The following days were radio silence. From the silent treatment, Sam deducted she’d definitely done something wrong, she just wasn’t sure what.
She told herself it was fine. If Lilith couldn’t be bothered to answer any of her texts, then she knew where she stood. She didn’t need someone barging in and out of her home without warning. Being by herself, playing with Shadow on her own, it was… fine.
Annoyed at herself for caring so much, she checked her phone again, half-expecting a bunch of missed phone calls and messages to roll in. Maybe they’d been held up by her service provider or something.
Nothing.
“Hmm…” Samantha tilted the screen towards the hellhound. “What do you think I did wrong?”
Shadow waggled her ears and licked her snout.
“So… no clue.” She sighed. “That makes two of us. Maybe I should go visit her. She always comes around uninvited, why can’t I do the same?”
The puppy looked up at her, her eyes swimming with sweet confusion. She stared at Sam for a little while before barking loudly. “Wraf!”
“Yeah, probably not a good idea,” Samantha agreed, tossing her phone a little too hard on the kitchen island. The device thudded on the marble with an alarming clap and Sam quickly checked if the screen was still intact.
She released a breath. The stupid thing was fine. Still not a single message.
After waiting around all day, bored to death, her phone finally dinged. Embarrassingly fast, Samantha bolted across the room to grab the device from the table where she’d left it under the pretense that she wasn’t waiting by the phone.
A little envelope danced on her screen and she tapped it, her stomach tighter than it had been all day.
<Hello, it’s been a while. If it’s urgent, I can see you tomorrow over my lunch break. I’ll get my assistant to book you in. Greetings, Dave.>
Disappointment washed over Sam. A reply from Doctor Langer wasn’t what she’d been waiting for but at least getting the map piece analysed meant she’d have something to talk about with Lilith. She hoped.
Stepping back into her old world was a surreal experience. Effortlessly, Sam retraced her steps through the lab that used to serve her precinct. She couldn’t count how many times she came down here, either to drop off some evidence or have a chat with the specialist.
The receptionist recognised her and smiled welcomingly. “Hi. Detective Rain, isn’t it?”
Not bothering to correct her, Sam nodded. “I have an appointment with Doctor Langer. He’s expecting me.”
“Certainly, let me check the schedule…” The woman rattled her fingers over the keyboard. “Excellent. Doctor Langer will be with you in just a moment. Why don’t you take a seat?”
“Thank you.”
Samantha shot a grateful smile at the receptionist and took place on the outer seat in the waiting area, hoping she wouldn’t be here long. The high ceiling and cement floors were too impersonal and cold for her taste. Big buildings were often like that. She wondered if Lilith’s mansion was like that too.
She didn’t have to ponder long before Doctor Langer showed up, his white lab coat fluttering around his ankles.
“Samantha Rain. It’s been a while.”
She chuckled awkwardly. “Hey, Dave. It has. How’s the husband and the kids?”
The lanky man smiled as he pushed up his round glasses. “They’re good, thanks for asking. How’s the wife?”
“Divorced.”
“Ah, sorry to hear.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Things hadn’t been great for a while.”
“Hmm… So, what brings you here today? You told me on the phone you had something for me to date?”
“I do.” Sam reached in her bag for the plastic file she kept the weathered coin in and showed it to him. “Could you find out how old it is and maybe what it is?”
“Hmmm… Where did you find this?”
“I was cleaning out my grandma’s loft and found it with some old pennies and more knick knacks. We’re trying to determine if it has some worth. You know, recession and all.”
The doctor nodded. “Of course… Well, I’ve got some time tomorrow over lunch. I’ll have a look at it, maybe run some tests.”
“That would be very helpful, thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll give you a ring when I know more.”
“Excellent.”