“I know, Mrs. Welch. We were talking about it, and the only thing we can think is that maybe someone knew we’d all be gone and tried to rob the place?”
“Of what?” I said. “Office equipment?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Ours is top-of-the-line,” Kaitlyn said. “But also Gonzo. Gonzo merch. You’d be amazed at how popular it is right now. It’s got that early-Nike vibe.”
That sounded like an exaggeration. But then I remembered Blake back at my office, guzzling the rest of that thug Charlie’s can. “People do like the stuff,” I said.
“And Sky tried to stop the robbers,” Lydia said.
“Yes,” Kaitlyn said. “That’s what we were thinking.”
“That sounds like her.”
“First that lab tech and now Sky,” Kaitlyn said. “You think maybe it’s the same person?”
Lydia cringed. I knew what she was thinking because it was the same thing I’d been thinking “Not Sky,” Lydia said. “He would never.”
“Who would never?” Kaitlyn said.
Lydia’s face flushed. “Nobody.”
“I think the shock is getting to all of us,” I said quickly. “You really think it was a failed robbery?”
Kaitlyn looked at me. “It makes the most sense.”
As they spoke, a question popped into my mind. But I’d have to wait to ask it until the marketers were out of earshot.
“She was such a brave person,” Kaitlyn said.
Lydia swayed on her feet. Bill caught her.
“Is,” I said. “She’s still in that ICU, fighting away.” I put on a smile. It actually hurt.
“Of course,” Kaitlyn said. “Is.” She looked at Lydia and Bill. “You know, we wouldn’t have half the success we’ve had without Sky…and, uh, Dylan, of course.”
“Totally,” Timothy said.
“Sales took a big hit in the first quarter after the whole thing with the girl,” Henry said. “But Sky hopped in the driver’s seat and brought us back on track.” He coughed. “Dylan, too.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “Typically,” he said, “there is only one driver’s seat.”
I watched the three of them. Their eager, pained smiles. It took me several seconds to figure out that by “the whole thing with the girl,” Henry was referring to the death of Rhonda Lewis’s daughter, Daisy. For marketing people, these three weren’t particularly good with words.
“Anyhoo,” Henry said, “we should probably head out, right? We…um…don’t want to take up space in the waiting room, and we should get back to the office. The police might have questions.”
“Good thinking,” Bill said.
“Thank you for being here,” Lydia said.
“It’s our pleasure,” Timothy said.
“That’s not what he means,” Kaitlyn said. “He doesn’t mean ‘pleasure.’ ”
“Just a figure of speech,” Henry said.
