When It Rains

Chapter 11 - Emergency Procedurals

I didn't have to wait for Elody too long but it was long enough to wonder what the heck she was doing. My sister fetched me from her office via a guard who escorted me to a waiting vehicle. Before I got in, Elody shook her head at me and put a finger to her lips.

How well she knows me. I thought I knew her.

"So," says Elody, "how did your first day go?"

I look at her, my brow furrowed.

"You mean other than finding out that my sister is mangling people?" I hiss. "Other than that, it was great!"

Elody sighs and clasps her hands together on her lap.

"Keep your voice down, please," she says. "We can't talk here."

"We can't talk anywhere. Uncle has people and cameras and who knows what else listening and watching us."

"He can't cover all his bases," Elody says. "Trust me."

"You're scary."

"Did you have anything good for lunch?"

"A brownie. That was tasty. I didn't enjoy the conversation at the table. Benji is not a nice person."

"She has her reasons."

"Oh?"

"Drop it, Naia."

"Do I have to go back tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Elody yips. "Why wouldn't you? It's your job!"

"I thought that maybe after what happened, I could do something else?"

"Uncle assigned the job especially to you after what you did last night. I doubt you're going to get into his good book by doing one day of work."

"You're right."

"When we get home, meet me in my room just before supper," Elody says.

"Gottcha."

***

Because we stayed overtime at the centre, there was not much time before supper to change, wash up and run into Elody's room.

"We've got about 10 minutes and then we have to go downstairs," Elody says, straightening her yellow blouse on her shoulders. "Come with me to the bathroom."

"The bathroom?" I ask.

Elody scrunches up her nose at me and waves her hand under her chin.

"Ohhhhh," I say. "You don't want me to talk."

Elody nods and walks into her bathroom. I follow into the sparkling clean space. Cleaned not just by staff but by a meticulous Elody, too.

She shuts the door and turns the gold faucet on the large ivory clawfoot bathtub. Water gushes out of the spout and rushes down the drain. The noise is almost deafening and  reminds me of my cascade of trouble from last night.

"Can you cut it out?" I yell above the torrent of water.

"No! This is the only way we can talk privately. Uncle listens otherwise."

"In our rooms?"

"Everywhere except in here."

"That's an invasion of privacy!" I say.

"It is but I've got bigger fish to fry. I want to tell you what's going on."

"I'm not going to lie," I say. "You're my sister but you're frightening me with what you've been doing."