"Mairead, good of you to come."
Ben stood up from his seat and gestured to the leather chair opposite. He was wearing a well-tailored dark blue sport jacket and smooth white dress shirt, tucked into blue jeans with a rich brown belt. He had on a dark blue tie with a conservative geometric pattern, and silver tie chain holding it in place against his shirt. A pair of silver cufflinks peeked out from his sleeves.
It was late afternoon now, bordering on early evening. I was at the Balmoral Club on Montgomery in SF. When I had eventually picked up Ben's call, figuring to get it over with, he'd been casual but brief. He invited me out to the Balmoral to 'clear the air', as he put it. Kris and Bushra both wore skeptical expressions when I told them, but offered no criticism or complaint. They reluctantly agreed it was better to learn what Ben had to say sooner than later. We parted ways, with me promising to call them both later tonight.
It was early enough that traffic was light (well, lighter than rush hour), so I opted to eat the cost of parking in the city and drove my car. I'd stopped briefly to change at home into a conservative ivory blouse and charcoal dress slacks with a wide black belt. I thought about adding a flash of jewelry or maybe some accessories, but ended up deciding simpler was better. My dark wool winter coat completed the ensemble. Iter still had yet to make an appearance, and I was mixed parts concerned and relieved. I couldn't imagine Iter and Ben in the same room together. it was probably just as well.
The winter sun was low in the sky as I drove across the Bay Bridge, the brilliant yellow and orange clouds silhouetting the justifiably famous SF skyline. Ben hadn't given directions, but it was easy enough to find my way to the Balmoral Club with a navigation app. It was located in the heart of the Financial District, and from appearances wanted to recreate the ambiance and of the social clubs of the early half of the 20th century, minus the sexism and racism (or so I hoped). The classism remained very much intact. The main lobby was adorned with floors of white and black checkered marble, high ceilings with crystal chandeliers, and walls liberally covered in chrome, gold painted fixtures, and mirrors. I gave my name and was competently ushered up a flight of stairs and down a burgundy appointed hall. I marshalled my thoughts on the way in, as I wondered what Ben wanted. I turned on Augur's Insight for good measure at the door before stepping into a private lounge room with a more subdued study motif, with high-backed mahogany and leather chairs, wall coverings with art deco patterns, an unlit marble fireplace, and Ben. Confronted by the man himself, I fabricated a thin smile and took a seat.
"Hello, Ben. Your call was definitely unexpected." I settled into the overstuffed, creaking leather with discomfort.
"Yes, I imagine it was. But first," he leaned forward, his hands together in front of him, each of the fingertips touching, "my abject apologies for how we treated you on the day of your departure." His eyes never left my face, his direct gaze was clear and searching. "It has recently come to light that the crimes we ascribed to you are said to be the work of another." He paused, and exhaled sadly. "Jon Hu, as a matter of fact." With Augur's Insight, what came through from Ben was a sense of regret. Though it was unclear whether it was for my sake, for Jon's, or for the impact to the company.
It wasn't hard to show surprise, though it was mostly due to how quickly news had leaked, rather than shock at the reveal. "Jon?" I managed to reply after a second or two.
"Yes, it appears he was steadily embezzling for quite some time. It is taking time to work through the books to establish with certainty, but with the man's confession, we expect the full details will be known in due time." He lifted the glass in front of him to take a sip, waiting for my reaction. I felt irritation, and a sense of resignation? Expectation? He was also holding something back.
"How did you come to learn this?" I asked, before we were interrupted by a knock at the door. A young server in a slightly too large white tuxedo coat entered the room and brought a tray with a single highball glass with some kind of fizzy clear drink. and a large dishes of what looked like roasted marrow bones and various charcuterie, along with serving plates and utensils. He set the glass in front of Ben on the low table between us, then laid out the dishes and place servings for each of us.
"I hope you don't mind, I've ordered some starters. Would you care for a drink?" He asked, before taking up a slice of toasted bread from the plate and a spoon, and skillfully spooning out some of the marrow onto it. He took a small bite and smiled invitingly.
The server offered me a menu, which I declined, and I requested a glass of water.
Ben watched the server leave the room with a somber expression, then swallowed. "As I said, you have our apologies." He turned away from the closing door to look at back at me. Then he set down his unfinished bread and reached into his suit coat to pull out a piece of paper. When he handed it over, it turned out to be a check. "I know this is insufficient for what you have experienced, but please take it in the spirit in which it is meant." While not entirely sincere, it was at least without deception.
I examined it. It was for $75,000, printed on an official Complyze-issued check.
"If you like, you can consider that in lieu of more official severance. Or," he paused to look at me, lifting back up his unfinished oval of bread, "You can take it as a bonus. We'd like you back."
I couldn't help my eyes widening in shock. "Back? At Complyze?"
"Of course. I know there may still be hard feelings, but we genuinely appreciated what you've delivered for the company over the last year, Mairead." I turned that statement over, unable to sense any falsehood. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but in his place I would accentuate the positive, too. He lifted the glass and took a sip, regarding the drink with pleasure for a moment, before placing it back on the table. "To say we were shocked and dismayed by the apparent betrayal would be an understatement. We had been considering you for a promotion in the new structure." His mouth formed a hard line as his fist tightened in front of his chin. I could feel a quietly simmering anger beneath the surface. "To find out we were duped into falsely accusing a highly-valued member of the team, is perhaps the most heinous outcome of this whole affair." Even without Augur's Insight, I could sense the quiet rage rolling off of him, controlled.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Several emotions rose up and threatened my calm, but I held them in check.
Ben regarded my silence with equanimity while he easily recovered his calm. "Please, allow us to put things back in their proper course. We would bring you back as a Product Group Leader. With Jon's absence, the team will need stable leadership. We think the opportunities for you in that role would be limitless." Truth. Though, maybe not all of it?
"I don't know what to say," I finally breathed. At which point, with a light knock, the server returned with a glass of ice water with a slice of cucumber in it.
"Say nothing at all," Ben replied, not waiting for the server to leave before proceeding. "I'll send over the paperwork and you can evaluate the offer in detail for yourself." As the door closed again and I took a sip, Ben peered at me in interest. "By the way, I understand you were in an unfortunate accident shortly after that unpleasantness." He waved his hand limply as if shooing away a lazy insect. He eyed me up and down. "Allow me to say you appear hale and well." He took a sip of his own, before proceeding. That he was intently curious was clear, and he was also confused. He must have heard from someone how serious the accident was. "Are there any lasting effects, or hospital bills perhaps?"
I frowned, but attempted to smooth my expression. "I'm fine," I replied in an attempt at dismissal. "I'm told it looked quite frightening, but the doctors said I was lucky." Nothing short of a miracle, was the phrase they used, actually.
"Truly? Complyze would be ready to assist, if needed. It is the least we can do for our part in such a disastrous series of events." An honest offer, though it seemed in line with the check earlier – devoid of true sympathy.
"Thank you for your concern." I wondered briefly if turning on Augur's Instinct was a mistake. It was hard to avoid reacting to what I was feeling from him.
"Well, that is comforting news, but these issues can take time to develop. If you find yourself in difficulty, please don't hesitate to contact me directly." Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, then slid it over to me. "You already have my number, but please take this." Ben smiled briefly, like a light switch going on and then off. Again, honest, if lacking.
"Thank you, I will" I replied cordially. "You said Jon was to blame for the thefts? That's hard to believe." I wondered how Ben knew.
"I know just what you mean." He took another slice of toasted bread, and piled a slice of cheese and cured meat on top. "Jon was such a composed and intelligent man. A beautiful family, too. To throw all that away… " Ben shook his head slowly, with authentic regret.
As I tried to think of a way to probe further, Ben added, "… and it seems he may not have been working alone."
"What do you mean?" I replied, flashing back to the slamming French door and a lone glove lying nearby.
"Well," Ben paused. "Jon was found dead in his home yesterday night. An apparent suicide." He took another sip from his drink, as if to wash away the taste. "The police informed us this morning, as they were performing their investigation."
"That's horrible," I murmured. That confirms how Ben knew, at least in part.
"Indeed." Ben wiped his mouth with his napkin, entirely lacking in horror or concern. "Well, they had reason to believe he had met with someone earlier. Are you acquainted with Bushra Patel, perhaps?"
"What?" I reacted.
"She's a former engineer at Complyze – I believed you worked on a project with her not too long ago?" He was looking down at the board of meats and cheeses, as if entirely uninterested.
"Yeah, well, I haven't known her that long." Why was he bringing up Bushra?
"It seems she had some kind of altercation with Jon on the day she was let go. I'm under the impression that the police feel she was involved, somehow." He turned the charcuterie board toward me, as I gaped at this information. "Please help yourself. The Manchego is especially delicious."
✦ ✦ ✦
My meeting with Ben mercifully didn't last much longer, as he apologetically excused himself to another engagement. He encouraged me to finish the food and enjoy myself, ensured me that a formal offer would be arriving in my inbox tomorrow. "I do hope we can regain your good will, Mairead. We sincerely want you back."
I left on Ben's heels, remembering to disable the skill. Everything he'd said had been true, though maybe not the whole truth? If Auger's Insight was to be believed, at any rate. So then why did I feel so ill at ease about it all? And Bushra, involved in Jon's theft? I didn't believe that for a second. But why would the police think that? I circled around and around on that conversation, trying to make sense of it. I made it home without reaching a solution.
It was early in the evening, and the now rush hour levels of traffic had kept me on the road well past sunset. I found a parking space midway down the block from my house, and made my way to the door. I was hungry by now, and wondering if I should have ordered dinner on Ben's dime, when something caught my eye from the front window. The lights were off, but there was a flickering luminescence from the TV in the front room. Ah, Iter must have returned, I thought. Tired from the days events, I unlocked the door and made my way inside… to voices?
"No, You see, that corridor leads outside of the area. You must initiate the conversation with that woman first to complete the quest." I recognized that voice as Iter, my prodigal god.
"This is pointless." came a new voice, as rich in timbre as Iter, yet deeper and more imposing.
"It is simply a game mechanic – a rule for how the game functions. You are one for rules, surely… " Iter was chiding the other person, his voice amused if somewhat vexed. This didn't seem like the first issue that had arisen.
"Uh, hello?" I called out into my own home as I left the hall and entered the front room, turning on the lights as I did so. Iter was standing next to the couch, looking just as I'd seen him earlier, dressed in modern attire of ivory and cream. One arm was resting on his hip, the other on the shoulder of a large man (?) of smooth, deep brown skin. They had short, curly hair and a pointed, angular beard that were both stark white. The newcomer had a dour expression that didn't leave the television screen, as their hands almost diffidently manipulated the game controller. Their smooth and flowing robes were white and pattern-less, except for a black half circle emblazoned on the front, slightly off center, as if the other half of the circle was as white as the robes themselves. Their eyes were also a colorless white, devoid of iris and pupil. It was unclear how they saw the TV at all. They sat on the edge of the cushion, ramrod straight, as if unwilling to touch the couch as much as possible, or to relax in any way.
"Our Hero!" Iter looked up at me with shining eyes and a wide smile. "Welcome home!" He stepped forward, and dramatically flourished his arm toward the seated figure. "May We introduce to you Our kin – Lex!"