“Have you seen Crawford today?”
“No, I haven’t actually. Sometimes an urgent issue will come in overnight and he’ll be out dealing with that, but I haven’t heard anything… hang on…” Her voice becomes muffled as I hear her asking Beatrice something. “Beatrice says Crawford asked not to be disturbed this morning. Sorry, I got in late and I’m only just catching up. Did you need him for something?”
“No, no, that’s okay. I’m… I’ll… I was just checking.” I hang up, my chest tightening.
Then I jump out of my seat as the phone on my desk lights up again. I grab it, wondering if it might be Kaitlin calling me back.
“Hello?”
“Amelia,” I let out a long breath of relief at his familiar voice, but he sounds strange.
“Mr. Crawford?”
There’s the sound of a hacking cough through the phone. “I need you to go into my office, please. There are three folders on my desk. Collect them and bring them back. I’ll stay on the line.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Just do it, please.”
I put the phone down, rising and going into his office and over the plush carpet to his desk. It’s immaculate as ever, with three folders stacked on the edge.
I grab them and go back to my desk.
“Okay, I have them,” I say.
“Good. Go down to the parking lot.”
“Uh… excuse me?”
“Go down to the parking lot. I need you to go meet Melvin. Bring your laptop, a pen and paper, and the files. He’ll drive you to my apartment.”
He coughs again, and it sounds hoarse and painful.
“Are you alright?” I ask, my chest tightening, he sounds awful.
“I’m fine.”
“You sound sick.”
“I’m not sick,” he says, anger rising in his voice. “Don’t tell anyone I’m sick.”
“Do you want me to ask Beatrice or the others to do anything?”
“No. I sent them my instructions over email. I just need you to do what I’ve told you to do and stop asking questions.”
He hangs up, and I pull the phone away from my ear, staring at it irritably.
I put the folders into my bag, along with a pen and paper. I go back to his office, unplug his laptop, and bring that too, just in case he doesn’t have one at home.
I pause for a moment, looking out through the window at the beautiful view. I can imagine sitting on his office chair, curled up contentedly, painting for hours in this space.
He hasn’t mentioned the photograph I sent, and at this point, I don’t care; I’m just grateful I’m not fired. Not yet at least.
I head back to my desk, pick up my bag, and hover, unsure how to play this. If Beatrice sees me leave, she’ll ask where I’mheaded, and I’ve never been very good at lying to people. Telling her I’m going to his apartment is out of the question. I get the feeling the other EAs have never been there.
Racking my brain, I walk through the office toward Kaitlin, Julia, and Beatrice.
“Hi, Crawford has asked me to deliver some files for him,” I say vaguely, expecting a thousand questions about where I’m going, but Beatrice just glances at me disdainfully, flicking her hair out of her face.
