[center][img=http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/u392/zapkiiten/22031472012pm_e775d_zpsf72fca18.png][/center]
[b]”Hey, Nym, did you hear what I said?”[/b]

I looked up at the face of my best friend Claudette. Although she’s sitting on the barstool beside me, she almost a full head taller. Claudette is blessed with a long torso, long legs, and long silky black curls. If we hadn’t known each other for years, I might have felt over shadowed by her looks. By day she an accountant for the Department of Finance, by night she was a sex-kitten despite the fact that she’s been ‘married’ for almost a year. Claudette confessed to me once that she only accepted the designation because it promised financial stability and because he too came from a high ranking family. I often suspected that I have a better relationship with Charles that she does with her partner.

[b]”I [i]said[/i], don’t you think that dress over there is gorgeous? I want one.”[/b]

I looked at the direction she indicated. The dress was indeed gorgeous, at least if you were in to shimmering, black silk that draped across your body and barely managed to conceal parts of your chest. It was clear the woman wasn’t wearing a bra.

[b]”I wonder how it manages to stay on. Tape maybe?”[/b]

Claudette looked at me incredulously before her mouth formed a smile. [b]”Maybe. I’ll go ask her.”[/b] With that she downed her martini in one go and headed off. Normally I would follow at her heals but I didn’t feel in the mood and I knew my friend could handle herself. Despite the loud music, upbeat tempo, and mash of bodies strung together on the dance floor, nothing in Club Esscro could distract me from my thoughts. Like a mantra the words pounded my brain over and over again.

[center][i]Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546. 

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546.

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546.[/i][/center]

Mildred Backer was the name of the assistant who worked with Dr. Lark before I had joined his lab. I had thought the doctor had always worked alone but the truth was that he just hadn’t had an assistant in a long time. 

[center][i]Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546. 

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546.

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546. [/center][/i]

I shouldn’t be so clumsy. I shouldn’t have stayed late at work. I never meant drop my keys behind the filing cabinet. I should have gone straight to the club. Why did I enter the user name and password I found scribbled on a piece of notebook paper into my computer?

[center][i]Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546. 

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546.

Mildred Backer. Vitamin 546. [/center][/i]

Vitamin 546 was the project Dr. Lark and Dr. Backer had worked on together. Ten years ago it was released to the market where it met with booming success. Although it’s prescription only, it’s fairly easy to get ahold of and is prescribed to help treat everything from depression to arthritis.

[i]”Only it doesn’t treat depression and arthritis, does it Nym?”[/i] A voice whispers in my head. [i]”Mildred Baker knew that too. Maybe that’s why Mildred’s not around anymore? [/i]

[center][i]Mildred Backer. Vita- [/center][/i]

A loud screech next to me has me almost jump out of my skin, but it’s just Claudette sliding her stool closer to mine.

[b]”Thought you looked a little lonely over here.”[/b] she says before getting the bar tender’s attention and ordering another drink. When she turns away, I see an outline of bright red lipstick on her cheek. I don’t say anything right away but wait until my heart settles back into my chest and I can breathe again.