Page 52 of Stone Coast

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"Ithought that was you,” I said, trying to play it off like we were casual acquaintances.

Her eyes were still hazy with confusion.

"Savannah from Dr. Johnson’s office,” I said. It was a common enough name.

"Oh, right. Of course,” Sierra said, pretending to remember. “How are you?”

“I'm good. And you?”

Sierra smiled and shrugged. “I could complain, but who'd listen, right?” Confusion wrinkled her brow again. "What are you doing here? Dr. Johnson isn't in this building.”

I cringed and said in a sheepish voice, “Don't tell anybody, but I'm looking at other options.”

She smiled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Terrible what happened to Dr. Mitchell, isn't it?”

Sierra looked like she'd seen a ghost for a second. She grew uncomfortable and her eyes filled. “Yes, that's so sad. Look, I really need to be going. It was nice to see you again. Good luck with the job hunt.”

Sierra took a step toward her car, pulling her rolling suitcase of samples behind her.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

She hesitated, uncertain, but out of courtesy, indulged me.

"You knew Grayson pretty well, didn't you?”

She stiffened again for a moment. “Not really.”

"I don't mean to get personal, but I thought you two were… close.”

Confusion wrinkled her brow again, and her face flushed. “Close?”

"Well, I saw the two of you out at a bar one night. Obviously a client meeting," I said, giving her an option to save face.

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?”

I shrugged, then whispered in a salacious tone, "I hear rumors that he was assassinated.”

Her face tensed, and she swallowed hard again. “Where did you hear that?”

"It's probably nothing. You know how people talk.”

"I thought it was some type of home invasion.”

"That's what they said on the news, but the whole thing just sounds funny to me. I read that his fiancée killed one of theintruders. Did you know he was engaged? He was always such a flirt." I played it up for dramatic effect.

Her face tightened again, and her eyes welled. She turned away before she lost control. “I really need to be going. It was nice to see you again," she said, her back to me as she walked away.

"Maybe we can grab a drink sometime,” I shouted.

“That would be fun," she said just to be courteous, already halfway to her car.

Sierra popped the trunk to the BMW, tossed her bag in the back, then slid behind the wheel. She backed out of the parking space and tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.

There was no doubt in my mind she’d been having an affair with Grayson. It was obvious. I wondered how much her husband knew. Would he really have gone so far as to hire two street thugs to kill Grayson?