2026-01-11 06:52:21Robert was ready to go to his school reunion, he already ordered a sleek French suit made by Yves Saint Laurent. He smacked his forehead when he realized he forgot to order a pair of shoes along side it, now he had to wear his delivery trainers.
“Who gives a fuck?.” He muttered to himself, wearing Murillo's pizza place helmet, driving for the destination of the reunion.
Neon classic was the restaurant chosen for the reunion, it was just like the name sounded, extremely classic for only the demure, and high class.
Robert was busy packing his delivery bike when a car honked behind, making him shiver in fright. The headlights from the G wagon were blinding.
The owner of the car stepped out,
“My bad buddy, didn't mean to scare you.”
Robert removed his helmet, and saw that the driver of the car was Luke, one of his mates for the reunion.
He was so excited that he rushed to give a handshake.
“Wow, I can't believe this is you.”
Luke squirmed back as he noted the pizza helmet.
“You do pizza deliveries now?How disgusting.”
He left an embarrassed Robert on the sidelines.
Robert looked at all parked cars in front of Neon classic. They were all of the latest models. He cursed himself as he could have bought one way more expensive than theirs put together.
Anyways, he went in, a loud cheer erupted, he knew it wasn't for him as everyone crowded Luke.
Ignoring Robert, mostly because they saw that he arrived with a delivery bike.He didn't mind, Luke was the star for tonight, another night, he would be the star without doubt.
All of his mates looked good, their bodies glowing.
The one person he could not keep his eyes off was Loretta Lynn. The baddest chick then, and now. She stood out amongst all the ladies.
All the guys were vying for her attention.
Before Robert could take the empty space beside Loretta, Luke shoved him aside.
“Out of the way, pizza boy?.” He taunted
Everyone found it funny, but not Robert, and his oldest buddy Dave. They lost contact for a while now. But it felt good to be back.
Foods,and drinks were ordered, all bills on Luke to the envy of Robert.
It came the time for everyone to announce what they've been doing with their lives, as expected, Luke went first.
“As you all may already know, I am the CEO of Adiaga constructions, still coming up to the top but I'll get there soon.” His chest puffed with pride.
Loretta laughed,
“I take it you are being modest, so I'll be modest as well. I am the most sought after model in the country, recently I got contracted with Zenco enterprise to be the face of their brand, it's an absolute dream come true for me.” She squealed.
“They should be delighted to have you as the face of their latest brand, I mean you are one swell chick.” Luke whistled.
The group clapped as one person after another went about saying their jobs.
Even Dave was a manager at an upcoming bank.
Robert was the last to speak, he adjusted his suit, but Luke stopped him.
“Don't waste our time Jackson, we already know you deliver pizzas, announcing it would spoil the trend we have going on.” Luke mocked.
Heat crept up Roberts face, he didn't like the way Luke spoke about him, especially in front of Loretta.
Dave squeezed Robert's hand underneath the table.
“Luke's always been a douchebag, don't let it get to you.”
“I'm not bothered,” Robert lied.
His eyes followed Luke as he excused himself to use the restroom, he made for Luke's seat.
Dave stopped him.
“Where do you think you are going?, Loretta only talks to the big wigs. Don't embarrass yourself further.”
“No harm in trying.”
Robert made for the seat left by Luke.
“Hi Loretta, you look stunning.”
Loretta sized him up from head to feet, she burst out laughing.
“What makes you think you can talk to me, an ordinary pizza boy like you.”
Everyone on the table focused on them, while Dave covered his face in shame, he did warn Robert.
Loretta pinched her nose to keep it close.
“You reek of leftover pizza, and your trainers?.” She pretended like she wanted to puke.
Robert left her, he knew where he'd get her back.
“Model of Zenco indeed.” He whispered furiously.
“I told you not to go Man, see what you brought on yourself.” Dave sympathized as he rubbed Robert's shoulder.
It didn't ease the hurt in his heart, but he consoled himself, as he already had a plan.
The celebration went on with Robert as the center of discussion. He didn't leave, he didn't want them to get the satisfaction off him.
His phone began to ring, in beep tones.
“Who still uses a beeper?.” Loretta asked.
Making everyone laugh.
All eyes fell on Robert who was fumbling with his trouser pockets.
He brought out the phone taking some steps back to answer.
It was Roxanne, and she sounded livid.
“Where are you?, you locked me and my mother out of my own house.”
Robert felt his right pocket, he brought out a set of keys.
“Fuck!” He exclaimed.
In his rush he had taken the keys of the house with him.
“I am so sorry, I will be back soon.”
“You better hurry as I have a guest I am hosting tonight, and I can't keep him waiting. Fool.” She barked before ending the call.
“Someone's about to go on a delivery spree.” Luke shouted.
Robert ignored him, didn't say goodbye to anyone as their eyes trailed him outside.
He started the bike, it coughed, refusing to start, making the sight more hilarious for his mates to watch.
When it roared to life, Robert zoomed off into the darkness.
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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO
On Tuesday morning, Robert appeared before the international economic committee.The committee room was a big formal room, as is the case with international institutional spaces. Wood panelling. A long raised table at which the Committee members were seated facing the witness. Three international news organizations cameras. Four of the seven Committee members wore earphones for simultaneous translation.Robert sat at the witness position alone.He had refused to let counsel be with him. He had refused to accept a draft and a rewritten version of his statement by his staff. He didn't accept briefing papers he had prepared with answers to questions he expected to be asked.He only had water to drink.The meeting was called to order by the committee chair. She was Belgian. Seventy years old. The kind of person who'd spent decades asking tough questions in official settings and wasn't about to be impressed by formality or status.She expressed her gratitude to Robert for coming.She put h
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE
This was Carver's second meeting with Phillip, who met him on a Friday evening.The same private club. The same room. However, the meeting was not the same as the first one. Carver had requested that they engage in it specifically through the channel that they had used and had stated that the subject was important and needed to be discussed face-to-face. Those three words had been read by Phillip and he knew that Carver had discovered something.He didn't anticipate the butterflies in his stomach.He had been in rooms where there was a lot of information. He had served a long career in financial operations where the important information was the currency and the receiving of it in the neutral act. You heard what you heard, you used what you could use.He was seated across from Carver.Carver regarded him as he had regarded him the previous time. The evaluation of a person who was going to make a decision as he was looking at it before arriving.He laid a folder down on the table.He d
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY
Agent Chen visited Dave on a Tuesday morning.She had never come to the office before. All previous messages had been sent by secure communication or in private meetings on locations with special neutrality. The office wasn't neutral. The office was visible. When she came to the office, she had decided that the need for what she was bringing was more important than the visibility of the channel.She was met in the lobby by Dave and escorted to the small conference room on the second floor which was not part of the executive floor, and had no window overlooking the main floor atrium. He had selected it ahead of her because if anyone was observing the construction the little conference room would not result in a visible meeting between Dave Morrison and a federal agent.Chen sat down.She did not open a folder or produce documents. She had brought nothing with her that could be observed or photographed."I am not here officially," she said.“Yeah, I get that,” Dave said."Somebody’s bee
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN
At two AM on Thursday, Robert was in Clara's room.Roxanne found him there.She had woken at one fifty, stretched out toward him in the darkness and found that the bed space beside her was empty, with the particular coldness of sheets that had been empty for some time. She lay silent awhile. She listened. The air in the penthouse was silent. Not the alarming quiet. The ordinary quiet of a building at two AM.She got up.She went and found him in Clara's room standing next to the cot.He wasn't doing anything. Not adjusting Clara's blanket. Not responding to a sound. Simply standing. Having a glimpse of Clara as he looked at her sometimes in these hours. The total focus of the person who has discovered something to observe and is actively observing it.Clara was asleep.The small quiet breathing of a sleeping child. Perfectly safe and perfectly sound.Roxanne stood in the doorway for a moment.She watched the man who was watching Clara.This she had seen before. Not once or twice. Regu
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN
Robert received the invitation on a Monday morning.A formal letter on headed paper from the secretariat of an international economic committee convening in three months. The committee was reviewing the effects of wealth concentration and corporate governance and the responsibility of large-scale businesses to the communities they served.They were calling a small group of business leaders to testify. The invitation described Robert as someone who is very well known in the public arena, for whom the employee ownership movement and his track record of community investment are very relevant to the work the committee is doing.He took the letter to his desk to read. He put it down. He went to window. He returned and read it once again.It was his instinct that first came into him, as it had with the Patricia Osei profile. To decline. To help keep the particular privacy he had found so helpful in many years of understanding that visibility created vulnerability.He had not declined the Os
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN
The doctor was located by Phillip's investigator on a Tuesday.Carver had been working backward through the records. From his limited access to the hospital's secondary system, as well as the names of the individual practitioners listed within that system. The majority of the names were common. General practitioners. Hospital staff. Expected rotations of routine care providers.A single name came up and then disappeared.A specialist. Connected to a private clinic that had since been closed. He specialist's professional registration had lapsed three years after the clinic closed. He had not practiced publicly since.It took four days for Carver to find him.He lived in a seaside town, eight hours away from the city. Not hiding exactly. Simply distant. The distance someone has maintained from an aversive connection to a professional life they no longer wished to have, as a result of physical separation, not hiding.His name was Dr. Aldric Mendes.He was an expert in obstetric medicine.
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