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“Any idea where they are?” he asked.
Baruti peered over his shoulder, his shit-eating grin splitting his face in two. “Are you going to admit what’s going on?”
“I’ll find her myself.”
“They’re probably in the lab,” Baruti said.
Samuel thrust the phone back at Baruti and stalked out of the office. After a day of sitting at the desk, Samuel could feel it in his muscles. At the recovery center, he’d had regular physical therapy and light activity interspersed with periods of rest. He hadn’t sat hunched over for a whole workday at a computer in months.
That would have to change.
He had to regain some muscle tone and get back into the shape he’d been in before getting shot.
What was Jessica doing?
That message had not sounded like her. He’d traded a few emails with her during their time at the center and she was so eloquent.
Something wasn’t right.
It seemed like he was saying that on repeat lately.
Samuel made the short trek to the lab where Diha reigned supreme. Entry required a badge and code to gain entrance, but once he passed through the doors, music that vibrated his very bones erupted, smacking him in the face. He covered his ears and took several steps into the lab proper where the people who worked under Diha were trying to get things done.
“What the hell?” he muttered, his words drowned out by the noise.
He strode past the workstations to the office beyond, where Diha, Cat, and Felecia worked on the most sensitive aspects of the case. They didn’t want another leak.
Samuel stopped in the doorway.
Diha sat behind her desk, shoulders up to her ears, and headphones on, while chaos swirled around her. Cat, Felecia, and Candi clutched each other, swaying and laughing about something. Shrill laughter drew his attention to his left where Jessica had her knees clutched to her chest and was being spun in an office chair by Kelsey.
“Guys, I’m going to be sick,” Jessica called out.
Robin threw out her hand, grabbing Kelsey’s arm. “She’s not joking!”
Kelsey threw her head back and laughed.
He strode to the speaker sitting on what had to be Cat’s desk judging by the rainbow banner draped across the front sporting little babies. She and her wife had recently welcomed a child into their home. He jabbed the biggest button, cutting off the sound.
“Fucking hell,” he muttered and turned to look at the women.
That was when the smell hit him.
Sweet enough it tried to cover up the lingering scent of alcohol but failed.
Wine.
His gaze went from the bottle in Kelsey’s hand to the line of six very empty bottles sitting at the table pushed up against the far wall next to the door.
Seven women. Almost seven empty bottles of wine. It was extremely unlikely Diha had partaken of more than a sip given it was still a workday.
His mind raced doing the mental math.
“Oh, Jessica, look!” Kelsey jabbed her finger in his direction. “I found Samuel.”
“Yeah, what the hell is going on here?” he asked the room.
“It’s a party!” Cat shouted. “You’re alive!”