “You used to work at Homestead Insurance.”
“Yes.” Dani already knew he’d been checking up on her, but why was he bringing up her previous employer? “As I mentioned, I quit many, many months ago.”
“But not before you figured out a way to ruin someone’s life?” His nostrils flared. “Or did you get the cash you saved the company under the table?”
Suddenly Dani was even more worried than she had been when she thought Mikeloff was mentally ill. Was the detective referring to the incident that had been the tipping point in her decision to quit? She’d eliminated an entire division specializing in the most difficult claims.
A woman involved in a particularly complicated case had come forward with proof that the three men working in that department had been threatening her with sexual assault to get her to drop her appeal. They hadn’t touched her but had been calling at all times of the day and night, taken pictures of her through her bedroom window, and put a profile featuring her on an online hookup site.
Homestead’s CEO was so anxious to cover up what had happened, he had offered the victim twice the total amount of her already substantial claim and promised to fire the men without severance. All she had to do was agree to let the matter drop without bringing in the authorities.
Dani had been assigned to handle the dismissals. Everyone involved, including Dani, had signed a confidentiality agreement. The lack of explanation had made it appear that Dani was a coldhearted witch who, without any justification, had demolished an entire department, depriving the employees of any compensation.
Still, she was surprised at the detective’s acrimony and hurriedly said, “I assure you that I didn’t receive any money for any of my actions on behalf of Homestead.”
“Are you telling me that you quit a high-paying job to cook for people for no good reason?” Detective Mikeloff’s pupils dilated.
“I’ve learned that money is a crummy way of keeping score, and I did have a good reason.” Dani
