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“Oh, is that how it works? Indian giver much?”
“Indian giver? You better watch it, Miss Graham. Word gets out you made an ethnic slur in the nation’s capital, you might get your hand slapped. Maybe by a fork.” He rubbed where I’d hit him.
When I opened another container and, in it, found quiche, Cope snapped up another piece of baklava.
“There should be soup and rolls in one of the smaller bags.”
I grabbed the container of the sweet Greek dessert and moved it out of his reach.
“Greedy,” he muttered, licking his fingers. “So, what were you going to tell me about the report?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before I snapped at you, you said, ‘So about the report…’”
I was surprised he remembered, especially with how hard I was hoping he’d forget.
“Come on, Tally, give it up.”
“My name is Ali.”
He reached across the counter and grabbed another piece of baklava. “Tell me this: have you at least figured out who Tally is?”
“Yes, I’m not completely dense.”
“Not completely?”
I punched his arm. “Not dense.”
“So, who is she?”
“Tally Graham? You know I know.” Tally had been the nickname of the woman who became editor-in-chief of the Express when her husband, who previously held the job, suffered a debilitating stroke. Few outside the industry knew the story, though.
“All right. Good enough. Now tell me what you know about the report.”
“I didn’t say I knew anything.”
“You were going to.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Did you see something suspicious?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Not something, but someone?”
Fuck, he was good. With everything that happened, I’d forgotten all about the man I saw when I walked from the elevator to my car. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the car the guy had been standing near was Cope’s. Not that I thought he’d had anything to do with the report. I’d credited Stella with the false leak.
“Could you pick him out of a lineup?”
“I didn’t say I saw anyone.” I stood and tossed the empty food containers in the trash bin, hoping he’d drop it.
“Was he hot or something?”
I spun around. “Was who hot?”
“You just got flustered. What happened? Did whoever you saw push all your buttons, Tally?”
