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"Did you find any leads so far?" he asked, his pencil poised atop his small notebook. "Are we dealing with the same mystery perpetrator?"
"I don't talk to reporters," she snarled, ejecting him through the front door.
"Please," the man said, stepping closer to her as though wanting to discuss something in confidence. "I think we can help each other."
"Ha!" Cassie chortled sarcastically, getting ready to head back into the apartment. "Unless you've been personally acquainted with the murderer, I doubt it."
The man smiled, revealing two rows of gleaming, polished white teeth. "I have some information that could be useful... if used properly, that is."
Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, let's have it."
He shook his head. "I can't risk telling you here," he says, his voice barely a whisper. "Meet me at Ronnie's bar at seven tonight, and I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Cassie laughed loudly. "Right. It's that simple. I don't know you, and you expect me to trust you with information you probably don't even have. Well, I'm a trained skeptic. And I sense you're bullshitting me. So if you'll excuse me, I have a murderer to locate."
"Wait," he said, reaching out to grip her arm, then retracting his fingers quickly. "I really think I can help.
Cassie raised her eyebrow, and made a snap decision. They had no leads. What did she have to lose? "Fine. I'll meet you at seven. Come alone. But so help me, if you're just wasting my time, then I will have you arrested. Got it?"
He nodded. "Cassie, you won't regret this."
She scowled at him. "That's Detective to you," she said, then turned on her heel to take another look at their victim.
"Why was Andrew Barnes in here?" Clancy asked suspiciously when she re-entered the bedroom.
So that was the man's name. Was she the only one who didn't know him? "Snooping around, I suppose. Is he a good reporter?" she asked.
"Only the best there is. He lives for his work. Bet you can sympathize, huh, Cass?"
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