Project Shady

Doesn't add up

''Why were you in here?'' Clara asked, ignoring the question that she had just been asked by Marshall.

He just stared at her as she wandered past him into the bathroom as if she didn't have cuts and bruises on her face. Much like she did with his question he didn't answer. Instead, he got up from the bed following her; she hadn't closed the door so it wasn't like he was going to be barging in on anything. Either way, he did stay outside leaning against the door frame as he watched her retrieve a first aid box from under the sink and start to clean the cuts on her face.

''How about you tell me what happened to ya face and I'll tell you what I was doing,'' he watched Clara's expression not change as she continued to wince dabbing at the cut above her lip.

There was a strong sense of silence between them as he waited for her reply. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Clara huffed turning around to face him, when she realised he wasn't going to leave without an answer. Marshall stood his arms folded across his chest, his eyebrow raised waiting for her explanation.

''There was a fight at this bar we went too. Got a little caught up in it,'' she answered shrugging before then moving to push past him, but he grabbed her by the arm stopping her from going any further.

''Whose we?'' He asked, letting go of her arm as she took a step back away from him.

''My friend. You now need to answer my question as to why you were in my room,'' it was Marshall's turn to sigh, letting himself fall away from his resting position he walked away from her and back into the main room. He made himself comfortable on her bed once more. Now it was Clara who stood leant against the bathroom doorframe waiting for his answer.

''I woke up a like five in the morning, and you still weren't back. Well, I was calling to see if you were, but you didn't reply so I came to look for you and you weren't here so...''

''You decided to have a nap on my bed?'' Clara questioned walking over to sit down next to him.

''I kind of just sat down to think about where you could have possibly been and then I kinda fell asleep,'' he replied sheepishly, turning his face to look directly at her.

''You didn't wake up at five Marshall. You were already awake,'' she bluntly stated, watching as his eye twitched trying to focus on her.

''How the fuck would you have known that?'' Marshall blurted out, earning a smirk from the woman in front of him.

''There are certain ticks a body has when a person is lying. Your's is that you try and look away from the person making as little eye contact as possible. I'm not saying everything else was a lie, just that bit by the way,'' she explained and Marshall stared at her his mouth agape slightly and his eyes wide.

''You don't miss anything do you?''

''I very rarely do. Just remember that. I'm not someone you wanna hide shit from Marshall because I'll find a way of finding it out, even if you don't tell me the first time,'' with that final statement Clara got up again to go back into the bathroom. This time she shut the door behind her, leaving Marshall confused about her once again.

°°°

''Man you look like you've seen a ghost,'' that was the comment Marshall was met with when he entered the recording studio, courtesy of Denaun.

''It's my assistant, you see her right, she is real?'' He asked in a more serious tone than his friend had actually been expecting.

''Er yeah, pretty real. Why?''

''I dunno it's just, she left to go out last night and I tried to look her up and shit, but I found nothing. No Social Media accounts, no family or school photos nothing. it's like she doesn't exist,'' Marshall explained, taking a seat next to Denaun on the little sofa that was in the room. Denaun noticing Marshall wanted an actual conversation clicked off of the app on his phone resting it on the table in front of them.

''Paul must have done a background search through,'' Denaun pointed out and Marshall nodded.

''I know I asked him and all he said was yeah before telling me that if I wanted to get to know her I needed to talk to her,'' Marshall added.

''Then why don't you do that,'' his friend pointed out, not entirely what Marshall's problem was.

''She freaks me out, man. Like I've never seen a person like her. Every conversation we have she always keeps eye contact, it's uncomfortable and she doesn't tell me anything. Also, you can't tell what's she's thinking, plus there's the quick reaction thing. She could probably catch the rain before it's even fallen out of the cloud yet.''

''I'm glad you've formed an accurate opinion of me, Mr Mathers,'' Marshall was sure he'd gotten whiplash because of the speed he whipped his head around to face Clara stood in the doorway a couple of files in her hand.

''I...'' But nothing came out. Clara scoffed, plonking the file on the table in front of him.

''You got some stuff to sign. Bring them to my office when you're done or get someone else to do it if I 'freak,' you out to much,'' she spun on her heal before walking out.

''Fuck is wrong with me,'' Marshall mumbled to himself as he flicked through the paperwork she'd dumped on him. They were contracts for new sound equipment that had been ordered for the studio that he needed to sign off.

''Um Marshall there's an FBI agent here, says he's looking for Clara Taylors,'' the receptionist had walked into the room unannounced an FBI agent behind her. Then she proceeded to leave.

''Her office is a little further down the corridor, I've got no idea why you got sent to me,'' the agent didn't move instead just stayed looking at Marshall as he carried on flicking through the files.

''You're not going to ask me why I'm here,'' the agent asked, frowning at Marshall.

''Nah, you ain't here for me so. Wait did she say, Clara. You're looking for Clara,'' the fact there was an FBI agent in the room had only just come to Marshall's attention.

''Yes Sir,'' the agent replied nodding his head, at the same time trying to keep a straight face, while looking at Marshall's shocked face.

''Erm I'll... I'll just show you to her office then,'' he quickly signed off the documents before then leading the agent down the corridor towards Clara's office.

''Thought I was a freak?'' Clara questioned the moment she saw Marshalls head pop around the door.

''Can we deal with that later you got a visitor,'' Clara's frowned, which disappeared quickly, replaced by a look of shock. Not that Marshall could tell in her face, but he'd come to learn her feelings could be seen through her eyes.

''I just came to tell you that you can come and question the guys from last night,'' the agent, who had given his name as Micheal last night sated.

'' I thought you said it was just a fight?'' Marshall questioned raising an eyebrow, clearing thinking her explanation had been a lie. Which is kind of was, but he didn't know that.

''It was, the guys got arrested I'm sure they just need help with filling in some of the blanks I'm sure,'' her words were very much directed towards Micheal, who thankfully caught on to what she was saying.

''Yeah, we need to make sure we have the right guys. Would it be ok is Miss Taylors accompanied me?'' This question was directed towards Marshall, who took a while to get over what had just occurred before replying.

''Sure, I can't really refuse can I,'' Micheal nodded, while Clara went to collect her things, turning the computer she had been given off as well.

Marshall was still stood in the room seconds later, unsure of what had just occurred. Clara had told him it was just a fight, but if it was why would the FBI be involved, something didn't add up. Nothing about her added up to him that was for sure.