Chapter 93

Joy, worried about upsetting Eleanor, quickly changed the subject. But Eleanor remained calm; these days, nothing seemed to faze her anymore.

After dinner, Joy drove Eleanor home. On the way, she tried to reassure her. “Ellie, don’t let any of this get to you, okay p>

“I won’t.” Eleanor offered a faint smile.

Joy glanced over at her, a little puzzled. “Ellie, you’ve changed, you know that? It’s like nothing bothers you now, like nothing matters anymore. Just four months ago, you called me sobbing p>

Of course Eleanor remembered. That night, she’d cried her heart out over the phone, telling Joy how much she loved him, how she couldn’t let go.

“People change,” Eleanor said softly, exhaling a quiet sigh.

Joy’s heart ached for her friend. After hearing what Thalia had told her, she was more convinced than ever that lan and Eleanor were doomed from the start.

Vanessa had been lan’s first love. Marrying Eleanor had always just been his way of repaying a debt.

The next morning, Eleanor checked her email. Joel had forwarded several articles about the Marlowe Village incident.

The hospital and government agencies were putting pressure on the lab, urging them to form a task force and get to the bottom of things as soon as possible.

Eleanor stepped into Joel’s office to discuss the new cases. Faye’s assistant approached, saying, “Dr. Kingsley, Ms. Yeaton’s team has a lead. She’d like you to come over p>

As she spoke, the assistant glanced pointedly at Eleanor, making it clear she wasn’t invited.

Eleanor got the message. “Joel, I’ll head back to the lab,” she said.

She returned to her workspace, picked up a tray of fresh samples, and settled in at the microscope. Immersed in her work, she spent the morning analyzing slides. By around eleven, she’d isolated methylmercury-commonly known as mercury- from multiple samples.

Running more tests, Eleanor eventually arrived at a conclusion: the wastewater had contaminated the entire reservoir. The fish there were living in mercury-laden water, and since the people of Marlowe Village had been eating those fish for years, it was no surprise the same symptoms were cropping up across the community.

At lunch, Eleanor sat with Joel in the cafeteria and shared her findings.

“With someone like you on my team, I almost feel unworthy to be in charge,” Joel joked.

“Joel, I think we should wait until we’ve gathered the full chain of evidence before making this public,” Eleanor said.

“Absolutely. No need to tip anyone off. Once we have everything, we’ll present it in court-and make sure the villagers get the compensation and reforms they deserve,” Joel agreed.

At two, the team gathered in the conference room, working and discussing research plans as they went.

Suddenly, Faye’s assistant, Sylvia, poked her head in. “Faye, someone’s here to see you p>

Out in the hallway, a tall figure approached the unmistakable silhouette of Vanessa. Eleanor looked up, and their eyes met.

Vanessa paused in surprise. What was Eleanor doing in the lab team?

Faye stood and turned to Joel. “Joel, I’ll be right back p>

He nodded, but just then his phone rang. He picked up. “Hello? Mr. Goodwin p>

“Dr. Kingsley, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk,” came lan’s low voice. “I’m right outside your office p>

“I’ll be there in a second.” Joel hung up and glanced at Eleanor. “I need to head back to my office p>

Eleanor nodded, although she hadn’t expected lan-and Vanessa-to show up. What were they doing here?