Page 25 of A Touch of Treachery
Mika flashed me another smile.“Well, I’m glad you’re here, Charlotte.In fact, I was wondering if you could help me with something ...”
The lingo showed me a transcript she had been working on.Some paramortal criminals she was tracking were planning to meet up, which was pretty unusual, given their territorial disputes.Had I ever run into a situation like this?Should she pass it along to the analyst supervisor?Or wait for more information?
Mika’s questions washed over me one after another, but I only listened with half an ear.Mostly, I was still thinking about General Percy showing up out of the blue.Why had he come to Section headquarters?And why was he suddenly so eager to track down Henrika Hyde?
I didn’t need my synesthesia to know something about this whole situation was rotten, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how much worse things were going to get.
IpushedGeneralPercyout of my mind and answered Mika’s questions.Satisfied, she slipped her headphones back on, cranked up her classical music, and returned to work.
I opened my laptop.An automated email reminded me to complete my after-action report about today’s mission as soon as possible.I huffed.The last thing I wanted to do was dissect my failure yet again, but it was better to get it over with, so I filled out the necessary forms and paperwork.I also emailed the armory, and a tech came to my desk and picked up the stained briefcase, along with the Grunglass Necklace, and whisked them away for cleaning and repairs.
The rest of the afternoon dragged on.I checked on the other criminals, terrorists, and assorted rogue paramortals I was tracking, but there were no imminent threats or actionable intelligence to pass along.Even villains took time off for the holidays, and January was often a quiet month, as everyone ramped back up to their normal levels and schedules of mischief, mayhem, and murder.
Every time the door buzzed open, my gaze snapped to the front of the bullpen, hoping it was Desmond, but he didn’t appear, and he didn’t text me either.Unease simmered in my stomach, but Desmond had his own work to do, as well as dealing with the sudden appearance of his father.Desmond had promised to find me at the diner later, so I’d just have to wait to get answers.
Desmond didn’t show up, but someone else from level five did: Joan Samson.
The liaison appeared just before six o’clock, right as I was packing up my things.Mika had already left, along with the other analysts and charmers, so the bullpen was deserted except for me.Joan walked over to my cubicle and scanned the barren wasteland of my desk with a curious gaze.
Before Grandma Jane had gotten sick, my desk had been filled with my favorite things, just like everyone else’s.Family photos, several fantasy and sci-fi figurines in their original boxes, even a few vintage comic books in protective cases.But one by one, I’d sold them all to help pay for Grandma Jane’s medical care.
I didn’t regret my actions, although I missed my treasures from time to time, especially my first-editionKarma Girlcomic book.That one had been particularly difficult to part with.The art had been so bright and colorful and whimsical and fun, and it had really cheered up my drab cubicle.
Joan gestured at the crystal mockingbird, the lone personal item on my desk.“May I?”
“Sure.”
She picked up the mockingbird, admiring the sparkle of the clear crystal and the winking black facets that made up the creature’s eyes.“It’s beautiful.Vintage crystal.Very old, very rare, and very expensive.And it’s in perfect condition.”
“Thank you.”I gave the polite, automatic response, then frowned.“How do you know it’s vintage?”
A small smile played across her lips, and she returned the crystal bird to its perch on my desk.“A little quirk of my transmuter magic.I can often tell how old something is just by touching it, along with the quality of materials used and the level of craftsmanship.It’s just a sort of extra sense I have.”
Her smile vanished, and her gaze met mine.“Kind of like the extra senses you have with your synesthesia, Charlotte.”
I waited, expecting a derogatory comment, but it didn’t come.Synths were fairly common, and many paramortals looked down their noses at us, thinking synesthesia was one of the weakest forms of magic.Shortsighted idiots.
Oh, synesthesia might not be an offensive power like Joan’s transmuter ability to reduce a marble column to dust with a wave of her hand, but synesthesia had its uses, and my magic often told me everything I needed to know about someone.And right now, my synesthesia was whispering that this was far from a casual visit.Or maybe that was just my own healthy paranoia.Hard to tell, since they were often one and the same.
“What can I do for you, Joan?”
She fiddled with a silver brooch pinned to her suit jacket.Joan noticed me tracking the movement, and she abruptly released the brooch, which was shaped like a tiny sword.White diamonds glittered along the sword’s blade, which was pointed down and in, as though it was about to prick her heart.
“What a beautiful brooch,” I said.“Is it vintage too?”
“Thank you.And yes, it is vintage.”Joan cleared her throat and held out some manila folders.“You left these behind.”
I’d been in such a hurry to escape from General Percy’s scorn that I’d forgotten to check all my desk drawers.A sloppy, rookie mistake, just like all the others I’d made today.
“Thank you.”I took the folders and added them to the piles on my desk.
Joan rolled her shoulders back and down, as though mustering up some courage.“I also wanted to apologize, Charlotte.It’s no secret I lobbied hard to be Desmond’s liaison when he came to the D.C.station a few months ago, but I never wanted to get the job like this.”
I shrugged.“I appreciate the apology, but it’s not your fault.From what I know of General Percy, he does whatever he wants whenever he wants to whomever he wants, and damn the consequences.”
Joan laughed, but it was a dry, bitter sound.“You have no idea.Some of the things Graham told me ...”Her voice trailed off, and sorrow pinched her face.
“I’m sorry about Graham,” I replied in a serious voice.“Desmond told me how many missions you worked on with Graham.How ...close the two of you were.”
