© 2022 Phylicia Joannis
Sydney walked down the dark hall at a brisk pace, nodding absently at staff members as they passed. One white-coated individual saw her, slowed, and frowned. Sydney flashed a smile at him, but didn’t speak. She wouldn’t make the first move.
“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked, adjusting his spectacles as he glared at her.
“I have an appointment with Dr. Jengal.” Sydney’s smile never faltered. She was a professional, after all.
“He’s stepped away. Visitors should wait in the lobby.”
“He told me to wait for him.”
“I’m sure he did. But you should wait in the lobby.”
Darn. He was one of those types. Sydney stepped closer. “I’m not a very patient woman, Mr. . . .?” She read his name tag. “Doctor Vasquez. I’m here for an autopsy report, and I won’t be leaving until I get it.” She crossed her arms and stared at him. The silence between them thickened, then dissolved with a grunt as Dr. Vasquez pulled out his phone.
“What did you say your name was?” he asked.
“Sydney Allen from C & M Network.” Her smile broadened as he punched in a number on his phone.
“Hey, Cairo. I’ve got a Sydney Allen here at your office demanding an autopsy report. I was on my way out, but she’s refusing to leave, so how long until you get here?” Dr. Vasquez made a face. “I can’t babysit for an hour, Cairo, I’ve got a dozen reports to–” Dr. Vasquez went silent, then eyed Sydney up and down. “I don’t think she’ll leave without a fuss.”
“Tell Dr. Jengal I was promised that report. He’s already dodged me twice. The public deserves answers, and I have questions. Lots of them.”
Dr. Vasquez held up a finger and nodded. “Okay, great. Where is it? Alright, thanks.” He ended the call and looked up. “Dr. Jengal left the file for you in his office, Ms. Allen. I’ll go fetch it and bring it out.”
“I want that report from Dr. Jengal’s hands, not yours. For all I know you’ll switch out the reports or only give me part of it.” Sydney scoffed. “How do I know that was even him on the phone?”
“Alright, Ms. Allen! We’ll go together to the office and grab the file. Okay?”
“No funny business.” Sydney pursed her lips, and Dr. Vasquez turned on his heels with an exasperated sigh. He scanned his ID card at the door, and they entered Dr. Jengal’s office. It was obsessively tidy. There were no papers strewn across the desk. Polished pictures hung from the walls at perfect angles. Sydney found not a speck of dust nor a single thing out of place.
“Let’s see.” Dr. Vasquez opened the file drawer by Dr. Jengal’s desk, but his phone buzzed. He stared at the caller ID, then at Sydney. “I have to take this. It shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.”
“Time is money, Dr. Vasquez.” Sydney sighed impatiently. The phone continued to buzz, and Dr. Vasquez gave her an apologetic look. “Oh, fine, go on. Take your call.”
Dr. Vasquez stepped outside the door. As soon as she heard the metallic click of the lock, Sydney went to work, her highly trained eyes scanning every label in the file drawer. She found one labeled “Flight 707 Reports” and grinned.
“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got.” Inside the main folder, she found an envelope with her name on it. She pulled this out first, finding the autopsy report inside. Highly redacted, of course. Sydney tsked and continued going through the file, making a mental note of anything that stood out. She found the original report and smiled before tacitly slipping it into the envelope with her name on it. The door beeped, and Sydney replaced the envelope and slid the file drawer closed.
“What are you doing, Ms. Allen?” Dr. Vasquez’s voice held an air of panic as he rushed over. Sydney stood with a smile and held up a backless earring.
“Found it!” she cried in triumph. “I was a bit careless and flung my earring right out of my ear.”
Dr. Vasquez eyed her with suspicion and cleared his throat. “Yes, well. We must be more careful, Ms. Allen. Dr. Jengal doesn’t like things out of place in his office. He’s very meticulous.” Sydney smirked at the purse of his lips. Time to have some fun.
“Oh, it seems so. But what about this Cheshire cat on the desk?” Sydney picked up a hollow porcelain figurine from Dr. Jengal’s desk and hoisted it in the air. “Oh, it’s lighter than I thought it would be.”
“Ms. Allen!” Dr. Vasquez reached for the figurine and pried it from her fingers. “Please, don’t touch anything in this office.” He placed it back on the desk, turning it three quarters to the right so it faced away from the door. “Nothing can be out of place in this office.”
“Sounds like a sore spot for you. Been in trouble before?” Dr. Vasquez answered with his eyes, and Sydney shrugged. “Sorry. Now, about that autopsy report?”
“Ah, yes.” Sydney gazed absently around the room as Dr. Vasquez retrieved the file from the drawer. “Here you are, Ms. Allen. It’s labeled with your name and everything.”
“Hmm,” Sydney murmured and pulled the top page of the report out of the envelope. She scowled and turned the paper towards Dr. Vasquez. “What is this? Everything’s redacted!”
“Of course it is.” Dr. Vasquez gave her a quizzical look.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” Sydney asked. “Names and details are redacted.” She lifted the paper to the light. “I can’t make out anything.”
“Ms. Allen.” Dr. Vasquez cleared his throat. “If you have any further questions, please contact Dr. Jengal directly. I really must be going.”
Sydney stuffed the page back into the envelope and huffed. “Dr. Jengal will be hearing from me.”
“I’m sure.”
Dr. Vasquez walked her out of the office and down the hall, Sydney complaining the whole way. By the time they reached the security desk, Dr. Vasquez was practically running to get away from her. Sydney signed out of the building and left, the smile on her face wider than a Cheshire cat.
***
Mayor Perry Jones wiped the sides of his mouth and exhaled. After a morning of mind-numbing meetings, he’d finally sat down for a decent lunch.
“You’re a hard man to track down these days.”
Perry lifted his eyes and smiled. “Simon Lowe. What an unexpected surprise.”
“Seeing as I’ve been hounding your assistant for weeks, I don’t see what’s so surprising about it. Let’s cut to the chase, Mayor Jones. Why have you been dodging me?”
“Mayor Jones.” Perry smiled. “Still has a nice ring to it. But you’re right. And I apologize for not settling with you sooner, but I’ve been busy. Have you eaten? The lobster bisque here is phenomenal.”
“Answer the question, Perry.” Simon’s growl carried with it a warning. Perry got the message. He leaned forward, palms together, elbows on the sides of the table. He’d make it quick.
“Our business relationship is over, Simon.”
“Is it now?”
“A man in my position has to be careful about the company he keeps. You’ve got quite a reputation, Mr. Lowe. One I’m afraid I have to distance myself from if I’m going to be reelected.”
“Already making plans for your reelection campaign, I see?”
“Of course. You’ve been very helpful to me, Simon, and I’ll never forget it. But this is as far as we go. It’s time to part ways. Amicably, of course.”
“Of course.”
Perry did a double take. Simon seemed to be taking the news well enough. He was smiling at him, as though he knew something Perry didn’t. “Why are you smiling?” he asked.
Simon shrugged and grabbed a roll from the basket on the table. “No reason. I’ll send you my final bill, and you and I will sever ties.” Simon chuckled and bit into the roll.
Perry nodded slowly. Simon’s smile was unnerving. “So, no hard feelings?”
Simon guffawed at that, cackling all the way out the front door of the café.
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