Diner Knock Out (A Rose Strickland Mystery Book 4) by Terri L. Austin Page B

to erupt—I knew it was going to land on me.
    “I said I wasn’t firing you this minute. First, I want to know everywhere you’ve been, every person you’ve talked to. You better not have tarnished my name as you’ve bumbled your way through this so-called investigation.”
    His wording raised my hackles. I might not have been a full-fledged detective, but I wasn’t a newbie either.
    “I didn’t bumble anything. I’ve uncovered good, solid clues. If you’d quit breathing down my neck, you’d see how effective I can be.”
    He took another step forward, until he loomed over me. A white line of anger rimmed his lips and his eyes burned even hotter. “Do. Not. Test. Me.”
    For the first time since I’d met him, I was a little afraid of Andre. We’d never been friends; I’d always viewed him as more of an adversary than a boss. But this fierce, irate man was a stranger, an unpredictable one at that.
    “You will be at the office as soon as your shift ends. You will account for every move you’ve made. Am I clear?”
    My eyes lowered to the buttons on his golf shirt. “Clear.”
    After he left and I reentered the dining room, Roxy rushed over to me. “He found out about the case?”
    “Yeah. He sure did.”
    “How?”
    “Good question.”
    Roxy patted my shoulder and moved off to seat a family of four that had walked through the door.
    I worked the rest of my shift on autopilot, thinking about what I’d say to Andre. There was no doubt I owed him an explanation. And an apology.
    Our last customers didn’t leave until one thirty. Once they were out the door, Roxy began clearing the tables. “Rose, you’d better book yourself over to the office and get this thing with Hardass straightened out. I’ll take care of everything here.”
    “I appreciate it.” I removed my apron and gathered my bag from beneath the counter.
    “Are we still on for the fight club tonight?” she asked.
    “Absolutely. I have a family dinner first.”
    She winced. “Your day just keeps getting worse.”
    “I’ll pick you up around nine fifteen.”
    “Sounds good. Rose…” She clanked the dishes together. “Good luck.”
    “Thanks. I think I need it.”
    During the ride over, my stomach knotted up like a pretzel. Despite what he’d said, I was certain Andre was going to shitcan me. While I deserved it, I’d never been fired before, and I wasn’t looking forward to the experience.
    I pulled into the lot and with shaking hands tried to call Sullivan. If I couldn’t reach him, I was going to have to resort to asking my mom about Will Carlucci. My day was shitty enough without adding that particular drama. Unfortunately, I got Sullivan’s voicemail again. This time I left a message. “Hey, I need to talk to you. Call me back when you get this, okay? Will Carlucci, the car guy. Do you know him?” I hung up and exited the car, taking a deep breath of hot, humid air. I wasn’t looking forward to this confrontation.
    When I walked into the office, Hardass was waiting for me, like a spider biding his time. His arms crossed, Andre watched me with suspicious eyes as I stepped through the door. Then without a word, he moved into his office and sat behind his desk. I followed and plopped down across from him, fidgeting with my keys.
    “Stop that,” he snapped. I tossed them in my purse, then folded my hands in my lap. “Give me the facts, Miss Strickland. In order.”
    I started at the beginning, when Kai walked into the office. I tried to explain my motives for taking the case, my willingness to prove that I could handle things on my own. I gave him a rundown of all my activities, everyone I’d talked to, and all the clues I’d found—leaving out the part about the fight club tonight. He’d either insist on coming with me or forbid me from attending. Neither of those choices appealed.
    Occasionally, Andre stopped and asked me pertinent questions—“Why on earth did you remove the pills from Rob Huggins’ home?” —