A Billion Little Clues by Samantha Westlake Page B

upstairs - only he knew exactly what we would find!
    This meant that I wouldn't be able to eliminate anyone on the list based on their position. So instead, I finally decided, I would have to resort to using my own preferred tool of choice.
    Gossip.
    Fortunately, the list of guests also included their position title and their office location. Quite a few of the big executives, most of whom had titles that included "Head of" in their description, had offices two floors below us, on the twenty-sixth floor.
    I had visited the twenty-sixth floor on the occasional errand from Keith when he was too grumpy to leave his office. It was also much nicer than our floor, although it didn't hold a candle to this amazing top level. But it was definitely nice enough for me to loiter around a bit after dropping off my assignment, poking my head into the break room, grabbing a few complimentary snacks, and listening to the secretaries gossip around the coffee pot. The place was a breeding grounds of rumor.
    And that would be the perfect place to get an idea of who was the prime suspect for killing Silvers. Aside from Roman, of course.
    I folded the list over, tucking it into my purse, and finished off my coffee. Wouldn't do to walk into a break room with a cup of coffee already, I thought to myself, and then congratulated myself on such smart thinking. Why, I was a full-on detective already! No wonder Roman was trusting me with such an important mission!
    I left floor twenty-eight, forcing myself to not look as I passed the desk of the far-too-attractive Eleanor, and headed downstairs. I even decided that I would take the stairs instead of the elevator. Positive life choices! Getting my daily exercise in! I steadfastly refused to admit that it might be because I was exceedingly jealous of Eleanor's long and slim legs. I didn't have a single jealous bone in my body. Besides, it was only two flights of stairs! How hard could that be?
    When I arrived at the break room on floor twenty-six, I immediately sank into the nearest chair with a gasp of relief. How could two flights of stairs hurt my legs so much? I probably had some sort of bone spur, or a splint or something. I really shouldn't be taxing myself in such a physical manner.
    As I tried to catch my breath, however, I was already hearing little snatches of conversation drifting over from the next table in the break room. I perked up my ears, leaning in to make out what the ladies were saying.
    "...and can you believe that they just found him dead? I don't know why they didn't all go running out of the house screaming!" one rotund receptionist was excitedly telling her friend in a stage whisper.
    "Oh, I know!" her friend replied. "And murdered! I know that some of the executives in this place are cutthroat, but I never thought that was literally true!"
    Perfect. I scooted my chair over to the table. Both of the women looked up at me as I shuffled in, their expressions reverting instantly to professional blankness. I lowered my own voice, trying to look as conspiratorial as possible. "Want to hear something crazy?" I whispered to them. "I was at that party last night! I might have actually talked to the murderer!"
    My words and tone instantly told the other two women that I was far more interested in gossip than in reporting them for slacking off. Their expressions immediately opened up. "No way," gasped one of them in shock.
    I nodded. "Way. It's so scary to think about!"
    This had been enough to prove my allegiance and willingness to share my story. I was one of the group, now, one of the gossiping circle. The other women clustered in around me, and I could see that they were just bursting with questions.
    "I'm Diana," one of them told me, the name spilling out to get the formalities out of the way. "And this is Heather."
    "Melinda," I replied. I didn't see any reason why I should try to conceal my name. I was working straight for Roman, now! I didn't have to worry about Keith getting angry