Gabriella pouted as she crossed her arms. “I think you’re both being silly.”
“If you don’t stay with me, then I’m staying with you and you sure aren’t big enough to manhandle me out the door, Gabriella. Please, do as your told,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows and before she could speak Mackenzie cut in. “You two are going to be fireworks, for sure,” he said, laughing.
“I just wish she would do as she was told for once,” I said, knowing it would rile her, I gave her a wink, just in case.
“We’ll discuss this at home,” she said, and I liked the way she saidat homeand notat my house.
“I think you should call the police and ask them why they wanted to know the connection,” I said to Mackenzie and he nodded in agreement.
Gabriella handed over a business card that she had been left. She then rose. “I’m going to head home; I hope you don’t mind. I have a headache. I guess, I’ll see you later,” she said to me before she left.
“Is she pissed?” Mackenzie asked.
“I don’t know. You’ve known her longer than me, you must be able to tell.”
“When she’s pissed she’s super quiet and refined. If she does that southern thing, straightening her back and raising her chin, you’re in trouble, my friend.” He laughed but I didn’t think it funny.
“I guess I’m in trouble then,” I said, as I watched her, chin raised, standing in front of the lift. “Something didn’t add up for me, Mackenzie. I don’t really want her on her own especially if she has her address in her bag.”
“I agree. She needs to get the locks changed, I’ll shoot an email to the agents and tell them, they’ll need a new key. In the meantime, I’ll give these guys a call.” He picked up the business card.
“Okay, I have a couple of hours’ work, hopefully she’ll have cooled down by then,” I said, chuckling.
“She’s pretty fierce,” Mackenzie replied.
“Yeah, I’m seeing that.”
I left his office and blew a kiss to Mary who told me to, ‘Feck off, you silly bugger,’ and I walked to the lift.
All the way to my desk I thought on what Gabriella had said. I hoped the police would be forthcoming with Mackenzie, if not, I was sure one of my contacts would help. It was a mighty good thing having connections in the police force sometimes. And that reminded me.
“Hello, Mother, just checking in. How are you?” I asked when she answered my call.
“I’m okay, darling. Still no answers on the elusive Duncan’s whereabouts. How are you?” she asked.
I told her I’d call an old school friend, who just so happened to be Chief of Police. We chatted back and forth but something niggled at me and I ended the call rather sooner than I thought Mother would like.
I called that old chum of mine. “Harry, how are you?” I asked, when he answered.
“Very well, old boy. You?”
“I wanted to pick your brains. My mother was the victim of a con man, we think, now my partner has been the victim of a bag snatch but I’m not convinced it was simply a bag snatch. The attacker threatened to rape her. I’m not suggesting there is a connection but I’m wondering…” I tailed off.
“Which department is dealing with your partner?” he asked.
“I don’t have the details. Mackenzie Miller is calling them to ask for some information, not that they’ll give it to him, I don’t think,” I said.
“Yeah, data protection and all that crap. What’s her, or his, name?”
“Her name is Gabriella Collingsworth.” I gave him as many details as I could, the date, a rough time. I also explained why I didn’t think it simply a bag snatch.
“Did she have anything of worth in her bag?”
“Not that she can remember. There was some paperwork but nothing confidential. Her purse, obviously, but that’s about it, I think.”
“House keys?” he asked.
