Bill nods politely in greeting.
“Is the old man in?” I ask, jerking my thumb toward the ceiling.
“Should be.”
“Cool.” I grin and waggle my fingers. “Bye, Bill.”
“Until next time, Miss West.”
We glide past the desk, I scan my company badge, and we head for the elevator bank. Boo follows grudgingly, casting adoring puppy-dog looks back at Bill on regular intervals. We’re almost there when a thought pops into my head and I turn back.
“Hey!” I call.
Bill looks up from his paper.
“Did Sadie have her puppies yet?”
He smiles, gray mustache twitching. “Sure did. Six little German Shepard runts, running around like miniature tornados. They’re driving my wife crazy.”
“I’ll bet.” I laugh.
“Any chance you want to take one off our hands?”
I glance down at Boo dubiously. “This little guy gives me enough trouble. But if I think of anyone in need of a fur-baby, I’ll send them your way!”
He nods and goes back to his paper.
The elevator doors slide open a second after I hit the button. When I turn, I find Parker and Nate both watching me, identical expressions on their faces.
“What?” I ask, walking inside.
“How long have you been friends with the lobby guy?” Parker asks under his breath.
I shrug. “A few months. Why?”
“You always befriend total strangers and let them into your life without question?”
“No,” I lie.
“Uh huh.” His hazel eyes, so similar to my own, move over my face. “And you wonder why you were so easy to kidnap?”
“That was totally different.”
“How?” Parker asks, finger jabbing into the27button.
“Cormack was an anomaly. I usually don’t trust just anyone off the street.”
Nate snorts and glances at Parker. “She splits her lunch with a homeless guy at the park every time she works from the office.”
I gasp. “How do you know that?!”
Nate ignores me. “She let two guys who live in the building next to hers use her kitchen last Thanksgiving, just ‘cause they said theirs wasn’t working.”
“They couldn’t cook their turkey!” My voice is defensive. “What was I supposed to do, let them starve on a national holiday?”
“She also made dinner for the guy fixing her cable last month, when the job took him longer than expected.” Nate shakes his head.
“That wasonetime,” I point out.