Page 13 of Over & Out

“It’s fine,” she says. “Hopper’s gone. He has a meeting. He went without complaint this time, and I have you to thank for that.”

I’m annoyed I was worried about him being there. “Thanks, but I have to get back to work.”

“No you don’t,” Mac says behind me. To the woman, he says, “She’s taking the rest of the day off.”

“So she’s not fired?”

“No she’s not goddamned fired. What kind of?—”

The woman smiles, unmoved by Mac’s attitude. “Shame. Should have guessed you were one of the understanding ones.”

To my shock, Mac snaps his mouth shut. He’s deeplyconfused. And so, frankly, am I. “Is there something we can help you with?” I ask.

She extends a hand to me. “Tru Thompson.”

I accept it. “Christine Maplewood. But only the government calls me that.”

Tru smiles. Then she introduces herself to Mac. He also shakes, but he looks deeply wary.

“I need to borrow her,” Tru says to him. “It’ll only take a moment. If it’s okay with you, Ms. Maplewood?”

Mac turns his mouth down so far he’s going to get a face hernia. But he knows better than to tell me what to do. And honestly? I’m curious. I need to hear what this woman possibly has to say to me after all that.

“Sure,” I say, even though whatever it is, it better be for her. I have no intention of doing that man any favors. Maybe I can sell the story for a few bucks, earn enough to only have to work single shifts for a while. “For a moment.”

“Privately?” Tru says.

“Mac,” I say. “Do you mind?” I give him my best little-sister smile.

My boss throws his hands up. “Sure. Why the hell should I stay in my office?”

After he huffs out, I smile at Tru. “He’s harmless,” I assure her.

“Oh, I know. I can always tell.”

Is that why she works for Hopper? Is he not the asshole he presents? No, he most certainly is. I witnessed it. But my curiosity is more than piqued now. I angle the chair next to me away so Tru can sit. She lowers herself into it with her hand on her belly.

“So,” she says once she’s settled, “I haven’t seen anyone stand up to Hopper like that in a very long time. The only people who don’t take Hop’s shit like that are already in his employ.”

My eyebrow lifts. “Really? I mean, I believe it with you.” I remember the way he looked like a scolded dog when she said his name back there. He didn’t even balk at apologizing to me. Weak as it was. “But I guess it makes sense he keeps a staff of simps around to cater to his every need. Except you, of course.”

Tru surprises me by looking almost sad. “He’s really filled that role, hasn’t he?” Before I can ask what she means, she steeples her fingers and says, “Listen. Ms. Maplewood.”

“Chris,” I correct.

“Chris. Let me cut to the chase. I’m not here to make more apologies for Hopper.”

“Of course not.”

She tilts her head. “Do you knowwhyI’m here?”

“The thoughts in the lead are you want to pay me some money not to tell the gossip columns what happened out there, and/or you have some kind of memory erasing wand you’re going to hit me with because that man is the devil and he has that kind of technology lying around in his lair.”

Tru tilts her head back and laughs. “Oh my God, that would be amazing. Could you imagine?”

She winds down and clears her throat. “Honestly, I’m not sure you could get much money for a story about Hopper being an asshole, as there are plenty of those to go around.”

There goes that idea. And I guess the other.

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