Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers by Emily Matthews (best mystery novels of all time TXT) 📗

plants were scattered here and there. A brand-new, top of the line computer sat on the corner of the enormous desk and two twenty-seven-inch monitors filled the standing desk. Two leather chairs sat opposite her desk. Definitely a step up from her last digs. She couldn’t believe she was actually here.

She walked to the bookcase and moved one of the plants to her desk. While she was adjusting the placement, trying to figure out where it looked best, a small, timid-looking young woman popped her head in after giving a light knock on the open door.

“Hello, Ms. O’Neill? My name is Beckie Sullivan. I’m Mr. Cooper’s admin assistant, but I was supposed to come over and see if you need anything. Supplies, or directions to the cafeteria?” She was hunched over and spoke so quietly Annie could barely hear her.

Annie immediately recognized her former self and couldn’t bring herself to use her alter ego with this girl. Being nice to this one person, this one time, couldn’t hurt.

“Thanks, Beckie. I was just getting hungry. Do you have plans for lunch? If you show me to the cafeteria, I’ll buy.” She smiled.

Beckie’s head snapped up, and her eyes went wide. “What?” she exclaimed in surprise. “I mean, um, sure, okay.” Clearly, no one had ever offered to buy the girl lunch.

“Great. You ready then?” Annie picked up her purse.

“I usually don’t leave for lunch until noon.” She cast a furtive look to her desk and then her watch. Annie looked at her own watch and noted it was five minutes till noon.

“But they asked you to see what I need, right? Well, I need to be escorted to the cafeteria. I’m horrible with directions. By the time we get there, it will be close enough to noon that we may as well eat. I’ll cover for you if anyone says anything.” Annie winked.

“Okay.” Beckie hesitated, then stated more strongly, “Okay, yeah, let’s go.” She stood a little straighter and led the way. Annie smiled at her back and followed her out of the office.

An elevator ride, a couple of right turns, and no fewer than five directional signs later, they arrived.

Annie laughed. “Well, so maybe I could have found this by myself, but it never hurts to be sure.” Beckie covered a giggle with her hand.

The second they entered the cafeteria, the heavens opened, and the angels sang. Annie was assaulted by a sinful, familiar smell. She inhaled deeply and sighed. “Holy cow, is that cookies I smell? How divine.” Annie had an intense and severe love/hate relationship with cookies. And doughnuts. Well, and muffins. It was why she could never lose those last five pounds.

“Oh yes, ma’am. The cookies here are positively the best. They bake them on-site, so they’re fresh every day.” Beckie’s eyes lit up, and Annie smiled. A girl after her own heart.

“Awesome.” Annie licked her lips in anticipation. “What’s your favorite?” She’d talk to her about the “ma’am” stuff later.

“Well, I’ve tried each type, and they’re all fantastic, but my favorite is the white chocolate macadamia nut.”

“I’ll have to try that then.” Beckie beamed as they got in line to order.

Thirty minutes later, Annie sat back and pretended to be in deep thought. Beckie was sitting across from her, and on the table between them were twelve different cookies, laid out reverently in a three-by-four grid. Each cookie missing one bite.

“Don’t leave me in suspense. What’s the verdict?” Beckie leaned forward, her eyes glued on Annie, waiting.

“Well, you were right. They’re all delicious. I’ll probably have to try them again, several times, to be sure.” They both laughed. “But if I had to buy only one, which is what I must do from now on,” she said sternly, “I would have to go with…the peanut butter chocolate chip.”

“Oh, good choice, ma’am. Good choice.”

Annie took a final sip of her Diet Coke, wadded up her sandwich wrapper, and noticed Beckie staring at the cookies.

“If you don’t mind the fact that I’ve taken a bite out of these, you’re welcome to take them home,” Annie offered.

“Oh no, ma’am. I couldn’t.” She looked around as if there might be someone watching who wouldn’t approve.

“Really, you’d be doing me a favor. I can’t eat all these, and I’d just end up throwing them out. Please.” She knew Beckie’s type. She wouldn’t do anything for herself, but she’d do it in a heartbeat if she thought she was helping someone else.

“Okay. That’s so nice of you. I was thinking my mother might be able to eat the sugar cookie. Would you mind if I took that one home to her?”

“Of course. Take the macadamia nut too, since that’s your favorite. Does your mother have allergies or something?” She was curious about the “might be able to eat.”

“Well, no. She’s sick. Has been for a long time. Lately, she doesn’t have much of an appetite and has a hard time keeping most things down. I was thinking the sugar is probably the blandest, and she might enjoy it.” She looked away and was practically squirming in her seat, clearly uncomfortable talking about it.

“Why don’t you take the snickerdoodle, oatmeal, and plain peanut butter too. Those might work.”

In the end, they divvied them up evenly and put them in to-go bags. It would give Annie something to look forward to after her next big hurdle of the day—the one o’clock meeting with Sam MacDonald.

CHAPTER FIVE

Annie made a quick pit stop at the ladies’ room, powdered her nose, and rushed to the conference room. Assuming Sam would sit at the head of the table, she claimed a seat as far away as possible. She poured herself a glass of water from a fancy pitcher set on a silver tray and guzzled it nervously.

The ache in her stomach was either nerves over seeing Sam again or all the cookie bites she’d eaten. Ever since Phil had mentioned in passing this morning that she would be able to meet Sam later today, she’d been