Free Learning to Trust: Curtain Falls by B. B. Roman Page A

and cell phone by my desk. I had to get out of there. I had to eject now . It didn't matter what I would be leaving at Roland's or anything else. I was a total wreck.
    I flushed the toilet multiple times, the spiralin g of the water so hypnotic to my weary, impressionable self . Oh yes, I wanted to flush it again and again , to distract myself from anything that mattered . Finally , I got a grip and walked to the sink. My eyes were swollen from all of the crying. I splashed some water against my blood -red cheeks . How appropriate! Deep breaths...
    The bathroom continued to hold me like a prison, my body rejecting the possibility of progress every time I sorted out my courage. I wasn't sure if I could face the world again after that. I just had to get moving. It would get easier. I'd be able to sort out my feelings, only if I could move, only if I could—
    After losing track of time again, I was finally ready to leave the bathroom. My heart was pounding as I flipped the lock on the door. Thankfully , no one had come to this bathroom while I did my languishing . It was in the end o f the building that most of the employees never came to. I peeked my head into the hall. Empty.
    Doing my best to maintain my composure, I walked back into my office and sat down. I needed to get out of there, but first I needed to ensure I wasn't just going to collapse into pieces if I walked too fast . I was struck with somewhat of a morbid curiosity, so I decided to check the news about the event, to see what had been released to the public. Oh yes, this was big news, all right.
    12 DEAD AFTER DOWNTOWN BOMBING
    Investigators struggling to piece together information about heinous downtown crime. Potential terrorism links.
    This was serious as hell. Terrorism? I was praying that Ramón would figure out the connection. Oh god , I needed to call him.
    They went on to mention the Provence and the collapsing apartments above the restaurant. Just reading it was making me feel ill again. This was such big news. Then I got to the part in the middle:
    The only suspect is a female with dark-brown hair that was captured by area security cameras entering and leaving the restaurant around 20 minutes before the bombing occurred. If you have any information that could aid investigators, please call the police department or the anonymous tip line provided below.
    Blackness—there it was, growing inside of me again like cancer.
    Damnit, damnit, damnit! I was a suspect ! This was impossible, the worst nightmare imaginable. Roland had held me at the secluded place in the woods so that I wouldn't know what I had done! I thought about that notification sound his phone had given right as we pulled up. It was someone telling him that it was all over. The bomb had gone off. The path was clear now. Roland's deal could finally go through. Nothing else stood in his way.
    He must have jammed my phone somehow, prevented mine from receiving any signal while his continued to function. I didn't think about it at all after it happened. Roland had been sloppy as hell, and I just totally missed it. Well, he hadn't been sloppy about everything . No one was suspecting him, but then again, why should they?
    Suddenly there was a knocking at my door. I almost screamed. It was the receptionist.
    "Hey, Marisa," she said. "I was wondering when you were gonna be back. There were a couple of guys here looking for you. Pretty serious looking. Maybe cops. I told 'em to get lost."
    I continued to sit there in silence, my face totally blank. My hand started trembling on the desk, so I trapped it between my thighs. "T-t-t-thanks," I said. "I don't know what they wanted."
    "Me neither. I've got to go though." She closed the door again and left. The messenger spoke—and then departed. Somebody was already after me. Were they cops? Or even worse, Marcus's goons? I wasn't sure if Ramón would have actually interacted with the local police force or just kept to FBI business.
    It became very clear to