Janie Crouch - Major Crimes

Hayley smiled at the older woman with big brassy blond hair. “Computer code.”

“What are you reading computer code for? Do you do that for fun?” Mara’s look placed the thought just above root canals.

“I do like computers, I have to admit. But no, this is not what I do for fun. This is actually sort of a job.”

“For Timothy? Is it something to do with the restaurant?”

Hayley stood up, stretching her back. “Speaking of, I’ve got to get back out on the floor. Tim will be looking for me I’m sure.” It was her fifteen-minute evening break, but like every break she used it to look back over the coding.

“He won’t mind if you’re late if you’re doing something for him.”

Hayley shook her head. “No, this is not for him. This is sort of a side job for me.”

“Oh.” Mara’s eyes got big. “I didn’t know you did side jobs with computer codes.”

Hayley ran a hand over her tired eyes. “Only when my past comes back to haunt me.”

She didn’t wait to hear what Mara would say about that cryptic statement, just headed to the back of the kitchen where she could begin washing dishes. She left the box of papers there in the supply closet. Hardly anyone went in and even if they did, unless they were well versed in computer coding, none of the pages would make sense.

Weariness set heavily on her shoulders, her muscles sore, her brain tired. She needed more than the four hours of sleep she was getting each night. Needed a chance to do something else besides work here or filter through the code.

She hadn’t even seen Mason in two days. She told herself it was okay as she loaded a rack of dishes into the dishwasher. She knew she had to take this opportunity while it was here to make such great money.

But she lived in constant fear that her son would forget her. That no matter how often Ariel talked to him about Hayley, he would reject her somewhere inside.

Guilt battled with exhaustion, and for the first time she was glad for all the steam that flew out of the industrial dishwasher. At least it hid her tears.

Three hours later, nearly ready to drop, Hayley had all her work finished in the kitchen. Mara and the other waitresses had left. Timothy was on his way to make the night bank deposit and had closed up the entire front of the restaurant. All Hayley needed to do was mop the floors and she could go.

The thought of dragging the mop over the entire restaurant was completely beyond her at this moment. She’d have another cup of coffee, look over a little more of the code and then mop.

And then go home for four or five hours of sleep. And then get back up and do the same thing again tomorrow.

The only light at the end of the tunnel was that for the first time today she’d seen an odd pattern in the coding. It might be nothing, but the way the data had been sent in that particular transmission had been odd, as if it possibly housed some other message.

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