Page 76 of Tainted Princess
I could see that Mia and I were going to get along well.
“It’s nothing quite so mundane, Dr. Carmichael, I can assure you.”
“Mia is fine.”
“Right. Mia.” I paused as Vinnie set down a plate of delicious looking baked goods, all liberally frosted. But froze when he placed before me not a smooth and creamy latte, as I had requested, but a mug of plain herbal tea.
“Vinnie? What is this?”
Looking a bit sheepish, Vinnie glanced at Mia before he turned to me. “You’ve already had two coffees this morning, and the caffeine hasn’t helped the headache. I thought you could try the chamomile tea. See if it helps.” When I didn’t say anything, he went on, “It’s the kind my ma likes,” he said, ears red.
“Thank you, Vinnie,” I said. “That’s very thoughtful.” He shrugged again before taking a seat at a table by the door.
“You have a headache?” Mia questioned.
“It’s nothing,” I said, even though it was starting to feel like something. I knew Mia didn’t believe me by the narrowing of her eyes, but she let it go, picking up her black coffee and taking a long sip.
“How old are you, Mia?” I asked, even though I already knew.
“Thirty-four,” she said slowly, eyes narrowed.
“And are you where you thought you’d be at thirty-four?”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Are any of us?”
“Most of us, no. But some of us are a little farther behind on our goals than others. I’d like to know what your goals are, Mia. And I’d like to help you achieve them.”
“What is this, like a cult? I don’t have time for this shit, Frankie.” She went to stand. “Thanks for the coffee, but I’m out.”
“Sit down, Dr. Carmichael.” Mia froze, whatever she heard in my voice enough to let her know I was serious. Looking around the coffee shop, empty except for us and Vinnie by the door, Mia assessed her options, finally deciding to sit, even though I could tell she hated herself for doing it.
“Fine. I’m sitting, alright?”
“Mia, I am looking for an associate to join my team. It would be a casual position, on call, but you’d be paid a retainer for your services.” I took out one of my cards and a pen, writing a number down on the back.
“That’s what I’d get a month?”
“That’s what you’d get a week, Mia.” I smiled when her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.
“And what kind of services are you retaining me for?”
“The kind you are already providing at the hospital, just in a much more discrete setting.” She didn’t respond, so I went on. “I would need you to be available to me when I call, and to provide whatever services are required with no questions asked. Each time you are called to work, there will be an additional bonus paid for your time. The only stipulation is that you tell no one of our involvement, and of course, it goes without saying that you never mention anything you should see or hear to anyone outside my organization.”
“And what organization is that, exactly?”
“That’s not important.”
“Fine. Then what does your organization do?”
“Oh, various things, really. I mostly trade in information these days, but gathering it is often a bit of a challenge.”
“So, are we talking setting broken noses, or harvesting kidneys for the black market, because I gotta say, there is a whole lot of gray area between the two.”
I laughed, bringing my hand to my head when it began to spin again. “No kidneys. Not yet, anyway. Although I’m glad to hear you are qualified for organ transplant. You never really know what kind of trouble we might be running into.” Mia gaped, but I shook my head and continued. “Mostly things like sutures and infection control. The occasional stab wound and maybe a gunshot or two. Nothing serious, I assure you.”
“Nothing serious?” she asked incredulously, and I winked. “All of that—everything you just said—is illegal. This would cost me my license if it was ever discovered.”
“Then you’ll have to be extra cautious, won’t you? And while my dealings aren’t always legal, I can promise you they will never be boring.”
