The Unmasking

Part 34

A frown held tight at the edges darkened Mr. Blackbourne's countenance as he and an equally unhappy Samantha stared at us both from the entry. The cigarette weighed heavy in my pocket, guilt lacing at my heart despite my unwilling involvement in it's placement. Jenna swept down to the coffee table, more heavy teak, and opened it's drawer.

"I'll need background, reports, everything you've got I want to see it."

She continued to rummage. Mr. Blackbourne closed the doors behind himself, watching her carefully.

"You've decided rather abruptly."

She stared at a paper as if it had already disappointed her and flipped to the next one. "Yes. Get a move on Owen, catch up."

I shrugged at both Mr. Blackbourne and his little sister, who were eyeing me with varying degrees of suspicion. I didn't know what to tell them, other than she liked that I had snuck up on her, and that didn't really seem like something I could just say without implicating myself and her when I didn't know whether Samantha had told Mr. Blackbourne or not what we'd done. Jenna waved a slender hand in my direction.

"She showed potential. Now are we going to get on with this or not? Time's ticking dearest."

Mr. Blackbourne straightened his tie, clearing the confusion out of his throat and replacing it with an affirmative sound. He approached the table Jenna was shuffling through, pulling his phone from his pocket and letting her look at whatever he had on his screen. Samantha inched up next to me, tugging at my sleeve, whispering heatedly what had happened while she was gone.

All I could do was shrug. I wasn't sure myself.

****

There was still an hour before school by the time Mr. Blackbourne dropped me back off at Nathan's house, instructions to get ready and to keep low until I got to his class. Nathan collected me, both of us quiet as we watched Mr. Blackbourne drive away. I caught the furrow in his brows before he smoothed them out and smiled, gathered me up at the shoulders, and led me inside.

"Day's not over peanut. Let's get this behind us and we can relax this evening."

I nodded, mute in the face of uncertainty. I didn't know what to expect for the rest of the day. I gathered my school clothes with him leaning against the open door, his arms folded and his gaze contemplative. It was all I could do to keep from shaking as he followed me down the hall and opened the bathroom door for me, attention unwavering.

I smiled grimly and closed the door behind myself, leaning against it for a moment and listening as his footsteps faded. The microwave started. The fridge opened, it's hum getting louder. I stared up at the top of the cabinet.

Right then.

I was there, one knee up on the sink and lifted up on one tiptoe, reaching and feeling for the little band. My fingertips explored, breathlessly worried it had been found already, that the link was gone. I swept slowly, sweating as I ran over the same place several times before I felt the little band roll under the edge of my pinky.

I grasped it between my nails, letting out the breath I'd been holding as I pulled it down and brushed it off. I pressed at it's springiness so it was oval, inserted it into my ear, keeping one finger in just in case I'd done it wrong and it wanted to fall out.

"About time."

Will. I cringed, knowing he probably wasn't happy with what I'd done.

"Never mind that. If all goes well today then McCoy shouldn't be such a problem for you."