You Had Me at Halo(49)

“So I’m being punished.” Holly could feel her bottom lip wobble. “Is this because I told my boss last month that I had cramps when really I was just hung over? Or is it because I stole the sign to the women’s toilets at the Baker Colwell Christmas party, because not naming names, but Gemma Gulliven was definitely egging me on.”

“You still have until tomorrow at one o’clock before anything is decided, and even then it’s not as a punishment for past crimes. It’s just as a way of helping you to get rid of your issues. It’s designed to give some peace and open you up to—”

“Please don’t say the glories of heaven or I think I’ll be sick,” Holly retorted.

“I’m not here to give you a hard time. I’m here to help. After all, I’m your spiritual realigner.”

“Okay,” she gulped. “So if you’re here to help, then help me. Tell me what else I can do. I really don’t want to lose my memories.”

Dr. Hill gave her a comforting smile as he studied the plasma screen on his little machine. “The problem appears to be tied up in the fact some people think you committed suicide.”

“I. Did. Not—”

Dr. Hill inched away from her. “I’m not here to judge,” he reassured her. “All I’m saying is that it seems to bother you.”

“Of course it bothers me.” Holly rummaged around in Vince’s bag for the brochure that he’d tried to hide from her earlier. Don’t Suffer in Silence. Call Suicide Samaritans now. “They are all over the company as well,” she informed him. “And they weren’t last time I was here.”

“Well, that’s what you have to do.”

“What, clear my name and convince people I didn’t kill myself?”

Dr. Hill nodded.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, that’s what I have been trying to do,” Holly was stung into retorting. “It’s not like I’ve come back just to go shopping and relax. I’ve been working my butt off. Do you think this has been easy for me?” she added in a righteous voice.

Dr. Hill lifted an eyebrow. “You went to a bar and drank beer,” he reminded her.

Holly winced. “Well...okay...I guess I shouldn’t have done that. Though in my defense it’s been a very long day, Did I tell you that Vince’s girlfriend tried to kiss me this morning? Which by the way definitely isn’t making this job any easier. That girl is like a limpet, and honestly if Vince is too nice to tell her to shove off then I should probably do it for him. It would be my way of saying thank-you for all his help.”

“Er, sure. If you say so. But what was your point?”

Holly scratched her head for a moment. Vince being nice? Amy Jenkins being a limpet? Drinking beer? Oh yes—that was right, she had been going to say how hard this whole thing was. “It’s not exactly simple to prove my innocence in this body. You guys sure don’t expect much.”

“We have no expectations. This is your mind and it’s the one that won’t let go. So really this isn’t a work project you’re being forced to do. This is for you.”

Holly thought of all the hand written notes she’d made herself when she first started her new job. She knew it didn’t always come that easily to her, which is why she worked so hard to make sure she didn’t fail. But how could she work on the biggest project of her life…or death…when she couldn’t convince anyone to talk to her?

She felt another bubble of panic start to rise, but this time there was no Vince around to calm her down.

“Are you all right?”

She took a deep breath and tried to imagine Vince telling her it would all be okay. “I guess so. That memory-wiping thing just threw me for a few minutes. But I’m going to see Todd tonight and you know he’s a pretty clever guy. I’m sure he’ll be able to help.”

The little machine made a beeping noise and Dr. Hill looked up with a smile. “Definitely the right attitude, there’s already an improvement in your mind.”

“Hey.” Holly felt some of panic subsiding. “Well that was easy—not as easy as cheating on a magazine quiz of course—but not too bad.”

“Thanks...I think.”

“That’s okay,” she started to say but the rest of the words stuck in her throat as she caught sight of four guys wearing novelty ties walking toward her. They must have got sick of waiting for her to come and collect the satchel. Well, when she said her, she meant Vince. Oh boy.

At least they were too far away to see her lips moving. The last thing she wanted was for them to think she’d been talking to her invisible friend.

And where was Vince when she needed him?

According to Dr. Hill he would be out of it for the next few hours. Great. It looked like she was going to have to go this one alone.

“It’s all right,” Holly said under her breath to Dr. Hill. “I won’t give the game away.”

“Hey, Vince, the guys got sick of waiting so we thought we’d come out here and see if we could find you.” Andrew passed the satchel over.

“Yeah, and who are you talking to?” Graham added.

“Talking to? I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Holly gratefully clutched at the bag and tried to sound Vince like. “Just here all by myself.”