I reach out to take it back from him, but he rips it to shreds. “Looks like stupidity runs in your family.”
“Kind of like syphilis runs in yours, I guess.” I know I’ll regret that, but I can’t let him belittle Chiara when she’s already so down.
His friends laugh and jeer from behind, but Del Moro’s face twists with fury. “You’ve just proved how fucking stupid you are.”
He seizes the strap of my backpack and yanks, sending me sprawling onto the pavement. Pain shoots through my knees and palms.
I turn to see Del Moro focus his cold gaze on the trembling Chiara, who looks like a deer in headlights. Without warning,he forcefully pushes her, and she tumbles down onto the subway tracks below.
Panic overtakes me as I scramble to the edge and stretch my hand toward her, but she’s too far down, and I can’t reach her.
“Don’t touch the rails!” I yell.
“Lina!” she screams, fear in her voice while she jumps and tries to reach my hand.
Desperate, I pull off my backpack and let it fall to the ground before jumping onto the tracks, bending down, and positioning myself as a human ladder for Chiara. “Climb up, quick!”
Using my back and shoulders as steps, Chiara scrambles up and back onto the platform, shaken but safe.
But now, I’m the one stranded on the tracks. The familiar hum of an approaching subway train grows louder, the glaring headlights drawing closer. My panic escalates as I desperately jump and try to grip the edge of the platform, but it’s too high for me to reach.
As the train roars nearer, two of Del Moro’s friends get cold feet and rush over to extend their arms down toward me. I grasp their hands tightly, and they pull with all their might, yanking me up and out of the path of the oncoming train just in the nick of time.
The subway cars rush past before coming to a halt. As I regain my breath, trembling from the shock and adrenaline, I look up to see Del Moro sneering.
“You guys are such fucking pussies,” he jeers at his friends before laughing and boarding the subway car with them.
“Get lost, Costa!” he yells before the doors close behind him.
Shaken but alive, I pull Chiara close, letting her cry into my shoulder while I try to calm my racing heart.
We arriveat the office door, and I shake my head to release the memory that has just gripped me. Del Moro clearly hasn’t changed one bit since high school, and his presence only adds another layer of tension to my already stressful day. His spewing shit in front of my new boss is just the icing on the cake.
Sophia opens the door and motions for me to get inside. As I enter, I take a moment to compose myself.I can’t let his toxicity affect my focus.
Sophia closes the door behind us and sits behind her desk while I settle into the chair in front of mine. “Do you want to fill me in?” she asks, her voice filled with genuine concern. “I’ve worked a few cases for Del Moro and he’s seems a real pain, but that was brutal.”
I keep my face blank but just barely. “There is some history there. But I won’t let it distract me from work.”
“That’s the spirit,” she says, her smile widening. “Now, let’s focus on the task at hand. I’ve prepared some samples for you to analyze today. We’ll be working on a case regarding a car crash involving potential drug intoxication.”
My heart skips a beat. My parents died in a car accident. According to the toxicology report, they were intoxicated while driving. I never believed that. My parents weren’t even drinkers, rarely having more than the occasional glass of wine, and they would have never taken drugs.
I tried to voice my doubts, but no one took me seriously as a seventeen-year-old. I was met with dismissive responses, insisting that parents sometimes do things their kids don’t know about. It made me so mad that I decided to become a forensic toxicologist. That way, I can ensure mistakes like that don’t happen to anyone else.
Sophia takes a sip from her big-ass mug. I have to suppress a laugh when I see what is written on it.Tea. Forensics. Sleep. Repeat.
“Put on your coat and gloves, and let’s get started.”
I quickly slip into the lab coat, making sure it fits properly and put on the gloves. I can’t help but marvel at the array of instruments and tools before me.
This is where the real magic happens.
Sophia guides me through the process of analyzing the samples, explaining each step and providing some insights along the way. Hours pass by in a blur, and finally, we reach a breakthrough.
Sophia points to a chart displaying the results of our analysis. “Look at this,” she says, excitement in her voice. “We’ve now identified the specific drug compound that could be the cause of the intoxication. This could be a significant lead in the case.”
I study the chart, feeling proud to have been part of this, but at the same time, my heart hurts. This hasn’t been an easy task, but it is doable.
