Page 189 of Chandelier Enthralled
As we entered, I set my handbag down by the front door. Chloe did the same with hers.
The place was small. We were met with the underlying scent of an air freshener.
The hardwood floors had lost their shine, and then I realized they were lanolin. A clock on the wall had the wrong time, painfully marking Dean’s absence.
The open plan was tidy, with all the makings of a bachelor’s pad. Dim lighting cast a shadow over everything, a single barstool against the divider overlooking the kitchen. Perhaps Chad had sat there while Dean cooked for them.
I shuddered at the thought that Dean would never be able to return to his apartment.
A lingering coldness filled the rooms. Stacked books with their spines cracked littered a side table, well-worn paperbacks haphazardly spilled from shelves, and a few were perched on the arm of a recliner—a man’s life represented in the books he read.
Chad moved around the apartment, familiar with the surroundings, his eyes reflecting sadness as he recalled the memories made here.
I wanted to tell him how sorry I felt. Instead, I shared that sentiment with a comforting squeeze of his shoulder, trying to convey we would not let Dean’s life be forgotten.
Chad stared at an abandoned mug left on the kitchen counter.
“This is your first time back?” I asked.
Chad gave a nod.
In one corner, a sagging chair sat, its upholstery faded from the sun. Now the window blinds were shut.
The apartment had two bedrooms. Following Chad, we hurried into a tiny spare room that had been set up as an office. Made me wonder how his colleagues back at the office were coping, too.
Chad opened a filing cabinet by the desk and pulled out a beige folder. “It’s here.”
I hurried over as he opened the file and scattered the contents onto the desk’s surface.
“This is what he was working on,” Chad said.
Chloe saw the name on the file and glared at him. “You’re going to get us fired!”
He ignored her. “Yeah, well, that’s a better consequence, right?”
Better than death.
I scanned the papers and read the reason for Chloe’s ire.
She shook her head. “This is not right.”
They were bewildered to find files with Jewel Hadley’s name on them—but I wasn’t. At some point, Dean had printed out copies of private emails and photocopied private mail—which had all been sent to her at Pulse360.
“What is all this?” Chloe’s voice was strained.
“That’s why I got the job in the mailroom.” Chad’s admission was delivered with no emotion.
Chloe looked horrified. “Are you spying on our boss?”
I glanced at the papers, realizing what it meant. “You photocopied her mail?”
“Intercepted it, yes.”
Chloe shot him a panicked look. “That’s a crime, Chad. You realize that?”
He didn’t flinch.
“I can’t do this…” She backed out of the office.
