Dead and Dusted by Lily Webb (reader novel .TXT) 📕

that to the three of them. The last thing I wanted to do was spook Zadie further. I couldn’t blame anyone for being weirded out by what’d happened to Leland, but she seemed more bothered than everyone else, which made me wonder about her. Was she really just afraid for her own safety, or was there something more? As if she’d read my thoughts, Zadie hopped off the table.

“Well, if I have to stay, I can at least get some work done. I’d like to go to my room,” she said, staring at Blair expectantly, but just as I’d hoped she would, Blair turned to me.

“Selena, would you take Ms. Chamberlain to room 312? Her things are already there waiting for her,” she said as she passed me the room key.

Zadie opened her mouth to object, but I beat her to the punch. “Of course,” I said, eager to spend even just a few minutes alone with the sniveling CEO.

“I’m sure I can find my own way there,” Zadie objected.

“I don’t mind,” I said and headed for the door before she could say anything else.

“Sleep tight,” Nash called after us, and Zadie scoffed so quietly that only I could hear it. Wordlessly, she followed me out of the office and to the elevator nearby. I waited until the lift arrived to try talking to her.

“After you,” I said and opened the grate, but Zadie just stomped inside without saying anything, so I followed her, closed the grate, and pushed the button for the sixth floor to buy myself some more time.

“Blair said room 312,” Zadie snapped.

“Oh, sorry, I pressed the wrong button,” I said as innocently as possible and smashed the number three. “We’ll have to go all the way up then come back down. The elevator’s old school like that.”

“A joy ride. Lovely,” Zadie sighed. The lift lurched, causing her to panic and grip the handrails installed on the walls, and it took everything I had not to laugh.

“Your parents must be so proud of you working in a place like this,” she shot, and I cringed internally at the mention of my folks but refused to let her see it or otherwise get to me. I needed her on the defensive, not me.

“Actually, they don’t know.”

Zadie laughed. “Can’t say I blame you for not wanting to share. Seriously, though, you seem way too smart to be doing this soul sucking work. What gives?”

I shrugged. “I like it, actually. Never a dull moment.”

“Clearly not. Though after something like this, it would surprise me if you stay in business.”

I would’ve been lying if I said I disagreed, but I knew better than to tell her that. “We’ve survived a lot, and I’m sure that once the authorities figure all this out, we’ll come out okay.”

“So, you’re smart and optimistic? You’re so naïve it’s almost cute. Maybe this little event will finally beat that out of you,” she said as the lift crept past the third floor, making me wonder whether I could actually get through the full ride without losing it on her. Was she trying to provoke me or something? Little did she know I’d previously worked in a café patronized by much more abrasive customers than her.

“That’s funny, because I don’t seem to be the one who’s bothered by it,” I shot back, and though it was slight, I noticed her stony expression crack in the corner of her mouth.

“How couldn’t I be? I came to this poor man’s haunted house to negotiate one of the biggest deals of my professional life only to have my competitor die. This is going to do irreparable damage to my image.”

I resisted the urge to hit her with a boo-hoo. “Not if we figure out who’s behind it. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

Zadie’s eyes flashed as they raked over me. “Are you implying something?”

“What? No. Of course not. I’m just saying, if you had nothing to do with Mr. Marth’s death, then it can’t hurt you.”

The left corner of Zadie’s mouth crept up. She clucked her tongue and pointed at me. “I knew you were smart, but I think I underestimated you. You can stop playing dumb; I know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything other than taking you to your room, like you asked me to.”

Zadie let out a single, sharp laugh. “I didn’t ask you to do anything; you took it upon yourself, and I’d bet my wand you pressed the button for the wrong floor on purpose.”

“Nope, that was a legitimate accident,” I said as innocently as I could, but Zadie stared at me like she could see right through me.

“I didn’t kill Leland,” she said with her expression so blank it was a little frightening. “It’s true that I’m ruthless in business, but not even I would go that far.”

“I never said you would.”

A hint of a smile reappeared on her face. “No, but I’m perfectly capable of reading between the lines,” she said and stepped closer so she towered over me, making me even more grateful for the open carriage of the elevator. If she tried to take me out, someone would probably see it. “You should be very careful making accusations like that.”

“I didn’t accuse you of—” I started, but Zadie silenced me by placing a finger on my lips.

“I was sitting at the table with everyone else when Leland died. I won’t lie, him biting the dust certainly benefits me, but I don’t play dirty. If I want to win, I do it on the merits. Understood?” she asked without taking her finger away from my lips, so I nodded. “Good. Besides, I’m hardly the most suspicious of the bunch, wouldn’t you say? After all, Leland’s little assistant was alone in his room and came back with the letter that apparently killed him. How else could that letter have gotten there?” Still unable to answer verbally, I shrugged, and Zadie smiled. “Neither do I, but I’d love to know.”

The elevator dinged as