by Melissa Good
She was answered in a very unexpected way when her door opened and Polenti slipped in, an angry look on his face. ”Oh, you heard.”
”What the hell is going on?” Mark asked, putting his hands on his hips. ”Did she just quit?”
Kerry sat on her desk. ”It’s complicated, but essentially, yes, she did.” She crossed her arms. ”The question is what are we going to do about it?”
”Hold on, can we start with why?” Mark held up a hand. ”Not that I’m not with you in doing something, but I’d kinda like to know what book I’m reading, much less what page we’re on.”
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Kerry pursed her lips. ”Bottom line? She did it because Steven Fabricini was going to make big trouble for me and she traded that for her job.”
Mark looked at her curiously.
”I know, but I’m not going to let her get away with it,” Kerry acknowledged. ”So, first off, how much trouble can you cause him?”
Mark sat down and put his hands between his knees. ”Trouble?
Well, I can boot him off the network, or reroute his mapping so he can’t find his files.”
Kerry leaned forward and caught his gaze. ”No, Mark, not that kind of trouble. The real kind.” Her green eyes glinted.” The kind I know you’re really good at.”
He cleared his throat, blinking at her in surprise. ”I didn’t think you— Well, okay, I can cause him a lot of trouble, why?”
Kerry smiled. ”I would like you to cause him as much trouble as you humanly can, okay?” She ticked off points on her fingers. ”I’m talking credit cards, taxes, driver’s license, legal, utilities, everything.”
Mark’s jaw dropped. ”You’re serious.”
She nodded. ”Damn right I’m serious.”
”Wow.” He rubbed his nose. ”You’re nasty.” He glanced up with a rakish grin. ”I like that.” He got up. ”What are you going to do?”
Kerry’s face hardened and her eyes went cool and calculating “I’m going to start by finding out if this company’s worth working for or not,” she told him, as she circled her desk and looked something up on her screen. ”Let’s see, where was, oh, okay...yeah, there it is.” She dialed a number on the phone, which was answered on two rings. ”Yes, this is Kerry Stuart in Miami Ops. I need to speak with Alastair McLean, please.” She paused. ”It’s urgent.” She put the call on mute.
”Start with turning off his electricity, Mark. I like the idea of him walking into sentient mildew.”
Mark grinned. ”Yes, ma’am.” He trotted out the door, closing it behind him.
Kerry nodded at the door grimly. ”Mess with me, will you? You pitiful little excuse for half baked dog poo.”
”Excuse me?” a male voice asked from the phone. ”Didn’t quite catch that—is this Ms. Stuart?”
”Sorry, I was talking to someone else.” Kerry bit off an embarrassed grin. ”Yes, it is, Mr. McLean. I think we need to talk.”
“Well, ah, sure.” Alastair sounded somewhat uncertain. “This wouldn’t be about the email I just got, would it?”
“Probably.” Kerry leaned her elbows on her desk, fighting to get her head into a political space she never really liked being in. “Listen, Mr. McLean.”
“Alastair, please,” the voice on the other end interrupted. “Anyone Dar thinks so highly of deserves that, at the least.”
Kerry was caught by surprise at that. “Thanks,” she murmured.
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“Are you really going to let this happen?” she asked. “I know Dar has a lot of respect for you, and that sure must be based on something.”
Alastair cleared his throat. “Nice riposte,” he said. “Tell me why, no, tell me what happened, Ms. Stuart. All I have is some rather rambling telephone messages, and Dar’s note. I’m a bit at sea, so to speak.”
“No one told you about this weekend?”
“Not in so many words, no.” Alastair responded a touch apologetically. “I understood it went badly. I heard there were some problems, but I thought...”
“Where do I start?” Kerry sighed. “And please, call me Kerry,” she added. “Let me tell you what it’s been like here.”
“Since this morning?”
“Since I started.”
“Ah.” Alastair sighed. “Hold on, let me sit down then. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be a while.”
A LONE SEAGULL circled over the beach, riding the warm air drafts. The soft hush and whisper of the waves was the only sound that came to Dar’s ears, as she sat quietly on the porch with her knee elevated on the nearby chair. Her head was resting against the glass as she gazed, eyes half lidded at the gull.
On the table, a half finished bottle of sweet wine rested with a glass next to it. Dar lifted an arm and filled the glass again, then took a sip, rolling it around in her mouth before she swallowed it. Chino was sleeping on the tile near her feet, the puppy exhausted from her delighted antics at Dar’s unexpected arrival.
The phone had rung several times inside, but Dar had decided to ignore it, preferring instead to gaze across the horizon and evaluate her options.
It felt strange not to be working. It felt even stranger not to be sure that the decision she’d made had been a good one, and not just a half assed one based on a knee jerk reaction.
“I should have beaten the crap out of him myself.” Dar tilted her head back and regarded the sky. “Bet the little bastard wouldn’t have said a word about it.”
She took another sip of wine and swallowed it, then glanced up as her cell phone rang. ”Ah, I wonder who that is, Chino.” She picked up the phone and flipped it open. ”Yes?”
”Hi.”
Dar felt a gentle wave of relief pass over her. ”Hi.” Kerry’s voice was quiet and lacking the angry snap it had earlier. ”Sorry I took off without talking to you.”
”Mm, yeah, that was kinda disappointing,” Kerry told her gently.
Dar didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept silent.
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”You at home?” Kerry asked.
”Yeah.”
”You’re not answering the phone there.”
”I know. I’m outside on the porch with Chino,” Dar replied. ”So, they give you my office yet?”
A soft laugh answered her. ”Well, since I just got out of a meeting where I told two senior VP's to kiss my ass, that’s probably not in my cards today.”
”Mm.” Obscurely, that pleased Dar. ”Which two?”
”José and Eleanor, Mariana went home,” Kerry replied. ”And I’m out of here too. Since the entire division is on strike, there’s no real need for me to be here.”
”Mm, that’s nice. Wait.” Dar sat up. ”What?”
”Must have been something in the cafeteria. Fifty two people in operations, coincidentally, all got sick and had to go home,” Kerry told her, blithely.
Dar sighed. ”Kerry, it’s a nice gesture, but that’s just going to get everyone in trouble,” she informed her lover.
”Dar, I didn’t ask them to do that,” Kerry’s voice came back. ”I don’t think you quite realize just how much these people respect you.
Maria tendered her resignation, there are ten more of those pending including Mark’s, and Personnel’s been bombarded with official letters of censure against Fabricini alluding to everything from pick pocketing to attempted rape.”
”Oh,” Dar murmured.
”And his car got keyed.”
”Oh,” A different emphasis.
”And his tires got slashed.”
”Ah, Kerry…”
”And his electricity, phones, gas, and water got turned off.”
”Kerry.” Alarm now.
”And his credit cards got canceled.”
”Hey!”
”His auto deposit got rerouted into the Women’s and Children’s fund.”
”Kerry!”
”Just kidding about that one.” Kerr
y chuckled. “Though I thought about it.”
”Come on now, you’re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble,” Dar told her, in an aggravated tone.
”Yes, and I’m perfectly capable of getting myself in and out of that, Dar. I don’t need you throwing yourself in front of situations for me,”
Kerry responded, just as seriously. ”I’m really pissed off that you quit because of me, you know that?”
She had no answer for that.
”Dar?”
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”Yeah,” Dar replied quietly. ”I’m sorry. I guess I managed to screw this up pretty badly.” She regarded the gull glumly. ”Maybe I should have just stayed home today.”
”Dar?”
”Yeah?”
”I love you.”
A faint smile twitched at Dar’s lips. ”I love you too.” She paused.
”Sorry if I overreacted.”
”Apology accepted, if you forgive me in advance for trying to get you to change your mind.”
Dar smiled a little sadly. ”I don’t think it’s my choice now, love.”
Kerry chuckled.
”What was that for?” Dar inquired, curiously.
”I’ll see you in a few minutes,” her lover replied. ”Bye.”
Dar regarded the phone. ”Now, what’s she up to?” she asked a sleepy Chino, who wagged her tail.
Chapter
Eleven
KERRY SLID HER laptop into her bag and closed her desk drawer, locking it and the laptop inside it away securely. She paused to shake a few aspirin from a bottle on her desk and washed them down with a swig of cold tea as the sounds of the day wound down around her.
“Crappy day.” She set the cup down and shouldered her bag, then she headed for the elevator hoping she’d have a lonely ride down.
She didn’t want to make small talk or suffer the fourteen story ride in uncomfortable silence, everyone’s eyes watching her and knowing all the gossip that had traveled through the building all day long.
They all knew Dar had quit. She punched the down button, and was surprised when the doors slid open almost immediately. They all knew why Dar had quit. Not because Dar had told everyone, but because Fabracini had, boasting of his victory to anyone who would listen.
She stepped inside and paused. “Well, screw it.” She removed her badge and held it to the reader inside, then keyed emergency service.
The device bleeped obediently at her, and she punched the ground floor. “Had to use that at least once, didn’t I?”
In solitary splendor, the car descended without pause to the ground and opened as she swallowed to clear her ears. She emerged and was happy to find herself almost alone in the lobby, the rays of sunset coming in through the glass panes as the cleaning staff was moving towards the elevators, getting ready to start work for the night.
Kerry walked quietly across the marble floor and approached the doors, giving the guard a small wave. He waved back, and their eyes met, then he edged over closer to her as she was about to exit. “Ms.
Kerry?”
Kerry paused and waited for him to come over. “Yes, John?”
“Is it true, Ms. Roberts is leaving?” the man asked. “I’d hate to see that. She’s good people.”
Kerry felt a smile tugging at her tired face. “Not if I can help it, John,” she said. “Thanks for the thought.” She patted his arm and walked through the doors into the cool dusk air, seeing a few people around in her peripheral vision.
Not unusual. There was a bus stop nearby, after all. She passed a small group of men and headed towards her car, tucked on one side of 128
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the lot near the street.
The streetlights were just starting to come on as she unlocked her doors, moving her seat forward to toss her laptop bag into the back seat, and turning back around to get in only to find a dark, menacing figure on the other side of the door.
Her heart nearly came out of her chest and she inhaled sharply, her eyes flicking to the front doors of the building as she got ready to yell for help.
The dark figure held both hands up, palms out. “Easy thar.”
Kerry was close to panic. The man was much taller than she was and even the words didn’t really reassure her. “What do you want?”
She asked after a second.
“I ain’t gonna hurtcha,” the man said. “Just want to ask you all a question, is all.”
There was something about his voice. Kerry relaxed the grip she had on her keys, the edge of them biting into her palm. He had a Southern accent, and there was something about the timber that seemed just a little familiar to her. “Okay. Go ahead.”
He lowered his hands and stayed where he was, the setting sun to his back. He had a hooded sweatshirt on and the hood was up, obscuring his features in the shadows. “Got a friend you know, just want to make sure all’s right with them.” He said. “Name’s Paladar.”
Kerry felt a jolt of surprise. “What about her?” she asked, wondering who this was who knew her partner’s real name. “Who are you?”
The man hesitated. “Just someone that knows her,” he answered.
“She okay?”
Fear eased and Kerry leaned forward, resting her arms on the frame of her car door as she struggled to make out his features. “Why are you asking me?” she countered. “A lot of people work in that building over there.”
Was it just my imagination, or did I see a motion that might have been a smile.
“Ah know you know her right well,” the man said. “You ain’t got to tell me, but ah heard them people talking about her and I’d like to know.” He tilted his head just slightly, waiting for her answer.
That tilt. “Some bad things happened today.”
“T’her?”
Kerry was being driven half crazy with curiousity. Who is this?
“Yes, but she’s okay. She’s just at home,” she said. “Who are you? Why do you care about her? Do I know you?” She eased the door closed and started to approach him.
He backed up a step. “Easy now.”
“No.” Kerry continued coming closer. “I won’t be easy. I’ve had a really bad day, my head hurts, I had a lousy weekend and I want to know who you are, and why you think you’ve got a right to ask me Hurricane Watch
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about my partner.”
He stopped moving and let her approach, lowering his hands again. “Feisty thing, ain’t you?” he drawled. “Careful, there, I ain’t something you want to mess with.” He half turned into the streetlight and she got a glimpse of his face.
Scars. Kerry inhaled again. Scars upon scars, in a lean, rugged outline but immediately her startled gaze was drawn past that to the pale blue eyes that stood out like marbles in all that ruin.
“Now, you can just answer or I’ll go on my way, just asking a question,” the man said. “Don’t want no trouble with you, little gal.”
“Who are you?” Kerry ignored his words.
“Nobody you know,” he answered.
“Who are you to her?” Kerry clarified her question. “And if you tell me you’re not, you’re lying.” Her heart started to hammer in her chest as suspicions peppered her mind. She knew Dar had no one close to her.
She had distant family she never spoke to. She’d mentioned her mother only once, and the tone of voice she’d had indicated it would likely be the last time. Kerry knew of only one of Dar’s relatives she’d ever mentioned with any kind of affection and that one person was dead.So who was this?
He looked around, but the lot was now pretty much empty, only an isolated car or two left from the cleaners and security guards. The other men in the lot had also left, having taken their bus or otherwise moved on and they were alone together. “Think I should just move on, let you be. ““I don’t.” Kerry screwed up her courage and moved quickly, reaching out and clasping his arm before he could leave. “You got this close. Don’t run.”
Even i
n the shadows, she could see his eyebrows hike. A flash of yellow lamplight lit up his eyes again and she got a good look at his expression with most of the scars obscured by the flat lamp. “Run? I ain’t much for that.”
Kerry put her hand in his and squeezed it. “My name’s Kerry,” she said. “And if you are a friend of Dar’s, today’s a good day for her to find that out because she gave up on something today that was very important to her and she could use all the friends she has right now.”
He studied her, then tilted his head and peered at their clasped hands. “Well, then, Kerry.” He said. “Mah name’s Andrew.”
Kerry felt like she’d stuck her finger in an electric socket. “Oh my god,” she whispered, staring up at him. “Are you her father? You are, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he answered softly.
The entire world was spinning. Kerry wasn’t sure if she should yell or cry. “But...I thought...”
“Ever’body did. Even me.” Andrew said, briefly. “Anyhow, that’s 130
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why I want to know about her. Dar’s mah kid,” he added, in an awkward tone. “Ah been through some hell, just getting caught back up with it all and...”
Kerry was at a complete loss for words. She gazed up at him while a thousand different thoughts whirled through her mind, and the day’s events suddenly became painfully irrelevant. “My god,” she finally whispered. “My god.”
DAR HEARD THE sound of Kerry’s car pulling up outside and she closed the sliding glass door, limping over to the entrance and getting to the latch just as it worked and started inward. “Hey.”
Kerry came in and shut the door and Dar’s heart jumped as she saw her face. “What’s wrong?”
Kerry took her hand. “Come over here and sit down. I need to tell you something.” She led Dar over to the couch. “Oh honey.”
Dar felt lightheaded. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t count the thumps and she had to sit down or risk passing out.
“W...what?” she asked, this new fear coming out of a blind corner and closing her throat.
Was Kerry pissed off after all? Had something else happened?