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My stomach churning, I polish the glass table, clean the shelves, and make sure the rest of the place is spotless.
I push the cart out of the room and down to where I’m supposed to meet Dodie. I’m filled with conflicting emotions, including relief that I’ve finished, and guilt at poking my nose into Mack Hart’s personal life. I can’t even comfort myself with the thought that I found anything useful. This whole debacle has been nothing but a huge waste of time.
I walk along the corridor with a sinking heart, desperate for the day to be over, so I can go home, get into bed, pull the covers over my head, and shut out the horrible world.
Chapter Two
Mack
On the morning of Wednesday 21stDecember, Jamie, my chauffeur, draws up out the front of Koru Tech at seven a.m. as usual, leaving the engine running.
“I’ll be back around ten,” he says.
“Okay. See you later.” I get out, let Gus out of the back, and walk across to the front entrance, Gus at my heels, as Jamie pulls away.
“Morning, Dr. Hart,” the security guy says as I approach. He bends to pet Gus, who licks his hand.
I don’t really want to stand and chat, but equally I don’t want to be rude. “Hey, Wiremu,” I say. “How’s Maia doing?”
“She’s good thanks, Dr. Hart. Recovering nicely. And she says thank you for the flowers. She’s got them by her bed at home.”
“Oh, I’m glad. Don’t forget, don’t hesitate to say if you need extra time off.”
“I will, sir, thank you.”
I nod and go inside. “Morning, Rachel,” I call to the woman on reception.
“Morning, Dr. Hart!”
“Hey, Steve,” I say to the janitor, who’s up a ladder fixing a bulb in the ceiling.
“Morning, Dr. Hart—beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Gorgeous. Going to be a nice Christmas, by the look of it.”
Steve grins, and I head through the sliding doors into the main office.
I breathe a sigh of relief as the doors close behind me. The rest of the building is empty and quiet. My shoes and Gus’s paws make next to no noise as we cross the carpeted floor. I love this time of day. The place smells of polish and glass cleaner, and everywhere is tidy and peaceful. It’s the summer solstice today, so the sun has already filled the building with bright lemon-colored sunshine. Soon the place will be buzzing with people, but for now it’s all mine.
Nadine won’t be in until eight thirty. I cross to the fridge and investigate the contents, then pull out a plate of club sandwiches leftover from yesterday’s business lunch, take it through into my office, and place it on my desk with my briefcase and the coffee I bought on my way in.
I love this office. It’s my haven, the place I’d rather be than anywhere else in the world. Later, it’ll be bustling with various members of staff and customers all wanting a piece of my time, but right now it’s as quiet and beautiful as a desert island. Like the main room, it smells of polish and glass cleaner.
Through the windows, the leaves on the trees and bushes are all painted with the golden sun. Picking up my coffee, I go over and open the sliding doors, letting in the song from the twotauhoubirds sitting in the trees outside, distinctive with their olive-green heads and silver-rimmed eyes.
This morning, I woke up agitated, remembering as soon as I opened my eyes that it was my birthday. Sipping my coffee, though, and looking out at the beauty of the scene, I begin to feel calmer. Luckily, nobody knows it’s my birthday except Arjun, the head of HR, and Nadine, and they’re both sworn to secrecy. Arjun won’t remember anyway because he’s a guy, and the only thing Nadine will do is probably make me some of her chocolate cookies, which will touch me and irritate me in equal measure.
I’ve got a lot to do, and I wish I didn’t have any plans today so I could just immerse myself in the work. But tonight there’s a Christmas party at my business club, Huxley’s. I don’t like crowds and I don’t generally go to parties, but I promised Oliver Huxley himself that I’d go, and I don’t want to let him down.
I also said I’d bring a date, but I haven’t organized anything. I run through my mental little black book, bringing up and then discarding names. I don’t want a second date with anyone. Second dates tend to make women believe there’ll be a third date, and I don’t have the time or patience for that.
Nope, looks like I’ll be flying solo tonight. Maybe I’ll be able to sneak off early, if nobody notices.
Turning from the window, I walk across to my desk and sit in the leather chair. Opening my case, I take out my laptop, then retrieve a pile of folders and put them to one side. Taking out my keys, I unlock my side drawers and retrieve a notepad and pen, and a couple of other files I was working on yesterday.
“Hey, you,” I say as Gus comes up for some fuss. “Want a treat?” I dig a hand into the packet in my desk drawer and toss one up in the air. He catches it deftly. “Good boy. Another?” I toss a second. This time it bounces off his nose at an angle and tumbles to the floor. I roll my eyes. “Not quite ready for the circus, are you?”
He follows it over to the shelves behind me, and I turn in my chair and watch him snuffle for it. I’ve had several dogs in my time, but he’s possibly the gentlest, content just to be by my side.
