Page 34 of The Women of Oak Ridge

“Willett,” he said, an unexpected firmness to his voice. “Get cleaned up and come to my office. Now.”

My stomach dropped to my feet. “Yes, sir.”

I hurried to the restroom to wash my hands, leaving a ring of grime on the small porcelain sink, all the while trying to figure out what caused my boss’s anger.

Had I broken something? Misplaced an important instrument?

Nothing stood out in my memory, but obviously whatever slipup I’d committed was serious enough that Mr. Colby was not pleased. I hoped I wasn’t about to lose my job.

The door to his office was closed when I arrived. Knots twisted my gut. Surely whatever I’d done could be handled with a stern reprimand and instructions to never do it again.

Inhaling a deep breath, I knocked.

“Come in.”

I pressed my lips together and entered.

Mr. Colby sat at his desk, but he wasn’t alone. An MP stood next to him, his eyes fixed on me.

Alarm stilled my feet.

“Sit down, Willett. This officer has some questions for you.” Mr. Colby’s normally pleasant face displayed a deep scowl.

My entire body shook as I moved to the straight-backed chair against the wall.

This could only be about one thing.

Somehow, some way, they knew about Clive’s trailer. That I’d broken in and taken something. Was the MP here to arrest me?

“We’ve had a complaint registered against you, Miss Willett,” the MP said. He couldn’t be much older than me, yet he had an air of authority that surpassed his age.

When I didn’t respond, he continued. “Where were you yesterday?”

“In the dorm. It was my day off.” My wobbly voice gave away my nervousness. Although I told the truth, it wasn’t complete.

“Can anyone vouch for you?”

I swallowed. “I’m sure any number of girls saw me, although I mostly stayed in my room to read.”

“What about your roommate? Where was she?”

My gaze slid to Mr. Colby, who sat listening intently. Our conversation from two days ago played in my mind. I’d let him believe I’d had a disagreement with Sissy. Now, it seemed best to answer the question honestly.

I met the MPs gaze once again. “I don’t know where Sissy is. I haven’t seen her since the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “Did you and she have an argument? Say, over a man?”

The question stumped me. “No, we never argued. Over anything.”

“The person who registered the complaint against you says otherwise. He states that you were jealous of his relationship with Miss Galloway and that you broke into his home at some point yesterday while he was away. Is that true?”

My body trembled uncontrollably.

Not only had my crime been discovered, but it had been reported to the authorities. If I said too much, I had no doubt they’d put me in jail.

The men waited for an answer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Sissy and I are best friends. She confided that she was thinking about breaking up with Clive Morrison—I assume that’s who filed the complaint against me—but after she didn’t return from an outing with him, he told me it was his idea to break up.

He also claims Sissy left Oak Ridge and went home to Georgia because of it. ”

“Did you post the notice in the Journal about Miss Galloway?”

I nodded. “I did.”

“Have you had any response?”

I shook my head.

The MP studied me a long moment before turning to Mr. Colby.

“That’s all I need for now. Our office won’t take action against Miss Willett at this time, however”—he pinned me with a hard look—“should more evidence surface that places you at Mr. Morrison’s home, you will be taken into custody.

Until this is resolved, do not attempt to leave Oak Ridge. You will be arrested if you do.”

The man didn’t wait for a reply and exited the room. The door banged behind him.

I sat frozen in the chair. What a mess. Would Mr. Colby fire me on the spot?

After an excruciating period of silence, he heaved a sigh. “What in tarnation is going on, Willett? I asked you if something was wrong, since you’d been acting strange. Now I have an MP in my office, asking questions and nosing around. Care to explain?”

I couldn’t tell him about the documents I’d seen in Clive’s trailer, nor could I tell him about my suspicions that Clive was a spy.

I didn’t have enough evidence yet, and now the authorities wouldn’t believe me even if I did come forward.

They’d think I was some crazy jealous woman who breaks into homes to get even with a man.

No, if I told any of this to Mr. Colby, he’d call the MP back as soon as the words passed my lips.

My hand moved to the deep pocket of my overalls.

I also couldn’t tell him about the security badge I concealed.

A badge that belonged to Sissy. The moment it fell out of the envelope and into my hands, a terrible feeling had begun in the pit of my stomach.

Why did Clive have Sissy’s badge? Had she given it to him as a memento, a keepsake of their supposed love?

Did she want him to remember her after she was gone?

I had to discover the answers to those questions before I could tell the whole story to anyone.

I swallowed. “I’ve been worried about Sissy.

What I told the MP about her and Clive is the truth.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, she said they were going to Knoxville to see a movie and have dinner, but when she didn’t return by the next day, I asked Clive about it.

He told me they never left Oak Ridge. He said he broke up with her and that she was so upset, she got on a bus and went home. ”

Mr. Colby’s gaze narrowed. “But you don’t believe him?”

Tears sprang to my eyes unbidden. “I don’t know what to think. She didn’t take any of her belongings or tell anyone goodbye. I thought she might write and let me know where she is, but I haven’t heard from her.”

It felt good to share that part of my burden with my boss. How I wished I could spill the whole story, but until I had solid proof that Clive was involved in espionage, I had to keep quiet. Otherwise it would be me behind bars instead of him.

Mr. Colby leaned back in his chair. “You should have told me all this when I asked about it. Why would Morrison say you were jealous of his relationship with your roommate? It doesn’t sound as though he cared much about her.”

“I most definitely was not jealous, sir,” I said, emphatically. “I—”

I’d been about to say I didn’t trust Clive, but that might get back to the MPs. “I never thought he was the right fellow for Sissy. She’s sweet and fun to be around, while he’s so serious.” I wanted to include odd but thought better of it.

Mr. Colby stared at me, as though trying to decide if I told the truth or not. I could beg him to let me keep my job, but I remained silent. I wouldn’t want to make him feel guilty for doing what he thought was best.

“Here’s the deal, Willett.” He sat forward, leaned his elbows on the desk, and tented his fingers.

“I like you. You’ve been a good worker, and I’ve never had any problems with you until now.

I hope you’re being on the up-and-up with me, and this situation with Morrison goes away.

” His unyielding gaze held me. “But if it doesn’t and I have more MPs in my office, I’ll have no other choice but to terminate your employment at K-25. Do you understand?”

I offered a shaky nod. “Thank you, sir.”

I left his office and closed the door with a soft click.

My body trembled as I stood there wanting to cry but not allowing myself to do so.

Tears could wait until I was in the privacy of my dorm room.

Here at the plant, I needed to act as though everything was fine.

As though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

I couldn’t let anyone see my guilt. Or my fear.

Waves of it, however, crashed through me as I walked back to the shop. Clive knew I’d broken into his trailer. He knew I had Sissy’s ID badge. Did he also know I’d taken two of the documents from the box?

I pictured the papers, now hidden beneath my mattress.

The first was a memo from a chemist who worked in the K-1004 laboratory complex.

The official communication had something to do with a component called UF 6 and a firm named Harshaw Chemical Company.

I’d never heard of either, but the document seemed like a good one to keep should I need to turn it over to the authorities to help prove Clive was up to no good.

The second document was a technical drawing.

It reminded me of a plumbing part. Words were written off to the side, with arrows pointing to different sections.

Nickel pipe. Copper pipe. Iron pipe. Steam.

Again, the unfamiliar code UF 6 appeared.

I was clueless what it all meant, but the stolen papers would remain hidden until I could figure out the next step I needed to take in order to prove Clive couldn’t be trusted.

If the MPs moved forward with my arrest, I would spill everything I knew about Clive, including Sissy’s fear of him.

I would even use her diary to convince them I wasn’t making things up out of jealousy.

A dreadful thought sped through my brain as I returned to work.

What if Garlyn heard about the MPs report?

What would he think if Clive spread rumors among the other SEDs, claiming I was jealous of Sissy?

I didn’t think Garlyn would believe it, but what man would want to spend time with a girl mixed up in something like this?

Hopefully I would have a chance to explain things before Clive’s lies reached Garlyn’s ears.

I was emotionally and physically exhausted when it was finally time to go home. My brain had continuously worked the problem throughout the long afternoon hours until it was all I could think of.