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was next to the doorway by a spinning rack of brochures. The rack was too short to cover her completely, and she’d look ridiculous if she crouched behind it. She knelt and pretended to tie her shoe, listening for all she was worth.
    She glanced up at the flyers in the rack. They were mostly about water conservation, but she snagged one about checking for leaks in your pipes. That might come in handy, and she didn’t think Aidan had come here for the literature.
    Sofia sneaked a quick glance, then hid behind the brochures again. Her suspicions were confirmed. A woman in a tight blue dress had emerged from another office and bounced along toward Aidan, flipping blond hair behind her shoulders. Another of Aidan’s conquests? That must be why he’d wanted her to wait in the car, so he could flirt to get the information he needed and he thought Sofia would cramp his style.
    “Aidan, you scamp!” The woman had a gravelly voice, like Kathleen Turner, nice legs, and artificially-enhanced assets.
    “Ginger!” he called. “It’s been awhile. How’s the chimpanzee?”
    Was that code?
    “Bobbo is safe and sound, thanks to you,” Ginger said. “How’s Brendan?”
    She knew Brendan. That meant she wasn’t one of Aidan’s one time dates. Interesting. And what chimpanzee were they talking about? Sofia had recently read a bunch of old case files, and none of them mentioned an ape named Bobbo. That she would have remembered.
    “Same old, same old,” Aidan said.
    “Glad to hear it. You ought to treasure that man.” Ginger wagged one long finger at Aidan.
    Sofia couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to. He’d have tightened his jaw, and his eyes would be a little glazed over. Ginger was right though, Aida should appreciate Brendan more. She found herself liking Ginger.
    “I was wondering if you could do me a favor,” Aidan said. “And we could get together for dinner next Tuesday?”
    So, not an official date, since he’d be seeing her on an off night.
    “Are you offering to trade me confidential information for a free meal?” Ginger sounded shocked. “And my supervisor around the corner.”
    “A good dinner,” Aidan said. “At that place you like.”
    “Let me see.” Ginger tapped her finger on her desk.
    Aidan probably wasn’t used to being turned down. It might do him some good. Then Ginger laughed, and Sofia knew Aidan had won.
    “Of course, I will,” Ginger said. “You had me at Bobbo.”
    He hadn’t even said ‘Bobbo.’ Aidan was working a ‘source.’ She wondered if she could pull that off so easily
    Ginger’s fingers clacked away on the keyboard. “Tell me what you need.”
    “Water usage for this address.”
    “Slight increase, ten percent over this time last year.”
    “And the neighbors?”
    A moment’s silence, then, “They all have about a ten per cent increase. Probably the drought means they’re having to irrigate more.”
    That didn’t sound so suspicious. Everybody’s water bill was up.
    Sofia backed out the door, keeping the rack between her and Aidan and Ginger while they chatted. She made it a few steps into the hall, and figured she was safe.
    “Is that you?”
    She turned around to face an overweight guy in his forties. He wore a lint-gray suit and a tie covered with little magnifying glasses. “Um...”
    “Sofia Salgado?” His voice boomed across the hall. “My daughter Bridget loved your show.”
    She winced and answered him in a quiet voice, hoping he would follow suit. “I’m glad to hear it.”
    “Can I take a picture with you?”
    She caught herself before she glanced back into the room. Aidan might come out at any second, and catch her. He probably make some crack about her incompetence as a detective. “I’m running a little late.”
    “It’ll only take a second.” He slung one arm around her shoulder, held up his camera, and snapped.
    “Give my best to Bridget!” She tried to walk away, but he stepped in front of her, a goofy smile on his