“Of course, dear, that is my job,” she says. She pauses, staring at me intensely, pushing up her tortoise-shell glasses. “What a beautiful, young boy you are. I have a granddaughter who is––”
“I am engaged,” I say. “And busy, about that fi?—”
“Oh, what a shame,” she says, cutting me off. Even though I did the same to her a few minutes ago, I find her awfully rude. “All the good ones are always taken. May I see a picture of your girl?”
I debate pulling rank, but the old woman stares at me expectantly, waiting for a photograph, and I don’t have it in me to upset her. I open my mouth to explain that our engagement is arranged, and I have no photos of her, when Knox appears from the shadows.
“I got one,” Knox says, pulling out his foldable tablet. He has a smug smile on his face. “Spider just sent me this. It’s new.”
It’s clear to see that he plans to show Haven. Even though I have yet to prove that she is my real wife. I think he believes me now. He’s spent enough time with her to see that she is not the girl we met that day at Fort Canyon.
My brow furrows. “Spider sends you pictures of her?”
“Yeah, it’s funny,” he says.
Knox tilts his tablet towards the clerk.
Haven is attempting a handstand in the courtyard. It must be their day off, because goofing around any other day of the week is inexcusable. The next one is her with her arms draped around her squadmates, grinning widely at the camera.
“Oh.” The woman places her hand to her chest. “What a beautiful girl. You are a lucky man.”
Knox swipes to the next. Haven is hanging from the branch of a tree. From her flushed face, she’s attempting to do a couple of pull-ups.
“She beat Spider,” Knox says, impressed. “Thirty pull-ups. He got to twenty-two, claims that he heard the branch creek and stopped cause he didn’t want to fall. Sounds like bull to me.”
Rage burns in my gut, incinerating my organs like fire.
“Give us a moment,” I say to the clerk.
She dutifully steps away, sensing the shift in my temper.
“Forward me those pictures, and then delete them,” I say harshly.
“Why?” Knox asks. “She’s just a friend.”
“It is inappropriate to be so attached to a recruit,” I snap. “And what the hell was Spider thinking, letting her climb that tree? She could have cracked her skull!”
“Ender, calm down,” Knox says, squeezing my shoulder. “I believe you about the twin switch. I know that she is yours, evenif it doesn’t seem that way to anyone else. I understand why you are being protective.”
What am I doing? Knox is my oldest friend. I trust him with my life. I don’t need to get so worked up about it. This is ridiculous. I unfold my fists, letting the tension seep from my body.
I suppose I’m annoyed that Spider would rather send it to him than me.
“It’s fine,” I grumble. “Let’s get back to business.”
We return to the old woman. Her name badge reads,Birdie.
I give her a background on the file and dates.
Birdie returns to the shelf I searched, frowning when nothing comes up. And then she taps on her tablet.
“I can’t find any reports related to Astrid Mallory.”
“It’s fine,” Knox says, smiling at her kindly, when she scratches her head. “I might have got a lead. Come on, Ender.”
He leads me back towards his station.
“What did you find?” I ask.
