“He left me a message.” Joyce fiddled with her phone charms. Her eyes were still red, but she looked much calmer. “He wanted to ask me about Marco, but I don’t know if I should talk to him.”
As Bishop’s employee, kind of, Kit should probably try persuading her. That was what he intended to do when he saw her today. But he felt too much kinship with Joyce in that moment to do anything like that.
“Don’t talk to Bishop if you have anything to hide,” Kit said bluntly. “If there’s something true you want to tell him, or a question you want a true answer to, then call him back. That’s what he’s for.”
Joyce’s gaze went distant—then snapped back to Kit. “I don’t want to tell anyone anything, but I think I need to. I just… It keeps eating at me. I thought it would stop. It doesn’t stop.”
There was a fierce light in her eyes now. Kit couldn’t doubt her determination. “You should talk to him, then.”
“I don’t know if my information will help anything,” Joyce said. “I don’t want to talk to the cops. I mean, I will if I have to. But I don’t want to.”
Kit shrugged in his chair. “Bishop doesn’t like the cops either. If he can avoid telling them shit, he will.”
“That’s good.” She fiddled with her phone charms more. “Do you think you’d mind meeting him with me? I don’t want to go alone, but I don’t want to bring anyone I know either.”
Kit understood that too. He slid his phone out of his pocket. “Absolutely. Do you want me to see when he’s free?”
When Joyce nodded, Kit started typing.
Kit:hey i’m with joyce takahashi rn. she wants to talk to you. when are you free?
Bishop:Is now good?
Kit:?
Bishop:I’m parked outside the library.
Kit stared at his phone, then at the window that only showed a slice of sky and building tops. The tracking device he’d nearly forgotten suddenly weighed heavy in his pocket. He hadn’t given it back after the vigil. He kept it on him out of a strange sense of security.
After being so lost for so long, there was something comforting about certain people being able to keep tabs on him.
Kit just hadn’t expected Bishop to actually use the device.
Kit:lol??
Kit:stalker
Bishop:James said you were going out alone.
Kit:did he ask you to follow me, or did you decide that on your own????
Bishop:Is Joyce free now?
Graciously letting Bishop’s question-avoiding slide for now, Kit lifted his head. “Bishop’s in the area. Are you free right now?”
Joyce exhaled. “Yeah. Yeah, now is good. Let’s get this over with.”
As Kit texted over Joyce’s reply, the door swung open, revealing Holden with a box of tissues. “Sorry I took so long,” he said, handing them to Joyce. “I had to sweet-talk a librarian.”
“Whatever the mission takes.” Kit stood up. “We’re going to meet up with Bishop. Um.” Part of Kit wanted to invite Holden along. Even though there was absolutely no reason to, and probably a lot of reasons not to. Kit just didn’t want to say goodbye yet.
Holden once again rescued Kit from making a hard decision. “I hate to abandon you, but I really should finish my essay.”
“Right, yes. Be responsible.” Kit gave a small smile. “Thank you for… yeah.”
Holden’s eyes crinkled in an answering grin. “Any time, darling.”
He didn’t actually lean in and kiss Kit’s cheek. But his gaze was so sweet and warm, it felt like he had. Kit hoped he wasn’t blushing when Joyce finished tidying herself up and said she was ready to go.
