Stop, Molly. Stop going backwards.
The whole point of taking this job was to move forward. Every day I tell myself that I won’t think about it, but I always find a way.
So I steel myself for another day, grab my raincoat, get out, tug it on, and then make a dash for the lobby doors. Inside there is soothing classical music being piped through the hidden sound system and a row of half a dozen immaculate blonde women quietly talking on phones behind the main reception desk.
There is no one else here but me and them. But at least a dozen security cameras pan as I walk across the black marble floors. I can spot them anywhere. No matter how well hidden, I can tell. It’s like I have some sixth sense when it comes to surveillance.
The building, while new and shiny, mimics the old-world architecture that Cathedral City is famous for. On the outside the building looks like a collection of massive blue crystals, something you might find growing up from the floor of a cave.
I pause for a moment as the word cave rolls around in my brain like it’s been there recently, but then shake myself out of my subconscious and concentrate on what I’m doing.
The lobby feels like a church, if a church was made of polished black stone and glass. It even has a pitched ceiling, like the interior of a spire, and mimicking the outside architecture. The walls are made of bluish glass. Probably bulletproof.
“Miss Masters,” a soothing voice says from behind me.
I turn to find a woman about my age and my height, dressed in a cream-colored skirt suit with a tan piping outline down the front. Her legs are long and end at a pair of matching stilettos. I wonder how she walks in those things all day long.
My hand extends automatically. “Yes, I’m Detective Masters. And you are?”
“Miss Veti,” she says in a low, calm voice. It borders on seductive. “Valentine Veti. But everyone calls me Val.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Veti. I’m here to talk to Mr. Montgomery about the issue he had over the weekend.”
“Yes,” Val Veti says, leaning into my ear. “Thank you for coming. He’s very unhappy about this, Detective. And I’m afraid you will bear the brunt of his anger today. So please don’t judge him too harshly.”
“Great,” I say sarcastically as she turns and beckons me to follow her with a flick of her finger. This is going to be fun.
The elevator ride is long and silent, with only Miss Veti’s fake smile to keep me company. I massage my temples and if I had one wish, it would be to go home and go back to bed. The doors finally open when we get to the thirty-third floor, and Miss Veti leads me out into a posh receiving area with the same polished black marble floors and glass everywhere I look. It’s clear glass up here and I suppose no one needs bulletproof glass this high up in the sky.
“This is Mr. Montgomery’s office. Please wait here while I see if he’s available.”
“He better be available,” I mutter under my breath. But she either doesn’t hear me or chooses to ignore my remark, because she walks off down a long hallway off to my right.
Mr. Montgomery’s office is one entire floor of a multi-million-dollar building. Pretentious much? Well, what did I expect? His first name is Atticus. I do believe he’s the first Atticus I’ve ever encountered outside of fiction.
There are no chairs and no desk. Just a wide-open room with floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive view of Cathedral City draped with an eerie mist.
I walk over and gaze out. The day is gray and cloudy, as per usual in this part of the country in the late winter. And the drizzle has turned into rain in the past few minutes since I left my car. I can count all thirteen cathedrals that the city is named for from this view. I wonder if this building counts as one? Probably not, I decide. The cathedrals down there are old. A hundred years at least. Most of them are ruins. Only the largest one, used for public events and religious holidays, and the second largest, both of which flank the town square, are in good repair. And the second tallest was just refurbished by some out-of-town corporate billionaire, I hear. I guess he plans on giving Blue Corp a run for their money.
“Detective Masters?” A deep voice from behind makes me turn.
“Yes,” I say, putting on my public servant smile. “The chief wanted me to come and look into the… issue you had over the weekend.” I look around, unsure if anyone else is listening and trying to be discreet since Miss Veti was low-talking when she mentioned it downstairs.