Page 66 of Backwater Justice

Annie pulled out the newspaper. “Any and all prints on this page. Equally important, I need you to check for any toxic substances in the remaining droplets.” Annie slipped the tumbler under the plexiglass screen, followed by the paper. The man used tongs to place the items into separate plastic bags. He typed a few things into a computer and printed the work order.

“Anything else I can do for you?” he asked.

Annie smiled. “Yes. We also need to see if there is anything toxic in this fabric.” She slid the bag with the piece of rug under the partition. “It might match whatever you find in the glass.”

He repeated the same routine and placed the rug in one of his official bags, typed, printed, and attached the work order to the objects and placed all three into a bin.

“How soon do you need this?” he asked.

“The usual.” She smiled. “As soon as possible.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled above his mask, suggesting he, too, was smiling. “It’s going to take at least three days for the entire panel that Mr. Snowden ordered.” Charles and Fergus were always flying under the radar, so they enlisted Avery Snowden’s agency for such things. “Shall we send the results to Mr. Snowden, or do you have another preference? He said the results could be shared with you and Mrs. Rutledge.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you copy both me and Mrs. Rutledge on the results?” Annie handed the gentleman her embossed business card:

Countess Anna Ryland De Silva

Mobile: 800-555-2754

Email: [email protected]

The gentleman chuckled. She kicked back one of her legs to show off the glittery footwear.

“I’ll get my people on this right away.”

“What do I owe you?”

“There will be a printed invoice waiting for you at one of the windows. You’ll see it on the way out.”

“Thank you so much,” Annie replied with a dazzling smile.

“My pleasure. Enjoy the rest of the day.” He nodded.

The guard accompanied Annie down the hall and stopped in front of another plexiglass window with an opening at the bottom.

“Countess?” the woman asked.

“Yes, that’s me,” Annie said with a congenial expression.

The woman slid the invoice toward Annie. The total was $5,000. Annie didn’t blink an eye. She pulled out her credit card and settled the bill. “Thanks very much. Have a nice day.”

Annie followed the guard to the main entrance, where he saw her to her car. She hit the fob to unlock it, and the guard opened the door for her. “Thanks very much. You are quite the gentleman.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.” He nodded and stepped aside.

Annie was relieved this part of the mission was underway. She carefully left the parking lot, waved to the entry guard, and raced back to Salem. On her way, she phoned Myra. “All systems go, here.”

“Great. Eileen is at S.E.I. and will be tailing Dickie when he leaves. She’s already put a tracker on his vehicle just in case.”

“I really appreciate Milton’s license plate system.” Annie chuckled. “Do you know the status of Bart and Isabelle yet?”

“They should be arriving in Eugene shortly, if they haven’t already.”

“Excellent,” Annie replied. “I’ll see you within the hour. I know. I know. Don’t get a speeding ticket. Yes, Mother.”

“Oh, shut it,” Myra joked, and ended the call.

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