Drt by Eric Thomas

her. Kelly nodded back. It was quiet again. “You can go now, Kelly.”
    Kelly nodded. “Thank you.”
    More nodding, “You’re welcome.”
    I noticed all the women in the room were nodding now in unison. The woman in the middle of the room leaned forward, toward Kelly, her considerable heft spilled onto her desk. “Go to the bathroom, Kelly.”
    Kelly got out of her chair, using her hands to steady herself. She looked like she had never used her legs before. She walked out of the room.
    The woman in the middle of the room shook her head, and looked at me, “New people, pshh.”  
    The typing resumed, louder and more furious than before. The keys clacked with such speed it was like the sound of each blended into the other. As the typing finished some of the keys were slammed so hard the flat sound echoed around the room and hung. It was like a piano concert when the master finishes with a flourish and then lets the sound resonate. She turned her attention to me.  
    “Can I help you?”
    “Yes.”  
    “HOW can I help you?”
    “I-I am looking for-”
    “Honey, please, sit over here.”
    I got up and all of the women in the office broke the gaze of their computer screens and stared at me as I moved. Their heads moved in synch with each other as they tracked the twenty paces I took from my seat to the chair in front of the woman. Their eyes followed my movements with the rapt attention of an audience at a tennis match. I sat down and the interest of all the women shifted back to their screens at once. I began to get the impression that their only purpose in the office was to serve as human motion detectors.
    “What can I do for you?”
    “I am here about Jerry Morris.”  
    “I am so sorry that I made you wait,” she said with feigned sincerity, “We are all very sorry about what happened to Jerry.”
    “We’re very sorry,” said all the women in unison.
    “We’re wearing blue ribbons to remember him.”
    She grabbed the lapel of her jacket and pushed the ribbon at me. I looked around the room and saw all of the women were mimicking her movement. The woman in the center then dropped her lapel, and so did everyone else at the same time.  
    “I was wondering if I could pick up his things. Grab whatever he kept here.”  
    “I’m sorry Mr.-”
    “Harris.”
    “Mr. Harris, we can only release the belongings to a family member. Besides, Mr. Morris had all of his belongings in a locker.”
    The room darkened but the woman didn’t seem to notice. I felt a burning sensation in my throat. A snaky growl was present in my ears and I felt the red beams of light from Jerry’s eyes burning the back of my neck. I smelled slight exhaust. I knew what to say.
    “Well, you heard about the problems with the family,” I said. I didn’t know about the problems with the family. This was news to me but it was what I needed to say. “He said he wanted me to have his things if anything, you know, happened.”
    “That’s true,” she said, shaking her head and jowls. “A terrible shame, he had such a beautiful family. Are you friends with them?”  
    “I am, er, was.”
    “Jerry told us about Leigh Ann’s…problems. He didn’t talk a lot about it but we knew, terrible shame, just terrible. We were surprised that no one came for his things but not all that surprised. Because of...well, you know.”  
    I wanted to know but I didn’t want to press my luck. It sounded like she was going to let me have the stuff in the locker. I didn’t say anything, just nodded.
    “Well, Mr. Harris I suppose Phyllis can help you. She has the key.”
    A woman seated by the door rose from her chair and stood, as if someone had activated her. She was tall and thin, her hair gathered into a perfect cone stalagmite on the top of her head. She had pursed lips and looked like she was chewing gum.
    I turned to the woman in the middle of the room, “Thank you.”
    “Wait a second,” She leaned down under her desk. Her great wide