by Christy,Dena
Collette took a sip of her wine and licked her lips.
“It’s nothing. I sometimes wish things were different. I know what I am, and mostly I’m fine with being a chippy. I sometimes wonder if there isn’t more to life then what we’ve been allowed to have.”
“Do you think it’s time to find someone new?”
“That’s not how it works. They may tire of me, not the other way around.”
Miranda had never realized how dissatisfied Collette was with her life. She rarely talked about what her life as a chippy was like, and Miranda had never asked.
“Do you ever think about doing something else?” Collette just looked at her, and Miranda felt like kicking herself. She of all people should know that career changes for women were impossible. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“I’m stuck, so there is no point in thinking about doing something else. My mother was a chippy, and so was her mother before her. My fate was decided for me before I was born. At least my mother put me through a decent school and I got to meet you and…Evie.” There was a catch in Collette’s voice at the mention of Evie, and Miranda felt the same catch inside her. “It could be worse. Reggie is generous with his money and doesn’t make too many demands on me.”
Maybe it was the wine, or maybe this was the first time in a long time that they’d really talked, but Miranda felt bold enough to ask her friend something that she’d always wondered.
“What’s it like? Sleeping with him?”
“How do you think it is? He’s seventy. I’m not doing it for love, but at least when he performs he’s brief.” Collette set her wine glass aside and sighed as she sat back. “It’s a job, and it’s no different from you sitting in that lab and catering to Dr. Avery. It still wasn’t your choice, but what other options are there? At least you will escape when you get married. Are you still set on letting the government pick your spouse? It’s the rest of your life Randa. Are you sure you don’t want a say in that?”
“And end up like my mother? Miserable and unhappy when my father chose his second wife? It’s better if I don’t marry someone I love. I don’t want to end up like her when I have to share my husband with someone.”
“You don’t have to be her.”
“I don’t want to be Evie either.” She looked away from Collette. Evie had wanted to marry for love, but her lover’s application to marry her was rejected when someone with more clout wanted Evie for himself. Adam had turned up dead, and they’d never seen Evie again. Miranda couldn’t put anyone through that.
“I miss her.”
“I do too. Do you understand now why I won’t pick? I have to get married, and there is nothing I can do to change that. It’s better if I marry who they tell me to. Everybody wins that way.”
“Except you.” Collette reached out and put her hand on Miranda’s arm. Miranda reached up and took her friends hand in hers. “Always the good citizen, aren’t you Miranda?”
As much as she wished it didn’t have to be this way, being a good citizen was the safest choice for her to make. Today had shown her how risky stepping out of line could be.
Chapter Six
Miranda’s car pulled into her spot, and she wondered if yesterday had even happened. Had she really seen him or was he a product of her imagination? The only difference between today and yesterday was that it wasn’t raining, and she wasn’t late.
She slung her purse over her shoulder and made the trek across the parking lot in her high heels, her movements hampered by the long pencil skirt she wore. She should have kept some of her old work clothes, despite Collette’s insistence that she get rid of all of them. The least her friend could have done for her when trying to dress her for success was pick out at least one pant suit.
She went through the same routine as yesterday. Edgar checked to make sure she could be there and made sure she didn’t have any weapons. He needed to lighten up, but it was pointless to tell him that. He would insist that he was doing his job, and there was little she could say to that.
She followed the same path to her desk that she took every day, put her things away and logged onto her computer.
Dr. Avery’s door opened and a quick spurt of dread went through her as she looked up. She wasn’t prepared to talk to him after the last time she’d seen him. She would have to get over it since she was stuck working here for the foreseeable future. She smoothed her features into a mask as she braced herself for seeing him again. The junior scientists trooped out of Dr. Avery’s office, but he remained behind in his chair, with his back to her.
Thank God.
The last one to leave, Dr. Granger, left the door open, but she hoped that she could avoid Dr. Avery at least for the moment. Perhaps she should put in for a transfer since she wasn’t comfortable working for Dr. Avery any longer after what had happened in his office yesterday. It would be a foolish endeavor, doomed to failure, but perhaps she should try anyway? All she knew was that she didn’t want to be alone with him again, and her nerves wouldn’t be able to take working with him much longer.
A shadow fell over her desk, jolting her back to reality. Neil stood and looked at her as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure of the reception he’d get. He was right to be wary since she would never had gone to the observation lab on her own. She made the decision to go, but it was Neil who had suggested it.
“Dr. Stuart are you coming,” Dr. Granger looked from Neil to Miranda as he stood at the mouth of the corridor.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Neil didn’t even glance his way, and Dr. Granger’s mouth twisted for a second. He shook his head as he and Dr. Jerome walked away toward their workstations on another part of the floor.
Neil stood respectfully in front of her desk, instead of plunking his ass on top of it. What was going on with him? She didn’t think she’d ever seen him with such a serious expression on his face. Perhaps he was feeling remorse for the trouble he’d gotten her into yesterday.
She glanced in Dr. Avery’s office, and could see he was busy working and had his back to them. Both she and Neil were on thin ice with him, and he wouldn’t look favorably at her talking to Neil, not after yesterday. She looked up at Neil. It would be best if she got rid of him.
“What can I do for you Dr. Stuart?”
“I want to apologize to you, for what I did yesterday.”
Of all the things he could have said to her that was not what she expected to hear. Her shock must have shown on her face because he gave a little laugh.
“I’m aware that I was out of line yesterday putting you in that position. I should never have asked it of you, and I have no excuse. I’m chalking it up to momentary stupidity. Did you get in a lot of trouble?” He lowered his voice, and he leaned forward a little. Miranda looked toward Dr. Avery’s office again, and he was still focused on his task.
“Well I didn’t get fired if that’s what you’re worried about. I got a dressing down though and docked a days wages.” She offered Neil a small smile. He looked sorry for what he’d done, and she couldn’t do anything other than to forgive him. Yesterday was a lapse in judgement for both of them. “It helped that I threw you to the wolves.”
Neil let out a bark of laughter, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Dr. Avery’s head shoot up. Miranda held still while she waited to see if their boss would say anything.
“Don’t you have better things to do then bother Citizen Reynaud, Dr. Stuart,” he called out with his back still facing away from them.
“Yes sir.” Neil clicked his heels together and gave a small salute. Miranda put her hand up to her mouth to keep the nervous laugh that wanted to bubble up at bay. “Anyway I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Neil’s voice was a low rumble, but apparently Dr. Avery heard him anyway.
“Dr. Stuart,” Dr. Avery called again, and there was a thread of lost patience woven in his voice this time.
Neil rolled his eyes and walked away from her desk until he was out of D
r. Avery’s eye line. He bent forward into an exaggerated bow and doffed a pretend hat. Miranda bit her lip to stifle a laugh as she turned back to her work.
After about a half an hour she stretched and rolled her shoulders to remove some of the stiffness. She got up and walked down the hall toward the washrooms, and just before she went around the corner she heard Dr. Granger and Dr. Jerome talking in hushed tones. She slowed down, not wanting to interrupt them until they were finished.
“I can’t believe we will be part of this. It could be the scientific break through of the century,” Dr. Granger’s excitement sounded barely suppressed. Miranda told herself that she should walk away now, she hadn’t been included in that meeting for a reason. Still she lingered since her curiosity had been piqued.
“It will make history but I can guarantee you that our names won’t be mentioned anywhere. All the glory will go to the old man.” There was no excitement coming from Dr. Jerome, only the bitterness of someone who’d been through this before.
“Do you think we’ll get paid overtime at least, since we will have to come in on a Saturday?”
“I don’t know Granger, why don’t you ask Dr. Avery? Let’s get back to work.”
Miranda straightened and walked forward as if she hadn’t been listening. She didn’t spare them a glance as she walked past them on the way to the washroom. She walked inside and washed her hands.
Whatever they were talking about, it must be big since they were coming in on a Saturday to do it. What could be going on here on a Saturday that Dr. Avery didn’t want her to know about? She dried her hands and left the bathroom and made her way back to her desk.
Dr. Avery’s door was closed, and she sat down. It must have something to do with the alien. He was the only secret in this lab at the moment, but what could be happening that she couldn’t be privy to? Dr. Avery knew that she knew about the alien, so why keep his intentions a secret? He usually asked her to take minutes of his staff meetings, but he had held this one before she arrived at work. There had to be a reason for that, and if she knew better, she would put it from her mind.
Her curiosity had gotten her into a lot of trouble yesterday, did she really want a repeat of that?
Something must be happening with the alien, and as much as she wanted to forget about him, his sad lost eyes called to her and she couldn’t.
She licked her lips nervously and opened his calendar. Dr. Avery was a creature of habit, and he couldn't keep what he was doing out of his calendar. She was surprised that he didn’t log his bowel movements in it.
She stared at the computer for a long time, debating. He hadn’t wanted her in the meeting, and he hadn’t requested that she put whatever they were doing in his calendar for him. She could close the application, and go about her work, ignorant of what they were doing. Surely she’d learned yesterday that nothing good came of curiosity.
She raised her hand and her finger hovered over the calendar, and in a reckless moment she swiped it across the screen, moving it from Friday to Saturday. One word sat in the calendar, and it burned into her mind.
Autopsy.
* * *
It was late in the afternoon, and it was almost time to go home. How had she got through the day without being sick? Her stomach had churned through most of it as her mind focused on what she’d discovered. They were going to kill him, and this time tomorrow he would no longer exist.
Dr. Avery had gone to the gym several minutes ago, and she could hardly remember what excuse she’d given him for why she was still at her desk. Something about her tardiness the other day, and he’d accepted it. She knew she should get out of here and put this place behind her, but she couldn’t make herself move from her seat.
She stared down the hall, toward the observation lab. It’s not your problem.
She hadn’t captured him, she wouldn’t be wielding the knife tomorrow.
You’ll be complicit in murder. If she did nothing, and went home like nothing was happening, like she hadn’t looked in his eyes and seem the gentleness there, it would haunt her for the rest of her life. It would be like she’d cut his throat herself. What could she do? She was powerless to stop Dr. Avery.
Neil breezed by on his way out the door, and he paused for a moment.
“It’s Friday night, Citizen Reynaud.” His voice was a perfect imitation of Dr. Avery. “You should be out enjoying your life, not spending it here.”
“I will leave in a minute, I have a few things I need to attend to.” She forced a smile across her face, and her skin and muscles felt like stiff plastic that wouldn’t move. She was sure he would see right through her, but he didn’t.
“Such a good citizen, Miranda. Don’t work too late.” He inclined his head and walked away from her.
She stared at his retreating back Good citizen, indeed. If she’d been such good citizen she would never had gone with him to the observation lab. She would be blissful in her ignorance and could go on with her life the same as she always had. Now she couldn’t. Now she had to do something or in her mind her hands would be forever covered in the blood of an innocent being.
“Do you have any idea how I’m supposed to stop it, Neil?”
Neil had gotten her into this, maybe he could be the way out. His access card would be locked in his desk since he always said it was safer here then with him. His card would get her into the observation lab. What she would do once she was in there, she didn’t know but one step at a time. First she had to get the pass out of his desk.
She looked at her watch, and if she was going to do something, she better do it fast. Dr. Avery would be finished in the gym soon, and her opportunity would be lost.
She swallowed hard as she stood and stepped away from her desk. The building had grown silent, as if the walls were listening to her every move, and her shoes on the floor sounded loud to her ears. She went to Dr. Avery’s office and opened the door. She paused for a moment, her heart pounding hard. No one stopped her, and she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
She hurried to his desk, and her hand shook as she opened the second drawer. There was a tray of office supplies inside, and she lifted it out. Winking in the dim light of his office was the master key, and it would get her into Neil’s desk. She picked it up, and it burned cold in her hand as she closed her fist around it. The air hung heavy as her blood roared in her ears. Get a move on!
The cameras wouldn’t be on yet, but she had little time before Dr. Avery would be back. There was nothing she could say to justify being in his office when he wasn’t there. The quick staccato beat of her heels on the floor mocked her as they match the rhythm of her heart, which sounded louder than it should.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled, but a quick glance around showed only dim shadows settling in for the night.
She got to Neil’s desk and unlocked the center drawer. He kept his pass in here, but she couldn’t see it right away. The drawer was full of scraps of paper, empty food wrappers and his used office supplies. Could this be the one night he’d taken the pass with him?
Swallowing her revulsion at sticking her hand into the squalid mess that was his drawer, she pawed through the debris until her fingers brushed against the hard plastic of his access pass. She pulled it out and tucked it into the pocket at the front of her skirt. She pushed the drawer shut and locked it.
The trip back to Dr. Avery’s office was quick, but her hands shook harder than when she’d been in here the first time. She put the key back in what she hoped was the exact spot. Dr. Avery was paid well for his observation skills, and he would notice if someone moved the key. Hopefully he wouldn’t have a reason to go into the drawer until after she’d done what she was going to do. Whatever that was.
She lifted the tray and put it on top and shut the drawer. A quick glance at his desk confirmed that she had disturbed nothing.
Her stomach tightened and her mouth filled with saliva. Neil’s pass burned like a beacon in her pocket, and she was certain that he
r guilt was plain to see. She put her hand up to her mouth as she rushed out of Dr. Avery’s office and closed the door. She scurried down the hall to the washrooms.
She burst through the washroom door and threw herself into a stall. Her knees hit the floor in front of the toilet, and she crossed her arms over her stomach as her body heaved out the anxiety churning so violently inside her. Over and over, her body purged the stress from her system, and once it was finished, she knelt there quietly. Once her shaking subsided, she stood on rubbery legs and left the stall to go to the sink.
Rinsing her mouth, and splashing cold water on her face did nothing to bring back the color to her cheeks. She took several pieces of paper towel and buried her face in it. This was a turning point in her life. She could continue down the path set for her or she could take a turn toward the unknown.
She wiped her mouth with the paper towel and turned away from the mirror. What she needed to do was clear. His navy eyes would haunt her for the rest of her life if she stood by and did nothing. She would get him out of here. What he did after that would be up to him, but she would give him the chance to make his own way. Her spine turned to steel, and she yanked open the washroom door and walked out.
Chapter Seven
John sighed as he walked back to his office. His session at the gym had not gone well, and he didn’t know why he’d bothered to keep his daily appointment. He hated every second he was there, and his time was more valuable than to spend it sweating. It didn’t make a difference since there’d been little improvement to his body. Even if there had been, it would not matter. Miranda had avoided looking at him all day today, and he was certain it was because of his lack of control yesterday. So much for putting the incident behind them.
The lights were dim, and every workstation empty. Everyone would have gone home for the night. His staff could not be called workaholics, and his mouth tightened. Such lack of dedication. When he’d been a junior, he’d lived at the lab. His career mattered most to him, and it hadn’t bothered him that he’d had no social life to speak of. He’d been going places, and his current batch of staff was not.
