"Pattison?" Gabriel managed to remember the exact dream the man was in.
"Jesus, Gabriel, you remember?" Mark asked in disbelief.
"No." Gabriel shook his head. "Not quite."
Mark looked around warily before he continued in a whisper. "Does he know?"
"Who?" Gabriel furrowed his brows at a question.
"I don't understand." Mark went silent and blinked a few times.
"Do you know… do you know Claire?" Gabriel asked as he tried to prevent himself from vomiting in front of Mark.
"Claire? Your wife?" Mark asked in disbelief.
"I'll take that as a yes. Now, this is my private phone number. Call me when you're free." Gabriel passed Mark his business card.
"I don't understand." Mark repeated.
"I think I have a job for you."
"But…"
"Call me after work today." Gabriel instructed before he left the building. He rushed out of everyone's sight only to expel the content of his stomach in some bush. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief before finding his way to his car.
He awaited Mark's call once he was sat in his office at home. After a short call he was sat back in his chair until Mark stood in front of him.
"Mr Moore." Mark bowed his head in respect.
"You used to work for me, didn't you?"
"Indeed, sir."
"Look, you have probably worked out that my memory is a mess." Gabriel let out a sigh before taking out the bottle of pills that he hasn't touched in days. "I've worked out the cause. Now, I need you to look deeper into things for me. I will pay well."
"Sir…" Mark almost whimpered.
"Work for X6 group throughout the day and during the evening help me patch up the missing bits."
"What do you need, sir?"
"Work out where these pills come from."
"Of course, sir." Mark agreed.
Gabriel looked at Mark studiously for a moment.
"Also, do not shave again. It's giving me all the wrong vibes."
Mark stopped and stared at Gabriel.
"As you wish."
"What was the name of the man that spotted us in the corridor of the X6 building?"
"John…"
"Real name."
"Derek Wood."
"I see. How many Diamond Corporate ex employees are in X6 group?"
"A few."
"Yeah, I might need them back. Not yet. I need to deal with the more pressing issue at hand." Gabriel pointed at his desk which was covered in papers. "Actually, you have said that you know Claire, right?"
"Indeed." Mark nodded.
"How?"
"She was a friend of mine."
"What happened to her?"
"She vanished one day and everything turned upside down. I do not know anything else aside of the fact that once you and her vanished, Michael Moore fired most of the people, if not all, that knew Claire."
"I see…" Gabriel leaned back in the chair. His complexion was still extremely pale. "And before then?"
"She was a complicated person." Mark smiled sadly. "She was the best boss that the Contracts and Services department had ever seen and the best exec on the board."
"What about in private?"
"She was a great friend and a person that was always true to themselves. She did a lot of good and she cared deeply and passionately. And…" Mark paused. "She cared a lot for you."
Gabriel tapped his fingers on the desk.
"What about project L8967?"
"What about it, sir?"
"Do you know who it was for?"
"I do not recall the number. Perhaps you could tell me anything else?"
"How many private customers did Claire work with?"
"Only a few."
"There was one which was confidential. Do you know who it was for?"
"You, sir." Mark furrowed his brows. "The only fully confidential project that was for a private owner was commissioned under the sister company's name for you."
"What was it?"
"A home for you two."
"I see. Do you have any idea what the password might be to access it?"
"I am not certain. Knowing Claire, it can be anything. She's unpredictable."
"Thank you, Pattison."
"No worries, sir." Mark hesitated. "I am very sorry for whatever has happened. I am sorry about Claire."
"I'm sure that I will find a way to fix everything." Gabriel spoke with determination. His strong composure vanished as he bend over and threw up in a small paper bin beside his desk. Mark watched him with terror, but Gabriel was too sick and unwell to care to be embarrassed.
"Sir?"
"It's just withdrawal symptoms." Gabriel waved his hand dismissively as he wiped his face in a tissue. "I need to conceal my real state over the next few weeks. No one must know that my memory was altered, and no one must know that I'm off those pills."
"Understood." Mark nodded.
"Also, do not tell anyone of the people you might be seeing around."
"Of course, sir."
"Thank you." Gabriel let out a sigh. "If you do see Claire, approach with caution."
"Sorry?"
"She has one heck of a slap." Gabriel smiled as he closed his eyes, leaning back in the armchair.
"Claire's alive?"
"Very alive."
"Thank God."
"She stormed into my office some months ago and told me that she is my wife. That fucked me up beyond reason. I didn't know who she was but I felt that I knew her." Gabriel smiled. "And here we are."
"Where is she?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. She lived in Guildford for a while but since I've pissed her off, she moved across the globe."
"Guildford?"
"She works for Crimson Tech."
"What is she even doing there? She's a designer, not a techy person." Mark furrowed his brows in thoughts.
"She's a Chief Sustainability Officer."
"That checks out." Mark nodded in approval. "Also, she ever only went after you so I think I'm safe."
"Did she?" Gabriel reopened his eyes and looked at Mark with surprise.
"She was always particularly passionate about you."
Gabriel smiled weakly as he remembered the flashes of his dreams.