by Keya Jay
Chapter twenty-four: Skylar Royce
Skylar sat at her office desk, knowing that at any given moment Ethan would be calling for her. She hasn’t seen Hank enter the building yet but that meant nothing he was usually always late but she used to pay it little to no attention unfortunately now was different which caused her to get a bit antsy.
“You look as if you’re about to bolt any second now,” Ava said as she entered Skylar’s office, which was really not much of an office compared to the others but it was an office none the less.
Skylar gave Ava a short, mirthless laugh, “I guess I am a bit on edge today,” she answered.
“It’s not because of Naveen calling in sick is it?” Ava asked. Skylar’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She had no clue that Naveen had even called in sick. It doesn’t sound like that big of a deal but if you knew Naveen then you knew it was. Naveen never called in sick even when she was so patently sick she never admitted it, never took a day off. No one ever understand her need to come into work every day but no one bothered to question her reasoning. It goes without saying that if Naveen called in sick there’s a HUGE problem. And why is it that Hank’s named popped into Skylar’s head for excuse? Something was so not right here. First Skylar witnesses Naveen crying and begging—which never happens—and now she’s calling in sick all of a sudden.
“I’mma take that as a yes?” Ava said by way of Skylar’s blank stare.
“I had no idea,” Skylar whispered.
“Oh,” Ava said a bit confused herself. “Well Ethan said that she had called last minute and said she wasn’t going to be able to come into work, she gave no explanation and she didn’t sound sick but she does have a family so we guessed that that was the reason.”
“Mmm hmm,” Skylar said not at all paying attention to Ava anymore, now she was stuck in her own head. Naveen’s didn’t come into work and so far Hank’s nowhere to be seen.
“Skylar can I see you for a minute?” Ethan called out. Now was so not the time but Skylar didn’t bother voicing it because then she’d have to give a reason why said time was not the right one and she couldn’t do that now could she? Skylar got up from her office chair and moved past Ava toward her office door where Ethan stood to guide her down to his office—as if she didn’t know the way by now.
“Have a seat,” he said once they entered.
Skylar sat on the seat opposite of his and folder her hands so as not to draw attention to the way they slightly shook—ok so maybe she was more than antsy.
“I don’t have to stress the importance of always coming to me when there’s a problem do I?”
Skylar shook her head slightly and made sure that she made eye contact—she’s known for wandering around with her eyes when she has no particular interest in a conversation she was about to engage in.
“Good so then we can skip that part and get straight down to the problem at hand. I need to know everything you do if we’re going to take on this case,” he said as he folded his hands on top of his desk as if he was extremely interested—knowing him he just might have been.
“Well like I told you before when you asked me,” she said making sure he heard that he had already asked her this once before.
“I’m just making sure that I have everything right, continue.”
“Well someone is targeting whisperer’s, kidnapping them and killing them—“
“Where are the whisperers being kidnapped at, do you know?”
“No I don’t I just know that they are being kidnapped but if your wandering if they were all kidnapped from the same place well I asked myself the same question and had Hank look into but I have yet to get an answer on the matter.”
“Ok but do you know where there being killed at, any evidence of where the crime might have gone down?”
“No.”
“What about the burial ground? Where are the wisps bodies being dumped after the killing?”
“I’ve made a map indicating all of the bodies that were find thus far—“
“Thus far?”
“Well we’re not completely sure if we’ve found all of the bodies, it’s hard to tell.”
“Continue. What other information did you gather on the matter?”
“There seems to be no MO. so far I mean, until we find out where the wisps are being taken from and where the crime is taken place. No specific gender is targeted, no limits on age range, no specifics in appearance, the only similarities would have to be where they are being dumped which isn’t all that telling seeing as though Coconut grove isn’t all that big of hiding place unless you hide bodies under beach sand which would be too telling, or in water which is checked and cleaned daily since people swim in it, bottom line being the bodies haven’t been hidden once dumped, not all that well I suppose but we find them behind restaurant trash bins, an owner or whoever is left at the restaurant has contacted me but wasn’t able to tell me when the bodies were place there or who placed them there, whether it was male or female, no one knows anything.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, I’m sure someone knows something you’re just not asking all of the right people.”
Skylar expected that kind of response from him so she didn’t comment.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“Pretty much unless you want to know the names of the victims and the restaurant trash bins they were dumped behind.”
“No, that won’t at all be necessary, but what I do want to know is if there are any suspects, have you questioned anyone? Took anyone into custody?”
“No for two reasons.”
“Ok name them,” he said waving her on.
“One being no one saw anything so there was no one to question besides the owners of the restaurants, and two being that I wasn’t actually permitted access to work on the case so if things got out of hand I wouldn’t have been able to do much else but report it to someone who could do something.”
“So what do you think would have happened if you’ve witnessed first-hand a crime going down? Your working on this case behind our backs no matter the reason was not smart considering the many possibilities.”
“I completely understand that but I knew that you—“
“No. Matter. The reason,” he spoke over her. “You should have come to us anyways.”
Skylar just simply nodded her head once to indicate that she heard him but still didn’t agree.
“Now, everything that you have told me helps us none, it just proves that there is a lot of work still needing to be done if we plan on solving this anytime soon. What I need you to find out is where the wisps are being taken from, I don’t care what you have to do to find out I just need an answer—soon. Make sure to provide judicial inquiry for your allegations.” Skylar wanted to object, she couldn’t possibly find out, she’s been trying all of this time to find the answer but every time she just ended up coming up empty. What would make now any different? But instead of voicing any of this she simply nodded her head once and got up to leave his office.
“Oh and Ms. Royce?” he called before she could cross that thresh hold.
“Yes?” she called over her shoulder.
“Be careful who you let develop information for you.”
Skylar wasn’t sure if he meant Hank or not but it sure seemed like it because he was the only person helping her. What did Ethan know pertaining to Hank and if he knew as much as Skylar did then why was he letting Hank work here?
“I will,” she said simply as she exited his office.
“We all seem to question the wrong people don’t we Ms. Royce?” Hank said from his position outside of Ethan’s office door. Skylar retained her cool as not to let Hank know that he had succeeded in scaring her half to death. Hoping he didn’t notice the discoloration of her face she turned to face him.
“And what exactly are you getting at Sir?” she said purposely not calling him Hank, for reasons she was sure he was well aware of by now.
&nbs
p; “Exactly what I said, even your closest friends are guilty my dear.”
“Mr. Henderson you may enter,” Ethan called.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said stepping around her. Skylar watched Hank’s retreating form until it was nearly impossible to do so anymore.
Skylar walked back to her office to see that Ava was no longer present inside. She sat behind her office desk and looked at her blank computer monitor, while absent-mindedly taping her fingers on the keys—not hard enough to push any actual keys though. It seemed to her like Hank was trying to tell her not to trust her friends, but she wasn’t sure why or even if she should listen to him. She hasn’t talked to Brooke sense she had stepped over that boundary concerning her mother and her mother’s privacy, she wouldn’t classify Sidney as a friend seeing as though she didn’t know her well enough and Ryder…well Ryder was just a confusing subject for her right now. She wasn’t even sure why she was even contemplating this right now, Hank was the one she should be focusing on and then on top of that she needs to find out where the whisperers are being taken from to please her overbearing Uncle/Boss.
Skylar sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before looking over at the clock it was only a quarter after five and she had to be at the Grand opening of Mrs. Delarosa’s Diner with Ryder.
Skylar got up from her office and prepared to leave the building. She took the long way just so she’d be able to walk past Ethan’s office hoping to hear a little of Ethan and Hank’s discussion, but she had no such luck with the door being closed, she’d have to press her ear up to the door and that was too risky so she just kept walking.
