Patterns of Betrayal

(14) Patterns

I blow hot air on my fingers in a futile attempt to warm them up against the strong wind circling the parking lot outside the building of a consulting firm. 

Though the weather has been getting warmer even here in the Northern Hemisphere, the wind trickling into the coastal city from the sea will humble any person thinking their brother's oversized denim jacket will suffice for waiting outside for longer than three minutes. How disappointing that I had been optimistic enough to be that person for the client chase today. 

The fact that I wasn't even supposed to do this job makes this situation even more annoying.

I had just woken up after a night of deep sleep after having my weekly drops from the basement when I had been called to the kitchen by Mother. A client by the name of Kate Wilson was overdue on her payment last month, and the visit that Adrian had originally gotten the responsibility of doing was now being passed over to me.

«Adrian is busy with another client today, so I'm having you visit this one today. She works as an advisor at a consultancy firm on the other side of the city. It's a bit farther away than you're familiar with, but Nikolas has been before and will handle the transportation,» Mother informs me as she finishes whatever text she is writing on her phone.

From the kitchen counter behind her she retrieves a water bottle and hands it to me.

«Here. Nikolas needs the van for a meeting today, so I'm sending you out earlier than closing time at the firm, and you'll have to wait in the parking lot for a bit. I don't want you to do anything but let Mrs. Wilson know that the interest rate has doubled from today onwards and that I'm expecting her payment within the next thirty-one days.»

I nod, but hesitate for a second. As I will be seeking out a middle-aged woman, I can understand that there is no need for me to have any back up for this client chase. Still...

«When is Nikolas coming to get me with the van?» I ask, never having had to wait for a ride home after seeing a client before. We only had that one van as a means of transportation, save for when Mother gets to borrow Tor's for «business trips», as she calls them.

Mother watches as I juggle the bottle of water between my hands while she sips at her coffee. She glances up at me from her seat.

«Do you remember what I told you last night on the roof? About me needing everyone under this roof, including you, to be open with me and tell me if anything strange is going on.»

I catch the bottle in one hand and look back at her. I cock my head, not sure what prompted her to think about last night just now.

«Yes..?»

«You're not keeping anything from me now, are you, Alene?»

Her eyes linger on mine for a moment, hard but not skeptical. It didn't sound like a question, rather it sounded like she knew something she wanted me to affirm.

My heart dropped and my pulse quickened, as it always did when I suspect she has figured out that I am stealing from her vials in the basement. But I had left everything exactly as it had been when I had visited the basement last night, and there was no way to hear me when I had so carefully avoided every wooden floor plank that creaks on the way in and out. There was just no way for her to know. This was a false alarm, just like all those other times she had thrown me a suspicious side eye, or her eyes seemingly lingered skeptically on me for slightly longer than usual.