Page 42 of Daydreamer
“Felix,” TBea said. “Let him finish. Take a deep breath. It’s not going to help anything if you’re not calm.”
“It’s all documented with your HR department,” Grant went on in that annoyingly calm voice. “As I said before, after she reported this initial incident of physical assault, your HR manager thought it best that she give Miss Mayweather theremainder of the week off. However, I believe that there were some of Miss Mayweather’s belongings that she needed, including a notebook, so she had to come back to the office to retrieve it, hoping to do this prior to Mr Brent arriving back from a meeting. Unfortunately, he was in the office when she arrived and made another attack on Miss Mayweather. This time, throwing her against a wall. She has bruising to her shoulder, back, head and wrist.”
“That – that can’t be true,” I said in a hoarse voice, feeling my chest tighten in panic. “Will wouldn’t do that. Surely there’s been a mistake.”
“It’s all been recorded on the camera facing Miss Mayweather’s desk.”
“Camera?”
“I had it installed last year,” TBea said in a small voice, and my heart sank further. “It’s a nanny cam. Only starts recording with movement.”
“TBea, why would you have a camera installed?”
“You’ve got to understand,” she said, her voice now choked with emotion. “I never thought he’d bedangerous.” Her nose was red now and her eyes had filled with tears. “He was just a sleazy shit, and I’d had enough of it. I thought if I had documented evidence, then it wouldn’t be just his word against mine. So, I set up the camera. But then Lucy started and I moved desks to work for you, and I didn’t think to…” she broke off with a small sob. “I didn’t think to warn her or to check if she was okay. To be honest I forgot about the camera completely. I swear I didn’t know he was still doing it.”
“Still doing what?”
She threw her hands up as another tear fell. “He was handsy, he’d say things to get a rise out of me, he cornered me a couple of times. All typical alpha bullshit stuff.”
“What the fuck, TBea? Typical stuff? Jesus Christ, Ihad no idea Brent was doing this shit. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have ripped him apart.”
“It was all just low-level bullshit,” TBea said in a broken voice, and I felt harsh for snapping at her. “But I got a bad vibe from him. A scary vibe. So, I set up the camera. And Felix, I’m sorry, but this office does not invite communication. There’s a put up and shut up unspoken rule here. You know there is.” In the back of my mind, I knew Tabitha was right. I’d wanted to create a focused and cut-throat environment. I had thought that was the best way of getting the most out of everyone. Lucy’s gentle suggestions about a moreinclusive and openspace floated through my mind, but I shoved all that down. I had to know what had happened.
“I want to see,” I said to Grant, whose eyebrows went up.
“Felix,” TBea said in a warning voice. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“I want to see what happened inmyoffice tomygirlfriend, right fucking now.”
“Yourgirlfriend?” Grant’s eyebrows went up as he looked at me. “With all due respect, Mr Moretti, I don’t think she’s your girlfriend anymore. You had her escorted from the building by security immediately after she’d been assaulted. I mean, I can be a bit of a shit with my missus, but I’ve never beenthatmuch of bastard.”
“Aftershe was assaulted,” I said in a broken voice. “Oh my God.” I felt like I’d been winded, and staggered back to lean on my desk. Lucy’s face flashed in front of my vision then. She’d been so pale – her freckles standing out starkly against her ashen skin, her hands had been shaking. My gaze shot to the chair that she’d sunk into after she came into my office. I pictured her there, looking so small as I towered over her, her voice shaky and terrified.
“You’ve got to listento me. Will is?—”
“Will might be a prick, but he’s nothing compared to what a low-life you are. At least he’s looking out for the company.”
My stomach hollowed out, and I thought for a moment I might vomit. I’d defended Brent after he’d assaulted the woman I… oh my God, the woman I love. I loved Lucy. I hadn’t even tried to hear her out. I didn’t care anymore if Lucy had sold information about the company. Screw the company. Lucy,myLucy, had been hurt, and I hadn’t been there for her.
“I want to see that footage,” I said to Grant.
“After I’ve asked you some more?—”
“Now!” I barked, and Grant lowered his notebook to pin me with a furious look.
“I’m not one of your employees you can bark orders at, Mr Moretti,” Grant said in a low, angry tone. “I don’t think you understand the situation here. Your employee wasassaultedonyourcompany premises. Twice. You’re the one providing an unsafe work environment. I have questions for you, and you’re going to answer them to the best of your ability. Then, and only then, will I be sharing footage of the assault. You and your company are not calling the shots here. Am I clear?”
“Crystal,” I ground out.
What followed was a tortuous half-hour of questioning about Brent, about Lucy and my relationship with her, as well as Tabitha’s previous run-ins with Brent. All the while there was a low ringing in my ears. I needed to see Lucy, needed to check she was okay.
When we were finally done, Vicky came into the room with another officer. Vicky wasn’t the most expressive person emotion-wise, but she looked more visibly upset than I’d ever seen her. Lottie was with her this time. I wished Lottie had been here yesterday when I’d thrown Lucy out, but she’d been out at a meeting about her sister and, prick that I was, I wasn’t prepared to wait until she came back to confront Lucy, evenwhen Vicky begged me to. Lottie would have known something was wrong. There’s no way she would have let this happen. Lottie can sense when someone’s lying with almost supernatural precision.
“We made a mistake,” Vicky said, as always stating the bloody obvious.
“Did Will do anything toyou?” I asked.
Vicky shook her head in a series of quick jerks. “No, he’s scared of me.”
