passion of mine. I'm hoping to one day open my own shop.”
Bekki nodded a little and assumed that was why he wanted out of the factory business so badly.
“ Well, I'd love to have a look at your collection,” Bekki said hopefully.
“ No questions?” he quirked his brow slightly.
“ No questions,” she promised. The arrogant smirk he usually wore returned to his lips. “All right I'll show you quickly, but then I have to make my rounds and make sure that these employees are actually working for their pay.”
Bekki bit her tongue as she was certain that the men who worked in the factory worked much harder than Steven ever had. He opened the door to his office and led her through it to a small storage room. She felt a little anxious, yet again, as she was alone with him in a small space, but she chose to ignore it.
“ See?” he gestured to the small vials that lined the shelf. “A little goes a long way,” he added. Bekki ran her gaze over the collection.
“ And these are all in the shampoo?” she asked, pretending to be impressed.
“ Most of them,” Steven agreed. “Some of them are in other products and some are just my personal supply. Essential oils can be used medicinally, did you know that?” he asked.
“ I didn't,” Bekki replied, though she had a vague knowledge of it. “How does that work?”
“ Well, some are absorbed through the skin,” he explained with a shrug. “But others can be taken orally.”
“ Really?” Bekki asked with surprise. “I never knew that. Are any of them dangerous?” she asked.
“ A few are,” Steven admitted and then tilted his head from side to side. “They're not really dangerous, but anything can be toxic if ingested in large quantities.”
“ Good point,” Bekki agreed and then laughed. “So, no drinking the shampoo?”
“ I wouldn't recommend it,” Steven chuckled and seemed to relax in her presence. Bekki surmised that as long as her focus was on him he was pleased. He struck her as a bit of a narcissist. A narcissist with an alibi. Which reminded Bekki, that Tom was now her prime suspect. She needed to talk with him again and find out why he was hiding things from her. She looked over the oils once more and then smiled at Steven.
“ Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I hope that we can continue our business relationship,” she added. “You know, Nick is just doing his job. He wants to find out what happened to your brother.”
“ And I want him to find out, too,” Steven agreed as he walked her towards the exit of the factory. “But I doubt that anyone here committed the crime. The only reason I didn't volunteer the employees for questioning is because it seemed like a waste of my time and that of the police. Time is money in this business,” he added.
“ I understand,” Bekki nodded. “I'm sorry if I interrupted production.”
“ I'll let it slide, this time,” Steven chuckled again and Bekki managed a smile in return. The more he laughed, the less she liked him.
Chapter S ix
As Bekki drove back towards Harroway, she decided she would kill two birds with one stone. She knew that Doug’s Bar opened up around lunch time. She dialed Tom's number.
“ Hello?” he answered in a miserable tone.
“ Tom,” Bekki replied in a cold tone. “We need to talk.”
“ What's wrong, Bekki?” Tom asked nervously.
“ I think you know what's wrong, Tom,” Bekki replied in a clipped tone. “I don't understand why you lied to me.”
“ Bekki,” Tom sighed. “I just...”
“ Don't, I want to talk to you about it in person,” Bekki said firmly. She had more chance of telling if he was lying if she saw his face. She had nearly convinced Nick that he was innocent, and it was going to make him look bad if it turned out that Tom really was the killer. “Can you meet me at Doug’s Bar?”
“ Sure,” Tom reluctantly agreed. “Tonight?”
“ No, now,” Bekki said and glanced at the digital clock on her dashboard.
Bekki nodded a little and assumed that was why he wanted out of the factory business so badly.
“ Well, I'd love to have a look at your collection,” Bekki said hopefully.
“ No questions?” he quirked his brow slightly.
“ No questions,” she promised. The arrogant smirk he usually wore returned to his lips. “All right I'll show you quickly, but then I have to make my rounds and make sure that these employees are actually working for their pay.”
Bekki bit her tongue as she was certain that the men who worked in the factory worked much harder than Steven ever had. He opened the door to his office and led her through it to a small storage room. She felt a little anxious, yet again, as she was alone with him in a small space, but she chose to ignore it.
“ See?” he gestured to the small vials that lined the shelf. “A little goes a long way,” he added. Bekki ran her gaze over the collection.
“ And these are all in the shampoo?” she asked, pretending to be impressed.
“ Most of them,” Steven agreed. “Some of them are in other products and some are just my personal supply. Essential oils can be used medicinally, did you know that?” he asked.
“ I didn't,” Bekki replied, though she had a vague knowledge of it. “How does that work?”
“ Well, some are absorbed through the skin,” he explained with a shrug. “But others can be taken orally.”
“ Really?” Bekki asked with surprise. “I never knew that. Are any of them dangerous?” she asked.
“ A few are,” Steven admitted and then tilted his head from side to side. “They're not really dangerous, but anything can be toxic if ingested in large quantities.”
“ Good point,” Bekki agreed and then laughed. “So, no drinking the shampoo?”
“ I wouldn't recommend it,” Steven chuckled and seemed to relax in her presence. Bekki surmised that as long as her focus was on him he was pleased. He struck her as a bit of a narcissist. A narcissist with an alibi. Which reminded Bekki, that Tom was now her prime suspect. She needed to talk with him again and find out why he was hiding things from her. She looked over the oils once more and then smiled at Steven.
“ Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I hope that we can continue our business relationship,” she added. “You know, Nick is just doing his job. He wants to find out what happened to your brother.”
“ And I want him to find out, too,” Steven agreed as he walked her towards the exit of the factory. “But I doubt that anyone here committed the crime. The only reason I didn't volunteer the employees for questioning is because it seemed like a waste of my time and that of the police. Time is money in this business,” he added.
“ I understand,” Bekki nodded. “I'm sorry if I interrupted production.”
“ I'll let it slide, this time,” Steven chuckled again and Bekki managed a smile in return. The more he laughed, the less she liked him.
Chapter S ix
As Bekki drove back towards Harroway, she decided she would kill two birds with one stone. She knew that Doug’s Bar opened up around lunch time. She dialed Tom's number.
“ Hello?” he answered in a miserable tone.
“ Tom,” Bekki replied in a cold tone. “We need to talk.”
“ What's wrong, Bekki?” Tom asked nervously.
“ I think you know what's wrong, Tom,” Bekki replied in a clipped tone. “I don't understand why you lied to me.”
“ Bekki,” Tom sighed. “I just...”
“ Don't, I want to talk to you about it in person,” Bekki said firmly. She had more chance of telling if he was lying if she saw his face. She had nearly convinced Nick that he was innocent, and it was going to make him look bad if it turned out that Tom really was the killer. “Can you meet me at Doug’s Bar?”
“ Sure,” Tom reluctantly agreed. “Tonight?”
“ No, now,” Bekki said and glanced at the digital clock on her dashboard.
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