Page 110 of Strings

“Amy, you can do it. None of it matters anymore. I’ve lost him. Surprise or no surprise. The truth is, he’s better off without me. You all are.”

“How can you say that? If you quit today, then I’ll quit too, and the whole Gala will fall apart.”

She crosses her arms and stomps her foot.

“You’d never quit.”

“Want to try me?”

I shake my head. “You’ll be fine. I’m going to go down to see Bordo now. I just wanted you to hear it first.”

Amy pushes past me and picks up my phone, dialing a number.

“Amy, what are you doing?”

“Hi, Mr. Bordo, it’s me, Amy. I quit.” She hangs up the phone and stares at me. “Okay, now what are you going to do?”

My mouth drops. “You did not just call him! What did you do? Amy, no!”

My phone rings. I pull it toward me and see it’s Bordo calling. “If you quit too, there will be no one to run to the Gala. It’s your choice. Think of the faces of those poor—”

“Fine! Take it back. Say something! But after the Gala, I have to go. Okay?”

Amy ponders it for a moment as my phone rings. “Amy, please!”

She lifts the receiver. “Oh, hi. I was kidding. Ha ha! Have a good day.”

She hangs up the phone and smiles. “So now, about the Gala tomorrow…”

I shake my head and fall into my chair, gripping my chest. “And I thought I was bad.”

She snickers and someone pounds on my door. “Talia Pearson?”

Amy opens the door and two police officers walk in. “Are you Talia Pearson?”

I guess I may not be able to do the Gala after all. “Yes.”

“We have a few questions for you.”

Amy rushes past them and out the door.

I sigh. Word traveled faster than I thought. “Am I being arrested?”

The offices glance at each other. “Did you do something to warrant an arrest?”

Twisting my neck, it cracks. I place my hand on it and rub it. “What is this about?”

A second later, Amy is back in the office, wringing her hands as she stands behind them. Her head pokes out around the tall officer and then she disappears behind him. She peers out again, then disappears. She reminds me of a Whac-A-Mole.

The tall officer steps toward me and places a piece of paper on my desk. “We have a warrant to search your office. We’ve been advised of theft and we’re told the item stolen is here in your office somewhere.”

I laugh out of relief.

“Do you think this is funny? The item in question is worth five thousand dollars. That’s a felony.”

“Talia, do not say another word.”

Sebastian barrels into the office and Amy claps her hands silently. The officer turns to face her and she quickly hides her hands behind her back.