Mike said, leaning back in his chair and eying Sharon across the desk. The atmosphere inside the office was tense and awkward, each person trying to concentrate on the job at hand, each well aware of the eight hundred pound gorilla of their breakup inside the room. “That was the last place anyone saw Manning, as far as we know, so that’s where we need to go.”Sharon sat silently and Mike studied her face before speaking gently. “I know you had a history with this guy. Would you rather I took Pete Kendall with me to do the interview?”“Of course not,” she answered as her face flushed bright crimson. Mike wondered whether it was from anger or embarrassment. “My ‘history,’ as you call it, with Earl Manning consisted of one highly regrettable night spent humping in the guy’s pickup truck, for crying out loud, while trashed out of my mind years ago when I was young and stupid. Believe me, I can handle this job.”Mike sat, thinking. “What about us?” he said. “Would you rather not be around me, considering .
