Part 3
Jackson’s hand clinched the potion bottle in his suit pocket, glancing at the closed door across the hall. Val needed him to keep tabs on Sofia, so they could figure out why Maxwell needed her.
The door opened and he pretended to look through a file. He glanced up. Sofia shut her door. He could hear her heals clicking down the hall. Jackson waited ten minutes to make sure she didn’t come back. Slowly he walked to the hall glancing both ways to make sure he wasn’t seen. He reached for the door knob, but it wouldn’t turn. He went back to his office and grabbed the letter opener from his desk drawer. As stealthy as he could he jimmied the door open, making a note to himself to buy a deadbolt for his office, because breaking into her office was too easy.
Sofia’s desk was pristine. The only personal item was a photo of Sofia and her fiancée His eyebrows rose seeing Maxwell. He sat the letter opener down and picked up the picture. He’d seen him before, at parties and fund-raisers that he hadn’t been invited to, but no one seemed to object to his presence. Jackson didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Maxwell was tall, slim, and it looked like he paid a hundred bucks for his preppy haircut. Jackson was confident that he could beat him in a fist fight. Not that Jackson had been in many fist fights, but he stayed in shape to look good for work events. He rifled through her desk. Nothing was out of the ordinary. He did notice one of the items he’d been sent to retrieve. Her half empty coffee cup, lipstick smudge in tact. Jackson took the vial out of his pocket. He opened the yellow potion and rubbed the cork on her lipstick smudge. He corked the vial and shook the potion until it changed to blue, and pocketed the potion.
Sofia seems innocent so far. Maybe I shouldn’t give Val the potion?
Jackson turned to leave, and noticed something strange at the bottom of her desk. The bottom board didn’t meet the corner like it should. He touched it, and it moved really easy. He pulled out the contents and was shocked. There were personal files on some very important people. Including Jackson. Pictures, articles, lots of personal info, and handwritten observations for each person. He opened his file. Bank records, allies, political contacts, and observations. ‘Fiancée is having a really obvious affair with her boss. Jackson doesn’t pay enough attention to notice. Easy to manipulate.’
His stomach tightened. He quickly took pictures of the files and text them to Val. He heard someone walking down the hall and shoved the files back into the hiding place. The door opened.
Sofia froze seeing him behind her desk. “How did you get in here? The door was locked.”
He straightened, leveling her with his most serious stare. “The door was open. I was just leaving you a note. Glad you have the luxury of leaving the office whenever you want to.”
She stormed into her office and sat in her chair. “What do you need?”
“Do you have the bids for the contractors?” he asked.
“No, they’re on your desk.”
“No they’re not. Why would I have come in here if I wasn’t missing the file I was supposed to have this morning?” Jackson asked, crossing his arms.
Sofia silently got up, walked into Jackson’s office, and picked a folder up from his desk.
“Oh, I must have over looked that,” Jackson stumbled, opening the folder so he didn’t have to look her in the eye.
She started to leave, and turned back. “Oh, next time don’t forget your letter opener,” she said, tossing it on his desk. “Stay out of my office.” She slammed her door behind her.
“Crap,” Jackson said.
The door opened and he pretended to look through a file. He glanced up. Sofia shut her door. He could hear her heals clicking down the hall. Jackson waited ten minutes to make sure she didn’t come back. Slowly he walked to the hall glancing both ways to make sure he wasn’t seen. He reached for the door knob, but it wouldn’t turn. He went back to his office and grabbed the letter opener from his desk drawer. As stealthy as he could he jimmied the door open, making a note to himself to buy a deadbolt for his office, because breaking into her office was too easy.
Sofia’s desk was pristine. The only personal item was a photo of Sofia and her fiancée His eyebrows rose seeing Maxwell. He sat the letter opener down and picked up the picture. He’d seen him before, at parties and fund-raisers that he hadn’t been invited to, but no one seemed to object to his presence. Jackson didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Maxwell was tall, slim, and it looked like he paid a hundred bucks for his preppy haircut. Jackson was confident that he could beat him in a fist fight. Not that Jackson had been in many fist fights, but he stayed in shape to look good for work events. He rifled through her desk. Nothing was out of the ordinary. He did notice one of the items he’d been sent to retrieve. Her half empty coffee cup, lipstick smudge in tact. Jackson took the vial out of his pocket. He opened the yellow potion and rubbed the cork on her lipstick smudge. He corked the vial and shook the potion until it changed to blue, and pocketed the potion.
Sofia seems innocent so far. Maybe I shouldn’t give Val the potion?
Jackson turned to leave, and noticed something strange at the bottom of her desk. The bottom board didn’t meet the corner like it should. He touched it, and it moved really easy. He pulled out the contents and was shocked. There were personal files on some very important people. Including Jackson. Pictures, articles, lots of personal info, and handwritten observations for each person. He opened his file. Bank records, allies, political contacts, and observations. ‘Fiancée is having a really obvious affair with her boss. Jackson doesn’t pay enough attention to notice. Easy to manipulate.’
His stomach tightened. He quickly took pictures of the files and text them to Val. He heard someone walking down the hall and shoved the files back into the hiding place. The door opened.
Sofia froze seeing him behind her desk. “How did you get in here? The door was locked.”
He straightened, leveling her with his most serious stare. “The door was open. I was just leaving you a note. Glad you have the luxury of leaving the office whenever you want to.”
She stormed into her office and sat in her chair. “What do you need?”
“Do you have the bids for the contractors?” he asked.
“No, they’re on your desk.”
“No they’re not. Why would I have come in here if I wasn’t missing the file I was supposed to have this morning?” Jackson asked, crossing his arms.
Sofia silently got up, walked into Jackson’s office, and picked a folder up from his desk.
“Oh, I must have over looked that,” Jackson stumbled, opening the folder so he didn’t have to look her in the eye.
She started to leave, and turned back. “Oh, next time don’t forget your letter opener,” she said, tossing it on his desk. “Stay out of my office.” She slammed her door behind her.
“Crap,” Jackson said.