“Please don’t shout at me!” I blurt down the line, immediately holding the phone away from my ear once I’ve made my plea.
I was right. “What the fucking hell were you thinking?” he yells. “You stupid, stupid woman!”
My eyes close, and I quietly accept his rant, keeping my phone at a safe distance.
He’s breathing erratically between scorns. “I’ve been pulling my fucking hair out, trying to work with Steve and figure this shit out, and all along you had a handwritten threat?” I hear a door slam. “And you tore it up? Evidence, Ava. Fucking evidence!”
“I’m sorry!” I’m close to tears.
“Fuck!” Silence falls after his curse, and I can see a clear mental image of him slumped in his office chair, rubbing a furious circle on his temple with his fingertips. “Tell me you’re not leaving that office this afternoon.”
“I have a meeting with Patrick. I’ll speak to him about Mikael.” I’m trying to tell him what I know he wants to hear.
“This isn’t the work of Mikael, Ava,” he says more calmly than I know he’s feeling. “Steve confirmed that Mikael has been back and forth to London over the last few weeks, but completely legit. He couldn’t have drugged you and he couldn’t have been driving my car because both of those times he was in Denmark.”
“What about the man in the CCTV footage?” I ask tentatively.
“I don’t know, Ava.” He sighs. “My car was found yesterday. Steve’s looking into it. The tracker’s been deactivated.”
I rest my tired arse down on one of the plush chairs surrounding the conference table. “Should I come to The Manor after work?” I ask.
“No, John will take you home as soon as you’ve spoken to Patrick. I’ll meet you there. Given this new information I’ve just found out, I’ve got Steve swinging by.” His sarcasm doesn’t go unnoticed and neither does the edge of anger. I don’t point out that my working day may not be over after I’ve spoken to Patrick because it will serve no purpose other than instigating further growling down the phone. I really do need to play by his rules this time. “Don’t leave that office, and once John’s taken you home, you stay put. Do you understand me?”
“I understand,” I whisper.
“Good girl. I’ll speak with Steve, but I’m out of here the second I’m done.”
“I love you,” I blurt out urgently, like I won’t ever get to tell him again.
He sighs. “I know you do, baby. We’ll have a bath when I’m home. Deal?”
“Deal,” I agree, his soft words and promise of tub-time making me feel a little better.
He hangs up, but I don’t take my phone from my ear. I know he’s gone, but I hold it there for a few moments anyway, maybe hoping that I’m mistaken and his deep husk will install some further reassurance.
It’s only when the door to the conference room swings open and Patrick appears that I finally pull my mobile away and accept he’s gone.
“There you are.” He doesn’t look impressed as he stands holding the door open. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I go to rise, but he waves me back down.
“No, stay there. We’re having the meeting in here.” He shouts through to the others and one by one, they filter in, all puzzled and all deadly quiet. Something is going down; everyone can obviously sense it.
There are no trays of tea brought in by Sal and there are no fresh cream cakes to dive into. Patrick looks tired and harassed, whereas we all look majorly confused by this sudden change in meeting etiquette. What happen to the relaxed affair, where we all huddle around our boss’s desk and stuff our faces with cake while Patrick brings himself up to date on client progress?
“Right.” He sits his big body down in a chair at the head of the table and undoes his suit jacket to prevent the pull over his rounded stomach. “I’ve not been here much lately, and I’m sure you’re all wondering why.”
We all murmur our acknowledgment.
“Well, there is a perfectly good reason,” he continues. “And I’m now in a position to disclose it. It has been tough keeping you all in the dark. You all know I value each and every one of you, but things needed to be ironed out and finalized.” His hands rest on his stomach and he relaxes back in his chair. My eyes travel from Tom to Victoria to Sal, and back again a few times, trying to gauge their reaction to the news of news, but they are all just staring blankly at Patrick. “I’m retiring.” He sighs. “I’ve had it.”