Page 84 of Capitol Matters

I snorted. “No, for your raging case of herpes. Yes, the plague.”

He reached an unsteady hand toward the bottle, trailing wires and tubes from the IV drip. “Where’d you get it?” When he held it up to the light like it was some holy thing, I stifled a laugh.

“Ididn’t get it anywhere,” I told him. “I was never here.”

And why would I be? We weren’t friends. Even calling him a coworker had been a stretch of the truth. It was enough to make me question my motives.

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Tobin asked after a pause.

The beeping of the nearby machinery had returned to a stable pace. There would be no heart attack on my watch, though the investigator looked no less wary—orfearful. Was he more scared of me or his own impending death?

I gestured to the soda bottle he clutched. “If you don’t want it, don’t take it.” I shrugged. “I’ve done my bit.” Or whatever was necessary to live with myself. Bonus, if Tobin survived, it would make Holland’s life better. She’d already lost her childhood friend. There was no need to take anything else from her.

Standing, I patted the bed beside Tobin’s leg. “Get well soon,” I told him. “And don’t hurry back to work or anything. That would be suspicious.”

The investigator’s scarce nod was suspicious in its own right, but I didn’t think too long on it. As much as I wanted to hang around and watch him guzzle Ripley’s saliva, hospitals—and quarantine centers—gave me the heebie-jeebies. Not to mention that if I came down with the plague,Iwould be the next one taking a shot of the sketchy healer’s magic slobber.

I slept better that night, giving credence to Ripley’s claims about the benefits of doing good for a change. My mood remained uncharacteristically sunny until I entered the Investigative Department the next morning and found the place abuzz with activity.

People clustered in the center of the room, all talking at once. I had to get close to see the source of the commotion: a man in his signature gray suit with all the vim and vigor of life.

Tobin Moreno commanded the awe of the crowd and drew my ire as he exclaimed, “Fitch Farrow, you sly dog. You’ve been holding out on us.”

I grimaced. Clearly, he’d been broadcasting his good news to all who would hear—including Felix and Vesper who stood by, watching me with a mix of appreciation and condemnation.

Tobin wove through the rabble toward me. He flashed a grin as he clapped a hand on my back.

“Turns out you’re a damn good consultant, after all.” His smile turned wolfish as he asked, “Tell us, who did youconsultwith to find that magic formula?”

A dozen pairs of eyes fixed on me. The entirety of the Department waited with bated breath while my pulse throbbed in my ears.

“You know,” Tobin said, “I didn’t believe it when Felix tried to convince us you weren’t so bad. Now I think you’re just washed up, and that’s why the Bloody Hex doesn’t want you anymore. Or maybe you’re playing the long con.” He leaned in with a conspiratorial squint. “Which is it?”

After a handful of seconds with Tobin gripping my shoulder as though afraid I would bolt before giving the answers he wanted, I muttered the only thing I could think to say.

“You fucking dick. I should’ve let you die.”

The investigator laughed uproariously.

There would be fallout from this. I was living the definition of the adage: No good deed goes unpunished.

Holland raced into the bullpen, clearly having learned of Tobin’s miraculous recovery.

“Toby?” She split a gawking stare between the other man and me. “You look great! What happened?”

I should have pinned Tobin’s mouth shut before he answered, “The new plague cure is astonishingly effective.”

“There’s a cure?” Holland asked.

Still anchored by the other man’s grip, I cupped my hand to my face.

“Sure is.” Tobin jerked a thumb my way. “Farrow gave it to me.”

My opportunity to deny it had come and gone before I walked into the building. Tobin turned up early to share his good news and hang me out to dry. So much for expecting his gratitude.

Holland turned toward me. “Fitch, is that true?”

Tobin didn’t wait for my answer before reaching to a nearby desktop to grab a familiar soda bottle. “I’ve got some of it right here,” he said.

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