Chapter Twenty:
Rachel smiled up at the waiter. He sat salads in front of both of the women.
"Do you need anything else?" He asked.
Cady shook her head. "We're fine. Thanks."
They waited until the waiter walked away before they resumed their conversation.
"I'm sorry, Cady, there was nothing unusual in the files." Rachel shrugged, using her fork to pick at her salad. "Other than the few missing pages, which you haven't found." She glanced up at the girl sitting across from her. "There isn't anything we can do right now."
Cady just nodded. She propped her head up with her hand and glared at her glass.
"Nothing." She let the word fall to the table like dead weight.
She glanced at her salad. She wasn't hungry.
"Can you think of anything else? Has any other doctor seen them? Could the paperwork have been misfiled or left somewhere?"
Rachel was trying to help, she really was, but Cady was too upset to really give it much thought. She sighed heavily.
"I checked everywhere. Even at his house. Nothing."
It had been nearly two weeks since she had given the copies to Rachel. Now, all of that sneaking around meant nothing. They had nothing. Back to the start. She lifted her head up to look around them. The cafe was full of patrons enjoying the seasonal menu. They were all blissfully unaware of Rachel and Cady's conversation.
She frowned, looking back down at her salad. "I don't know. Something is wrong. I can feel it."
Rachel set her fork down. She hadn't eaten anything, either. It was obvious the two women shared the distress.
"Hunches don't solve cases. Evidence does. The investigation I sent wasn't able to turn up anything. The asylum is clean." She shrugged, but her face told Cady she didn't believe it.
"With every 't' crossed, huh? Isn't that a little weird?" Cady asked, slipping her hands into her lap. She fiddled with her blouse under the table.
Rachel nodded. "It's rare to see, but Crane's a control freak."
Cady took a drink of her water. She glanced at the entrance way. Up above the hostess, in a corner, a white camera was mounted. Cady squinted to get a better look. She had been to this place hundreds of times. Never before had she seen it. It was hidden out of the way. That was the whole point. To see without being seen.
"What about the cameras?" She asked, still looking at the piece of equipment.
Rachel turned around in her chair. She looked around until she found what Cady was staring at.
"Crane doesn't record his sessions." The older woman said off-handedly.
"But Arkham has security. I've seen the cameras in the halls. The rooms on the lower floor have them as well. Those inmates are supposed to be on twenty four hour surveillance." Cady said.
Rachel turned back around in her chair, her expression like she understood where the other girl was coming from. "There was no reason for them to check the video footage. Nothing was wrong in the files. It was a closed case. They didn't think it was necessary."
"So? Three deaths, Rachel. Three. Two were in the maximum security area. How could they not find something wrong?"
"One of those deaths happened after everything was done. And there were sufficient testimonies and reports filed for the other two."
"Just filed late." Cady retorted.
Rachel sighed. "That's the excuse I used to get the investigation started. Carl nearly had a fit over it. He's still mad. I'll need a warrant to search the video footage. That's not going to happen any time soon."
"Nothing is recorded on site. The guards get live footage only." Cady mumbled, stabbing a tomato with her fork.
"You know..."
Cady glanced up at the woman. She had a smile as wide as her face painted across her features.
"What?" She asked, not understanding her expression.
Rachel let out a small laugh. "It's perfect. I forgot how paranoid Dr. Arkham was."
"Rachel, what are you talking about?"
The woman shook her head. "I'm playing this pretty close. The less you know the better for both of us." At Cady's hurt look she smiled in a friendly way. "It's alright. Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I get it."
She nodded. "Okay." She took a mouth full of salad. She still wasn't hungry, but no reason to waste good food.
She had finished only half her salad when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the number.
"Oh, I'll be right back." She said as she got up. "Hello?" She walked outside.
"Cady, it's Dr. Crane."
"Yes, I have your number saved into my phone. What's going on?" She squinted her eyes against the afternoon sun and walked in a small circle.
"I need your help. How long before you can come into work?"
"With what? I'm kind of busy right now." She held her skirt down as the wind blew.
There was a loud sigh. Normally he only called her if there was an emergency at the asylum. This didn't sound like one. He was rather placid.
"Doing what?"
She glared at the phone for a second then stuck it back to her ear. "Eating lunch with a friend. It's Sunday. My day off."
"I'm aware of this fact. However, I have something more pressing."
"Can't it wait?" She whined, kicking at a small pebble on the ground.
"Stop whining. This is your job." He stated with a small amount of authority.
"I'm just so tired. I've worked for almost two weeks straight. Plus school. Isn't there anyone else who can help you? What about Dr. Leland?" She held a hand up to her head. She really was tired. She moved out of the way of a few passersby.
"Thirty minutes." He growled into the phone before hanging up.
Cady snapped her phone shut and stomped back inside. Rachel looked up at her, the smile she was wearing faded into a concerned frown.
"He called you in, didn't he?" She asked.
"Yeah." She responded, digging into her purse. She took out a twenty and set it on the table. "This should cover my part."
"Cady, he called you in last week during your days off as well. He's working you to death. Look at you! You look so tired." She crossed her arms, clearly angry.
"I'm sorry Rachel. It's the nature of the beast, I'm afraid. Crazies are crazy all of the time. Not just between nine to five."
"Maybe you should get a less stressful job." The woman jabbed back.
"Where else can I go?"
Rachel shrugged. Cady could tell the wheels in the woman's head were turning. The look she gave her didn't hide anything.
"I'm sorry. Let me know what you find about...whatever it is you'll be doing." She smiled slightly.
Rachel nodded. "Will do. Try to leave with enough time to get a decent night's rest, okay?"
"Bye Rachel." Cady waved and walked out of the cafe.
She jogged to her car (thankful she wore flats) and threw her purse into the passenger seat. She started it and pulled out of the parking spot. The entire ride she fumed over having to go back to work. Her attire was far from appropriate. Her thin tee was a bit too low cut and her skirt too flowy. He would just have to deal with it. With the way traffic was moving, she'd be lucky to get there within the time frame he had given her.
Thirty five minutes. She pulled into Arkham's parking lot already late. She slammed her car door and flung her purse over her shoulder. She ran up the steps and inside to his office.
"I'm sorry, traffic was bad." She was out of breath when she reached his office.
He looked up from the desk he was leaning on. He had been reading a file. He regarded her for a moment before looking back down.
"Not to worry, it's been taken care of." He said, not looking up at her.
Cady's jaw dropped. Was he serious? "Excuse me?" She asked.
He glanced back up, his face unreadable. "I said it's been taken care of."
"You call me in, make me drop everything, and now suddenly you don't even need me? Couldn't you have called to let me know so I wouldn't have driven like a bat out of hell to get here?"
His lips thinned. He blinked. "I don't know why you're so angry. This is the nature of the job. If you don't like it then I suggest you find another one."
"But, I want this one." She retorted.
"Then act like it." He said as if that was the obvious thing to do.
No more, no more. I'm too tired. He's got to understand. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done for me. I love my job. I love working here. I really do. But, it's hard to always be chipper when I'm being worked to death. I have homework and studying to do too, you know. But you've been keeping me late, working me on my days off, it's a bit stressful." She frowned, hoping she didn't sound as angry as she felt.
He looked away to set the file on his desk. He slipped off his glasses and tapped one end against his lips as he looked her over. "I can sympathize." His words were meant to relate to her, but his tone was cold. "However, answer me this." He paused to slip his glasses back on. "How can you complain that you never have any time for what's important and then have lunch with a friend?" His eyebrow raised as he asked the question.
Cady's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened to respond, then closed. Nothing came out. Anything that she would have said would get her fired. She looked away from him and chewed on her bottom lip. She could feel the tears. Her nose tingled. Her jaw quivered. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. Swallowed the lump in her throat. Her arms crossed. Her purse fell to the floor. There was a rustle of fabric as he moved closer to her. She didn't look at him, but could smell his cologne. The warmth from his body embraced her before he did. She allowed him to hold her for a few seconds before pulling away. He kept his hands on her shoulders. His eyes held her attention. They stood there, silent. Time ticked by. Neither made any attempt to speak. He pulled her to him again. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Sighed. He ran a hand through her hair and rested his chin on her head.
He pulled back slightly letting his hands travel down her face. "No tears? I'm impressed." He smiled, kissing her on the head.
Cady snorted, rolling her eyes. "I've been taking the Ketamine religiously. It's one of the few things helping with the stress."
It took him a moment to digest the information. When he did a huge smile crossed his face. He pulled off his glasses and set them on the desk. Cady noticed the smile made the skin around his eyes crinkle. She backed up, smirking.
"I've never seen you smile like that before."
"It's..." He looked away, taking a deep breath as he thought, "been a while since I've had a reason to be," He looked back at her, replacing his hands on her shoulders, "this content."
"What?" Cady furrowed her brows.
He shook his head and looked her over. The smile dropped a bit. His attention turned to her chest. He ran a finger across the low neckline of her shirt.
"You wore this to a lunch with a friend?"
There was something in his tone that she couldn't place. Something in the way his facial features changed that she didn't like. His finger tugged on the fabric. She glanced downward again. He tugged it down only a few centimeters. She could see the edge of her bra stick out.
"Trying to attract attention?" He asked flatly.
"I went to lunch with a girl." She hissed, yanking away from him.
His hands fell to his sides. "I'm not implying anything, Cady. Only someone who's hiding something would think like that." The tone was arrogant. Like he was catching her at something.
She frowned. "Think like what? You are the one with the accusation in his words." She took a breath and then added, "Most of my shirts are low cut. I just normally wear another shirt on top."
"Perhaps you should consider getting new shirts, then."
"Huh." Her eyes looked him over. "Since when did you have the right to tell me what to wear?" She could play the cocky card too.
He tightened his jaw. "I think we've had this conversation before. Do we really need to go down the same path again? What am I to you?" His eyes narrowed. It was a challenge.
She couldn't help the cheeky grin that curved her lips upwards. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"
As soon as her words entered his ears he grabbed her face with his hands. He kissed her so hard it hurt. Their teeth smacked together. She struggled. He managed to catch her bottom lip. She felt like she'd been stung. He released her enough so she could move her head back to get some air. His fingers dug into the skin where her jaw connected with her neck.
"You work in my asylum. You are taking some of the best classes based upon my recommendations. You have first hand accounts for your thesis thanks to me. What am I to you? I'm the best thing you have." His grip softened on her face. "Show a little more appreciation for who I am. For what I've done for you. For what I've given you." He was so close she could only look into his eyes as he spoke. "I know there are hundreds of others who'd love to fill your shoes." He whispered.
She noticed some of his pearly whites were stained. Unconsciously she sucked on her lower lip. She tasted blood. A lump rose in her throat. She swallowed.
"Do you understand?" He sounded like he was talking to a five year old.
Cady nodded. He looked pleased with himself.
He checked his watch. "I made early dinner reservations before the show."
"Okay." She sniffed.
He glanced up at her and brushed some hair behind her ear. He leaned in closer and gently kissed her. She could still taste the blood.
"We're all stressed." He murmured into her lips. "It's been a trying few months for the entire staff."
"I know. I'm sorry."
She tried to back away, but he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn't a suffocating embrace. She just didn't want to be held. She wanted to leave. He left a trail of tiny kisses down her jaw. He could feel her hesitation.
"We have time." He whispered, turning them around.
They backed up and she felt the desk bump into her legs. "Not here." She said.
He didn't seem to hear her. Instead, one hand traveled under her skirt. It brushed against her thigh.
"Jonathan, I..." She bit her bottom lip, reopening the wound. The sharp pinch brought her mind back into focus. "No."
Without thinking, her hands came up and pushed against him. He let out a soft sigh and backed away slightly. He looked her over for a moment. It wasn't in his usual impassiveness. He seems timid? Her mind questioned. Cady had no answer. She just rubbed her lips together, trying to get the tingling from the wound to stop.
"Tell me. Do you," he hesitated before finishing, "like me?" He furrowed his brows as he finished the question.
Cady blinked. This didn't sound like him. It sounded like a teenager. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but his gaze told her not to. She just let the corner of her mouth tilt upwards and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes.
"I think it's more than a like, Jonathan."
He studied her for a moment then pulled away, seemingly satisfied with her answer.
"Where did that come from?" She asked, straightening up.
"It doesn't matter." He mumbled.
Okay...weird...Her thoughts were as confused as her expression, that she was sure was evident.
"I'll take those." He said, his hand reaching out.
She gave him the files on his desk that he was pointing to.
"Why don't you go home. I'll be there to pick you up around five." He was back to hiding again.
She nodded. "Alright. I'll see you later."
He just stood there, files tucked under one arm, and watched her leave.
*
Cady yawned. They were on their way home from the play.
"Did you like it?" She asked, looking out of the passenger side window.
"It was entertainment." He said flatly.
She turned to him. He was watching the road. "You didn't like it."
He shrugged. "As I said, it was entertainment."
"Well, what didn't you like about it?" She asked.
He glanced at her for a moment.
"Wait, let me guess. The entire thing." She laughed. "I enjoyed it, but I've seen it before."
"Then why did you want to see it again?" He asked, turning into his apartment complex. His voice sounded slightly vexed.
"You don't always have to pay." She said as he turned into a parking spot and turned off the car.
"That's not the point, Cady. There are other ways to spend one's time more productively."
She got out of the car before he was able to open her door. "I'm sure. But, being at the asylum all the time gets boring. You've gotta admit."
"Not when there's work to be done." He said coolly as he looked down at her.
"Well, maybe not for you." She mumbled.
She watched as his lips thinned. The shadows that were cast across his face form the bad lighting around them made it hard for her to see him clearly. He didn't respond, just stood across from her with his briefcase in his hands. She could tell he was thinking by his posture. Her eyes fell to the ground. They focused on a small discoloration in the asphalt. She brushed her foot over it.
"Would you like some tea?" His voice was flat, but not condescending.
She looked up at him. "Sure." She shrugged.
He nodded and waited for her to walk next to him before he moved. They walked to his apartment, even taking the stairs. Cady just watched the ground as they went. She plopped down on the couch and waited for Crane to get settled and make the tea. Her attention drifted to the window. The curtains were pulled back revealing the city outside. The sky was dark. She could see the stars above some of the smaller buildings. The sounds of water boiling and china clinking could be heard from the kitchen. Cady just ignored what was going on around her. Her mind was back to her earlier conversation with Rachel.
"Hunches don't solve cases. Evidence does. The investigation I sent wasn't able to turn up anything. The asylum is clean." Rachel's expression told Cady she didn't believe it.
"With every 't' crossed, huh? Isn't that a little weird?" She had asked, mocking her boss in the process.
Rachel nodded. "It's rare to see, but Crane's a control freak."
A control freak...The words bounced around Cady's consciousness. She felt the couch dip. Her head turned to Crane. He handed her a mug of tea. It was her favorite kind, blackberry and sage. She'd know the scent anywhere. Her mouth smiled, but she was sure it didn't reach her eyes. She took a sip of the hot liquid. Her hands moved to her lap. She watched the steam rise from the drink.
"Is something on your mind?" He asked.
"Nothing important." She lied.
He tucked some hair behind her ear. "Alright. Do you like the tea?"
Cady glanced up at him. Of course I do. She thought. It's my favorite kind. You know that. She just smiled and took another sip. "Yeah."
"Hm." He said, taking a sip of his own drink.
He set his cup on the coffee table and stood up. She watched as he went to his entertainment center and turned on some music. The song was instrumental, something between a jazz harmony and a classical melody. He sat back down next to her. Grabbing his drink, he leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. He wasn't wearing his blazer, but he still had his tie on.
"Are you feeling well?" He asked, not looking at her. His attention was somewhere else as he took a long drink.
"Fine. Why?" She asked, a bit confused about the question.
"You're just more quiet than usual." He responded, turning to her.
She shrugged. "I think I'm getting tired."
He cocked an eyebrow at her statement. "You think you're getting tired?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
A yawn escaped her lips. A sudden wave of tiredness made her thoughts dim.
"Mmhm." He said, watching her. "Why don't you go lay down?"
She allowed him to take her cup and set it, along with his, on the coffee table. He helped her up and followed her to his room. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out.