14. Ava
14
Ava
I held the little white pill in my fingers as I leaned back in my chair, my feet propped up on my desk, rolling it back and forth. "And you're sure he can do this off the books?"
Aria nodded, her legs crossed as she twisted her desk chair in my cubicle opening. "Do you remember the story I did about the toxic fluids seeping into the water supply, and HydroDynamics refused to acknowledge it?"
Sucking in a breath, I put the little pill back into the baggy and stuffed it in my pocket with a nod. "Yep."
"He was the chemist who tested the water for me." She pulled out her phone. "I'll beam you his number, but he already knows you're coming."
"Thanks."
"What are you expecting to find?" She dropped her phone onto her.
I shrugged. "I don't know. A signed confession and a finger pointing to whodunnit would be nice."
Aria snorted and spun her chair away. "Good luck with that." When her chair made a full circle, she stopped, her foot hitting the ground as she leaned in. "So what happened with Mr. Smoking Hot last night?"
I shrugged, heat slapping my cheeks. "Nothing. RPD came in, and people went scattering."
"No kidding?"
Cocking my head to the side, I dropped my feet from my desk, knocking my paperclips to the ground with a clatter. "Dammit."
Aria and I dropped to our knees, picking up the multicolored paper clips and putting them back into the small container.
"Okay, but, like, what happened?"
We kissed under the stars like in some Hallmark movie.
"Nothing. We ran. I can't afford a possession charge."
She dropped a handful into the plastic container with a flower I'd etched into it one late night. "Then maybe you should stop bringing the drug out into the open."
"I can't help it." I almost put the damn thing in my mouth. "It's crazy to me that this tiny little drug can cause so much havoc."
"You think that's bad? You should see Fentanyl." She held up two fingers. "Two milligrams is all it takes to kill someone."
I frowned. "How do you know that?"
She wiggled her head as she shrugged. "Henry was watching a 60 Minutes special, and they were talking about it."
"And you happened to remember?"
We stood, and I tucked the full paper clip container far behind my computer screen, out of reach of random feet and flying hands.
"I can't help what sticks in my brain."
Whitney stepped out of her office, and I ducked down, my cheek pressed to the cool wood surface.
"Still hiding from her?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"She's walking this way."
Shit.
I grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder as my knees hit the floor. "Cover for me."
On hands and knees, I crawled around the back of my cubicle and into Jim's while he played a game of solitaire, none the wiser to my antics, and dipped into the aisle next to the elevator.
"Hi, Whitney."
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Don't be cute."
My stomach plummeted as I reached up like a toddler and pressed the down button on the elevator, and Janet stopped beside me.
"Hiding from Whitney?"
"Shh. " I pressed my finger to my lips. "Don't look at me."
"Got it." She tucked the files in her arms closer to her body and glanced over her shoulder as Whitney and Aria spoke with raised voices, no doubt drawing the attention of the office.
Well done, Aria.
The elevator doors opened, and I crawled inside with Janet beside me. "Garage, please," I whispered.
She thumbed the button.
"Hold the elevator, Janet." Whitney's voice boomed across the floor and bounced off the walls of my soon-to-be coffin.
"Shit."
I crawled to the side and smashed the close door button on repeat until they closed with Whitney's cream-colored toe in my vision.
"Sorry, it wouldn't stay open," Janet said through the cracked door.
Sweat broke out across my forehead, my heart racing, my knees scuffed. "That was intense."
"You are going to get your ass reamed when you come back into the office."
I laughed. "It's a Friday. I'm not going anywhere near her until Monday. By then, I pray to God she's forgotten."
Janet let out a dry chuckle. "Not likely, but all the power to you. She sent Milford to his desk with tears in his eyes last week for a mistake he made two months ago." She adjusted the files against her chest while the elevator music gnawed at my nerves. "She's like a Labrador—she never forgets."
"Words of comfort, Janet." I stood and brushed my sore knees off as the elevator bounced to a stop. "Wish me luck."
"Luck."
I fixed my bag over my shoulder and straightened my hair out of my face, then strode to my car like I hadn't escaped imminent death.
Sinking into my car, I slammed the door shut and drew out my phone, shooting off a text to Aria.
I owe you one.
Aria
Damn straight. She's walking through everyone's cubicles now. You might want to find out what you did to piss her off this much.
:(
Starting my car, I drove the hour-long drive to the next town over, parked in the back parking lot for NexGen Innovations, where he'd agreed to meet me, and then checked my emails and text messages three times over for anything new.
10% Off Your Favorite Hair Conditioner.
New Tech Revolutions...
Crime Rates Rise Across The Nation... What's Behind The Numbers?
Where is my FOIA?
Two minutes after five o'clock, a stout, bald man strode out of the building and headed across the parking lot, his hands stiff at his sides.
He stopped at a white sedan and scanned the parking lot as I swung open my door and stepped out.
"Mr. Kline?" I tucked my phone into my back pocket and strode toward him, shifting my gaze across the faces walking to their cars.
His hand rested on the car door handle, his brows narrowed as though he were ready to fight at a moment's notice. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ava Thatcher." I handed him my credentials. "Aria said you could help me."
"You know, you guys can't keep coming around here." He shook his head, his bald head shining with perspiration. "You're going to cost me my job."
I raised my brows. "I'm sorry. I was under the impression you were willing to help me?"
The sun reflected heat rays off the side of his vehicle, causing a mild burn like those people sunbathing with a tin cooker around their necks.
He let out a sharp exhale, his tone edged with frustration. "You tell Aria this is the last time."
I nodded.
Aria called in a favor for me on this one...
Digging out the drug in the small dime-sized baggie, I handed it to him. "I just want this tested."
"For what?"
I shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for here. Maybe similarities to other drugs, a compound that's only found in one part of the world... surprise me, I guess."
"Right."
He took the plastic and pocketed it. "And my payment?"
My eyes widened. "Payment? Aria didn't mention anything about that."
Alan puffed out a breath of air through pursed lips. "Of course she didn't."
"What did she promise you?"
"A date."
"A date? Aria is engaged. Why would she—"
"Not with her. With you."
"Me?" I pressed my hand to my chest. "But I..." Am going to kill her. "She never said anything to me about this. I'm sorry, Dr. Kline. I didn’t know. I never would have gone through with it."
He laughed, his belly bouncing against his belt. "Stop. You're hurting my ego." Dr. Kline held up his left hand and pointed to the band. "Learn to take a joke."
My head tilted back as I stared at the gold ring around his finger. "A joke. Right. Need to get my sense of humor in for repairs. Got it." I held up my thumb.
"Give me a week or two. I'm slammed at the moment."
Two birds fluttered through the air and landed in the tree above as my shoulders slumped. "Can you make it three days? My boss is on my ass, and I may not survive the week."
"And you think mine will? I have deadlines too, Ava Thatcher." He opened the car door and sat inside. "I'll call you when I have anything."
I stepped back as he shut the door and started the car, a bead of sweat wetting the hair on my temples.
Dr. Kline backed out of his parking space with a little wave and left the parking lot with a smile and a slight shake of his head.
Great.
He's laughing at me.
I stood in the shade for a moment. The birds fighting in the tree sent leaves falling to the ground, their maddening chirps scrambling my brain of serious thought.
Hiking my hands on my hips, I glanced up into the tree and pinched my cheek between my teeth as I cocked my head.
One dull brown bird sat on a branch, still as stone. Not a flutter, not a twitch—nothing. The other identical bird hopped around it, pecking at its side and back as though it had invaded his territory.
Were birds territorial?
I squinted and moved my hand above my brow as it squawked and flapped its wings.
The first bird stood stark still as though life had been sucked from it.
Is that normal?
I stared at the bird.
Do birds blink?
The other bird bounced around as if on crack when the first bird twisted its head to the side and flapped his wing with a squawk.
Weird.
With a shake of my head, I walked back to my car and sat inside, the hairs on my neck standing on end.
Was that normal?
I wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel and stared at the tree, my mind running a million miles.
That didn't seem normal.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I dug it out, pressing the green button without taking my eyes off the tree.
"Hello?"
"How did it go?"
"Aria?" I pulled the phone away and side-eyed the name.
"Who else would it be?"
"Wow."
"You know what I mean." She breathed into the phone. "So, how did it go?"
"He left." I paused, the two birds flying from the tree. "Do you know anything about bird behavior?"