sleep.’
‘What’s wrong?’ He looks as if he had a sleepless night, too.
‘It’s irrelevant.’ She sighs as she sinks into a chair, although her mind is racing over every second of their previous day together. They parted as friends. Surely nothing can be wrong.
‘No, tell me.’
‘A colleague…that is, a former colleague…from way back…well, he’s disappeared…or so it seems… I’m sure he’ll arrive back in the office…with apologies all round.’ She tries out a smile, but it fails.
‘You look so forlorn. Are you fond of him?’ His eyes are glittering, but why? With hurt?
‘Yes, I am fond of him, but not in the way you’re implying. He’s a happily married man.’ Or was! The thought of that makes her flinch. ‘What’s bothering you?’ She speaks aggressively, feeling unfairly blamed.
‘Circumstances have changed. I’m going to have to spend more time in Tanzania…on and off, of course. I expect you to come with me.’ He waits, but not expectantly.
‘Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think so. I’m no jungle bunny.’ She manages to laugh convincingly.
His eyes are fixed on hers. There’s a messagethere, but Chris can’t work it out. Something is wrong. Is this a ploy to get rid of her? Inexplicably she feels let down, which is silly since she’s only days from quitting. Later, he dumps some files on her desk to sort and file, but for the rest of the morning he ignores her. Finally, at noon, he comes in to say he is going to lunch.
‘I have a meeting this afternoon. It might take hours. Why don’t you go to the picture framer’s and order the frames.’
‘Just like that? It’s you who has to live with them, not me. Well, all right,’ she goes on, since he doesn’t comment. Luck is on her side.
She looks around her desk and in her briefcase. ‘Damn. I’ve lost the measurements. I think I’ll go back first and measure the spaces again. Best to be on the safe side. I didn’t have a ruler so I had to guess last time. We can’t have a heavy gilt frame hanging in a small space.’
He takes his keys out of his pocket and puts them on his desk. ‘Leave the keys with the security desk on the ground floor. I might be late back…very late, in fact.’
Why is he lying? There’s no meeting. It would have been in his diary and besides, she would have known about it. Why does he look so uncomfortable. He’s setting a trap for me! The bastard! Her suspicions are unwelcome and hurtful, but she might be mistaken, and if she doesn’t go he’ll wonder why.
She makes her pilgrimage to the picture framer and returns to the office. The telephonist confirms that Husam left early and isn’t expected back, so she works for a while. Later she gathers her courage together and walks to Husam’s apartment, wondering why she feels like a thief.
She’s had enough, she decides, waving to the security porter who knows her face by now. More than enough, she decides as she ascends to the fifth floor in the escalator. Who would have imagined that taking on a business investigation could lead to spying in someone’s private home. It feels wrong. But why does he keep half of his accounts at home in his bedroom? If he kept them in the office, like everyone else, she wouldn’t be here. Chris pauses at the bedroom door, longing to flee, but that won’t help her to find where Sienna is imprisoned. Thoughts of Sienna and Ben harden her resolve.
She locks the door from the inside, fastens the chain just in case, and walks across the spacious hall to the bedroom door. Glancing at her watch she notes that it’s half past six. Time for cocktails. Then dinner and still later dancing. That was his routine. Would he bring his date back here? Who cares. She’ll be long gone.
It’s like delving into Pandora’s box, she decides, as she sifts through the fascinating contents of folders and documents. Massive amounts of cash are being withdrawn and dispensed with all over Africa. The
‘What’s wrong?’ He looks as if he had a sleepless night, too.
‘It’s irrelevant.’ She sighs as she sinks into a chair, although her mind is racing over every second of their previous day together. They parted as friends. Surely nothing can be wrong.
‘No, tell me.’
‘A colleague…that is, a former colleague…from way back…well, he’s disappeared…or so it seems… I’m sure he’ll arrive back in the office…with apologies all round.’ She tries out a smile, but it fails.
‘You look so forlorn. Are you fond of him?’ His eyes are glittering, but why? With hurt?
‘Yes, I am fond of him, but not in the way you’re implying. He’s a happily married man.’ Or was! The thought of that makes her flinch. ‘What’s bothering you?’ She speaks aggressively, feeling unfairly blamed.
‘Circumstances have changed. I’m going to have to spend more time in Tanzania…on and off, of course. I expect you to come with me.’ He waits, but not expectantly.
‘Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think so. I’m no jungle bunny.’ She manages to laugh convincingly.
His eyes are fixed on hers. There’s a messagethere, but Chris can’t work it out. Something is wrong. Is this a ploy to get rid of her? Inexplicably she feels let down, which is silly since she’s only days from quitting. Later, he dumps some files on her desk to sort and file, but for the rest of the morning he ignores her. Finally, at noon, he comes in to say he is going to lunch.
‘I have a meeting this afternoon. It might take hours. Why don’t you go to the picture framer’s and order the frames.’
‘Just like that? It’s you who has to live with them, not me. Well, all right,’ she goes on, since he doesn’t comment. Luck is on her side.
She looks around her desk and in her briefcase. ‘Damn. I’ve lost the measurements. I think I’ll go back first and measure the spaces again. Best to be on the safe side. I didn’t have a ruler so I had to guess last time. We can’t have a heavy gilt frame hanging in a small space.’
He takes his keys out of his pocket and puts them on his desk. ‘Leave the keys with the security desk on the ground floor. I might be late back…very late, in fact.’
Why is he lying? There’s no meeting. It would have been in his diary and besides, she would have known about it. Why does he look so uncomfortable. He’s setting a trap for me! The bastard! Her suspicions are unwelcome and hurtful, but she might be mistaken, and if she doesn’t go he’ll wonder why.
She makes her pilgrimage to the picture framer and returns to the office. The telephonist confirms that Husam left early and isn’t expected back, so she works for a while. Later she gathers her courage together and walks to Husam’s apartment, wondering why she feels like a thief.
She’s had enough, she decides, waving to the security porter who knows her face by now. More than enough, she decides as she ascends to the fifth floor in the escalator. Who would have imagined that taking on a business investigation could lead to spying in someone’s private home. It feels wrong. But why does he keep half of his accounts at home in his bedroom? If he kept them in the office, like everyone else, she wouldn’t be here. Chris pauses at the bedroom door, longing to flee, but that won’t help her to find where Sienna is imprisoned. Thoughts of Sienna and Ben harden her resolve.
She locks the door from the inside, fastens the chain just in case, and walks across the spacious hall to the bedroom door. Glancing at her watch she notes that it’s half past six. Time for cocktails. Then dinner and still later dancing. That was his routine. Would he bring his date back here? Who cares. She’ll be long gone.
It’s like delving into Pandora’s box, she decides, as she sifts through the fascinating contents of folders and documents. Massive amounts of cash are being withdrawn and dispensed with all over Africa. The
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