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“Did you check the house where he lived?”
“I inspected it personally. The new owners were very accommodating.”
Thank the gods for that. There was no reason to involve the new owners of the house. The interdimensional bank vault was no longer in its basement.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but was Mr. Shah’s death related to Mr. Huang’s?”
Naomi licked her gin-soaked lips. “Between you and me and this delicious cocktail, it seems Mr. Huang took offense to Mr. Shah’s corporate oversight and killed him before his own accidental death.”
I plastered on my best shocked and appalled face. “Wow. That’s high drama for a company. I can’t believe I didn’t hear about it. This town is rife with gossip.” One more nugget that might send Naomi packing quickly.
“It was a great loss to the company. They were both valued employees.” She eyed me closely. “Can you think of any reason why Mr. Shah mistook you for an officer in training? It’s a very specific claim, isn’t it?”
“I have no idea. I’m sorry.”
“Can you tell me under what circumstances you met Mr. Shah? His communication doesn’t clarify, but it seemed to suggest you were at the house on Thoreau Street.”
“I’m relatively new in town, so all the faces are one big blur. Do you have a photo of him?”
Naomi produced a photo of the djinn and placed it on the table between us. Yep, that was the guy Matilda killed to protect me. That was the problem with befriending Celtic spirits like the Night Mallt who once rode with the Wild Hunt. Their version of helping out a friend was never as basic as baking a casserole; it tended toward the extreme.
“He was tall, right? Maybe six-six?”
“That’s right. You remember him then?”
“I do, but I didn’t meet him at some house on Thoreau Street. It was in town. Maybe the hardware store, or possibly the coffee shop. I can’t recall exactly.”
“Any idea why he would refer to you as an officer in training?”
“The only thing I can think of is that I mentioned the chief was looking to hire a new cop. It’s possible he misunderstood and thought I meant me. I’m not great at casual conversation, as you might’ve already guessed. I have social anxiety.”
Naomi raised her glass. “Hence the cocktail.”
I winced. “Probably not the healthiest coping mechanism.”
“I don’t mind the method, as long as I get the information required to close this case.”
As much as I wanted to believe her, I wasn’t sure. “Will you be able to close it if you can’t locate the assets he stole?”
“My job is to verify the information in the communications we received.” She packed up the contents of the briefcase. “Which I have now officially done.”
I didn’t let my relief show. There’d be time for a celebratory jig later. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. It was nice meeting you, though. Safe travels.”
She glanced around the club. “I don’t think I’ll be leaving quite yet. There’s too much to explore.” She licked her lips at Kane. “Mountains to climb.”
I maintained a neutral expression. “How will you manage the time off? Vacation days?”
“Oh, I’ll just sit on the report for a few more days. They have no way of knowing whether it’s finished until I submit it.” She snapped her fingers at Kane. “Another drink, handsome bartender.”
Kane gave her a thumbs-up.
When he turned away, Naomi’s hand shot out and gripped my arm with alarming strength. I quickly put up my defenses to avoid an unwanted connection. She yanked me closer to her and hissed in my ear, “Before you go, I’d really like to know what you are.”
“And I’d like to know the real identity of Jack the Ripper, but some mysteries aren’t destined to be solved.” I wrenched my arm away and settled back in my chair. “You should’ve mentioned you can’t hold your liquor. I would’ve ordered you a Shirley Temple.”
Naomi stared at me with an unnerving intensity. “You’re neither a witch nor a mage.” Her gaze raked over me. “Perhaps a type of demon?”
“Didn’t your background check tell you?”
