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“Why were you scared?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” she says. “I don’t know anything. I’m just… Tired. I don’t want to see anyone yet.”
I have sat down in my chair again, but then I stand back up. This is my chance to speak to Charlie before he goes. “I’ll be just a minute,” I say, turning towards the door.
She grabs my hand, afraid that I will let him in. “I only want to talk to him,” I say.
“Please don’t leave me alone,” she says. “Please don’t go.”
She has a haunted and frantic look in her eyes. Unable to say no to her, I sit back down. When she is sure that I won’t leave she lays down and closes her eyes, but her hands are still twisting over and over.
“It’s okay,” I say softly. “None of this is your fault. Rest now.”
I don’t know if this is aimed at her or at myself. I wonder if India’s werewolf is a little voice inside her head too. I wonder what it says to her and whether she’s spent years fighting it. My little voice had used me. She had taken all my years of fear and turned it into her rage. She wanted to do terrible things. I fear that if I take my amulet off she may want them again.
It is a long time until India’s hands relax and I know she has dropped off into sleep. I stay, watching her and twisting my amulet on the chain around my neck over and over.
It could easily be me in that bed instead of her. Alone, with no family to turn to. Unable to remember. Not knowing whether there’s a monster inside her or not. Scared of it and what it might do. I wonder if this is what I sensed when she came into Grimshaw’s the other day. I wonder if that is what made me feel a sense of kinship with her. I wonder if it is clouding my judgment.
I text Theo to let him know that I don’t think I can come into work in the afternoon today. I need to figure out a way to help India. He texts back to say that is fine.
I lay my head back against my chair. I might as well rest while I wait for India to wake up again. I yawn. My eyes are drooping. I slept plenty last night and it’s only morning. I wonder if Theo’s amulet is affecting my energy levels. I’ll have to think of a discreet way to ask him about it.
At least the quiet here in this room is soothing and restful. Or maybe it is the fact that I am here keeping a friend company in her time of need. This moment would be peaceful if it wasn’t for what had happened to India and Rachel. It feels like a long time since I have sat somewhere and felt okay about not doing anything at all. I close my eyes.
Sometime later my phone beeps, waking me. It is a message from Storm, inviting me to come into Agency Headquarters if I want to sit in on Jacob Jabari’s interview. I reply, telling him I will be there soon.
Chapter 15
ALYS
Hello bitches. It’s me Alys.
r /> I stroll into the elevator, joining a couple of Agency guys going down to the basement. A couple of sheep.
The sheep glance at me and see what they want to see. I see them too, with their weapons belts packed to the brim with stunbommers and guns and cagenets. Big weapons to make them feel like big men. My eyes linger on the cagenets, debating getting myself a five-finger discount, but the sheep have fastened them securely. They’re too expensive to lose. Too expensive for spares to not be kept under lock and key. Too bad. I could do things with a cagenet these fools wouldn’t dream of.
I give the sheep a polite smile. A sweet little people-pleaser smile. It tickles me pink that these bitches have no idea who I am.
The elevator pings as it gets to the basement. I sashay out, trying not to swing my hips. Don’t want anyone to think I’ve gone off my trolley. For once I’m grateful for no makeup and these dull clothes. All the better to stay invisible to the greedy-eyed. Even so, I’ve seen them looking, trying to get an eyeful of what is under this shirt.
The basement has a dirty grimy feel. No amount of cleaning is gonna make this place feel like it lives more in the daylight. It’s the ass end of Agency Headquarters. I’m surprised they keep the evidence lockup here. Silly of them. The neglected feel of the place has infected the mood of the pitiable fools who work down here. One of them is slouching at his desk in front of the lockup, ogling a book.
He looks up only when I ring his bell good, and acts like I haven’t been standing at this counter for the past ten seconds. Like he never heard me approach. Grumpy-faced moron. Keeper of the keys. The kind who likes to whinge and moan as he does his job, making your life so difficult that you find yourself groveling to him just to keep him sweet. Ha! Sweet. It looks like he’s eaten one too many donuts. Clearly his currency. Too bad I don’t have one. Groveling it shall have to be.
I give him my sweetest smile.
He fails to look impressed.
I slide my Agency ID card across the counter towards him. “I’m here to take a look at some evidence on a case that’s been assigned to me.”
He gives my ID card an unimpressed glance. Not so much a fool as he looks, the little man.
“I haven’t seen you before,” he says.
“That’s because I’m new here, honey.” I keep my voice sweet. I flutter my eyelashes.
It looks like he takes that kind of currency too. He gets a pleased hint of a smirk on his puffy face. He knows its a game. He doesn’t want to let on, but he is softening. I can tell. The thought of having a new flirt is intriguing him. He could be useful. I might even remember that donut next time. If he doesn’t irritate me.
