"It's not her fault," said Tanith, responding to Kelly's question even through the implication that it was hypothetical. "They had to let a lot of people go recently, and it's got a few people worried. Even though they shouldn't be," she added, raising her voice again for the benefit of the person on the other end. "If traffic's that bad, just go back home. Tell him it's fine. Saffron can sketch for us, apparently. Blame me if someone gets upset."
Janet had actually been wondering about this for the better part of yesterday and this morning. No one - not Pleasant, not Tanith, and not Gabby - was making even the slightest effort to be subtle. Only Saffron seemed to be putting forth that effort, and she managed it mainly by disappearing during her free time.
Janet had never known government agents from any country to be subtle, but they always made some effort. Even if it was a laughable effort, and you could pick them out from miles away in their dark suits and sunglasses, standing with their hands clasped in front of them beside black cars or helicopters - the point was, they didn't usually hold loud phone conversations right next to the very people they'd already promised would be kept in the dark. They probably didn't normally wear leather, either. And they were usually better at lying than Gabby was.
No. They were subtle, Janet decided, but in a very different way. They were subtle because they were confident enough that they really didn't have to be. No one had given out specific details yet, and for them, that was enough. With the way they were acting, Janet certainly wouldn't have pegged them for being government agents, if she hadn't seen that firsthand.
She was starting to wonder, though.
Tanith clicked her phone shut just as a dark-haired teenager pushed open the door into the lobby. Janet instinctively rose, but stopped midway when Tanith turned and nodded to her. "Hey, Steph. Stephanie, meet Janet and... Kelly, wasn't it? And did you already meet Saffron?"
The girl shook her head as she walked up. "Not yet. Hi, Saffron."
Janet wasn't going to say she looked harmless, but she also didn't look like anything more than a fifteen year old girl. More than enough for Kelly to handle, either way. "My office is just through there," she told the two newcomers with a gesture towards the door. "I have to stay up here, so Kelly's going to keep an eye on you. Assuming, of course, that she can keep them open."
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Janet had actually been wondering about this for the better part of yesterday and this morning. No one - not Pleasant, not Tanith, and not Gabby - was making even the slightest effort to be subtle. Only Saffron seemed to be putting forth that effort, and she managed it mainly by disappearing during her free time.
Janet had never known government agents from any country to be subtle, but they always made some effort. Even if it was a laughable effort, and you could pick them out from miles away in their dark suits and sunglasses, standing with their hands clasped in front of them beside black cars or helicopters - the point was, they didn't usually hold loud phone conversations right next to the very people they'd already promised would be kept in the dark. They probably didn't normally wear leather, either. And they were usually better at lying than Gabby was.
No. They were subtle, Janet decided, but in a very different way. They were subtle because they were confident enough that they really didn't have to be. No one had given out specific details yet, and for them, that was enough. With the way they were acting, Janet certainly wouldn't have pegged them for being government agents, if she hadn't seen that firsthand.
She was starting to wonder, though.
Tanith clicked her phone shut just as a dark-haired teenager pushed open the door into the lobby. Janet instinctively rose, but stopped midway when Tanith turned and nodded to her. "Hey, Steph. Stephanie, meet Janet and... Kelly, wasn't it? And did you already meet Saffron?"
The girl shook her head as she walked up. "Not yet. Hi, Saffron."
Janet wasn't going to say she looked harmless, but she also didn't look like anything more than a fifteen year old girl. More than enough for Kelly to handle, either way. "My office is just through there," she told the two newcomers with a gesture towards the door. "I have to stay up here, so Kelly's going to keep an eye on you. Assuming, of course, that she can keep them open."