Double Bind Read Online Free Page A

guiltier than ever.   “Yes?” She said, hoping that she looked relatively innocent.
                He put his hand out.   “Your keycard, please.”
                Sarah hoped that her relief didn’t show on her face.   She could deal with it if they were only upset about her keycard.   Of course, it would make it a lot harder for her to prove that she was innocent, but anything was better than them taking her back down to the station.   Angela might not be able to save her this time.
                “Oh!   Of course.   Sorry.”   She pulled the keycard from its lanyard around her neck, passing it over to her boss.
                “Thank you.   We can’t have non-employees running around the company unescorted.”   He glanced at the detective, who was looking at the computer and the files on the desk.   “Perhaps it would be best if the detective escorted you out of the building.”
                Sarah almost squeaked in horror, but she managed to clamp her mouth shut.   To her delight, the detective looked as off-put as she was.   “I don’t know if -”
                “Please, detective.” Mr Grisham said, his eyebrows raising.   “Since we have been so accommodating.”
                The detective grimaced a little, but nodded.   “Of course.   I’ll see that she doesn’t contaminate the crime scene further.”   He turned away from the files and the computer, following Sarah into the hall.   Sarah scowled as she headed down the hallway toward the elevators.   Behind her, the detective stopped briefly, glancing back at Mr. Grisham.
                “If you would seal the room.   I’ll need to find out exactly what she was doing.”
                “Of course, detective,” Mr. Grisham said, nodding slightly.   “I’ll see that it gets done.”
                The detective nodded his thanks, and then joined Sarah just as the elevator doors opened.   Because it was so late, the elevator was completely empty.   Nearly everyone else had left for the weekend.   She stood awkwardly next to the detective, letting him push the button for the parking garage.
                After a moment, the awkwardness seemed to build.   Sarah almost felt that if something didn’t happen, she was going to suffocate on the stale air in the elevator.   She’d never been particularly claustrophobic, but suddenly she desperately wanted out of the cramped space, where she could feel the detective watching her every move.
                Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.   Clutching her purse tightly to herself, she turned to the detective.   “Detective, you have to believe me.   I’m just trying to clear my name.   I promise I didn’t do it.”
                Detective Snyder seemed surprised at her earnest tone, but it didn’t drop the smirk from his face.   “Oddly enough, Ms. Gaul, everyone I’ve interrogated said the same thing.”
                Sarah scowled.   Here she was trying to make it up to him, and he was just as infuriating as ever.   She might have even given him the file under her purse, but that certainly wasn’t going to happen now.   “And oddly enough, I’ll bet a good number of them were telling the truth.”
                The detective looked a little surprised.   “Ms. Gaul, I’m sorry, but we have a lot of evidence pointing to you, and none pointing anywhere else.”
                “Don’t you think that’s at least a little odd?   I’m not an idiot, I watch CSI and all those other shows.   Why wouldn’t I try to throw off the scent from me at least a little?”
                He looked at her, but said nothing.
                “I mean it!” She said, getting more worked up.   “None of it makes any sense.   Why wouldn’t I do a better job of covering my tracks?   Why