“We might need their help, as well. Can you trust them?”
“Absolutely. They want to know what the heck is going on as much as I do.”
“Excellent. I have to get going. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you plan on going to Sunnydale for any reason, please wear the wig. We don’t know who is on which side, and we don’t want anyone to recognize you. And wear a headband or scarf.”
“Got it.” Theresa moved the wig from her lap to her bag.
Annie drove back to Sunnydale as fast as the law allowed. She spotted Kathryn approaching. She was no longer in uniform and was wearing a broad-brim hat. One could not be too cautious under the weird circumstances.
Annie quickly unlocked her door, and both women dashed inside.
“What’s the latest?” Kathryn asked.
“Our Nurse Ratched seems to be playing multiple roles. Not only is she in charge of the long-term care unit, but she is also the rental agent.”
“Talk about keeping the organization lean,” Kathryn said, and smirked. She took a moment to look around. “Nice digs.”
“That’s one thing they didn’t lie about,” Annie said.
Annie discussed her plan with Kathryn. “After dinner, you and I will meet up and see what is on the other side of that door.” She went on to say that Fergus and Charles rigged the CCTV so it would show a long loop of previously recorded video footage. “Whoever is watching won’t be able to figure it out for a few hours, if ever. From what you told me, there is no activity over there.”
“Correct.”
“What about the Cheshire Cat receptionist?”
“From what I can figure out, they get a volunteer to work the front desk when they have visitors, which seems rarely.”
“So that’s why they told Theresa she had to make an appointment. They had to find someone to stand behind the counter.”
“That would be my guess. There was no one there all day today.”
“And what about the orderly Theresa mentioned?”
“No sign of anyone else.”
“So, from what you gather, they staff the place when someone is visiting.” Annie furrowed her brow.
“Seems that way,” Kathryn agreed.
“Then we won’t have to worry about being disrupted.”
“We can always go to Plan B.”
Annie tilted her head. “Which is what?”
“Run like hell!” Kathryn let out a boisterous laugh. Once she regained her composure, she asked, “What is our goal for tonight?”
“Inspect the premises. Find out what is behind the door. Once we do that, then we can devise our next move.”
“Alright!” Kathryn gave Annie a high-five. “See you later.” Kathryn opened the front door, looked in both directions, then quickly made her way to her vehicle.
Chapter Seventeen
Panic Mode
Washington, D.C.
Maxwell Hawthorne didn’t know if he should chug a bottle of Pepto-Bismol or a bottle of vodka. His hands were sweaty, his face, flushed. He paced back and forth outside The Filibuster Bar as he waited for Spencer Gerber. Max had no idea what their next move should be. Then he thought he might be panicking for nothing. If they didn’t get the funding they needed, they would produce something else. They had to.
