Bright and early the next morning, Michael was up and out. Dylan's Place was popular among the Brem Chem employees. A chance conversation revealed that the company was hiring temporary help in the warehouse. Which would give Michael access to the facility, as well as to the chemicals on site. And to the lunchroom, where he might just overhear the right conversation.
And so first thing in the morning, he showed up and applied. A half-hour later, he was the new guy in the warehouse. Of course, that meant he got all the tasks no one wanted. Like going to the far corners of the warehouse to fill requests. By late morning, Michael has located all the components for meth in sufficient quantities to more than cover the drug operation he and Kevin had shut down in Lexington. Plus some.
However, he had no proof that anyone at Brem Chem was manufacturing meth or supplying it to drug dealers. Everything he had was circumstantial at best. He needed more before calling Kevin. Hopefully, the lunchroom would prove a useful source of information, beyond the usual office gossip and rehash of last night's game.
The regular workers took their lunch together, leaving Michael to cover the warehouse. It was pretty quiet. From what he had gathered during the morning, the warehouse crew all seemed to be on the up and up. Or at least not involved in any drug operation. He wasn't, however, prepared to swear that there wasn't any petty pilfering going on in the warehouse.
When it was his turn to go to lunch, Michael headed for the cafeteria. He grabbed a sandwich, fries, and a Coke from the line, paid, and then found an empty table off to one side.
The table he chose was empty, but those around it were not. As predicted, though, he was mostly overhearing office gossip and rehashing last night's game, along with the usual serial conversations coworkers have over lunch. Well, it was only his first day here. Which reminded Michael that he ought to call Devon after work, to let his boss know where he was.
A good-looking redhead came into the cafeteria, carrying a lunchbox. She scanned the room. When she spotted Michael, she locked eyes with angrily and came his way.
Michael smiled up at her as she got to the table. "Hello, ma'am. I hope I'm not at your table. I'm new here, first day. When I got here, the table was empty. But I can move if you like."
"New, eh?" she asked suspiciously. "Where are you working?"
"In the warehouse. Temporary. "He held out his hand with a smile. "Michael Knight but just call me Michael. And you are?"
She shook his hand, an odd look in her eyes, as if she were sizing him up. "Maria Daniels."
"And what do you do here, Ms. Daniels?"
"I'm a chemist."
Michael's heart sank a bit. He hoped she wasn't involved in making meth after hours. Though perhaps she was, and she was recruiting him.
"So it's Dr. Daniels, then?" he asked congenially.
"No, just Ms. I've only got a master's degree."
"No 'only' about that, Ms. Daniels. I never even finished college."
She sat down. "What brings you here . . . Michael?"
Michael used one of his usual cover stories. "I just got out of the Army. I took my discharge here in California, for the weather. I'm still trying to decide where to settle. I was passing through, heard there were temp jobs in the warehouse, and here I am."
"Planning on staying long?" Ms. Daniels asked in a cool tone.
"Depends on how things pan out." Michael glanced at the clock on the wall. "And for them to pan out, I'd better not be late getting back from lunch on my first day. Nice to meet you, Ms. Daniels."
"Perhaps I'll see you around."
Michael dropped off his empty tray and then headed back to the warehouse. He still wasn't sure what to make of Maria Daniels. Her demeanor had been odd, to say the least, for someone meeting a new colleague for the first time. And the one person who sat with him was a chemist. Something to discuss with Kevin when he called this evening. Maybe with Devon, too.