#hgjfkds perfect timing indeed

[cfmysteries]

AS THEIR BROWN EYES ROVED THE SEEMINGLY UNHELPFUL arrangement of flyers, which still included far too many missing pet posters they couldn't help but notice, which seemed odd now considering how much had happened since the great animal escape at the veterinary clinic, they couldn't help but feeling a bit dejected at the idea of reaching yet another dead end. They were tired of drowning in a bunch of loose ends without being able to tie some of them up, or just connect enough dots to get one big break. It wouldn't have been as frustrating if they weren't well aware of the burning file they had nabbed from the basement of the mall, unable to prove anything with it just yet. Inching closer to the edge of something wasn't very helpful if the final push seemed to be lacking. Their near constant eye contact with the board was broken only to give an unimpressed look with Paige's answer, catching onto the familiar accent, hand coming to their hip while they instead let the researcher stumble over her wording. "Nice catch. Weird isn't exactly the word your boss prefers to be likened to." The dry comment fell from their lips without as second nature, no real hostility within their words nor did they have any interest in creating a hostile work environment despite their penchant for sarcasm. "I'm interested in tracking down as many people who were working or volunteering at that Halloween trainwreck, not for any particular reason other than I feel I'd get some more reliable information." Especially considering it was an event providing free drinks. "But finding a starting point for that is suspiciously more difficult than I expected." That, or anything that didn't immediately work out for them was seen as suspicious in Zeliha's eyes. "No, I can't actually. I thought you had a coffee cup permanently embedded into the palm of your hand at this point."

With her hands occupied, engaged in a riveting game of Castlevania on her Gameboy Advance, Paige was not at first paying much mind to the voice that spoke at her. If she was, then she might've made more of an effort to reveal herself as the very same research expert that was enduring the same kind of inaction in their community. Instead, she stuck her tongue out through her cheek and mashed the buttons harder. "I do not know, I don't work here," she said, never less than completely honest, even if it did unsettle most. It had taken another few seconds and beats of silence before Paige's head jerked up and the hoodie that concealed her identity fell off the top of her head, pooling around at her shoulders. "Srát. Zel, it's just you," she sighed. "Ah, I thought that sounded weird. Weird, in a, uh... Family way. Familiar way, I mean." She spared another glance down at her Gameboy only so she could save the game and exit safely. Quickly, she joined Zeliha at their side and began pondering the white board as well. "Um, I do not, no... But I'm good at hiding, so, maybe I just miss it. What are we looking for here, exactly?" As if she weren't a grown woman with no necessity for explaining herself, she decided to offer an excuse anyway, "I only come to do my laundry. I did not even have coffee before coming here. Can you believe that?"