The Chemistry of Death

Chapter 41

Vivian stood in the immense tiled bathroom, holding a foil pouch in one hand and hating her job.

“I can go to the bathroom by myself,” Katrinka hissed.

“Not happening,” Vivian said.

Mr. Kazakov had sent a car for Vivian half an hour ago. She’d been woken up by the chauffeur ringing her bell, keeping her from sleeping in yet again. This hadn’t improved her mood.

Mr. Kazakov thought it was an emergency. Apparently, someone said Katrinka had drugs in her school locker, and she’d been kicked out of school pending a drug test. Her father didn’t want to wait for those results, and had called Vivian.

She had been brought in to monitor the girl’s urine test, which meant watching her pee and making certain that whatever liquid got tested for drugs came out of Katrinka’s bladder. Vivian had a second test in case of spillage.

On days like this, she missed the Army.

Katrinka put her hands on her hips and glared at Vivian. “I don’t have to go.”

Vivian leaned against the marble wall. “I’m paid by the hour.”

Katrinka unbuttoned her pants. “Do you have to watch?”

“This is no fun for me, either.”

“I bet.”

As the girl sat down on the toilet, a plastic vial fell onto the marble floor. Vivian pounced on it and grabbed it before Katrinka could stand. The vial contained a straw-colored liquid.

“Three guesses on what this is.” Vivian felt disappointed. She’d hoped the girl would be clean, that it was all a misunderstanding. She’d wanted to believe the line that Katrinka was spinning out for her father.

Tears welled in Katrinka’s eyes. They looked genuine, but Vivian had seen enough of her acting to doubt them. “Please give that back. Please let me use it. Please.”

“You know I can’t.” Vivian wished she were anywhere else.

Katrinka wiped the tears off her cheeks and sat on the toilet. Vivian handed her the cup.

Katrinka filled it and handed it back. Vivian sat it on the counter, opened the foil pouch, and dipped in the tester sticks. She counted to fifteen in her head while Katrinka flushed and washed her hands. The girl was completely subdued.

“Please,” Katrinka said, “you don’t understand.”

Vivian ignored her. She’d read the instructions and knew that negative results showed up quickly, positive ones took longer. She expected this test to take the full five minutes.

But the test came back negative.

She held the test up for Katrinka to see. “You passed.”

Katrinka threw herself on the floor and started sobbing.

Vivian sat next to her and patted her back. “You don’t understand. The test says that you’re clean. It shows that you haven’t been using drugs.”

“I know what passed is!” Katrinka choked out.

Vivian took the plastic bottle out of her pocket. “What was the desired result?”

Katrinka sat up and hiccupped. “I wanted to fail.”

Vivian stared at her. “Why?”

“So my parents would send me to Montana to live with Aunt Billie. They’re always threatening to.”

Vivian looked at the bottle in her hand. “You mean the urine you were going to substitute is from a drug user?”

“Just a girl in my class. She’s a total stoner.”

“I’ll talk to your father.” Vivian stood. She took the test and the plastic bottle.

“He’ll hate me.”

Mr. Kazakov was in his study. Mrs. Kazakov was who-knew-where. Vivian had only seen her once and was starting to think she might not even live in the apartment with them.

He looked up from a sheaf of papers. “Positive or negative?”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

His bristly eyebrows lowered. “I don’t see how.”

“Do you play chess, Mr. Kazakov?”

“Tell me about my daughter.”

She took a deep breath. She wished Tesla were here. He’d be able to explain it properly, show Mr. Kazakov how complicated things were.

“Miss Torres?”

She began.