Page 22 of Stolen Beauty

Sage

No, still cellular. One of the drugs they were testing is Rapamycin. It’s a drug that kidney transplant patients use.

Sage

It has a lot of uses. She only mentioned it to me because she asked if they had added it to my drug regimen.

Kairi

We’ll look into it. Was the company she worked for a subsidiary of Lumina International?

Sage

Not sure. Why?

Kairi

Having trouble locating Origin Laboratories employee records.

Sage

She paid US taxes. There has to be a record.

We didn’t discuss details, but in some off-handed conversation she’d complained about taxes. In order to maintain US citizenship, she had to continue paying federal income taxes and contributing to Social Security.

Kairi

Do you have any of her tax records?

Seriously?

Sage

Any documents I had probably burned with my house. She stored everything she didn’t want to move with me. But I never went through her boxes.

Max stands and stretches. “I’m gonna head home. See you two tomorrow.”

“Do you need your laptop back?”

“That’s Knox’s. I was just using it. You’re good.”

Knox steps up behind me and scans the exchanges. “Are you good on meds? Do we need to get you anything?”

“I’m good.” Everyone close to me worries about my meds. The worry is a holdover from my childhood. But they don’t need to worry. I don’t have a death wish. I’m proficient at managing my medication and have been for over a decade.

“Later,” Max says, then disappears through the creaky side door.

“When will you need refills?” The question feels personal, but he’s not prying. He’s just concerned. Which is nice of him. There’s no way for him to know it’s a sensitive subject.

“Ten days.”

Knox’s lips scrunch together.

“I can get a refill here.”

“And when you do, you open up the possibility they’ll find you.”

He’s right. I should have thought of this. “How long…I’m supposed to be back at school, setting up my classroom in two weeks’ time. I mean, do you think someone will still be looking for me?”

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