May 20, 1999

May: So... I assume it went well.

I put down my Chinese take-out and looked at May. Ever since our third year, me and May moved out of the dormitories of T.H.E.P.A. academy. Her father got her a house in London and we've been flatmates since. None of us were good at cooking so we usually just ate out or ordered in.

Harlan: I mean... no shit.

May rolled her eyes as she fed herself a piece of pork.

May: What did you say that made him let you?

Harlan: I don't know. I just know Forster was kinda against it. But your dad fought for it. They couldn't get her to talk for a month and now that I made her talk... too valuable to let go. By the way, you got the files?

I tried reaching for May's bag but she pulled it away.

May: Hey hey hey! What do you think you're doing?

Harlan: I wanna read the files, prepare for tomorrow.

May: Oh no no no, I don't think so.

Harlan: What do you me-

May: I'll do the interogating, you stick to research.

Harlan: What- no! May!

May laughed as she ate.

Harlan: Seriously though, I feel like I should do the talking.

May: Sorry but no.

Harlan: Why?

May: Because, it's my case, you're just assisting. You just jumped in late. Plus, I need someone to do the boring work.

Harlan: Yeah fair point but... I made her talk.

May: Well she also did talk while I was there.

Harlan: Yeah but... I did it first!

May: Harlan.

May looked at me.

May: Harlan, please. It's my chance.

I looked at her and understood. She wanted to do it not for her, but for her father. I looked at her, and nodded.

Harlan: Alright. You're in charge.

May smiled and thanked me before going back to her food. I looked at her one last time and accepted that this was for the best, for her best, before I went back to my food.

_.-

May told me I didn't have to report in the next day so I was able to sleep-in and wake up late.

May spent last night going over the files on Clair and before she left for work, she left the files at home for me to go over. I went over them, starting with usual profile things about Clair. Name, age, birthday, parents, you know.

Name: Clair Delvey

Age: 33

Birthday: May 22, 1972

Everything else was blank. I checked every other file, it barely had anything on her. We had nothing.

I finished looking at every empty document, and as I leaned back on my chair, my mind eventually went to Clair. I started thinking about her. Thinking about why she would be there in that interrogation room, how she just took one look at me and knew all those things about me.

Who is Clair Delvey?

I ordered food and May came home at night. She didn't talk from when she came home till while we were eating dinner. This wasn't her. I looked at her every few minutes as we ate just to make sure she wouldn't explode or suddenly attack me, but at one point, she just lost it.

May: Fucking shit!

May slammed the table.

Harlan: Bad day?

May: Bitch wouldn't talk. Well she did but...

I didn't need May to finish for me to know. She did the thing.

May groaned as she slugged down to the floor.

May: How'd you make her talk?

I honestly didn't know.

Harlan: I don't know, I just sat in front of her, then she just did... I-

I was remembering the whole experience. How she took one look at me and knew everything about me. My mind started just thinking about her and I had to tell myself to stop for her to get off my mind.

Harlan: You- you were there. You saw it.

May looked up at me.

May:I want you to go talk to her.

I looked at May, pretending to be shocked.

Harlan: What?

May: You heard me, dipshit. I want you to go talk to her.

I looked at May. And nodded yes.

Harlan: Alright, not tomorrow though.

May: I'm sorry?

May looked at me, confused.

Harlan: I said, not tomorrow.

May looked confused.

May: Harlan, I don't understand why-

Harlan: Just please, trust me.

May looked at me.

May: Alright... but you and I... we're gonna have some drinks now. Deal?

She held out her hand and I shook it before I got up and got some drinks.

_.-

The next day, as requested, I didn't go and talk to Clair. May and I decided to stay in and just take the day off. Watched some television, went out to get some chips, and just hung out.

I woke up early the next day and left earlier than usual, I had to make a quicktop somewhere. I sat in the interrogation room a few hours earlier and spent it going over the files over and over again.

Eventually, the door opened and two agents brought in Clair Delvey for questioning.