Chapter 111

Wendy talked at me as we rode the elevators. She chatted while we were stepping off into the main lobby of the government building. Footsteps and general noise bounced off the marble floors and the vaulted ceilings, giving it a sort of stately echo. Wendy prattled right over the top of this. Near the front doors, metal detectors, and security guards monitored everybody who came inside. But on the way out, a single security guard simply waved to people, most of whom he greeted by name.

So it was that sort of building. I could get used to working in a building full of friendly people. Wendy greeted the security guard, called him Chip, and hauled me out the door. She’d barely let go of me yet and somehow managed to breathe in between her continuous talk.

Now she was giving me a rundown on building hours, and the pass that I would need for checking in, and what things not to try and even bring in, and what things to get special permits for.

I finally understood why Chief Conroy put me together with a senior writer. Not only was the Palace Press Panel something completely new to me, but there was so much about working in a government building that I wasn’t used to that. It was like being on a tilt-a-whirl at the carnival. I felt slightly ill.

I sat in the front next to Wendy while she drove, and Theo sat in the back. I took the opportunity to partially block out her continued chatter and observe the city as we drove through.

Lupinton had been clean and metropolitan and lacked personality. I could see why people might live in Packhaven just for the enjoyment of it. The part of the city that we were driving through had moderately tall buildings. Not skyscrapers, but still several stories. On the bottom one or two floors were businesses, shops, cafes, and the like.

Above them, apartments with balconies overlooked the activity below. People living in these buildings wouldn’t have to go far to meet up with friends and family and find all of the supplies they needed to supply their houses. It gave the city a very community feel.

Maybe Lupinton had neighborhoods like this, too, but I certainly hadn’t seen any. They were all cold steel and glass, very business efficient. While there were businesses and restaurants below Lupinton’s apartments, something about the ones here in Packhaven seemed more inviting.

Or maybe it was just that my entire experience with Packhaven had been better, and so, therefore, the city looked more inviting. How interesting to think about perception and what my treatment in Lupinton had done to mine. Now, everything felt skewed, and I felt like I was investigating the truth of my own life.

As we drove through the city, Wendy kept pointing out different things. “Oh, you have to try that restaurant,” she’d say. Or, “They have the best microbrews in the city.” Or, “Don’t shop at that stall. His produce is always sketchy. And the lady that runs that shop is a complete bitch. You can get the same clothes a few blocks from here at another boutique, if like the sort of stuff that they have.”

Wendy seemed to be up on all of the gossip as we drove further away from the government buildings.

“Do you live around here?” I asked, finally interrupting.

She shook her head. “I live in the same building you do. Well, actually, it’s not the same building. I live in the same complex. I live in the tower across from your tower. The complex just feels like one big building with the covered walkway.”

“Did you know you can go from one to the other without ever getting wet? Even if it’s pouring!” She turned a corner and pointed down the street. “The new municipal park is just down here.”

Before I could utter a noise, she continued, “As you can see, this section of the city has a lot to offer. But there is a distinct lack of green space.”

“What’s the history of the location?” I asked.

“That’s the part of the story that I’m going to write,” she said. “But I’m happy to share the details with you. I did a lot of research on it. This particular lot used to be an old apartment building complex, but the buildings were getting run down.”

“So the city bought the property and tore down the buildings. And open the land back up as a municipal park. There’s already a recreation center in this neighborhood with a pool and indoor courts, an exercise room, and event rooms. Obviously, they didn’t need anything like that twice over.”

“So this one is going to be community playing fields. It will have outdoor tennis courts, and a football pitch, and that sort of stuff, along with some greenspace for things like yoga or picnics.”

“It sounds nice,” I said.

“We have something similar in the part of town I’m from, too,” Theo added.

Wendy shot a hungry look into the back seat at him like an ice cream cone had just spoken up. In response, he clamped his mouth shut and shrank into the back of his seat.

She nodded at me. “It is nice. Like I said, this is a cute area of town. There are a lot of nice people here, and the shops are excellent. There’s always something entertaining to do. But it’s really missing green.”

I could only sort of see what she meant. It looked to me like there were a lot of plantings along the street with trees and shrubs and flowers and whatnot. Not to mention, many of the balconies had potted plants on them, which added to the feeling of being in a very green city. But, admittedly, there wasn’t any open grass.

“I think,” she continued, “there’s even a dog park at the municipal fields. So if you’re a pet kind of person…”

I shook my head. “Not really. But it’s nice that the city tried to think of as many different sorts of people as they could when they built the facility.”

“Exactly,” she said.

“So, if you’ve written the history of the location, what would you like me to research?” I asked.

Wendy drove us into an underground parking lot, pulling a ticket and tossing it casually on the dash. “All the parking today is free,” she said. “After the celebration, it will be reasonable so that people can afford to use the park even if they need to drive in to use it. The local residents will be able to walk.”

She still babbled as she pulled into a parking spot.

“As for what you’re going to research, we need opinion sources. I want you to find residents of the area. And maybe one or two people who drive in and use it. Please get a feel for how they like the new facility and whether or not they feel it’s adequately serving their community, especially since community service is kind of the point. The citizens who read our news will be eager to know whether or not the city has done its job.”

“I think I can do that,” I agreed.

“Besides,” she pointed out, “this will give you a chance to really get to know the people of Packhaven and what they think of their city.”

Wendy turned off the engine of her car and started gathering her stuff. I took the opportunity to pull out my phone and text Charles. I wanted to let him know I’d be home in time for dinner. How domestic. It made my heart flutter to imagine it.

Without thinking, I dialed his old number. Immediately, my new phone chimed with the message that his old number was no longer in service. Huh. I tried texting my old number and got the same notice.

A chill flashed through my body, slowing my blood at the same time my heart skipped a beat. With all our old connections shut down, the only people on the planet who knew where Charles and I were currently located were the questionable individuals who brought us here in the first place.