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I do my best not to jump to conclusions. Doesn’t help that a hundred bad scenarios have already come to mind.
I try to look calm and welcoming. “I don’t remember hiring either of you, so…is there some kind of internship program I don’t know about?”
Neither of them laughs at the joke. They don’t so much as crack a smile.
Another approach, then. “If you’re looking for Bristol, she works on the opposite corner of the building. I can take you to her office.”
Mia shakes her head. “We’re not looking for her.”
“Okay…” I wrack my brain for any mention of a bring-your-kid-to-work day. Nothing. “Did she bring you with her?”
“No.” Ben presses his lips together like he didn’t mean to let anything slip. Which is weird, considering they snuck into my office. Mia must be the ringleader of this expedition.
“Guys. Did you come here from school?” If they did, what kind of school is it? Shouldn’t somebody have noticed they’re missing? God knows I spent every possible moment avoiding class, but these two don’t seem like the type.
“Technically, yes.” Mia’s eyes land on mine, but slide away again. She looks at the calendar on my desk, but I can tell she’s not really seeing it. It’s just somewhere else to look.
“Mia.”
It takes her a couple beats, but she drags her eyes back to mine. Her shoulders tense. A nervous flush comes to her cheeks.
“You’re not in trouble for being here.”
She gives me a terse nod, like a wartime medic. “Okay. Well, we might be later.”
“No, you won’t be. I’ll write a note.”
Mia narrows her eyes. “To who?”
“To whoever needs the note. Seriously, guys. I know you don’t work here, and if you’re not here with Bristol, then something’s up. What’s going on?”
She steels herself. “We thought—” Ben coughs. “Ithought we should get some help. We don’t know that many people in the city, but we know you, so we came here.”
My pulse was relatively steady before. Now it races. Perfect timing. Just when I need to be calm. “What do you need help with?”
“Our brother Sean was visiting.” Ben blurts it out in a rush. “He left a couple days ago.”
Bristol mentioned him before.My brother is older. He joined the military when he was eighteen.“Okay.”
“So there’s nobody else at home anymore,” Mia adds.
Except Bristol is supposed to be at home. Actually, she’s supposed to be here at the office. And Mia and Ben are supposed to be in school. “You’re alone at home? Where’s Bristol?”
“She’s sick,” Mia admits in a brave, clear voice that tells me exactly how scared she is.
“How sick?” Mia looks at the floor. “Mia. How sick?”
13
BRISTOL
It’s really toobad that this is how I’m going to die.
All alone in our apartment in Building C. Without ever going on a lovely beach vacation. Or even a mediocre beach vacation. I’d settle for a shitty beach vacation right now, except the thought of being in the sun makes me feel shivery and hot.
That’s probably the fever, come to think of it. This is what it feels like to have a fever. I make a point of not getting sick very often, because who’s going to make the money if I’m sick? Who’s going to get the twins dressed and send them out to go to school? I guess the guy in the green Ford could make sure they get there.
Oh, no.
