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Sam merely smiled shyly at the detective and wiggled her fingers hello. Hi, Dante.
Dante reacted the way most men did when confronted with the ethereal Sam. He smiled gently
before handing her a menu, just as eager to please and protect her as any other man. Sam. It s nice to
see you again. How s the job hunt going?
Sam made an adorable face, pursing her lips and blowing a raspberry. If Beth didn t know better
she d swear Sam had come straight from the pages of some magical girl manga. Meh. I had a job
interview, but I m waiting to hear back. Her shoulder-length golden-blond hair gleamed in the shaft
of sunlight from the window next to them. Her delicate hands rested lightly on the tabletop. I m
hoping the salary will be at least a match for what I made at Wyatt Industries.
Dante jolted in his seat. Beth knew why too. It was the mention of Wyatt Industries, the company
run by one of his friends. That would be great. Beth truly hoped Sam got the job. She d been out of
work ever since being summarily fired from Wyatt. The reason given had been down-sizing, but Beth
wasn t buying it. There d been a hush-hush investigation, then... no more job. Sam had gotten several
interviews, and with her skills she should have landed a job by now, even at a lower pay rate.
Instead, she did freelance work for people like Beth.
Andi must have figured out something was going on, because she leaned forward and began to
speak solely to Dante. So, detective. What s the craziest case you ve ever worked?
Dante shot Beth a quick, irritated glance, but when she didn t rescue him he sighed. This one time
we had a guy show up at the precinct in nothing but honey and feathers...
Beth suspected that someone at Wyatt Industries was giving Sam a bad reference, but there was no
way to prove it. She spoke softly, hoping Dante didn t hear. Damien was a friend of his, but Sam was
hers. You should keep Wyatt off your resume if this one doesn t pan out.
Sam immediately shook her head. That would be lying.
Nope. Just tell people you were doing freelance work due to the economy. That s not a lie, is it?
But... Sam bit her lip. You think I can t get a job because of Wyatt?
...then he told the desk sergeant that his mama wore combat boots...
Beth blinked, determined to ignore Dante s outrageous story. I m almost certain of it. Beth s
instincts were rarely wrong. Sam had no problems finding jobs before Wyatt. After...
She couldn t get a job as a grocery bagger.
...then he mentioned the badger chasing him down Old Baltimore Pike...
What the hell? Beth almost allowed herself to be distracted, but Sam s puppy eyes kept her
focused.
Sam bit her lip nervously. All right. I ll kick Wyatt off my resume if this job interview doesn t
work out.
Good. Beth relaxed once more. Sam was sweet-natured and deserved to find happiness. I might
have some work for you soon.
And that was my first trip to the psych ward. Dante leaned back, grinning as Andi giggled.
Oh. Good. Sam seemed relieved.
Beth stared at Sam. That soft, dreamy smile hid a mind like a steel trap when it came to computers.
Sam could get lost for hours digging up obscure bits of data that no one else was capable of finding.
She decided to have a little chat with Sam after the Blessing interview. Maybe her friend could
find something she couldn t. It wouldn t be the first time she d asked for Sam s help on a case. Plus,
she was willing to bet Sam could use the money.
Trust me, Sammie. I think the job interview is going to work out just fine. Andi patted Sam s
hand and ignored Beth s curious gaze. So, detective, what are you two up to, hmm?
Trying to catch the bad guys, ma am, Dante said in his best lawman s drawl. He even tipped his
non-existent hat at her friends.
Andi laughed in delight. I do love me a man in uniform.
The Blake murder? Sam asked quietly, her gaze intent on Dante s face. We heard about it on the
news. She turned her worried gaze to Beth. When we heard about where it happened we were
worried about you.
Beth patted Sam s hand. Sam could be annoying with her dreamy ways, but she wouldn t hurt a fly,
and she loved her friends deeply. She was loyal to the bone, and Beth treated her like the kid sister
she d never had. I m fine, Sammie. Beth winked at Sam. But don t ask me to discuss it with you. I
can t. Not yet, anyway. At least, not with Dante sitting right here. There was no need for the lovely
detective to know anything about Sammie s hacking skills.
Mmm. Not a very good lunch topic. Andi grinned with delight as the waiter began placing the
dishes in front of them. He must have seen them sitting with Dante and Beth and prepared the usual
meal the women ordered. I love this place. Andi sighed happily, picked up her chopsticks and
began digging into her moo goo gai pan with relish.
Beth pulled out her notebook, absently writing down the things she needed Sam to do for her, and
how much she d be able to pay her friend. Looking into the missing Blessing campaign funds would
be a good start. Beth often tossed work Sam s way, but she knew it wasn t enough to keep Sam in dog
kibble. She was afraid Sam really would do something illegal just to put food on her table. Sam was
getting dangerously thin, even on good days.
When she boxed over half her lunch, Beth wanted to howl in frustration. She couldn t embarrass
Sam in front of Andi and Dante, but damn it. No one should have to live the way Sam did, not when
they had the brains and the dedication to take on almost any computer job out there.
Beth pushed her glasses up her nose. As soon as this damn Blake case was over, she was going to
find out the real reason Sam had been fired.
They would pay for making the sweetest person she d ever met suffer the way Sam had.
As they left the restaurant, Andi pulled Beth aside. Sam rested against the counter with Dante as he
paid the bill, probably arguing that she could afford to pay for her own. Beth hoped Dante knew
better.
When she saw him pat Sam on the head and hand over his credit card to the hostess she sighed in
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