Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
An hour later, she forced herself to catch the bus back to her apartment. She’d certainly heard of random reviews of research. Those usually took weeks, and the head scientist was involved to answer questions and explain what hypotheses they’d tested, refined, and/or abandoned. Never in her experience was a review conducted with the sole purpose of firing a scientist.
There had been baffling theories in the past. Some of the scientists involved had made the most remarkable discoveries. Thinking outside the box was rewarded. It led to breakthroughs, like hers. She was only baby steps away from a major discovery in cancer research. Everything had lined up perfectly. What did they think they’d found that was wrong?
Celeste dragged herself upstairs and automatically changed into her running clothes. She always ran after work. It helped her synthesize everything she’d done throughout the day. The ideas she came up with as she powered through a few miles were the direct result of giving her mind a task and letting it work as she worked out.
The only thing that developed on this run was a determination to prove they were wrong. Back in her apartment, she showered and pulled on her favorite pajamas before diving into the data. Nothing. There was nothing wrong. Her calculations were perfect.
Unable to stop herself, Celeste grabbed her personal computer and tried logging into the system to find the negative documentation that had to be in her file. Her login and password didn’t function. They’d very efficiently removed her access.
Celeste typed a different login into the computer and let it fill in the password for her. She’d dated a guy in the personnel department a month ago. He’d logged into her laptop in an emergency, and her system had saved his access.
Zipping through the files, she accessed hers and found the newest file labeled “Termination Proof.” She downloaded it quickly and logged out of the system. Determined, she compared her research to the file. There. That wasn’t right. Someone had altered the results of one of her tests. No wonder they didn’t think her research was valid. She would have questioned it as well if that had been the correct data.
Sure that there had been a problem, she copied the screenshots of the discrepancy and emailed them to Dr. Hughes. Feeling better than she had all day, Celeste decided to run to the all-night diner and celebrate with pancakes—her favorite splurge meal. Thinking she might want to look at the data saved on it again, Celeste added her laptop to her large purse. She applauded the day she’d decided the oversized handbag would be a more stylish way to carry everything.
Changing quickly into jeans, she looked at her childhood stuffie on the bed. Hades, the black cat, should come along for the celebration. She could fit, too. No one would see her in Celeste’s big bag.
A few hours later, stuffed with pancakes, Celeste rode the elevator up to her floor. When it opened, she could see her door. Something looked wrong. Quietly, she tiptoed closer to the door and stopped. The bottom edge of the door had a red square by the hinge.
Heart pounding, she dashed back to the elevator and frantically stabbed the button. The doors reopened immediately, and she quickly entered and jabbed the ground floor. Her mechanical engineer roommate in college had designed the red-square trick to show when someone had been in their room. It was a simple device that activated only when her phone wasn’t nearby and the room door was opened.
Quickly, she called the police and reported a break-in. The dispatcher instructed her to go into the bathroom in the apartment building lobby and lock the door. Listening to every creak and sound as she hid in the corner of the room, Celeste stayed on the phone until an officer knocked on the door and identified himself.
“Someone ransacked your apartment. It appears they were looking for something,” the officer said, studying her reaction closely.
Celeste sucked in a breath. Was there any chance someone from her company would come after her? “I’m a research scientist who spends three-fourths of her life in the lab.”
“Working on anything someone would be interested in?”
“A cure for cancer.”
“That could make someone a lot of money,” the officer replied, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes, but this isn’t the movies. People don’t come after scientists. They don’t even know we exist,” Celeste muttered.
“I would suggest you find somewhere to stay for a while. Then, change the locks or consider moving. I’ll gladly escort you to your apartment and wait while you pack a few things to take with you.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that,” she said gratefully, pushing her hair back from her face with a shaky hand.
Walking into her apartment, Celeste looked at the disaster that had happened while she’d been eating pancakes. What if she had been at home? She quickly gathered running gear, several pairs of jeans and tops, and a bunch of underwear from the piles tossed all over her bedroom. The intruder had broken her e-reader and had left her vibrator buzzing on her bed.