Weapons of Mass Distraction by Camilla Chafer Read Free Book Online Page A

at the ceiling. Hmmm. Maybe he was up there, on the new, not very secret floor, but where very secret things happened. Secret things I made it one of my missions to find out about.
    Fletcher jumped and looked up. I smirked to myself, glad I wasn’t the only one Solomon could surprise. “Twenty minutes, boss. Said he’d wait, so I put him in there with a magazine.”
    “A nice one?” I asked.
    “Your dirty ones are locked in your drawer,” Fletcher quipped as I stuck my tongue out at him.
    Solomon nudged my elbow. “Let’s go talk to him.”
    I dropped my sandwich on my desk. I didn’t have the appetite for it anyway. I could not get the image of Lorena lying dead on her kitchen floor out of my mind. I thought about the other two dead people I previously encountered, but they didn’t hit me in the same way. I only knew them by face, not as friends. With Lorena, it was personal. Jim Schwarz and Karen Doyle’s deaths were so much cleaner too. One minute they were there, the next… gone. I wondered if Michael was taking the ghastly trio of deaths personally. He was a friendly sort and I often saw him chatting warmly to members.
    “Thanks for coming in,” said Solomon, extending his hand to Michael’s as we entered. Michael shook his first, then mine, and I saw the guys take a moment to size each other up while I introduced them. They were comparable in height, but Michael was broader and more muscular than Solomon. That was saying something as my boss was no weakling in any way, and definitely more handsome. All the same, the sight of Michael’s bicep stretching his short-sleeved white t-shirt didn’t bother me.
    “I appreciate you taking the time to see me. Hey, Lexi. You okay?” he asked, his concerned eyes running over me.
    “I’ve had better days,” I said, taking the seat opposite him as Solomon moved to the head of the table.
    “It’s a damn shame. Lorena seemed like such a nice person.”
    “She was,” I agreed.
    “Tell us why you think we should investigate,” said Solomon.
    “Truthfully, I don’t know,” Michael said, giving us a shrug and a confused shake of his head. “I know it looks like Jim Schwarz and Karen Doyle died of natural causes, but two in two days? And now Lorena? It doesn’t make any sense. I have a very bad feeling.”
    “Lorena’s death was definitely not natural,” Solomon pointed out.
    “I know. I heard,” Michael said, sounding somewhat distressed.
    “How did you hear?” I asked. “You called me pretty quick.”
    “We have a few officers at the gym. They talk. I overhear.”
    “Can you think of any connection between the three deceased?” Solomon inquired.
    Michael nodded. “Only the gym. That’s the only connection. Here’s my big worry: that someone at the gym targeted those folks and perhaps they’re not done yet. I can’t have a murderer killing off my clients. Maybe someone has it in for the gym.”
    “Most people would feel the same,” agreed Solomon, “but there’s nothing to suggest that Jim and Karen were murdered, or that your gym might be a target.”
    “Yet,” said Michael.
    “Yet,” agreed Solomon.
    “But don’t you think it’s suspicious too?” Michael waited, looking alternately at both of us.
    There was a long pause in which Solomon leaned back in his chair, his hand under his chin as he assessed the situation. “I think it’s something to look at more closely,” he said and Michael gave a relieved sigh before slumping back in his chair.
    “And you?” Michael asked, looking at me. I nodded too. “Then I want to hire you.”
    “It might not be what you think,” Solomon warned, “it could be nothing. Or, it could be natural causes from underlying health conditions. It could be a problem at the gym, or with one of your employees, or even a member. We can’t predict which one of those things it is. Are you sure you want to hire the agency, or would you rather wait for the police to finish their