Breach Point: A Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 9

Bailey sat on her other side, and Clara wasn't anywhere near as happy about that. The girl ate like a pig. Apparently no one in her family had ever suggested that she learn to chew with her mouth closed. It was disgusting. Clara was glad the food they'd brought in wasn't anything messier than pizza. Bailey gave teenage interns a bad name.

"It's not like I didn't trust him," said Tate, one of the senior Fogelsang employees.

"Oh no," said Katie, a woman Clara hadn't met until she'd entered the conference room. "Not you, Tate. Never!" Clara thought she was hitting the sarcasm way too hard.

"Yeah," Tate said, "we didn't have the best foundation at that point. You've dealt with him – the guy was an idiot!"

The others laughed. Clara smiled, though she had no idea what the anecdote was about. Her mind had drifted away from the conversation, jumping between the Pier Demo file and the festival. Now she was lost, so she tried to strike a balance between not looking like she was ignoring the discussion, but also not like she was pretending to fully understand what was going on.

Shane leaned over and half-whispered, "They're talking about a client." Clara nodded covertly.

"A former client," Tate added. "A bad former client." Everyone laughed again. Clara joined in this time. It didn't feel as strange now that she was involved. What a balancing act it was, being the new person at a company. She understood why her father had stayed at one place for so long.

The door opened and Theresa walked in. She carried a ratty old lunch bag, moving behind the group along the right wall as she made her way to the empty chair at the head of the table. Clara noticed that Theresa made a point to keep her head down and not interrupt the flow of the conversation as she settled into her place.

"How's the sauce today?" Theresa asked the group. "Anyone discover any mystery herbs?"

Shivani, one of the friendlier women Clara had met, shook her head. "If there's anything weird in there, it has yet to make itself known."

Clara kept eating, suddenly feeling the awkward inevitability of being introduced to Theresa. She knew everyone else in the room now. When a lull came, she heard Shane clear his throat, swishing down some soda before he spoke.

"Theresa, I didn't get a chance to introduce you yet," Shane said. "This is Clara."

Theresa wiped her mouth with her napkin and said, "Nice to meet you Clara. Welcome to the team." She had a tone of pure professionalism. "Are you from the area?"

"No, I'm from north Jersey," Clara said. "But I'm staying with my aunt for the summer. She's lived here for a while."

As Clara spoke the last sentence, a small chunk of partially-chewed pizza shot from her mouth and onto the table in front of her. She hoped no one else saw it, but doubted she was that lucky. The group had all been paying polite attention to her.

"Well it's good to have you here," Theresa said. "I'm sure Shane gave you the tour."

Once Theresa started speaking, Clara reached out with her napkin and tried to slide the pizza chunk over toward her water bottle.

"He did," she said. "I haven't met everyone yet, but I'm getting there." Clara managed to transport the rogue chunk of pizza to its new hiding spot, though it created an ugly smudge across the table that she didn't see until she lifted her napkin. Bailey didn't miss it, though. Clara caught her expression and read it as, "Now who's disgusting?"

"Well," said Theresa, "you haven't even been here a full day yet. You'll catch up."

An annoying beep came from outside. From her seat, Clara could just make out the tip of a large equipment delivery truck pulling into a parking spot along the road. Theresa and a few others raised up from their seats to check it out.

"That's a sound we're definitely used to around here," Theresa said. "They're getting ready for a big festival."

"I know," said Clara. She thought it came off as too harsh, so she added a little lilt to her voice. "I'm planning to go. It looks like a lot of fun!" As her words hung, she realized it was too much lilt.

"If you're interested in local history, the festival is a nice way to learn about the island," Theresa said. "Besides the food and music, some of the people who used to work on the old amusement pier will be putting on a play. I hear it's pretty funny, too."

Clara couldn't stop herself. "I actually met that group the other day," she said. Then she remembered it might not be the best topic to discuss – especially so openly. But, worried that she'd sound like she was holding something back, she kept going. "These people who worked at the... the Castle... they were actually rehearsing the play and I caught a little bit. I think it's going to be a good show..."

The room was quiet now. Theresa nodded. "I'm sure it will be," she said, sounding more serious. "Why don't you stop by my office after lunch? I want to show you something."

"Sure," Clara said, trying to sound unintimidated. Someone else jumped in with a new topic and the conversation moved on. Clara kept her head down for the rest of the lunch, wondering what was important enough to merit a private showing from the owner herself.

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- Steve