room.”
“At this hotel?”
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “I booked the room when Derrick insisted on this ridiculous meeting. He wasn’t going to terminate our agreement, you know. My column was far too valuable for that to ever happen.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen to us now?” Brady asked. At that moment, his phone rang, and we all listened to his side of the conversation. “Yes. Of course. I understand.” He looked surprised, and then added, “They’re both here with me right now. We’re in the hotel restaurant. Sure, we’ll wait.”
“What was that about?” Sylvia asked.
“It was Kelsey Hatcher. She needs to meet with us.”
“Whatever for?” Sylvia asked. “She was Derrick’s assistant, for goodness’ sake.”
“There’s only one way we’re going to find out,” I said. “I for one am going to wait.”
Sylvia didn’t look pleased by the prospect, but she didn’t leave, so I had to assume she was as curious as I was by the odd summoning.
While we waited for Kelsey to show up, I asked each of them, “Have either one of you ever heard of Mindi Mills?”
Brady looked at me blankly, but from Sylvia’s reaction, I knew that I’d hit home. “Sorry, no idea,” she said, which was clearly a lie.
“Sylvia, don’t hold out on me,” I said.
“Are you questioning my truthfulness?” she asked archly.
I was about to admit that was exactly what I was doing when Jenny answered before I could. “Not at all. But if there’s a link to someone else that might refocus the police investigation, I’m sure you’d do everything in your power to make that happen. I know from experience that when the police start digging, they don’t stop until they’ve uncovered everything there is to find, whether it applies to their investigation or not.”
Sylvia seemed to take that in, and then reluctantly admitted, “I may have heard the name a time or two, but I hate to spread malicious rumors, especially when it involves the dead.”
“I’d say this supersedes someone’s reputation, wouldn’t you?”
Sylvia nodded reluctantly. “It is my understanding that Derrick was less than faithful to his current wife. Apparently, Mindi was Derrick’s mistress.”
“When did you hear that?” Brady asked her. The news clearly hit him harder than I expected it should. “I don’t believe it.”
“Do you know Mindi?” I asked him.
Brady shook his head, and then reluctantly nodded slightly. “We were at a few events together in the past, but I wouldn’t really say that I know her. I just can’t believe that she’d have anything to do with Derrick.”
Sylvia looked at him with a mixture of pity and tolerance. “Dear sweet Brady, always one to think the best of people. I’m sorry to disillusion you, but often the nicer ones are the folks who end up disappointing us.”
“I’m not simpleminded, Sylvia. I just don’t think that there’s anything wrong with giving people the benefit of the doubt.” He turned to me and asked, “How do you feel about the world, Savannah?”
“I suppose I fall somewhere in the middle. I like to think the best of people, but I always try to watch out for their bad sides, too.”
“Very diplomatic of you. I wonder what our lawyer has to say on the topic?”
Jenny smiled at her, but there wasn’t a great deal of warmth in it. “I prefer to keep my options open, on every level you can imagine.”
I wondered what exactly it was that she meant by that, but I didn’t have a chance to ask. Kelsey Hatcher walked toward the table, but it took me a second to recognize her. While her hair had been pulled back and a bit mousy before, now it was newly colored and styled. Gone was the simple outfit, too. She now wore a charcoal gray suit and sported sharp black flats; in her hand was a black leather briefcase.
I walked up to her before she reached the table. “Kelsey? You look so different,” I said, relieved that she wasn’t screaming at me today. It took me a second before I realized how my comment must have sounded to her.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“You look marvelous,” I said, and I meant every word of it.
“Thank you. That means a great deal to me. Listen, I’m sorry about the way I acted yesterday. I kind of lost my head.”
“It’s perfectly understandable,” I said.
“I’m so glad you feel that way. I’d love it if you’d wish me luck today.”
“What’s this about?”
“I’d rather wait and say in front of everyone, if you don’t mind.”
“Go right ahead.” I followed her to the table, and took my seat. Jenny shot me a questioning look with her eyes, but I shook my head. There were no previews this morning, for either one of us.
“Thank you all for waiting for me. First of all, I’d like to say that I’m sure we’re all still in shock and mourning over Derrick’s loss.” She paused for a single moment, and then quickly continued. “But I’m certain he’d want us all to carry on in his memory.”
“Excuse me, but I have a question,” Sylvia asked.
“Certainly.”
“We were terminated yesterday. Pardon me for asking, but what has changed since then?”
“With Derrick’s demise, all contracts have been reinstated and the sale to the Harrison group has been terminated.”
A look of disbelief exploded on Brady’s face. “Is this on the level?”
“Trust me, I’ve been in meetings all morning. I had to take a rather firm stand with them, but the contracts spell it out clearly enough.”
“That’s wonderful news,” Brady said. “Thank you, Kelsey. I don’t know what to say.”
“Let’s refrain from extending congratulations just yet, Brady,” Sylvia said.
“I agree,” I said. “Where do we stand now?”
“Derrick’s company holds your contracts, and I’ve been named its interim operating officer. You’ll answer to me, at least until everything is sorted out.”
“That’s quite a step up from assistant to managing editor,” I said. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Kelsey said, as she gathered her papers together. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”
She stood, and then, almost as an afterthought, added, “I’ll need new columns from all three of you by nine a.m. tomorrow. You can fax them to me at this number,” and she handed out brand-new business cards with her name and contact information embossed on it.
After she was gone, Sylvia rubbed the business card with a fingertip. “That didn’t take long, did it? She must have had these made up weeks ago.”
“I don’t know. They could have been a rush job.”
“You’re certainly entitled to believe it, but I refuse to,” Sylvia said. “Well, it seems that the tide has indeed turned. If you’ll excuse me, I have a column to write.”
“I’d better get busy myself,” Brady said as he stood.
After they collected their checks and paid them, Jenny looked at me and said, “That was interesting.”
“I was surprised when you didn’t say anything.”
“It wasn’t my meeting,” she said.
“I know that, but surely you have an opinion about what just happened. Come on, spill.”
“I think Kelsey Hatcher has more motive than the rest of you to have killed Derrick Duncan.”
I nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing. She certainly changed a great deal in one day.”
“I wonder,” Jenny said.
“Trust me, you didn’t see her before. Yesterday she was this mousy little assistant, and now she walks in here like she owns the place, giving orders left and right.”
“I’d like to see that contract,” Jenny said.
“Mine’s in Asheville, sorry.”
“I wonder how it’s worded, exactly.”
