Page 25 of Provocation (Den of Deception #3)

Chapter Six

DAISY

M av’s hand is next to mine as we work, and every once in a while, I brush my finger against his, which relaxes me after my little freak-out.

I can’t believe Shade cleaned up for me.

I was so scared he was just going to realize I’m still the same Daisy from ten years ago and decide he doesn’t want to be anywhere near me, maybe take a few snaps to send to John, but he didn’t.

He made it so it never happened instead. He even got me a new mirror.

I didn’t mean to crack the old one, but when I got to my room and saw my face in it, I was so angry at myself, at Bennet, that I hurled my bag at the glass. Luckily I’d already taken out my laptop or I’d have ruined something else that Blake gave me, too.

After the shitty day I’ve had, I’m glad that there’s not much work to do on Envy except for making the color a deeper green, which is easy enough.

It’s a load off my mind that I won’t have to spend a lot of time trying to rework the recipe on top of everything else.

And at least I’m pretty much done with the partner project, so I won’t have to meet up with Bennet again.

How could I have been so wrong about someone?

I just thought he was being friendly. I shudder as I recall his evil smirk on the camera in my room.

He’d been planning to attack me then. I could see it in his eyes, but then he must have seen the camera lens.

Maybe it glinted or reflected in his glasses, or something.

Mav and I stay in the lab until it starts to get dark. We’re just about to pack up when we hear the door click. I glance over my shoulder, knowing it can only be one of a handful of people because not many can get this far into the building, and I see Professor Applegate.

He doesn’t usually come down to the lab when I’m here, but I suppose after Bennet’s accusations, now would be a good time to let him know in case there are rumors floating around about him that might get him into trouble.

‘Ms. Evans. Mr. Shaw,’ he steps forward, ‘we need to speak about that special project you’ve been working on.’

‘Sure, we can talk in the breakroom,’ Mav nods.

‘I won’t be long,’ he says to me, and I nod.

‘Oh, Professor Applegate.’

The older man pauses and looks at me expectantly as Mav goes through the door into the next room.

‘I’m sorry, but I thought I should let you know. I think there might be some rumors that the only reason I got this assistant role was because I…um…’

My cheeks heat. I didn’t think this through.

‘Because…’ he prompts.

‘Well, someone said to me today that the only reason I got the job over everyone else was because I…’

‘Slept with me?’ he says, and I nod.

‘And who accused you of this?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ I murmur.

He sighs. ‘Thank you for letting me know, Ms. Evans. I’ll ensure I get in front of any accusations of misconduct.’ He gives me a tight smile. ‘I’m sorry if this has made things difficult for you in any way.’

‘It’s fine,’ I say quietly, and he turns away, but the truth is I’m beginning to wonder.

‘I didn’t realize that the lab assistant role was so competitive,’ I say to his back, and he freezes. ‘Can I ask why you gave it to a student you didn’t even know, one who wasn’t even enrolled here before September?’

He turns back around to face me slowly and steps closer.

‘I wasn’t sure if you remembered me, or not,’ he says quietly. ‘I suppose if you’re asking me that question, you don’t.’

‘I’m sorry. I don’t understand.’

‘We’ve met, Marguerite. Many times when you were a child up until… well, you know.’ He looks away. ‘Your dad would even bring you to the lab sometimes.’

I gape at him, remembering the few times my dad had taken me to his workplace if I was off school or sick, and my mom was working. His partner had always smiled at me and given me candies.

‘Werther’s,’ I say. ‘You always had Werther’s Originals in your pocket.’

He grins and nods. ‘You loved those things.’

‘Uncle Fin. I called you Uncle Fin.’

He nods again, giving me a grin.

‘I had forgotten you,’ I admit. ‘You worked with my dad.’

‘I was Mark’s best friend, Daisy.’ he says quietly. ‘Since we were kids. The day of that fire, a part of me died too.’

I frown at him, remembering what Detective Black said to me at the club about it.

‘It wasn’t an accident,’ I whisper.

‘No,’ he says quietly. ‘It was arson. They never did find out who did it, though I had my suspicions.’

‘Who?’ I ask, but he just shakes his head.

‘It was a long time ago,’ he says, giving nothing away.

‘But, in answer to your other question, that’s why I gave you the job.

I didn’t recognize you when you first came into my office.

It wasn’t until you gave your name. I saw your dad in your eyes after that and I knew it was you.

I could see that same brilliance he had. ’

He smiles a little. ‘I have to say, it definitely threw me when you said he was living in the UK that day in my office, but I understand why you lied.’

Applegate half turns away. ‘I knew April remarried, but I didn’t know it was to John until I was offered the position here at Richmond U several years later.’

I frown a little. ‘Wait. You knew John? Before?’

But Applegate doesn't answer my question. He just pats my shoulder gently. ‘I’m glad I was able to help you and before you say you didn’t deserve it, you definitely did. The work you’ve done since you’ve been here has surpassed your predecessor by miles. Your father would have been proud.’

He nods a little absently and walks into the next room. I stare at the spot he was standing in for several minutes, remembering the tall man who used to give me equations to solve while I was waiting for my dad.

‘Ready to go?’ Mav asks and I blink, coming back to the present.

‘Yep,’ I say, cleaning up quickly. ‘What did Applegate say to you?’

‘Just asking about the special project. I gave him an update. He doesn’t know you’re involved though, okay?’

I nod.

‘What were you speaking to him about?’

I let out a long breath. ‘I was just letting him know about the rumor that Bennet mentioned about me sleeping my way to the top and I asked him why he gave the lab spot.’

‘And?’

‘He told me he knew my father.’

Mav’s brows rise. ‘He knew your dad?’

‘Yeah, and I actually remember him now. He came to our house sometimes. I called him Uncle Fin. He said he and my dad grew up together. They were best friends. They worked together in the lab in Pennsylvania. Applegate used to give me problems to solve and candies from his pocket.’

‘No way,’ he chuckles. ‘Wait. The lab in Pennsylvania? The one that?—’

‘Burned. Yeah. He recognized my name. That’s why he gave me the job. I guess that’s why he bumped me up to a senior, too–good, old-fashioned nepotism...’

Mav shrugs. ‘Welcome to the real world, Tulip. And, anyway, you deserved it. Everything in the lab is going great and that’s largely since you started working here.’

‘That’s what he said,’ I mutter a little sulkily. ‘I just thought… I dunno. Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought I was, and my ego is a little bruised that I didn’t get here on my own merit like I thought.’

Mav laughs and pulls me close. ‘Daisy, you’re the reason the special project isn’t still floundering. And you may not have gotten here on your own merit, but you’ve stayed here on it.’

‘I guess.’ I let out a breath, taking his arm when he begins to move away.

I lower my voice.

‘There was something else.’

Mav turns back, looking at me expectantly.

‘Applegate said he knew my mom remarried after my dad, but he hadn’t known it was to John. The way he said it, it was like they’d been... Like he, my dad, my mom, and John had all known each other. When they were younger.’

Mav frowns. ‘That’s weird.’

‘I thought so too.’

‘We can ask Blake. If they were friends, it shouldn't be too hard to find out more. We’ll get to the bottom of it, I promise.’

With that, he hauls me close to him and gives me a lingering kiss that makes me moan a little against his mouth before he pulls away. ‘Come on. Time to go. The guys are picking us up, we’re grabbing some dinner, and then we’re spending the night at Wrath.’

‘The whole night?’

He shrugs. ‘We can make the second batch, catch up on some work and then sleep.’

‘Where?’ I ask, remembering the uncomfortable couch from Saturday night and not exactly looking forward to another uncomfortable night after the day I’ve had.

But he just winks at me. ‘You’ll see.’

As we leave the lab, I keep thinking about what Applegate said.

When Detective Black told me that the fire in my dad’s lab wasn’t an accident, Shade wanted to investigate further, and I wasn’t really on board.

But now I keep wondering about it and him more and more.

Why did someone burn his lab? Was he working on something, or did someone want him dead for another reason?

I think about that few months after he died.

Mom was working all the time. I was in programs in school from early in the morning until late at night, which I can see now was making me harder to deal with.

I had just lost my dad, after all, and our life was in upheaval.

Everything I’d known except for Mom was gone.

We’d even had to move from our quiet house in the suburbs to a small apartment in Philly.

Everything was loud there with traffic and sirens.

The school was different, kids were mean, and there was graffiti all over.

I don’t like to think about that time much. After almost eighteen months, I remember Mom not being able to make enough money to keep me in my school programs in addition to food and rent.