The costume looked exactly like the visitor from Moogally who’d instigated Juliana getting zapped by the Defender that first time. Diesel was very impressed with the workmanship Wheeler had put into the costume. It looked real. He’d commissioned it to show to Juliana in case she remembered the incident, but it also worked perfectly in this case.
“Great costume, huh?” Jack said, tucking the octopus head under one tentacle. “We worked for hours and hours on it.”
Pete’s face went from the color of ash to fire-engine red in seconds. He picked up the picture, glanced at it and then at Jack, his frown deepening.
“Problem?” Cam asked.
“No,” Pete said after a long pause. “It looks exactly like the picture.”
Diesel stood up from his desk. “Sorry to cut this meeting short, Pete, but I have a full schedule today.” He extended his hand.
Pete shook his hand limply, walked a wide path around Jack, and exited the room as if his butt was on fire. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Diesel said, “Great job you two. Truly above and beyond the call of duty. I’m grateful.”
“Thanks. This was a great project,” Wheeler said.
Cam turned to Jack with a smirk. “Take me to your leader, Jack? Really?”
Jack laughed. “It was the first thing that came to mind.”
“It was funny, Cam. Lighten up,” Diesel said as Jack and Wheeler left his office.
Cam shut the door behind them, but there was an immediate knock. Nova opened the door without invitation and entered. Right behind her was Alice with an anxious expression on her face.
“Nova. Come on in.” Diesel tried not to sound sarcastic, but didn’t think he pulled it off.
“Alice really needs to talk to you. And Gage wants to bring you the results of some test he did for you and he seems rather excited about it.”
“Gage doesn’t often get excited about stuff,” Diesel said.
Nova nodded. “That’s why I think you should talk to him next.”
Diesel remembered what he’d asked his brother to test and wondered if what Alice was about to tell him would confirm it. “Call him up and send him in when he gets here.”
“Will do.” Nova left the room. Diesel signaled Cam to stay.
“What can I do for you, Alice?”
She glanced at Cam before turning her attention to him. “I might have some information about something that is going on.”
“What info, and regardingwhatgoing on?” Cam asked. “There is lots of stuff going on right now. Could you be a bit more specific?”
Alice looked like she was terrified of Cam and clammed up. Her lips flattened like she’d rather run screaming from the room than speak again.
Diesel asked, “Is it in regard to who might be throwing apples at my girlfriend’s doorstep?”
Her eyes widened. “Yes. That’s right. How did you know?”
Diesel smiled. “I know things.”
Cam, seeming rather impatient with the whole process, asked, “Are you the one who has been doing this?”
Alice’s face turned tomato red. “No! Not me! My cousin Adele…um…might be the one doing it.”
“Adele?” Cam’s brows creased. “She works for me in security downstairs.”
“Yes.” Alice nodded. “And for as long as I can remember, she’s had a huge crush on Our Fearless Leader.”
