Erin hadn't told David about the letter that she had received, since she didn't want to worry him unnecessarily, especially since the Director had still not allowed them to resume the search for John. Still, she hoped that this newest letter would convince him that the threat was still real, that they were all still in danger. Even if it was becoming more and more clear that she, specifically, was the target. Squaring her shoulders, Erin tugged her the bottom of her suit coat to smooth out the wrinkles from it before picking up the latest letter and heading out to the hall.
"Is everything all right, Erin?"
She gave Helen a small smile as she shrugged. "I don't really know, Helen. It all depends on what answer I receive from Director Sheppard. Pray that the answer I get will be the right one."
Her assistant nodded as Erin left the office, and she licked her lips absently as she went over to the elevators, waiting for the next one headed up. There weren't too many people heading that way, so she stepped onto a nearly empty car, ignoring the younger man next to her as she stared down at the envelope in her hands. Somehow, she had the feeling that this wouldn't make too much of a difference to his way of thinking, but she also knew that she had to build a paper trail of evidence in order to show that her misgivings were ignored and passed over because the people above both their heads were saying that imminent danger didn't matter.
Trying to feel more confident than she was, Erin lifted her chin upwards as she made certain that her posture was perfectly correct. It was so easy to swan into Ron's office, looking every inch the Ice Queen she had long been called behind her back. It was so easy to slip back into the persona, and Erin knew that it was a result of how perturbed she was over what John was doing, and how upset she was over the fact that everyone else seemed to just be brushing it off.
"Chief Strauss! Did you have an appointment to see the Director this morning?" his assistant asked, and she shook her head, staring down her nose at the young woman. That look seemed to intimidate her, as Erin watched her swallow before she cleared her throat. "What do you need, then, ma'am?"
"I need to see Ron before our day truly starts. There has been an incident that I think warrants his attention and discretion."
The young woman nodded as she pushed away from her chair and got up, fairly fleeing into Ron's inner office. As Erin waited, she tried to think calm thoughts, not wanting to appear agitated as she talked with her boss. She knew, instinctively, that that approach would get her nowhere. Moments later, the assistant came back into the outer office, and gave Erin a tense smile. "He'll see you now."
"Thank you," she coolly replied as she sailed past the woman and entered the inner office. Ron was seated behind his desk, and he looked up at her when she closed the door, not feeling it necessary to lock it. "Good morning, Ron."
"Erin. What can I do for you this morning?"
"Well, there's been another update in the Replicator case. I received a letter from him, one that is more direct than previous missives, and I feel that he is about to ramp up against us once more. Against me once more. It is clear that this man has a vendetta against me, and I truly feel like we should get this investigation back into gear before he takes direct action against us."
Ron frowned a little, and Erin handed over the envelope so that he could look at what she had received in the mail. She carefully watched his face, trying to read the expressions that floated across his features. He was good at keeping his microexpressions flat, though, and so she had no insight into what he was thinking as he read the letter a few times. "This certainly is a bit worrisome. I just don't think that it will be enough to convince the subcommittee to allow us to direct funds away from external cases and focus it on an internal case. Especially since there is a good likelihood that we would be accused of favoritism."
Erin nodded sharply as she held her hand out for her envelope, and she struggled not to glare when their hands brushed and Ron tried to give her a reassuring touch. "I will make a note of that in the file that I'm keeping in regards to this case. Thank you for your time, Ron."
Getting to her feet, Erin sailed from the room and called on her training to remain calm and professional as she made her way over to the stairwell. Since it was empty, she allowed herself to almost run down the flights until she had reached the sixth floor. Pausing in front of the door, Erin drew in a few long, controlled, breaths to calm the thumping of her heart before exiting the stairwell and heading directly for Penelope's office.
Thankfully, the younger woman was seated behind her desk when Erin entered her office without knocking, though she was able to listen to a part of the conversation she was having with Agent Morgan. It was difficult to keep from clucking her tongue in disapproval, but she didn't want the man to know that she was there. A few moments later, Penelope had ended the call and then she was turning her chair to face Erin. "What can I do for you, Erin?" she asked as she rose to her feet and gestured towards the sofa.
Erin nodded as she allowed her posture to relax, feeling the first beginnings of a headache throb to life at the base of her skull. "I received another letter, Penelope. And before you ask, I already went to the Director, and he said that this wasn't cause enough to reopen the Replicator case."
Penelope's eyes widened as she stared into Erin's face. "No."
She nodded. "I hope…"
"Yes, I have. But we shouldn't talk here. I'm just as jumpy as you are when it comes to this case, so let's head out for coffee. I'll leave my phones here, and I think that you should, too, just in case. And don't worry about money, I'll bring my wallet and pay for us both."
"All right, just let me call Helen and let her know what the plan is." Penelope nodded as she gestured towards her phones. Erin stood and went over to the desk, picking up the receiver and dialing her office, telling Helen where she was headed before she turned to look at Penelope. "Let's go."
Penelope nodded as she pulled a phone out of her bra, reminding Erin that she needed to also leave her device behind. Slipping the phone from her jacket pocket, she placed it next to Penelope's on her desk before they exited the office. "So, what did you get up to last night?"
"We went out for dinner, and I treated Jessica, since she's done so much for us, especially in these last few months. I want to do more for her, since she's truly like family to us now, but she doesn't want to accept our largesse. I totally understand, but I am in the position to help her, and I want to do so."
"And she probably feels like she gets reward enough by being able to spend so much time with you and your family. I wish that I had something like that in my life. I couldn't see myself building a future with Kevin, or at least, not the future that he wanted for us. Sam isn't going to be a serious thing, I just have this feeling in my bones. So I have to live vicariously, too."
Erin nodded as they stepped into the elevators, and they made small talk as they rode down to the ground floor. She was grateful for this brief moment together, before they arrived at the café and began to talk about what John had left her with, since it allowed her to find a spot of peace in the midst of the current chaos of her life.
