Betrayed 2(68)

I waited for Lillian to come out of her office and then I purposely slammed into her without looking where I was going. We fell in a tangle of limbs where Susan was trying to break us apart like I was some assassination attempt that had gone awry. I managed to snag her card key for the computer.

“I am so sorry… I feel like such a fool. I hope that you can forgive me.” We both struggled to our feet with Susan looking at me sternly like I had committed some heinous crime that I should be punished for.

“There’s no harm done. Be more careful in the future.” Her tone was an icy reception that made me feel like I was frozen to the spot. Thankfully, she did not look directly at me and must have thought of me as a nuisance. “Make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Miss Niles doesn’t take kindly to anybody touching me inappropriately.” That might have stood true in the office, but outside without Susan to police her actions, it was another story altogether. They soon vacated the building. The janitor staff was not going to arrive for another couple of hours and Susan disappeared like she was part of some magic act.

I went over to that bar and I was nursing a drink with everybody getting a little buzzed. I could tell that they were uncomfortable with Lillian sitting there with Tina. They didn’t know what was going on and felt a little blindsided by the intrusion. Nobody seemed to notice me and that was exactly the point. I casually stepped over to the door, not even looking to see if anybody noticed and went back across to the darkened alleyway.



“I’ve patched into the Security System, but there’s no way that I can circumvent it. I can only tell you where the guards are going to be. I admit that I had my reservations when we came up with this plan. I know that I initially proposed that you go undercover, but I really didn’t think that it was going to work. I thought that she would see right through you, but you definitely don’t look like the same woman that either she or I recognize. I have to tell you that I was blown away by how easily you changed not only your look but the confidence in which you exude.” Marshall was in my ear and I was taking a hold of that first brick and grabbing onto the drainpipe.

“I told you that I was good at disguises. I’ve never had to resort to these methods. Most of my work has been outside with a camera to catch those that were doing something particularly naughty.” I was having withdrawals. My body was craving more of what he had given me in that chalet. There was something nagging at me. I had this desire boiling within me that needed an outlet.

“I would ask if you really think that this is safe what you’re doing, but I know what the answer will be. You have certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty. It was a good thing that you took a bit of a sabbatical from your job. I’ve heard that Lillian has been in several times looking for you. She apparently let slip that she has a private security company digging into your whereabouts. They trashed your place, turned it upside down and left with nothing to warrant that kind of invasion of your privacy.” I had a nondescript one-bedroom flat. It was part of the façade. I hated the place. It was dirty and had me scratching my head like I had fleas.

“I will be glad when this is finally over. I want to get back to my life. We just need to find some incriminating evidence. I need something that will hurt her and give us a way to turn the tables. I have no idea what that will be, but I’m sure that I will recognize it when I see it.” I didn’t dare look down. It was only a few feet to the ground, but it still made me feel like I should be paralyzed with fear.

I managed to get to the second floor, but I was still 30 feet away from the window to her office. I’d noticed that she liked to keep it open a crack. I didn’t know the reason why, until that one night that I stayed late and found her smoking. It was a nasty habit and one that she felt embarrassed enough to open a window to make sure that the tobacco did not permeate into the furniture or the walls.

I was plastered up against the brick wall with both hands on either side like I was waiting for some kind of spotlight to zero in on my location. I was wearing all black including smudges of shoe polish on my face to mimic that of a cat burglar. The knit cap over my head did nothing to convince anyone that I was a longshoreman.

“Don’t move one single muscle. A guard is patrolling right underneath you.” I didn’t have to look to know that he was there. The squawk of his radio told me where he was. I had learned that people don’t look up or down unless given a reason to.

“Angela, I don’t care what your sister said. I did not sleep with her and never would. She’s not even my type. I don’t even know why you are giving this any credence. She lies considerably and her drug habit has made her lash out with hurtful words. You know that she wouldn’t say that had you given her the money that she requested. This is just her way of trying to put a wedge in between us.” The other guard, a young Hispanic came around the corner and stood with him with the man on the phone using his hand like he was miming that his girl talked too much.