"Hi, Zoe. Can I ask you something ridiculous?" Claire called her as soon as she got home.
"Sure."
"Your parents frequent the Horton Club, don't they?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"You know the Friday when you've got fired?" Claire sighed. "I can't explain it yet, but can you ask them if they know if anything happened at the Horton Club?"
"Of course. I'll be right back." Claire heard the deafening crackling sound on the other end with some voices echoing. "Okay, so… there was a bit of commotion."
"Yeah?"
"Apparently Mr Jones was taken into the hospital."
"What?!" Claire exclaimed.
"My parents' friend was there that day and my parents found out a few days ago. It was Mr Moore who hit Mr Jones."
"Oh, God." Claire gasped.
"Can you explain what is going on?"
"I'm not sure what happened but Mr Jones, the father, apologised to me and Mr Moore during the banquet and I had no idea what for. After questioning Mr Pattison I found out that something happened in the Horton Club and I had no idea what happened and when. I was there and I had no idea anything happened." Claire sighed. "I want to get to the bottom of it. It's not fair on Daniel to also suffer because of me."
"Of course, I understand. I'll ask around and see if anyone knows anything more."
"Thanks, Zoe. I'll try to press Mr Pattison more to see if I can get something out of him."
"Good luck."
"How's the job hunt?"
"I've updated my CV and just started applying. I do hope something comes my way soon. What about your flat search?"
"Well, Daniel was meant to send me a catalogue across but I haven't heard from him since that Friday."
"That's really suspicious, isn't it?"
"I know!"
"How was the banquet?"
"Weirdly not that bad. Mr Moore was somewhat conversational."
"Why did you even talk to him?"
"I was stuck sitting next to him. He even made some small talk."
"That's fishy."
"I know!" Claire exclaimed as she picked her missing earring out of her clutch. "I'll get your clothes dry-cleaned and I'll get them to you tomorrow night."
"No rush. You can keep that dress if you want. I don't fit in it."
"Okay, thank you so much! I'll still get your coat back."
The next day, Claire made her way to the office to pick up a few documents on the way to the dry cleaners.
She felt the warm gaze on her back all morning and she had now a good suspicion about it.
"Mr Pattison, please don't follow me." Claire turned around to find a man coming out into the light. "There's no need. If you wish to see what I'm doing, why don't we go for a coffee?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Thompson."
"It's Claire."
"Of course, Claire."
"I'll just grab some drafts from the office."
Claire soon walked out with Pattison and found her way to the Horton Club.
They sat down in the day lounge and had a coffee.
"May I ask why you're following me? Of course, I am aware it is Mr Moore's order, but why?"
"I-…"
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"I'm afraid that I can't. I really can't if I value my life."
"Are you genuinely scared?"
"No." Pattison laughed as he took a sip of his coffee. "Mr Moore was a huge help to my family for years. He might have developed some anger issues in the past few years but he still cares for people."
"That sounds unbelievable."
"Mr Moore has a very hard outer layer but he really is a caring man."
"Maybe. I cannot say, of course."
"Why do you hate him so much?"
"Will you tell him?"
"I don't have to."
"There are few reasons. Few personal reasons. His standing in the way of the Poger Estate demolition extension really affected my family."
"How so?"
"My parents live in Poger Estate. My mum is very ill. She has Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is on continuous dialysis. Moving her is extremely dangerous and I am unsure if she survives. Never mind the difficulty of paying for an ambulance to move her and her machines. I simply cannot afford this. I know that the deadline is on Monday and I might be signing the contract tomorrow as one of my friends found an apartment downtown, so we will try to move my parents on Monday morning."
"I am so sorry to hear that."
"Never mind that he fired my best friend behind my back without any valid reason. And I'm upset that he doesn't acknowledge my authority within my department. It's not the first decision he made to override mine."
"God, he's a d*ckhead," Pattison admitted.
"Was there some alcohol in that coffee?" Claire joked.
"Just because I am loyal to him doesn't mean that I approve of all of his decisions."
"That makes sense. What about your life outside work?"
"I have a girlfriend, Julia. She's studying at the university and hence I'm here."
"You're supporting her?"
"I try to." Pattison smiled.
They continued their conversation and then Claire hurried away to the dry cleaners. Pattison called Mr from the Horton Club.
"What's up, Pattison?"
"I found out few things about Claire," Pattison said. "Miss Thompson." He corrected himself unsure whether Mr Moore heard his slip up.
"Speak."
"Miss Thompson is renting the flat at Poger Estate for her parents. She was applying for an extension as she is struggling to find a way to help her parents move due to her mother's sickness. She might have a flat sorted out for them but hasn't signed the contract yet. She is still upset over Miss Green."
"What about her revenge plan?"
"Absolutely nothing, sir."
"How desperate is the state of her parents?"
"It sounds very serious, sir."
"Allow further extension and ask the judge to make a statement that it was a clerical error."
"Of course, sir." Pattison smiled widely, happy for the change on Claire's behalf.
"And Miss Green, give it another three weeks or so."