While I normally would never ill-wish anyone, it would not have bothered me if someone’d had something or someone go missing. At this point, I’d even take a stalk-n-snap job, just to have something to do. Our office was a full block from the subway entrance. The rain had paused, but the air was still so damp with humidity, it almost didn’t make a difference. My boots – acquired from a supply store in Oklahoma a decade ago – kept my feet dry, but my shirt was sticking to my back, and the cuffs of my slacks were soaked. At least I didn’t have allergies – it seemed as though every other person I passed was sneezing and red-eyed from pollen. I got off the elevator on our floor, took off my baseball cap and shook the dampness out of my hair, and checked my watch. Exactly seven fifty-eight. Well, at least I wasn’t going to be late. “Hey boss,” a cheerful voice greeted me as I walked through the door at exactly seven fifty-nine.
