Page 60 of Worth of Waste

“I’m not very familiar with him, but I do know who you’re talking about.”

Karen prided herself on not being a liar, and she had definitely never lied to a cop before.

Detective Rubins nodded. “I’m sure you’re aware your old employer was arrested and spent time in jail—this is unrelated to that, in a way. A task force has been put together with the FBI and Chicago Police Department, and one of our focuses has been the Chicago Outfit, something your employer was involved in. You happened to have access to the books for the one business when you were working for Dino DeLuca—”

“I made sure the numbers balanced,” Karen said honestly. It was the truth, though she wasn’t about to offer any sort of information that might get Dino in trouble where the restaurant was concerned. Certainly, not how she had often cooked numbers when Dino had asked her to, in order to hide cash he’d funneled into the business as profits. “I have no idea about anything of that other stuff you just said. I met Dino a few times while I worked for him, and that was it.”

The man didn’t look like he believed her.

Karen kept her poker face firmly in place.

“That doesn’t explain a visitation record in the prison with your name on it attached to Dino when he was an inmate,” the man noted.

Still, Karen refused to crack. “I knew there were legal things happening. I wanted to know if there was something I should worry about because of my previous employment. I thought it might impact my ability to find work if I, too, were being investigated for having worked for Dino before, and felt maybe he would have answers for me. He didn’t, and in fact, he refused to even talk to me. Which isn’t surprising, considering we weren’t friends before he was arrested, and I had quit without giving him notice.”

“You have answers for everything, Miss.”

“Honest answers,” Karen replied.

Or that was the story she was telling.

“Well, should you remember anything that might help our—”

“You didn’t even tell me what you were looking for,” Karen pointed out, annoyed.

The detective laughed. “Trust me, you would know without me needing to tell. Which makes me think I’ve probably wasted both of our times here today. But should you remember anything about working for Dino DeLuca that might help our investigation, please give me a call.”

He slid a card across the table.

Karen barely spared it a glance. “Thanks.”

But she wouldn’t be using that card at all.

“By the way,” the detective said as he stood, “was there any particular reason why you happened to quit the restaurant around the same time Dino was arrested? Say, perhaps, you noticed things weren’t entirely on the up and up with your employer or his business and you decided to cut tail and run?”

Karen cleared her throat, trying not to shift in her chair. “That sounds like an accusation.”

“I certainly didn’t mean for it to.”

She doubted that.

“I quit because something better came along.”

Detective Rubin’s gaze narrowed slightly. “You didn’t start working for your new employer for a couple of months after, correct?”

How did he know that?

Had the police been looking into Karen for a while?

Refusing to let her inner dilemma or concern show, Karen looked the man right in the eye and replied, “I never said it was the studio, did I?”

“That you didn’t. Again, should you remember anything …”

“I’ll call.”

“And if we learn anything new that we think you might be able to help with,” the man continued, “you will be seeing me again, Miss Martin.”

The detective left the café without a single look back.