Page 2 of Crossing Between
“I’ll take that as a yes?” Bradley gestured to Sheryl, who pulled out a black folder from a briefcase at her feet. She slid it across the table to me. “Here’s your orientation pamphlet, the paperwork you need to fill out for HR, and an explanation of the benefits that come with the job.”
Holding the folder between my hands, I stared down at it. Hope fluttered within my chest. If this were real, I would be able to afford to pay the electric bill soon and other bills after. This was great news! “You just had the folder ready?” Why did I just insert my foot into my mouth?
“Err, that is to say....” Bradley’s bushy brows formed a V on his forehead as he glanced between Sheryl and Varon.
“You shouldn’t be surprised that you were the most qualified of the unqualified who applied.” Varon’s tone grated on sarcasm as he stood. “You were going to have the job even if you wore a garbage bag with leftover spaghetti on your head.”
I blinked, taking in that visual in my head for a few seconds. “That’s oddly specific.”
Varon turned his back on me as he went toward the door. “See you tomorrow morning, Miss Halinger. Please wear something business casual that will let you move quickly. Perhaps more sensible shoes?” He left after that parting shot, his phone already at his ear.
I wasn’t sure what the proper response would be to his suggestion that wouldn’t get me fired right after being hired, so I just did the sensible thing and kept my mouth shut.
“Right.” Bradley winced as he looked at the open door. “He grows on you?” He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt as he stood. “If you’ll fill out the paperwork and turn it in tomorrow, that would be great. Your shift starts at nine. Please come to this building first. We’ll go over your orientation before going over to your office, which will be next to Varon's.” The large man shook my hand vigorously. “We’re so happy to have you. Sheryl will escort you out. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask her.” With that, he left the room, the floor vibrating slightly as the large man practically ran out the door. “Varon! Wait up!”
My eyes met those of Sheryl’s, making me freeze ever so slightly. There was a flash of something close to disdain that I couldn’t mistake before it disappeared. She gestured to me with her left hand.
“Follow me, please.” Her heels, which were several inches taller than mine, made a clipping noise on the tile floor that echoed in the empty hallway. Her skirt fell to just below her knees, barely moving as she walked forward. “What questions do you have? Speak quickly before we get to the exit.”
She was being hostile.
“Why do you already hate me?” That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to ask, but it came out because my filter was clogged up from all the butt-kissing I’d been doing lately to stay just ahead of the creditors and their muscle goons.
Sheryl paused midstep and looked over at me with a blank face. “You seem overly eager to work here. Most Mediums we hire are wary of working for the government because of how hard they have to work and the strict oversight they must endure. We've even had a Medium who tried to kill one of the detectives. That tends to make it hard for our people to trust those who work with the dead."
I huffed, reminding myself that I needed this job. “I won't lie. It sounds like it is going to be hard, but I'm willing to put in my time to earn that trust. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty."
Sheryl stared at me in silence for several long moments before a smile spread across her face, shocking me. It was like a whole other person emerged with just a smile.
“That was the right answer.” She continued to move down the hall, waving her hand for me to keep up. “I’ve been by Deputy Chief Bradley’s side for close to two decades now. He’s a good man who worked hard to earn his position. So has Captain Varon. It isn't common for a supernatural to get high in the ranks around here.” The air around her felt lighter now that she was smiling. To say I was confused by her sudden change of personality was an understatement.
“So, this was what, a test?” We stopped at the desk where the Fae gave me directions earlier was reading a newspaper, ignoring us with a little drool coming out of the corner of her mouth.
Sheryl nodded once. “Yes. If you’re going to be working for the chiefs and our divisions, I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be biased like a lot of humans. You aren’t, so we’re good.” She handed me a card with a number on it and another pamphlet. “This is my personal cell phone. If you run into any issues that you can’t handle, call me. Fill out your paperwork. The map I gave you? Try to have it memorized by the end of the week. That will help you with finding the right areas to be in this building. It's bigger than it looks on the outside.” She walked me to the door. “Oh, do you have a car?”
I shook my head. “No, I use public transport.”
Sheryl gave a large sigh. “Alright. That’s fine. I’ll arrange for an officer to take you where you need to go during the day unless the detectives choose to drive you. You’ll have to get home on your own. That sound good?” She started typing something on her phone.
“Are you sure?” I clutched the folder and papers they’d given to me to my chest. “I can get here in the mornings, and as long as it's not too far away, I can always walk.” Why was I looking a gift horse in the mouth? My brother would have laughed in my face. He never said no to freebies, even if there was a hook at the end of the offer.
Sheryl just stared at me for a few seconds. “No.”
“Just....no? I guess that's that.”
She gave me a wicked grin. “You're learning quickly.”
I felt a laugh bubble up. She really had me going before. She wasn’t a bad person at all. Maybe we could eventually be friends. Sheryl seemed to be someone I’d like to hang out with. The thought of making a potential friend with a coworker, in a job that paid a living wage, made excitement flare within my stomach.
“Alright, we will see you tomorrow morning, Miss Halinger.” Sheryl glanced down at her phone when it gave a quiet buzz. “If you’ll excuse me, duty calls. Have a good rest of your day.” She turned abruptly, typing quickly on her phone as she made her way back into the office without another word.
The sounds of the city were loud as I exited the police department. The street was busy with pedestrians and cars all going about their business. The main clock tower down the street at City Hall rang like a bell as I looked up into the sky, my eyes closed as I enjoyed the sunlight that caressed my cheeks. My heartbeat, which had been pounding during the interview, was slowing down to normal as I took in deep breaths. The stress that I had been carrying around like a chained boulder seemed to lift a little, letting hope, which had been buried for a long time, rise with it.
I had a job. A good paying job with benefits. It would still take several months to pay off my brothers debts, but at least I could do it now. Tonight called for a celebration! I started to skip down the stairs, not paying attention to what was in front of me as I began the walk to the bus stop. Except my foot slid on the last step, breaking me out of my daze. My arms flailed around, the paperwork flying out of the folder as I hit the cement face first. A sharp pain raced through my cheeks and nose.
“Ow.” A moan slipped through my lips as I pushed myself up slowly. Blood dripped from my nose onto the ground as my eyes came into focus. “Well, at least I waited until after I got my job to faceplant.” The world spun a little and I sat on my ass for a second to orient myself.
“Are you alright?”
