The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag 00 - Swept Under the Rug

the cleaning, she’s very particular.” The way he said mother reminded me of Norman Bates in Psycho . I shivered involuntarily.
    Even insidious premonitions couldn’t curb my tongue though. “So why on Earth would you want to tackle a cleaning job?”
    He shrugged. “Leo asked me to come with you, said you needed help.”
    Leo was going to receive a serious beating when next we met. “Is that so?” Help didn’t look to be on Richard’s agenda this evening. He’d dawdled at the security desk, chatting up the night guard while I made three trips upstairs with my supplies. I’d vacuumed and dusted the outer area before he graced me with a cameo. And then the whining started.
    “Richard, you have a choice here. Either pull on a pair of gloves and help me scour out this restroom or go home without pay.” I may be a push-over, but even the laundry hag has limits.
    “I’m allergic to latex,” he informed me.
    “I bet you say that to all your dates.” I grumbled. He looked confused as my pithy remark flew over his head. I pushed past him to the cart and grabbed a bottle of ammonia. “Fine, go dust the offices.”
    “Dust is bad for my allergies.”
    I scrunched my eyes shut and sucked in a breath. Did I really cancel a date with Neil, who was not happy with me again , to work with Dick Head? “I mean it Richard; you’re not getting paid to watch me bust my hump here. Find something to clean or scat.”
    He scowled at me for an indeterminate amount of time before I turned my back. Part of me hoped he’d disappear; it felt like a new kind of torture to pay someone to annoy me while I cleaned. I’d never bitch about Marty’s work-ethic again. Then too, I wouldn’t have to sneak away from him to search Valentino’s office.
    Luckily, I’d noted that while the third floor was monitored on security’s bank of screens, Valentino’s office wasn’t. I could just prop the door open, go about my business and the night watchman would be none the wiser.
    Scouring the bathroom only took a few minutes, since it was in decent shape to begin with, and I signed the little chart when I finished and placed one of the Caution: Wet Floor signs in front of the door. Hefting my bucket of scummy water, I noticed Richard was halfheartedly arranging a tray of snacks in the break room. He so did not deserve Leo and I planned on telling my friend so at the first opportunity.
    “I’m hitting the third floor now. Leave the exhaust fan on in the john so the floor dries before we leave.” My tone was matter-of-fact, but my heart rate jumped as I thought about the task ahead.
    “Oh, I’m coming!” Richard sprang to life like he’d just shot up adrenaline. “I want to see what’s in Valentino’s office.”
    “We’re not going up there to snoop.” I fibbed while gripping the bucket in a shaking hand. Crap, I should have seen this coming after the way he’d greeted Valentino earlier, but I’d been so busy fading into the wood paneling that Richard’s reaction hadn’t sunk into my skull.
    “Come on, I bet his office looks like Spacely’s Sprockets. You know, I read an article about him once in Wired . Apparently, he’s a real control freak, wants to approve every nuance of every sale. He’s also a real hustler when it comes to bidding on big projects.”
    “So you’re a tech-guy?” I resisted using the word geek since I wanted him to keep talking.
    “I dabble,” Richard replied with false modesty as he pushed the cart onto the elevator. “Valentino’s interesting, kinda like Bill Gates. He’s completely self-made, just a few lucky breaks and stellar timing equals a multimillionaire. From what I read, he’s developing the next generation power supply, based on solar technology. Tons of backers and he’s invested a huge chunk of his own fortune into the project. His corporate stock has gone through the roof with just the whispers of what this new battery can do.” The elevator opened with a ding and we unloaded onto the third floor.
    I nodded, deciding I’d pay Richard in full, if for nothing more than information. “What exactly can it do?” I asked, while taking out some furniture polish to treat Sierra’s desk.
    Richard leaned in close, like he was passing on top secret intelligence. “Until now, solar power has been a daytime only source of energy, because the sun goes down at night. Well, last summer MIT developed this new catalyst made of all non-toxic materials. Valentino’s working on a