James started work the next morning with a friendly, cheerful reminder – CC’d to both him and McGovern from a higher-up he had never heard of in his life – that the 1920 LeRoux case needed to be prioritized now that it was in the system. So if he wanted to send someone to get the information, the Records office would be open today. With another thought about North Aroostook County’s potential jaunt through Quebec to achieve this, James went out to the living room, where everybody who was currently on shift were working on various assignments.

“Change of plans,” James said as he came into the room, wishing immediately that he hadn’t left his coffee behind in his office. “They’re on our asses now about that historical case, the Blueberry Hill Farm one. So lesson number one: don’t put the historical cases in the system. This will remind the Foundation that they exist and they’ll suddenly become urgent matters. Secondly, the original notes for the case are all in Boston and need to be found, photocopied, and brought back. I know we’re all incredibly busy today, but I need someone to take a field trip.”

Graham already had a raincoat on and was gathering the cryptid kit together. He looked at James almost pleadingly. “Be free,” James said, waving him toward the door. “Your comms are set?”

“Right here,” Graham said. “I’ll call if anything changes.”

“Appreciated. Go make us proud, sir.”

Graham laughed and rolled his eyes as he went over to the dining room table for more supplies. James looked around at the remaining crew. Amelia couldn’t go, she had way too much to do here. He didn’t know how many files they’d end up with, but Madelyn wouldn’t be able to lift and carry boxes that were anything like the ones the Foundation kept shipping them. So even though she was mostly scheduled for side work and comms, she shouldn’t go. And Gabriella was also drowning in work. James couldn’t go for the same reasons as Amelia, as well as a quick break later to talk to Celia for that case, and he wasn’t about to call Bradley on his day off to go. 

Maybe he could hire that cute courier, Meredith, to do it. Was she a contractor or was she on the Foundation’s payroll? Would that be ethical or possible? And would she maybe have dinner with him after?

“Gabriella, can you drive down there and get them?” James asked, picking the most likely candidate and hoping he wasn’t going to offend Madelyn in the process.

Gabriella glanced at the others, then back at James. “I can,” she said. “But you have me down to interview Rocelli at eleven and McDonald at three.”

Shit, he forgot about McDonald. “I can postpone McDonald again,” James said. “I’ll call him in a few minutes.”

McDonald was going to be pissed. James had postponed this interview last week because it was last on the list and he wasn’t getting to it before midnight. He’d have to tack it on to the beginning of the next round. And maybe he should have Gabriella get records for a second historical case while she was there today, to save them time and effort for the next one.

As James’s brain was spinning with problems and plans, Madelyn turned to Gabriella. “I could cover the McDonald interview,” she said.

That should really be James’s call, but whatever. She had a practical solution to their problem. There was no way he could send Madelyn to pick up the files and they all knew it. 

Gabriella looked at James, who nodded. “Yeah, if you’re alright with it,” he said to Madelyn. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “Or I could take Boston, if you don’t think…”

She trailed off and James considered which would be worse, accidentally insulting her or just walking away from the job, never to return. “I don’t know anything,” he admitted.

No one leapt on the obvious joke, but James’s face felt warm. “I know that whoever goes will need to find the records in the archives and I have no idea what shape they’ll be in. Or how many files it’ll ultimately be. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a lot of lifting heavy boxes.”

“My specialty.”

Since she laughed, he almost felt okay laughing a little. “I’m on comms with Graham at eleven,” she said. “But I can take the afternoon interview.”

If he hadn’t worked with her for so long, he wouldn’t have noticed the sadness behind her otherwise neutral tone. But if she was trying to hide it, then he wasn’t going to call her out. “You’re a lifesaver,” he said instead. “I’ll get you the background information. McDonald’s kind of a dick, but he’s fine.”

“Thanks.”

“Graham, will you be back by three?” James asked.

“I fucking better be.”

“Great. I’ll have you on comms then, while Madelyn takes McDonald. And I’ll take Rocelli while she’s on with you like we originally planned. My plans at eleven were mostly budgetary and that just wouldn’t be the same without Bradley yelling at me. Alright, that’s sorted. Meeting is done.”

Madelyn got up faster than everyone else and started down the stairs toward the gym. Gabriella glanced at James, then got up and followed. Graham clapped James on the shoulder. “I’m out,” he said. “I have to get some gas first, then I’m in the woods. I’ll call the main line when I get to the state forest.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Don’t forget to give me your receipt, I don’t want you eating the cost of gas.”

“Got it, boss.”

Graham tossed him a salute, then headed out into the rainy morning, though James knew he was going to call Madelyn as soon as he was in the car. Now he was alone in the living room with Amelia. She glanced at him and he sat down on the couch beside her. “Do you think I insulted Madelyn?”

“What?”

“She isn’t scheduled for much today, but I didn’t ask her to go to Boston first.”

“You didn’t ask her to drive thirty miles to lift fifty pound boxes? I don’t think she’s offended by that. Honestly, I think the fact that you didn’t jump on her for offering to take Gabriella’s case without checking with you first did more for her than asking just to make her feel included would have.”

“I didn’t want to patronize her.”

“She is a little touchy about it lately,” Amelia admitted, reaching down to pick up Fang, who was nuzzling her legs. “I know she’s worried about being able to keep up with the demands of the job.”

That wasn’t something a twenty-five year old should have been worried about. But at least he didn’t feel like a total jackass. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, glancing at the stairs. “It explains some of the sharpness lately.”

“Oh, you’ve noticed that?” Amelia said, her voice both sarcastic and extremely quiet. “It’s the same at home. I’m really hoping a first floor unit opens up soon so we can move downstairs. It’s getting harder. I’m just letting it go, though. I see the frustration and I know she’s worried about being able to work, either here or anywhere else. I just wish I had a solution.”

James nodded, still looking toward the stairs.

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CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 10