“It’s your day.She would do that?”
“Yep,” she said.“We are talking about a woman who slept with her sister’s husband and potentially drugged her sister to keep her off-kilter, which is why my father took the job in the UK to get Stephanie away.I put nothing past that woman.”
He sat looking at Helen with new eyes.“Is this why you decided to become a Technician?”
“Partly,” she told him.“Those kids who run away from home are running away from people like my mother who have no business having children.She is a neonatal nurse who takes excellent care of her patients.Anita just never took good care of me and Cherry.”
“So, Cherry looked out for you?”
“We looked out for each other.”
“Say, how about this weekend we go visit, see the baby and Naomi, and have some downtime,” Mustang suggested.
“Let me check in the with the boss to make sure it’s cool,” Helen said.Honestly, it was the last thing she wanted to do.Her weekly calls to Abi had morphed into five-minute checks-ins, and this week, it was simply a text.Perhaps they did need to go.She hadn’t seen the baby, and she missed Naomi.She admitted ruefully, however, that she didn’t miss Abi.
****
IN THE OTHER ROOM,she looked at the stack of invites, labeled with postage affixed.Tomorrow these were all going out, and in less than three days, responses would be arriving, along with Kurtzwilde getting his invite.A wild hair went up her ass, and she printed two more, affixing addresses and postage and sticking them in the middle of the stack.
She used her Technician phone and dialed one.
“State your need,” the voice said.
“Don’t need nothing, but in a way, a friendly voice of reason, I guess,” Helen said.
“You, needing a voice of reason?How may I be of assistance,” the voice said.
“I want to create dark web accounts and steal all of that bitch’s money, break in her house, rearrange her underwear drawer, and steal her period panties or put some itching powder in them, which would serve her right,” Helen said.“The other half who sleeps next to me said that is your job, the money thing.The other part is just me wanting to be petty.”
Azrael found herself laughing.“Why would you steal her period panties?”
“Normally, you only have two, maybe four pair, to be honest.Since you’re wearing a pad, they don’t technically get dirty, so yeah, fuck her,” Helen said, finding herself laughing aloud.
“You are mentally unwell,” Azrael said, trying not to laugh.It bothered her how much she was enjoying talking with the tart little fruit.
“And you’re just discovering that?”
The line grew quiet.“It is my job to reallocate the funds for those in need, women needing a fresh start, new identities, and new bank accounts, not honeymoons to wine country.”
Helen knew she was alluding to the eighty grand she had taken from Swallowtail’s nasty party, “I haven’t spent it if you want me to get it to you.”
“No, you earned it,” Azrael said.“I do have some intel if you’re interested.”
“Interested.”
“Located potentially two Fields of Flowers right outside of Indianapolis,” Azrael said.
“Eagle Creek by the interstate and Lawrence by the 485,” Helen said.“Found those myself.Not many kids.Lawrence is a start-up.Eagle Creek is teens, none under twelve, no prostitution.Just a resting and refueling spot for kids making their way West to warmer climes or better hustles.”
“Okay then,” Azrael said.
“You forget, Cherry and I lived in Indianapolis.I know the turf,” Helen replied.“The other half wants to spent some time on the home front this weekend.I simply want some time off to regroup, get my head in the game.”
“It has been quiet, spookily so,” Azrael said.“I think you’ve spooked them all, and there has been little to no activity.”
“Kurtzwilde will get his wedding invite in a day or so, with a special note from me.His kids will get theirs as well,” Helen said.“I’m kind of interested to see who will respond and show up.”
“You and me both,” Azrael said, taking a pause.“I got a call today from Sour Grapes about your assessment.”
