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“A menswear and a womenswear label.” Elena nibbled on a cookie.

“I’ll have my legal team start the paperwork to have those labels copyrighted and registered next week.” Natalie beamed. “We’ll all be owners of the labels.”

I didn’t expect to become part of new clothing labels tonight, but I loved that we’d come up with something to help people in the long run.

After that idea was settled, we returned to discussing Harris Pharmaceuticals.

“The boys can know about the new labels but not about us trying to help them,” Audri said.

“Yeah,” Vivian agreed. “They’ll get overprotective.”

“You know the little tracker you gave me recently?” I looked at Vivian. “I used it already.”

The girls gasped, knowing what I was referring to. Vivian had given each of us a device.

“Details, please,” Elena said.

“Brody Harris, the man who was in the alley that day. He bought a painting from me.”

“Does he have anything to do with Harris Pharmaceuticals?” Elena asked.

“He’s one of the heirs.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

VANESSA

My meetingwith Shauna Casey at her studio turned into an interesting conversation when she showed me her new glass bowl collections. I’d given her a brief description of what I envisioned for my terrariums. She had delivered my vision and more. The glass containers ranged from round, oblong, rectangle, square, and triangle to abstract shapes that would give my terrarium a unique look. She even had lanterns and various jars that had my creative juices going wild.

I appreciated a proactive artist who understood my needs. So the casual meeting that was supposed to be a meet-and-greet turned into me signing a business contract. I placed a large order with her. As soon as that meeting was over, I called the local plant shop to order succulents, moss, crystals, and other items needed for my terrariums.

Excitement zipped through me, making me remember the passion I had when I was younger—when things weren’t so dark. My love for plants and nature had returned. Actually, it had never disappeared; it just stepped to the side temporarily.But Attikus had inspired me to reclaim that passion and do something with it.

As I drove back to my office and parked, my stomach growled. I glanced at the time on the dash and shook my head. It was already three in the afternoon and I hadn’t eaten lunch. I rushed into Loretta’s Café and got in line. The lunch crowd that usually packed this space had already died down. Still, there were about eight people in line ahead of me.

I glanced at the assortment of pastries and smiled. Maybe I could take some home for Attikus.

I placed my order of a coffee, a turkey sandwich, and an assortment of cookies and brownies. While I waited, I turned, and my heart skipped. Dr. Messina—the man in the photo on Attikus’s vengeance board—sat in the corner talking to two college students. They were wearing T-shirts from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island.

My plan to rush back to my office vanished. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. When I got my food, I grabbed a table nearby with a good view of them and began eating while keeping my ears trained on their conversation. It was noisy in the café, but I was close enough to hear them.

I opened the notepad on my phone and took notes: the date, location, subjects, their description, and so on. Data was crucial, especially for analysis.

“You think we’re perfect candidates, Dr. Messina?” asked the boy with the Brown University cap.

“I saw your thesis, and I think it’s brilliant. We need intelligent kids like you to join our team, Joshua.”

“Do we need to get our parents’ permission for this?” Joshua asked.

“You shouldn’t have to.” Dr. Messina sipped his drink. “It’s like a work-study because you’re getting paid.”

“Awesome!” cheered the girl with blonde hair. “How much money are we talking about?”

“Depends on how well you perform, Ana.”

“I’ll need time for my homework,” Ana said.

“You do this at your own pace. We meet three times a week after six in the evening. The first meetup is tonight. It’s more of a meet and greet. Refreshments will be served.” He glanced at his fancy watch. “If you know any trusted friends who might be interested, bring them with you. You get a bonus if they sign up with the program.”