Page 25 of Go Now
‘Good,’ Kate said.‘And I’m going to call Forensics.’
‘Good luck with that.’
She rang the forensic team, hoping and praying she’d get Bethany, the administrative assistant.Bethany was friendly; she remembered your name, she enquired after your health, said upbeat, helpful things like “sure will” and “let’s do that” and “good morning”.
Bethany wasn’t there. It was Moira who answered, one of the overworked techs.Kate introduced herself and explained the reason for her call, all to a chilly silence from the other end.
‘I just wanted an idea of when we might be expecting the results on Exhibits KV9110 and KV 9111…’
Silence.
‘Hello?’
‘You didn’t complete Form 109E,’ growled the voice on the other end.It sounded breathless, as if its owner had just been interrupted in the midst of strangling a rabbit.
‘I’m certain that we did, because I-’
‘It wasn’t included,’ Moira interrupted.
‘Okay, well something seems to have gone awry…’
‘Not at our end it didn’t.’
Jeez.What is wrong with this woman?
‘Can I fill another one in now?’Kate asked, trying to match her rudeness to Moira’s.
Moira cleared her throat noisily; it sounded like a sealion.‘It’s not optional.You’ll have to.Online.And you’ll also need to file Form ZF67B to certify that incorrect paperwork was previously submitted.’
‘But it wasn’t-’
Kate’s words were interrupted by a sharp click. Moira had hung up on her.
Heart banging, her cheeks flushed with anger, Kate managed to find the relevant form on the intranet, and started to fill it out.How dare that woman talk to her like that?She wasrude, so darned rude, it was almost funny.Well, it would have been funny, if this wasn’t a double murder investigation.As it was, two people had lost their lives in the most terrifying, ugly way possible.They were survived by people who had loved them and cared for them.Who deserved answers about their loved ones’ deaths, and had the right to see justice done. Where did Moira get off, treating a colleague like that?Could she honestly not see the bigger picture?Kate kept thinking she should break off filling in Form 109E and file a lengthy complaint against Moira.It would give her great, deep joy.
‘What did your keyboard do to you?’Marcus called across, the question interrupting her private rant. Kate realised she’d been typing a bit too heavily.Each finger-stroke had been a jab to Moira’s over-large, perpetually scowling head.She gave an apologetic wave and then continued, more gently.
It took her around half an hour and two glazed donuts to complete the dumb-ass forms and send them to Winters for countersignature.At least she could be sure of one thing.Even though Winters moved at the speed of light, the boss was exceedingly thorough and reliable.She'd see the paperwork, sign off on it, and send it back; Kate was fully confident of that.
With the email sent, she took a look at the whiteboard, which her colleagues had filled with a considerable amount of writing.
‘You guys have been busy,’ she said, trying not to sound jealous.All she’d managed was to get one single bit of bureaucratic driftwood off of her desk. She scooted over to them in her chair.
‘We found a few intersections,’ Marcus said.‘Going back several years.Like in 2020, both Ashworth and Vasquez were runners-up for the Plessy Prize.’
‘That’s the art prize that gets sillier and sillier every year, right?’
'Yep,' Chen confirmed.'Last year, the winning artwork was a can of tuna.'
‘In 2020, it was a three-piece gentleman’s suit made from dollar bills,’ Marcus added.‘But both of our pair came in for some heavy criticism from another contestant, Robyn Cope.’
‘Even getting onto the Plessy shortlist is a coup for up-and-coming artists.And Cope didn’t make it onto the shortlist,’ said Chen. ‘He got lit at the awards ceremony, said certain works belonged on a bonfire, along with their creators.Mentioned Ashworth specifically, alluded to Vasquez, talking about ‘porno icons’.Police initially charged him with making threats, but the case was dropped.I’m trying to find out what happened to him after that.’
‘Doesn’t that sound a bit excessive, charging the guy?’Kate wondered.‘I mean, it’s not a great thing to say but… freedom of speech and all that.’
‘The devil’s in the detail.He said that in the past, the proper treatment for heretics was burning at the stake.He also said that, in certain parts of the world, people like the winner and the shortlisters would be summarily executed, and it was a pity America had gotten so soft.’
‘Ok.That ain’t nice.’
