Page 118 of Never Forget

“Can you tell us more about that?”

Kathy shakes her head and starts babbling nervously. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m probably going to lose my job anyway, but I don’t want to get on the corporation’s blacklist and never work again either.”

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m not trying to force you to tell me anything you’re not comfortable telling me. And I’m not trying to get you fired. The fact that you’re helping me right now by just talking to me is enough for me to know that Emmy is right about you.”

“What did Emmy say about me?”

“He said that if you had anything to do with it, you absolutely didn’t know what it was for or where it was going. He said you’re a kind person. He likes you a lot, and he’s pretty gutted about this whole thing, too. I think he’s blaming himself for it, actually. You might have noticed he’s a bit of a perfectionist.”

Kathy huffs a laugh, which makes her snort a little. She hurriedly blows her nose again, then pulls out her phone. She types on her screen for a minute, then slides the phone across the table.

“I’m really sorry that happened to you. I wish there was anything I could do to help, but I think you should speak to my supervisor, or perhaps someone in legal. I can’t help you.”

On her phone screen, there’s a notes app open. It says:

There’s a park four blocks south of here. The one with the waterfall. I’ll tell you everything I know, but I’m worried it’s not safe here.

Cory and I arrive early, but Kathy is already waiting for us. The park is more like a hidden patio, with ivy-covered walls on two sides, a huge waterfall feature at the back, and a few trees. It’s only a few blocks away from the label headquarters, but it’s hidden enough that no one is likely to walk in and notice us by chance.

Kathy is sitting at a small table at the far end of the small park, near a large waterfall feature. The closer we get to the water, the louder it is. If any of us had a listening device or wanted to record this conversation, we’d be hard-pressed to get a clear recording.

“She’s smart,” Cory says.

“Thank you for meeting me here,” Kathy says, standing as we get close.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask after Cory and I take the other seats at the small patio table, and a prolonged silence.

“I’ve been worrying over how much I should tell you all day. What I told you already might put me in breach of contract, but I think you deserve to know the truth, especially after what happened to you.” She takes a breath. “I just don’t know where to start, really.”

“How about you start with Francis Tuft? What do you know about him?” Cory prompts.

“Not much. A small team of people were transferred from X Media Corp., and he’s our point of contact for getting integrated into the new office.”

“Do you know why you were transferred?”

“Special projects consulting is what they called it. We’re supposed to integrate into the label and learn how things work. Mr. Tuft was named as the person we’re supposed to report to if we have any questions or notice anything strange.”

“What do you mean by that?” I ask.

“Honestly, I have no idea. Mr. Tuft has all of us reporting directly to him if anything comes through the office regarding the Lest Is Moore team and accounts. That’s why I called him when Emmy mentioned you needing a cell booster.”

“And he instructed you to put a listening device in the booster?”

“Yes. Which was strange, but also not. One of our first assignments was coordinating and installing listening devices in the executive conference rooms and the offices assigned to your accounts.”

“Even the private offices?” I know the answer, but I’m curious if she knows.

Kathy nods. “Except for restrooms, there are listening devices and cameras all over the building.”

“Why though?”

“I was told it was ordered by one of the execs. I don’t know who exactly.”

“Why would our own label be investigating us?”

It’s more of a rhetorical question that I’m asking myself, but Kathy does her best to answer.

“I can’t say for sure, but when I questioned putting the listening device in the booster, Mr. Tuft said that it’s part of an ongoing investigation of serious misconduct. He also said that if it’s going to an office in Raleigh, then it would be considered property of the label and therefore within their legal bounds to monitor.”