from the Grande Hotel in Boston, for the week-end Clint was supposed to be in D.C . She put that receipt on her lap. It confirmed what Al told her. She didn’t like it, but it wasn’t a shock .
The next receipt she found, though, stopped her completely. It was from a hotel in Manhattan, Century Plaza, dated three weeks before the wedding. Cindy’s heart started pounding. There had to be an explanation, though she didn’t know what.
She’d contact Clint’s old assistant, Bara, who had his full schedule at work .
She put that receipt in a separate place and continued. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for either, but knew she’d recognize it when it came around. It was the tapestry of a life she was touching, of days, hours, money spent, calls received and answered.
When all the drawers of the desk were cleared, she went to Clint’s computer to check through his personal emails and files. It was strange typing his password and logging in. Even though she knew she had to do it, Cindy felt as though she were invading his private life. It made her think of her own emails. She knew there were probably dozens of them piling up. But she just hadn’t been able to deal with them.
There were 180 emails waiting for Clint. It was going to be a long night. Cindy began opening them, one at a time. There were emails about meetings scheduled, and attended. She read follow up comments from Clint and thank you notes from others to him for his terrific contribution. There were invitations for lunch, dinner . There were even a few emails from a lobbyist. Clint had had a busy life.
Cindy knew he went to Washington regularly and attended conferences, but didn’t realize that he’d also met with lobbyists. She hadn’t known the full extent of his research, or that it impacted on bills passed in Congress. Clint had only mentioned it once or twice in passing.
There were a bunch of emails from a guy named Greg Hamden, a close co-worker of Clint’s. Cindy remembered him mentioning Greg. He and Clint had been working on the Tearwall Project together for a while.
The emails from Greg were right to the point.
Got the info, Clint. Thanks. Talk later .
Cindy kept scrolling through the emails to see if she could find more.
Another one gave her pause for a moment -
Can’t believe you’re finally getting married. She better be worthy of you. And, she better know what she’s getting into. Signed A.V.
Clint hadn’t responded to that one. What was it Cindy didn’t know that she was getting into, that A.V. knew?
Cindy kept scrolling. There were a cluster of emails talking about the Washington Conference. Clint had been excited to go. He was presenting a paper on the Tearwall Project . He’d written a bunch of emails telling people the time and place of his presentation, that he was looking forward to seeing them there.
Then something had happened. There were a flurry of emails from people at his company asking Clint to come to meetings. He and Greg had met for separate lunches. Clint’s presentation had suddenly been cancelled. Cindy couldn’t tear herself away. Clint had told her he’d gone to the conference and presented his paper there.
The emails told a different story .
When the presentation was cancelled, Clint, very upset, emailed Greg to let him know.
Jesus Christ was all Greg answered .
Unbelievable, Clint wrote back.
Be smart, Greg replied.
Cindy didn’t know what to make of all this. She needed more information about the Tearwall Project and why Clint’s presentation had been tossed aside. She also realized she needed more information about his company and what exactly it was involved in.
Cindy went to the company’s public website . She clicked on the company history and its employees and a whole page devoted to Clint came up.
Clint’s function in the company was to investigate the environmental and ecological effects of a drill at a particular location. To advise the company of the
The next receipt she found, though, stopped her completely. It was from a hotel in Manhattan, Century Plaza, dated three weeks before the wedding. Cindy’s heart started pounding. There had to be an explanation, though she didn’t know what.
She’d contact Clint’s old assistant, Bara, who had his full schedule at work .
She put that receipt in a separate place and continued. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for either, but knew she’d recognize it when it came around. It was the tapestry of a life she was touching, of days, hours, money spent, calls received and answered.
When all the drawers of the desk were cleared, she went to Clint’s computer to check through his personal emails and files. It was strange typing his password and logging in. Even though she knew she had to do it, Cindy felt as though she were invading his private life. It made her think of her own emails. She knew there were probably dozens of them piling up. But she just hadn’t been able to deal with them.
There were 180 emails waiting for Clint. It was going to be a long night. Cindy began opening them, one at a time. There were emails about meetings scheduled, and attended. She read follow up comments from Clint and thank you notes from others to him for his terrific contribution. There were invitations for lunch, dinner . There were even a few emails from a lobbyist. Clint had had a busy life.
Cindy knew he went to Washington regularly and attended conferences, but didn’t realize that he’d also met with lobbyists. She hadn’t known the full extent of his research, or that it impacted on bills passed in Congress. Clint had only mentioned it once or twice in passing.
There were a bunch of emails from a guy named Greg Hamden, a close co-worker of Clint’s. Cindy remembered him mentioning Greg. He and Clint had been working on the Tearwall Project together for a while.
The emails from Greg were right to the point.
Got the info, Clint. Thanks. Talk later .
Cindy kept scrolling through the emails to see if she could find more.
Another one gave her pause for a moment -
Can’t believe you’re finally getting married. She better be worthy of you. And, she better know what she’s getting into. Signed A.V.
Clint hadn’t responded to that one. What was it Cindy didn’t know that she was getting into, that A.V. knew?
Cindy kept scrolling. There were a cluster of emails talking about the Washington Conference. Clint had been excited to go. He was presenting a paper on the Tearwall Project . He’d written a bunch of emails telling people the time and place of his presentation, that he was looking forward to seeing them there.
Then something had happened. There were a flurry of emails from people at his company asking Clint to come to meetings. He and Greg had met for separate lunches. Clint’s presentation had suddenly been cancelled. Cindy couldn’t tear herself away. Clint had told her he’d gone to the conference and presented his paper there.
The emails told a different story .
When the presentation was cancelled, Clint, very upset, emailed Greg to let him know.
Jesus Christ was all Greg answered .
Unbelievable, Clint wrote back.
Be smart, Greg replied.
Cindy didn’t know what to make of all this. She needed more information about the Tearwall Project and why Clint’s presentation had been tossed aside. She also realized she needed more information about his company and what exactly it was involved in.
Cindy went to the company’s public website . She clicked on the company history and its employees and a whole page devoted to Clint came up.
Clint’s function in the company was to investigate the environmental and ecological effects of a drill at a particular location. To advise the company of the
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