605 words
4 co-conspirators
2 prompts
who knows how many minutes!?
Dr. Mildred Finch sat in her office, glancing nervously at the door every time someone passed. It had been fun planning her revenge on Alan, Charlie, Larry and Amita after last year's April Fool's prank. But now she dreaded the next few hours, knowing that three geniuses and an engineer could wreak an awful lot of havoc.
She heard a quiet knock on the door, and looked up with dread. A pleasant looking dark haired man in a suit stood with a faint smile on his face. "Good morning. Mildred Finch?"
Millie stood, "I'm sorry. Please come in, mister..."
The man pulled an envelope from his suit coat pocket. "Howard Meeks." He shifted the envelope to his left hand and shook the hand Millie offered.
"Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?"
"No thank you." He handed Millie the envelope. "I'm an Assistant US Attorney and this is a subpoena."
"A subpoena? For what?"
"We are investigating the California Institute of Science's involvement in a project for a government that is a known sponsor of terrorism."
Millie's eyes widened as she opened the envelope. "Which project?"
"Everything is explained in the subpoena. I suggest you contact the university's attorneys. You are required to appear in the court named in the subpoena in approximately three hours. Sorry for the short notice." Meeks turned and left the room without another word.
Millie sat, stunned, and read the subpoena.
Two hours and forty eight minutes later, accompanied by Mason Gibbs, the senior partner in the law firm that had represented Cal Sci for decades, Millie waited in line at the courthouse security check point. Gibbs had tsked and tutted over the inconvenience of having to appear with such short notice, but had assured Millie that the school was indeed being investigated by a federal court.
Millie felt a combination of outrage and dread as she removed all of her metal items and put them in the plastic bin. She hadn't had a lot of time to read up on the project, but as she'd said many times before, she was a quick learner. She was convinced that if Cal Sci were indeed consorting with a foreign government that sponsored terrorism, it was because they had been deceived. Their only contact had been with the head of a civilian company.
With a sigh, she walked through the metal detector and picked up her belongings again. As she settled her glasses on the bridge of her nose, she noticed the AUSA approaching her with a solemn look on his face.
"Mr. Meeks," Millie said, coolly. "This is Mason Gibbs, Cal Sci's attorney..."
"Come with me," the AUSA said, turning on his heels.
Millie exchanged confused glances with the attorney, but followed Meeks into a room just off the lobby.
"I am so sorry for this inconvenience," Meeks said, closing the door behind them. "I understand that this is highly irregular, but under the circumstances, I believe this is necessary."
Millie was about to complain when a door at the back of the room opened. Her jaw dropped as Alan, Charlie, Amita and Larry filed into the room, grinning broadly. She threw up her hands. "You win!" She turned to the lawyer. "I am so sorry. You've been caught up in a web of April Foolery that is stopping here and now!"
After quick introductions, Howard joined his friends and their victims for a well-deserved lunch. A truce was proposed and accepted. After dropping his three co-conspirators off at Cal Sci, Alan drove off, shaking his head. "I can't wait to see what happens next year."
