Page 2 of Exposé

“No. A needle stands out among the hay.” I fiddled with the pen in my hand. Letting the end drop onto the desk, I traced my fingers down its slender handle before flipping it over and beginning the process once more. “In this case, their crimes blended in so well with normal day-to-day activities, you’d never know it was there. But it only took one vigilant parent to figure them out.”

Those people were the reason why trust took a shit in the dump. People didn’t like dentists as it was, and now… they’d never want to go.

Politicians, town officials, hell, even the school boards were corrupt and betrayed all of their constituents for personal gains.

Journalists weren’t much better, but at least wetriedto be good human beings.

“Well, alright then. I better get to work.” Daniel twisted the mop in his hand and turned to leave. “Freeze the social security number, huh?”

“Yep.” I stuck my glasses on my face, then moved the small pointer around my screen, my chair twisting, centering myself at my desk.

“I’ll make sure I tell her.” He wandered off, pushing the mop bucket with the stick, his whistling tune breaking through the vacant first floor.

His haunting whistle bled through my abysmal thoughts as I searched the forums for something gritty.

Another hour flew by before I sat back in my seat, stretching the kink from my neck, and exhaled as though I’d held my breath for minutes.

Nothing.

How could that be?

This world bathed itself in darkness.

I glanced at the clock, my cursor lingering over theShutdownbutton.

12:45 A.M.

Bloop.

A pop-up notification flipped up in the right-hand corner of my screen.

An email?

At this time of night?

Subject: For Your Eyes Only

Interest and adrenaline crashed into me like a rogue wave as I opened the notification, scanning the recipient’s address with a crooked eyebrow.

Great.

Another masked email address.

My interest dwindled as my cursor hovered over the X, my teeth pressed into my bottom lip.

Ava,…

I paused and leaned in closer. My stale coffee wafted out of my mug next to my screen, my gaze skimming over the personal salutation.

Ava,

Here’s a gift, a tale untold,A story to shake, to break the mold.

But hurry up, the clock’s on fire,It’s fleeting fast—set to expire.

488 Elmgrove Street.

I read the email over and over, a cold, uneasy sensation gripping the back of my neck, causing my shoulders to tense. I pitched a quick look around, peering past my cubicle at all the empty ones around me shrouded in that ridiculous flickering light.

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