politics?” Ian asked, and Claire smiled at him.
“Feels like forever. But it’s only been a few years, now. I used to work for my dad, but I realized pretty fast that my heart’s not in all that money-making. I’d rather help people out.”
I smiled politely, even though something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I was probably just jealous – she had a gorgeous house, the kind I’d never be able to afford, and she was pretty, in a classical, tasteful way, all bobbed blonde hair and subtle pearl earrings. She was friendly enough, but I couldn’t help feeling that there was a big gulf between us – she’d been born into great wealth and made amazing use of the opportunities she’d been given. Not many people I know would turn down a money-making career just to help people out, and not many people I knew would be able to afford to turn down said money-making career. Except for Jack, of course, but he’s not someone I should know.
“I’m sorry to hear about your nanna,” she said to me. “But I can’t believe the police wouldn’t do their jobs properly.”
“You’d be surprised,” I said lightly. Of course, as a politician, she would defend the cops.
Ian said, “Tiffany’s solved a lot of cases where the cops got it wrong. They’re understaffed, so sometimes they jump to wrong conclusions.”
“Oh?” said Claire, looking at me politely. “I thought you were new to being a PI.”
I watched her carefully, wondering if I’d heard the hint of disapproval, or whether it was just my neurosis. I’d probably heard it, I decided. Claire seemed like a goody two-shoes, and naïve to boot. She probably thought that PIs didn’t have any work these days, other than tailing around unfaithful spouses.
“Tiffany might not have been working that long,” Ian said quickly. “But she’s really good. She solved the Ethan Becker murder, even though that was a really tough case. And she cracked a murder case the cops’d given up on. And a bunch of other smaller cases, of course. We can’t mention them because of confidentiality, but Tiffany’s really, really good. And discreet.”
He’d all but handed out a brochure saying, “Tell your friends,” and I frowned at him.
“Ian,” I said warningly, “You know I’m not that good.”
“She’s the best,” said Ian staunchly. “She’s just being polite.”
“Well, I’m convinced,” said Claire, smiling at him. “Her nanna’s lucky to have helping out.”
Once again, I was sure I’d heard a hint of condescension. Was she implying that Nanna was a criminal? And that even if I wasn’t an experienced PI, some help was better than none?
“Speaking of helping out,” I said quickly, before Ian could start another litany about how great I was, “tell me about Adam. Were you two close?”
“Not particularly,” she admitted. “We met every once in a while for family dinners, but my job’s pretty crazy and I don’t get to socialize as much as I’d like.”
“What do state senators do, exactly?”
Claire smiled. “You would not believe it – there’s so much work involved. I’m usually at work by now.” I glanced at the clock – it was only a quarter to eight. “There’s a bunch of correspondence involved, keeping in touch with constituents and that kind of stuff. And there’s a lot of legislation I need to vote on, and there’re bills I need to decide on or try to pass. Right now, I’m working on a bill that’ll help in-need families save more assets. So I need to gather support for those bills, and that means talking with groups like The Women’s Network of Attorneys and The Rotary Club. And I need to research things, be briefed on a lot of things, attend a lot of meetings, and of course, there’s senate legislation. And then, at the end of the day, I need to go to a lot of networking parties, keep in touch with people.”
“Wow,” I said. “It sounds terrible.”
Claire smiled. “It’s exhausting, but it’s
“Feels like forever. But it’s only been a few years, now. I used to work for my dad, but I realized pretty fast that my heart’s not in all that money-making. I’d rather help people out.”
I smiled politely, even though something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I was probably just jealous – she had a gorgeous house, the kind I’d never be able to afford, and she was pretty, in a classical, tasteful way, all bobbed blonde hair and subtle pearl earrings. She was friendly enough, but I couldn’t help feeling that there was a big gulf between us – she’d been born into great wealth and made amazing use of the opportunities she’d been given. Not many people I know would turn down a money-making career just to help people out, and not many people I knew would be able to afford to turn down said money-making career. Except for Jack, of course, but he’s not someone I should know.
“I’m sorry to hear about your nanna,” she said to me. “But I can’t believe the police wouldn’t do their jobs properly.”
“You’d be surprised,” I said lightly. Of course, as a politician, she would defend the cops.
Ian said, “Tiffany’s solved a lot of cases where the cops got it wrong. They’re understaffed, so sometimes they jump to wrong conclusions.”
“Oh?” said Claire, looking at me politely. “I thought you were new to being a PI.”
I watched her carefully, wondering if I’d heard the hint of disapproval, or whether it was just my neurosis. I’d probably heard it, I decided. Claire seemed like a goody two-shoes, and naïve to boot. She probably thought that PIs didn’t have any work these days, other than tailing around unfaithful spouses.
“Tiffany might not have been working that long,” Ian said quickly. “But she’s really good. She solved the Ethan Becker murder, even though that was a really tough case. And she cracked a murder case the cops’d given up on. And a bunch of other smaller cases, of course. We can’t mention them because of confidentiality, but Tiffany’s really, really good. And discreet.”
He’d all but handed out a brochure saying, “Tell your friends,” and I frowned at him.
“Ian,” I said warningly, “You know I’m not that good.”
“She’s the best,” said Ian staunchly. “She’s just being polite.”
“Well, I’m convinced,” said Claire, smiling at him. “Her nanna’s lucky to have helping out.”
Once again, I was sure I’d heard a hint of condescension. Was she implying that Nanna was a criminal? And that even if I wasn’t an experienced PI, some help was better than none?
“Speaking of helping out,” I said quickly, before Ian could start another litany about how great I was, “tell me about Adam. Were you two close?”
“Not particularly,” she admitted. “We met every once in a while for family dinners, but my job’s pretty crazy and I don’t get to socialize as much as I’d like.”
“What do state senators do, exactly?”
Claire smiled. “You would not believe it – there’s so much work involved. I’m usually at work by now.” I glanced at the clock – it was only a quarter to eight. “There’s a bunch of correspondence involved, keeping in touch with constituents and that kind of stuff. And there’s a lot of legislation I need to vote on, and there’re bills I need to decide on or try to pass. Right now, I’m working on a bill that’ll help in-need families save more assets. So I need to gather support for those bills, and that means talking with groups like The Women’s Network of Attorneys and The Rotary Club. And I need to research things, be briefed on a lot of things, attend a lot of meetings, and of course, there’s senate legislation. And then, at the end of the day, I need to go to a lot of networking parties, keep in touch with people.”
“Wow,” I said. “It sounds terrible.”
Claire smiled. “It’s exhausting, but it’s
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