Page 17 of Broken
A man traipsed up the steel stairs from the basement. When he and Jacqueline locked eyes, he startled, then his lips split into a smile.
“Hey,” Leslie said to him.
As he joined them at the front door, he slid on his shades. “Who’s your friend?” he asked Leslie.
“This is my sister, Jacqueline.”
The man tossed her a nod. “How ya doin’?”
He was average height, maybe a little taller, with a gut that stretched against his T-shirt. A black knit cap sat on his head, his long dark hair flowed down his back. He had no facial hair and no visible tats.
Jacqueline was surprised to see her flashy sister with someone so ordinary, even underwhelming.
Jacqueline slid her gaze to her sister. “I didn’t know you had a… boyfriend.”
“He’s a friend,” Leslie replied.
“I’m in a band and we just got back from touring,” he said.
“What’s the name of your band?” Jacqueline asked.
“Nothin’ you’ve heard of,” Leslie interjected.
Adjusting his sunglasses, he continued staring at Jacqueline. “You two don’t look anything alike.”
Jacquelinewantedto blurt out, “Thank God.” Instead, she said, “I’ve gotta run.” She opened the door, stepped outside, and the tightness in her shoulders released.
“Follow me on social media,” Leslie called out. “I post something new every day.”
Jacqueline slid into the Jeep and backed out of the driveway. The sister she knew was gone, replaced by a plastic replica. But, if Leslie was happy and successful, Jacqueline was happy for her.
As she drove back to her brother’s house, she realized that Leslie hadn’t even asked how she was. While her sister definitely looked different, it was the change in her personality that disappointed her the most.
People do change, but not always for the better.
4
ASYLUM
Prescott
Prescott spent the day getting a handle on the product recall. The processing facility that made the medication had halted production, the shipping centers stopped sending it out, a press release had been released. A company-wide email had been sent to employees alerting them of the problem. Their major suppliers had been contacted by the VP of consumer relations, and the legal team was all over managing this before scammers caught on to the problem and took advantage of the situation.
Next steps had been delegated to the appropriate department directors and Prescott’s entire itinerary had been shifted to Monday, except that the two hundred unread emails would have to be tackled over the weekend.
“I can’t fucking wait to work this weekend,” he muttered under his breath.
He’d been hoping to get out on the water or hit the links, but this work emergency had taken top priority.
There were, however, two events he wasnotmissing. The first was his late-night hookup, and the second was his brother’s Jack and Jill wedding shower.
It was quarter ‘til nine, and he needed to bolt. With his computer bag slung over his shoulder, Prescott left his office. The hallway was quiet, the employees long gone, their weekends well underway.
In the parking lot, his phone rang with a blocked caller.
“Hello.”
“I’ve got good news and bad,” Z began.
