Chapter Fourteen
Jason was on the phone to SSA George Potts, his immediate supervisor at the LA Field Office, when he stepped out of the elevators and into the Archive Research and Study Center dungeon the next morning.
“I’m not pulling the plug,” George was saying. “Even if I wanted to, I’d have to run it by Kapszukiewicz, though what the heck any of this has to do with Major Theft, I don’t understand. But there’s a lot going on right now. At the very least, I could really use Russell elsewhere.”
“If you’ve got to pull Russell, I get it. And I’m used to working alone.” Jason glanced to the left and started at the sight of Pop lurking in the shadows.
Okay, Pop wasn’t lurking, he was hovering, waiting to intercept unauthorized visitors. Jason hastily juggled his phone and coffee cup, showing his ID like a vampire’s prospective victim flashing a crucifix.
“Remember me?”he mouthed to Pop.
Pop clearly did remember because his scowling retreat was pure Curses! Foiled again.
“You still there?” George asked.
“Sorry. I missed that last bit.”
“I know you’re still responding to email and phone messages, but your case load is not getting any smaller. However, if you think your continued presence on site is necessary, then I guess that’s that.”
Jason protested, “It’s only been three days, George.” In theory, he had thirty days to conduct his assessment before he needed a supervisor’s approval to extend the investigation.
“That’s true, but you were gone for a week before this assignment started. Time which you’re entitled to. But.”
All true. Both what George was saying and what he wasn’t. Jason winced. He liked George. George was a good boss. He was fair and hardworking and tried to be supportive. He also tried diligently to avoid ever crossing swords with Washington, so if he was pressuring Jason to wrap things up, he had to be feeling the heat.
“No, you’re right, George. This probably isn’t the greatest allocation of resources.”
“No, it’s not. We’re seriously shorthanded, buddy. That’s all I’m saying. If you feel like you’ve got to be there on campus to carry out this investigation, okay. I’ll say no more.”
“If you can just give me until Friday? Then I’ll know where I’m at.” Conscious of Pop’s suspicious hovering, Jason tried to keep his answers vague. Hopefully, Pop thought Jason was being chased by bill collectors.
“Absolutely.” He could hear the relief in George’s voice. “I don’t mean to pressure you. But there’s a lot coming down the pike. If you haven’t heard about it yet, you soon will.”
That sounded a little ominous, but as Jason rounded the corner of the rabbit warren of narrow halls and doorways, he spotted Alex waiting by his office. Alex nodded in greeting. He was not smiling.
Jason said hastily, “Right. I’ll talk to you Friday. Thanks for calling.” He disconnected and smiled hello. Alex continued to look uncharacteristically somber. “Morning. This is a surprise.”
“Good morning.”
“Everything okay?”
“Can we talk for a sec?”
“Of course.”
Jason unlocked his office, stepped inside, and switched on the light. He dropped his keys and messenger bag on the desktop. “It’s going to be another triple-digits day. It’s already hot out there. Have a seat.”
Alex hesitated. He glanced down the hall and then closed the door, which Jason read as Pop’s reputation preceding him.
“Yeah, I don’t think Pop cares much for me.” Jason leaned against his desk, took a swallow of his coffee, trying to read Alex’s expression.
Alex grimaced. “That’s just Pop. He thinks the safety and security of the archive is all on him.”
“Except the archive isn’t here anymore.”
Alex shrugged. “Old habits.” He continued to consider Jason, as though trying to come to a decision.
“Maybe you should just say what’s on your mind,” Jason suggested.
Alex sighed, took a seat in front of the desk, and said, “I’ve been thinking over what we talked about Monday.”
“Okay,” Jason said cautiously. He thought he knew what was coming, so maybe George’s phone call was timely.
“I…” He finally met Jason’s gaze squarely. “I wasn’t one hundred percent honest with you.”
“I see.”
“I mean, I like you, you know that, but the FBI thing is no bueno.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“I only mean, confiding in you is like confiding in the federal government, and that doesn’t always turn out so well.”
Jason couldn’t help a mild, “In fairness, confiding in me isn’t always like confiding in the federal government.”
Alex gave a short laugh. “Yeah, well. But here’s the thing. I don’t know if anyone really believes Georgie killed herself, either by accident or on purpose. I feel like…people just don’t care either way. Everybody’s busy, everybody’s got their own problems, and she was…”
“Difficult?” Jason supplied a little wearily.
“Yes. She was. The thing with Eli? She burned a lot of bridges.”
“I keep hearing that.”
“It wasn’t just Georgie who lost friends. It started a whole wave of paranoia. People started worrying whether Uncle Sam was coming for their collections. Again.”
Jason sighed. “Listen, I’m not here for anyone’s film collection. The focus of my assignment is very narrow. I want to reassure Professor Ono’s family that there was no foul play in her death.”
“But you can’t,” Alex said.
“No,” Jason admitted. “As of right now, I can’t. It’s not like I have suspects or motives or anything. Just a gut feeling.”
Alex nodded, gazed at the blank wall behind Jason as though looking for the answers there. Jason waited silently, patiently, for Alex to come to his decision. The way his morning was going, he was not feeling optimistic.
“I don’t—can’t—believe anybody killed Georgie. But if someone did, if I’m wrong…I’m not on that person’s side. Especially someone who could do something so cruel and humiliating.”
“It was crueler than it had to be.” That bothered Jason too.