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“I can believe it. I heard you from inside my studio.”
“Yoga studio?” Kaisin questions the older man. “You hiked thirty-five flights?”
With his chest puffed, the man gives a nod. “Yoga does wonders for the mindandbody.”
Thirty-five flights. That puts him on the seventh floor.
“Are you right above the vision center?” I ask.
“There’s a vision center here? Seems this place is bringing in a new company every month.” He shakes his head. “Don’t quote me, but last I checked, six was still doing graphic design.”
Summit Enhancements. Graphic design. Kordin’s real accomplice.
Rookie, rookie, rookie. Alwayssoimpatient.
It’s been discovered that some orcas, not many, intentionally beach themselves while on the hunt.
But they almost never get stranded permanently.
The man turns to leave and I push myself up off the floor, ignoring Phil’s and Kaisin’s attempts to help.
“Actually, would you care if I accompanied you downstairs for a tour of your studio? My mind is in desperate need of some healing right now.”
Lex
Seven hours later, I’m sitting front row in a courtroom. While the only movement on my top half is my hand repetitively dabbing my eyes with a tissue, under the bench, my feet are carefully working together to slowly lay my purse on its side.
The audience section is packed, but I don’t have to look around to know four other pairs of legs are doing the exact same thing.
As soon as the purse is horizontal, I toe the latch open, then flip the top over.
Almost immediately, two winged insects scuttle out from under the bench, a chorus of buzzing breaking out as well. Luckily, the constant thrum of murmurs covers it.
Keeping my focus on the front, I wait until Kordin’s rolled in. Thanks to the pressure from the media, as well as the DV report I filed with the police department, Kordin was arrested after all.
He and the judge exchange glances, conspicuous to me after the tip from Kaisin, but probably imperceptible to everyone else in here. Joining his team of lawyers at their table, he flashes them a smirk accompanied by a self-confident shake of his head.
I give the purse a hard kick before shoving to my feet, plunging my upper body over the railing and yelling, “How could you do this to me, Kordin?”
“Remove her!” the judge orders.
I’m already upright again, walking backward toward the middle aisle as I point at Kordin, repeating, “How could you? I trusted you! I loved you!”
Just as there’s a crunch beneath my shoe, several people in the audience jump up on the benches, screaming.
Dozens of cicadas take flight from all directions, the air filled with them as they search for wood.
One female voice above the others shouts, “They’re cockroaches!” causing the entire courtroom to erupt into hellish chaos. Even the administrators begin darting around frantically.
“Roaches fly?”
“Oh my God, it’s in my hair!”
“Their eyes,” someone says before gagging.
“They’re all over my purse!” a familiar voice cries.
“That’s a cicada!”
