Page 57 of Bears Behaving Badly
“You’re asking me?”
“Well, David, since we aren’t discussing that devastating kiss, I guess we’re back to the necessary routine of saving Caro and Dev and, subsequently, our jobs.”
“Devastating, huh?”
“Don’t read into it,” she warned. Then, pensively: “What the hell am I supposed to say to Gomph when I see him? ‘How could you?’ ‘Were you always evil, or is it something new you’re trying?’ ‘It’s no use protesting, you’re the only one who knew where Caro was, now get the hell out and take your gavel with you and on your way out, please rot in hell forever?’”
And now, the tricky bit.He cleared his throat. “There’s one other person who knew.”
“Yes, but I’ve decided to trust you.”
“That’s not what I… You really thought I might be in on it?” He was equal parts hurt and pleased.Maybe not so soft after all.
“I considered the possibility. But you’ve had ample opportunities to kill all of us.”
“Maybe I’m biding my time.”
“Maybe you’re not that stupid.”
“Thanks! I think. But there’s someone else who could have guessed Caro was going to your place.”
Annette frowned. “Bob doesn’t count. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d be astonished if he recalled anything other than the Secret Santa nonsense. He couldn’t have… Dammit.”
“Yeah.”
He’d hated to say it, so he was relieved when she made the same leap of logic he had. If she couldn’t stand the idea of Judge Gomph trafficking in brutalized kids, or, at best, abetting traffickers of brutalized kids, she’d probably vomit blood at the thought of Nadia brutalizing kids.
For his part, he wasn’t sure. Nadia was a pain in the ass, yeah. A snob and a half, and high maintenance AF, but so? Plenty of people were into that. Probably.
But into what Lund was into? That was a leap. She’d helped them break into his apartment. He thought she was going to cry when she saw the photos. God knows he nearly did, and he thought he’d seen everything.
“No. David, no. We’ve worked together for years. And that brittle I’m-above-you-peons act of hers? Is an act. She might not love the kids, but shehatesthe abusers. She’d never countenance this. And don’t forget—she’s the one who reminded us that we’re supposed to be better than Stables.”
“Yes, it was very convincing.”
Annette just looked at him. “You don’t know her. Now sit down—”
“I’m driving! You can see me driving! Why wouldn’t I be sitting down?”
“—and I’m going to tell you why Nadia’s not the villain in this piece. See, a couple of years ago, when we first started working together—”
“Wait until I’m sitting down.”
* * *
“Good heavens! There’s a tiny child down there!”
Annette stepped past Nadia and squinted, but on her best day she couldn’t see as well as Nadia on her worst. She could make out a flash of red among the rocks, brush, and stunted trees, but not much else. And she couldn’t see any movement at all.
“Alive?” She flared her nostrils, relieved she couldn’t scent any decay.
“Shall we find out?”
“That’s rhetorical, I think. Because you’re naked by now, aren’t you? I’m going to turn around and you are going to be naked. I think that’s a new speed record.”
Nadia didn’t reply, as she was too busy sprouting feathers and talons, and then she swooped past Annette’s shoulder, climbed, circled, then folded her wings and arrowed toward the red blob. Which was amusing for several reasons, not least because the woman had just been complaining about the “unbearably frigid” fall weather (sixty degrees and sunny, or, as Annette’s mother used to call it, swimsuit weather).
They’d decided to spend their lunch break at Minnehaha Park, a break they were drawing out so as to avoid the office, and Bob, and the Secret Santa madness. “It’s September!” Annette had practically screamed. “Fifteenth!” This while Nadia texted lewd emoticons to everyone in the office, then pretended she hadn’t hit Group Send on purpose.
