The Pros of Cons

17 | I'm Not The Girl For This

My eyes narrowed on the tiny device before looking back at him. I wasn't trying to keep a straight face anymore. "I'm not sure I'm following..."

Cruise leaned forward a touch and clasped his hands together. "You know... You're in the position where you could really help the police."

I snorted. "What?"

"Believe it or not, you do need us on your side. It's not like you're exactly seen as innocent around here, Miss Harvie."

I mouth dropped open a few centimetres. The audacity! This was becoming a waste of my time. "Believe it or not, I am innocent," I said in defence. "If you actually had something on me, I don't think I'd be roaming free right now — I don't need to do you any favours to prove myself."

"But it certainly wouldn't hurt your case, Miss Harvie. Helping the police who put their lives on the line to protect you? Giving them more of a reason to trust you? Now why would you want to do that?"

I opened my mouth to speak but held my tongue. I had to hold it together if I was going to make it through this. It's not like he's completely speaking nonsense. Well... he might have actually been making sense — kind of — but he sure was being annoying about it. That was a fact.

"You can do what you want to do, Harvie. You're a free woman... for now," he added, a smirk landing on his face. I wanted to rip it right off.

I thought to myself for another moment before speaking again. "What is it that you'd like me to do?" I wasn't agreeing to anything. I simply wanted to know what the so-called 'bureau' wanted me to do that they couldn't do themselves. If it was respectable enough — safe enough — I would consider the possibility. For something in return, of course.

My mind idly wondered what I could get from the police if I did this. Perhaps they would drop the constant following and checking in? Maybe they would even consider paying me for my efforts? God knows I could use a pay day. It wasn't like I had the luxury of paid time off as an entry-level reporter... who barely has 3 shifts a week. Plus, I was technically still a student. I needed all the help I could get.

Cruise sat up straighter in his chair and leaned even further over the table as if what he was about to say was confidential. "Simply put? We need you to keep an eye on Officer Conlins. You spend the most time with him currently."

"Me? Wh... what? I can't. What would I even be looking for? I don't think I can..."

"It's called being an informant. You would be assigned a handler. In this case, it would be me. We would have occasional meetings and I would give you something to focus on each week."

"Like... a mission?"

An unattractive snort left Cruise's mouth. "I suppose. For example, this disk on the table here... I need you to get it in his home — preferably his office area."

I stared in horror at the small CD in front of me. It didn't look like any kind of disk or drive I had seen before. I swallowed, not knowing the slightest of what to say. "I don't think that's going to plug into a computer. At least not a normal one." 

"I didn't say it had to plug into anything."

A shiver ran through my spine. "I don't understand. What does it do?"

"You don't need to know what it does."

"I think I should if I'm putting my integrity on the line. You're asking me to betray the trust of someone who has been protecting me. He saved my life, Officer. How do I even know this is real? I want to talk to someone other than you about this. This all doesn't feel right."