The two emerged from the garage and each went their separate way – Cover Girl back to her engine and Lady Jaye to her office. She figured it was safe by now, and Courtney had been right – getting it out had helped ease the weight on her chest, if only a little.
She understood what Courtney meant by closure. At some point, she would have to visit the area, visit Richard's grave. She flinched as the thought crossed her mind. While the pain had eased some during the years, the guilt had not.
It would have been just a tragic accident, if it hadn't been for what had transpired just before and after the fire. She hadn't told Courtney all the details, but she had put the pieces together long ago and thought she knew who had been responsible. It was just so hard to believe he would stoop to that level! Then again, after her few confrontations with him since joining GI Joe, it was becoming more so.
She walked into her office, grateful for the powder Courtney had supplied from her emergency stash in her truck to cover up her blotchy face. Nodding to Scarlett, she sat down and booted up her computer.
"Flint's looking for you," Scarlett said, not bothering to turn around.
She could sense her friend was upset with her. She probably should have waited until both Shana and Courtney were present to reveal her story, but knowing Shana, she would have insisted on delving deeper and not just simply listening, as Courtney had.
"Thanks," she merely replied, entering her password.
She checked the few messages and discarded them – it wasn't any information they didn't already know. Deciding she needed a distraction, she checked her personal email. She smiled at something one of her cousins had sent and shared it with Shana. It helped break the tension in the room as the two chuckled over the latest adventures of her youngest cousin.
"Listen, Al," began Scarlett hesitantly, pausing before she returned back to her computer, "if there's ever anything you need to get off your chest, I'm here for you."
"Thanks," Lady Jaye replied softly, sending her a grateful smile. "The same to you."
Scarlett nodded, then returned her attention back to her work.
Lady Jaye frowned at the last unread message in her inbox. She didn't recognize the address and was about to delete it when some gut instinct told her it might be important.
There was a link – no subject line and no signature. Curiosity getting the better of her, knowing that if it was a virus, their program would have caught it, she clicked on it.
She watched as a picture began to download. She stifled a gasp as the burnt remains of the cottage she had just been telling Courtney about came into view. It was from the police file, and was tagged as such at the bottom. She scrolled down, to see if there was a message or description. Nothing.
Who would send this to her? No one outside her family and friends knew this email address.
Scarlett came to stand behind her. "What's this?" she asked curiously, picking up the file she had just sent to the printer.
Lady Jaye closed her eyes, praying for strength. Drawing upon all her acting skills, she lied, "I don't know. It was a link on my email."
Scarlett moved in for a closer look. "An arson case?" she asked, translating the note that had been tacked on to the picture. "Is this something to do with our latest assignment?"
"No," she answered quickly, closing the window. "Not sure why I was sent this," she lied.
Scarlett shrugged. "Listen, I might have you help me translate some of these files, as well as the map of the area. Flint was pretty insistent that he talk to you before he and Beach Head get bogged down with Dr. Olivari. He wants to rehash with you anything that the doctor said when you rescued him," she told her, knowing if she didn't explain, Allie would avoid him.
"Thanks," Lady Jaye nodded. "I guess I'll see if he's in his office."
She felt pretty shaken by the picture. First the location of Cobra, then revealing her secret to Courtney….was there a connection?
She forced her mind to think over the brief conversation they had with Dr. Olivari during the rescue, pushing the rest to the back of her mind.
Approaching Flint's door, she saw it was open and he was sitting with Beach Head, chuckling over something.
"So, we got our plan straight? Good cop, bad cop routine?" confirmed Beach Head, standing up.
"We'll let him sweat a little, then go in and talk to him," Flint replied, a cocky grin on his face. He looked up and saw Lady Jaye standing in the doorway and smiled. "Let me talk it over with Jaye here and we'll have something to go on."
Beach Head nodded at her as he left the room, purposely closing the door behind him.
Lady Jaye frowned. Did he really think it was necessary?
She turned and saw Flint giving her a gentle smile. She was immediately on guard. Shouldn't he be upset with her for asking not to go on assignment with him?
"You wanted to see me?" she stated, deciding to keep this on a business level.
His smile faded at her tone, and he nodded. "I thought we should go over what Dr. Olivari said to either one of us about the device before Beach Head and I talk to him."
He wondered if he could bring the conversation around to what was bothering her. Even now, she had her mask in place, which he now knew meant she was hiding her emotions.
They talked and he jotted down notes to help him remember.
She paused, and he moved from around his desk to where she was sitting. She didn't resist when he pulled her into his arms. "What's bothering you?" he asked softly after a moment, disappointed to feel her body stiffen with the question.
"It's not about us," she told him, pulling away.
"It doesn't matter if it's about us or not," he told her firmly. "If something's upset you, I want to know what I can do to help."
Her mind flashed back to the photograph and its mysterious sender, as well as the timing. "There's nothing you can do," she said, wincing at the harshness of her words.
He released the hand he had been holding. "Fine, then," he replied, then took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient. "If you need to talk," he began, echoing Scarlett's earlier words.
She gave him a brief smile. "I know," she interrupted him, placing her hand on his cheek. "I appreciate it, but it's just something I need to work through."
The phone rang and Flint grudgingly answered it. He gave a brief reply, then hung up, turning back to her. "I need to go. I'm not sure how long I'll be, but I want us to get together afterwards."
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she could protest and grabbed his notes and left.