The Porn Identity

Chapter 6

            I poured slowly. The blend of honey and lavender splashed down into the floral teacup. It was said that the tea from the delicate lavender flower promoted better sleep, better digestive health, and a soothing calm. And it was caffeine free, of course. We could definitely use some calming down right about now.

       After being rustled into my office, Ashley had been left to ruminate in the AC by herself while I brewed the tea. I figured the ten minutes it would take to prepare would cool her down a little. Plus, it was hard to stay in a state of frenzy with your hands full of dainty ceramic dishes.

       She took the teacup into her hands and muttered a weak, "Thank you." Looks like my stalling technique worked to even her out.

       "What happened?" I poured myself a cup and plopped down in my chair.

       "One of those detectives called." She lifted the teacup to her lips and took a sip. Her hands trembled. Good thing I only added a half a teaspoon of sugar. "They told me not to leave town."

       "That's it?" Hardly a reason to panic. Though I guess if you've never dealt with Johnny-Law before, any little attention was scary.

       "They told me I'm officially under investigation for Noah's murder."

       "That doesn't mean you're the only one." I took a sip of tea and almost got lost in the pleasurable mix of honey and lavender. Damn, that's good. I should make this the tea special tomorrow... "It just means they need to rule you out."

       "It's been three days. If they haven't ruled me out yet..." She raised the cup again but paused with it a few inches from her mouth like she forgot what she was doing. "They think I did it!"

       "...Did you? I'd understand if you did."

       "No!"

       "I thought you were breaking up with him."

       "We worked it out."

       I sighed. What exactly was there to work out? "Sounds like a job for a lawyer to me."

      "I'm just getting ahead of it." She sat the teacup on the edge of my desk, barely touched. "Lawyers use P.I.'s all the time."

       Okay, that was actually true. One of the P.I.'s greatest allies was the lawyer. A girl could really eat off a steady flow surveillance gigs and detailed background checks. And really, what was the difference between helping Sanz build his cases and helping Ashley with hers?

       "I don't know..."

       "Ms. Harper, I'm not someone who sits around and lets things happen." She huffed out a groan that shook her whole body. "I need to be proactive, or I'll go insane."

       Who she tellin'... "What happened that day?"

       "It was a normal Friday." Her eyes rolled upward as she thought back. "I got up, went to a class, went to work, came home and had dinner—"

       "Was there anything off about Noah?"

       "He seemed more distracted than usual." She half shrugged; half shook her head. "I asked him about it. He said it was just work."

       I'll bet. "Did he give any specifics?"

       She shook her head. "He never liked to talk about work."

       "And you never...pushed?" I knew the answer to that by the wide-eyed bewilderment on her face. "What happened that night?"

       "He was being a little distant all day. That afternoon he was gone for a few hours and when he came back..." her brows knit together.