Page 66 of Girl, Empty
‘Of course.I’ve got it all right here.What are you looking for?’
‘So, I’m looking to see if any of your workers did jobs for three companies.I’m looking for one name that worked all three.’
‘Be specific.We clean over six-hundred buildings around here.’
‘Morrison & Associates, First National Bank andBlackglass Creations.Do you need their addresses?’
‘No, I know ‘em well.Let me see here.’Typing down the line.‘Only one guy worked for all three.Roger Aldershot.Is that enough?’
‘Great.Do you have any details for him?Or his address?’
‘I’m not sure if I’m allowed to give that out, but there’s no point anyway.Roger died last year.’
The finish line pushed back another mile.‘Really?Well, I’m sorry to hear that.There’s no one else that worked all three?’
‘Not according to the database.I’m sorry.’
Database.If their killer could hack any system in the state, could they have hacked the database for the very company they worked for?Ella had to push a little more.‘Janice, is there any other records you have there?I’m looking for someone who’sveryskilled with technology.This might sound crazy, but there’s a chance he… erased himself off that database.’
‘Ha.Skilled with technology?You know we’re a cleaning agency, don’t you?’
‘Bon Jovi was a cleaner.Stephen King, too.’
‘You don’t say?Bon Jovi?Well, no need to live on a prayer because you’re in luck, as it happens.I’ve actually got exactly what you need.’
Ella heard a thud down the line.‘Have you?’
‘The book.Like a Stephen King book, actually, just about ten times bigger.’
‘You mean like – handwritten files?’
‘If that’s what you wanna call ‘em.We have to do things digitally.It’s the law, you see.But I’m traditional as a pot roast.Got it all written down too.Gimme a second.Gotta check all the names for each company.How long am I going back?’
‘Could be years.Would that be okay?’
‘Well, we’ve only been cleaning Blackglass for a year, and it’s mostly been the same guys.That should narrow it down.’
The relief was palpable, and shewasdefinitely living on a prayer right now.‘I really appreciate this, Janice.’
‘Hold the line, will ya.’
Ella did.She put the phone on loudspeaker and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if wasn’t just heading down another dead end.All she had to go on was a few mentions of the same cleaning company, and if they cleaned six-hundred buildings, then she could just be pattern-seeking where there wasn't one.Her mind drifted to Ben, and then to Noah trapped in that icy room.She thought of the affidavit that was still in her pocket, which she’d managed to forget about until now.
‘Lady, you there?’Janice’s voice came through.
‘Yes, ma’am.I’m here.’
‘This is pretty weird.’
Ella always liked the sound of weird.Weird meant there was a glitch in the matrix, and glitches showed you things you weren’t meant to see.‘What did you find?’
‘There is another name, and I remember this guy well.He was actually a smart kid, but he only worked for us for like two months.One day he just quit.’
Goosebumps sprouted on her arms.This sounded good.A little too good.‘What’s the guy’s name?’
‘Zane Corvidale.I remember him because his name was strange as hell.When he first applied, I thought he was foreign or something, but I met him and he was Bald Eagle American.’
'Zane Corvidale,' Ella repeated.It was indeed an odd name, and there was a reason for that, because it was probably made up.'What's the weird part?'
