Dead Woman Crossing by J.R. Adler (best management books of all time txt) 📕

set her nail file down. Her brunette hair was pulled in a ponytail on top of her head, making her look even younger than she actually was.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice delivering the right customer-service tone, warm and inviting.

“Yes. I’m Chief Deputy King,” Kimberley said, walking up to the register. “I’m here to ask a few questions about Hannah Brown. Do you have a moment?”

The girl glanced around the empty store. “Yeah, but another deputy already came around asking questions about her a few days ago,” she said, chewing on a piece of bubble gum that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

“I know.” Kimberley pulled a notepad and a pen out from the front pocket of her shirt. She flipped it open, noting the date, time and the interviewee’s name at the top. “Were you close with Hannah?”

“Not really. We talked when we worked together. There’s an overlap in shifts by like an hour. We never hung out outside of work.”

“Anyone else work here?”

“Just the boss, Frank. He’s the pharmacist and owner. He’s in the back. Otherwise, it’s just me full time and it was Hannah part time.”

“No one else? What about Ruth Wills?” Kimberley tilted her head.

“Oh yeah. She’s technically just on call as she’s retired. But she covers shifts here and there. More so recently, after Hannah, ya know?” She dragged her finger across her neck.

Kimberley pressed her lips firmly together. “Did Hannah ever work nights?”

“No, we close at six and then clean up and restock ’til seven. Once a quarter, we do inventory later into the night, but Frank and I usually handle that.”

“Just mornings?”

“Yeah, Monday through Friday for four or five hours. Occasional Saturdays if I need one off and Ruth can’t cover.” Michelle blew a bubble with her gum, popped it and sucked it back in.

“Anyone ever come in here to visit her?”

“Not that I saw.”

Kimberley scribbled down a few more notes, realizing this follow-up interview was rather pointless. Nothing new was coming out of it, because it seemed no one really knew Hannah Brown.

“Do you know if she was seeing anyone?” Kimberley raised an eyebrow.

Michelle twisted her lips like she was considering what to say. Her eyes bounced all around Kimberley and then on her. Kimberley noted her unusual behavior.

“I ain’t one to gossip,” Michelle said. “But I think she was.”

Kimberley tilted her head. “Why do you think that?”

“I seen her purchase a box of condoms from here and a Plan B pill.”

Bingo. That was what Kimberley needed. Something that tied Hannah Brown to another person. Even though the tie was small, and she didn’t know who the man was, at least it was something to go on.

“Did she say anything when she purchased the Plan B?”

“Nope, I pretended not to see her. She was nice and all, but she didn’t talk about herself all that much. Once in a while, she’d talk about her daughter. But we mostly chatted about work or joked around about what medications and ointments customers were buying, who was constipated, who had hemorrhoids, which men couldn’t get it up and were in here buying Viagra.” Michelle laughed. “Just silly stuff like that, nothing serious.”

“How long ago did she buy the Plan B?”

“Plan B, a few weeks ago. Condoms, there’s been multiple purchases. She thought I didn’t notice, but I did. We aren’t ever supposed to ring ourselves out if we can help it, but when I saw what she was buying, I just left her to it.”

Kimberley nodded, jotting down notes on her notepad.

“And you’re sure?”

“Absolutely. I mean she could have been buying it for someone else I s’pose, but who does that? She never talked about having a man.”

“Hello. Can I help you?” A voice called from behind her.

Kimberley turned around to find a small elderly man with a bald head and glasses lingering at the tip of his nose. He was dressed in a doctor’s coat with a name tag pinned to his chest that read “Frank.”

“I’m Chief Deputy King. I was just interviewing your employee about Hannah Brown. Mind if I ask you a few questions, while I’ve got you here?”

“Oh, of course.” Frank walked slowly up the aisle. He stopped just a few feet shy of Kimberley. “It’s just awful what happened to her. Hannah was a sweet girl, dependable too, aside from always being ten minutes late. I was never mad about that though. I knew she had a young daughter and she was raising her on her own, so I gave her some slack. I used to joke around with her, telling her she was on Hannah time and she needed to be on Frank time. See, I’m always early. Been that way my whole life. Such a shame. It’s going to be impossible to replace her. I haven’t even posted a job opening yet.” He pulled his glasses from his face and wiped his eyes. “It’s just too soon. You know? So, I’m doing what I can to cover in the mornings. It’s tough, but my customers have been patient with me.”

“Frank,” Kimberley finally found a moment to interrupt. He reminded her of her grandfather when he was still alive. He would go on and on when he started talking, as if he had saved up all his words for you.

“Yes, Chief Deputy King,” Frank said, looking up at Kimberley, returning his glasses to their position at the tip of his nose.

“Thank you for your time. I appreciate you talking with me today.” There was no point asking him any questions as she felt sure he knew nothing more about Hannah than he had already told her.

Frank nodded. “Oh, of course. Anytime.”

Kimberley closed up her notepad and put it back in her pocket. She pulled two business cards from her utility belt and handed one to Frank and one to Michelle. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call.”

Michelle nodded pocketing the business card. “Have a nice day, Chief Deputy.”

Frank brought the business card close