Incriminate Me

7: Blood on 16th Street

"Temptations are as thick as the leaves of the forest, and no one can be out of the reach of temptation unless he is dead," -Robert G. Ingersoll 

I look different in the mirror.

I take an extra moment to apply eyeliner. There is a glint in my eyes that I am unsure of.

My wavy black hair is straight, falling around me in layers of darkness.

The city seems different as I walk through it.

The way I walk through it is different.

I get to the office and nod to Ann who follows me into my office. She smiles at me,

"You are in a good mood."

I shrug slightly,

"I slept well. What is on for today?"

She hands me my schedule, I skim through it,

"Clear my lunch, I have a meeting."

She arches a brow but doesn't ask who it is with. Ann goes to the door and then turns around,

"Oh, a package came for you."

I freeze, the glow of the day stutters around me. I turn and accept the parcel that she hands me.

Written on it is,

To: Our Dearest Friend

The glow shatters.

I stuff it into my purse and walk towards Ann's desk.

"Hey, when did that package get dropped of?"

She shrugs,

"It wasn't here last night at 10. Usually the mail gets dropped off at 3 in the afternoon, so I'm not sure."

I watch her for a beat and then smile,

"Thank you Ann."

I make my way to security and knock on the door gently,

"Hey, I work up on floor 6 and um- I got a tip in the mail for a case I've been working on last night. I was wondering if you would still have the camera footage from that."

He is a scrawny man, his eyes are more dead than the stink of the room. He shrugs, voice gruff,

"Yeah sure, what time would it be around?"

I clear my throat,

"Somewhere after 10:30 or so, but before the cleaners this morning at 5."

He types a few things up and pulls up a tape on his screen of the front of the building where our mail boxes are located. I walk closer. He hits double speed. Nothing happens for a good 10 minutes or so and then he slows it down and rewinds slightly.

A figure, dressed in all black walks towards the building.

"Can you zoom in?"

He shakes his head. I lean closer. Average height, a slim figure, it crosses my mind that it could be a woman. I can't see much, they are wearing gloves and a hood. They are keen on being anonymous.

I smile at him,

"Thank you for your time."

I sit at the table in Prime and Provisions, it is a little excessive for Kennecky to choose a lunch place that is at the best and most expensive steak house in all of Chicago and  Illinois. I check my watch again and roll my eyes as Kennecky strides in with a languid step.