Page 80 of Chemistry: The Chemist

“We’re all getting online at three. He wants you there.”

“I’ll be there. I missed the meeting at Roulette and there’s no telling when there will be another one. I had–”

“Roulette? Roulette?” Bradford chuckled in disbelief. “We’re not worried about Roulette, Johanson. We have the big man himself. Jack is pulling you out of that club, effective immediately. He wants you to give Mr. Childers your undivided attention.”

Chemistry Childers. I’ll never forget that name.

“How much did you hear?” I wondered aloud.

“Enough. Enough to do some digging and discover every single name on The Grey List happens to be a Childers. They’re all fucking siblings. We were so fucking off. Way left field, partner. This family is fuc– just brilliant. And they’re all women. Every one of them except The Chemist. You couldn’t have paid me to believe this shit if I hadn’t heard it for myself. Women? This powerful? This clever?”

“You say that like men aren’t the dumbest creatures on earth.”

“I’m not saying that, but what I am saying is, is that who you’d expect to be running a criminal empire of this caliber and under the radar, nonetheless.”

“Well, it seems to me as though it’s the reason why the empire is so successful. Women.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Maybe.”

“You sound like you’re ready to hit the sack, so I won’t keep you. See you at three. We have so much ground to cover. It’s all starting to make sense. The pieces are falling in place. The puzzle is almost complete.”

The puzzle will never be completed. I’d marked Chem’s words.

“See you at three. I look forward to seeing what you all have put together. I’m happy I could contribute to the success of this case. It only took forever.” I yawned, feeling the restlessness catching up with me.

“Later.”

“Later.”

My energy has depleted. I waited until Bradford hung up because I simply didn’t have the strength. When the call ended, I tossed the phone where it had been resting and scooted closer to the head of the bed. Pillows gave me something soft to land on.

Still lying down, I began to strip my body of the clothing I wore. A big shirt he’d pulled over my head before helping me get my leggings up as if I was disabled. I appreciated the gesture and the kiss that followed our success.

I closed my eyes, prayerful the tears that began to sting my orbs retreated. When it was safe to open them, I did. Simultaneously, the phone I’d just put away began beeping.

Frustrated with the progression of the case, suddenly, I retrieved it again. A text with an address and the three o’clock timestamp. The phone rang as I concluded its reading. I answered immediately, sitting upright in bed.

“Yes?”

“Jack wants you to meet us there.”

“Bradford, we all know I can’t just meet you there. He has eyes on me. I know it. And he’s no fool. He’ll know something is up.”

“He won’t know anything other than you’re going to tell a friend named Chrissy all about dinner and the time you spent with a man you just met. Women do it all the time, Johanson.”

Nodding, I agreed, silently. “Tell Jack I’ll see him at three.”

“Will do.”

“Don’t call back. I’m cutting this thing off. I don’t know what happens next, but I refuse to let an outdated Android blow my cover.”

“I’m with you on that. Tuck it away nicely.”

“Later, Bradford.”

This time, I ended the call, curling up in bed and flipping the cover over me. I closed my eyes, wondering if sleep would find me. With so much going on in my head, I wasn’t counting on it.

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