Page 28 of Hidden Gem
Chapter 13
Tracy caught Jasonat his office door, her eyes shining with excitement. “I have something for you.”
She handed him two printouts. Jason glanced at the Facebook profiles of two women, pulled his assistant into the office and closed the door, his palm sweaty on the doorknob. He’d taken two sleeping tablets the night before. In the morning he’d washed off the metallic aftertaste with two strong coffees, which probably explained his palpitations.
Tracy waited as he studied the profile pages. Both women had made good use of Facebook’s privacy settings. Neither was recognisable from their photo – a coastal scenery and a shadowy figure against a sunset. Why didn’t people upload proper photos?
Tracy pointed at the page in his left hand. “This one’s the closest match. Sara Mitchell. She’s from Auckland, single, 30 years old, her middle name is Beatrice and she obviously likes sunsets...”
“Can you friend them on Facebook to see their full profile?”
Tracy shook her head. “I tried, but they haven’t accepted me.”
“Google image search?”
“Nothing. Sorry. Neither of them has a high profile.”
Jason shook his head, wondering how it was possible for anyone to avoid Google’s invasive reach. Every time he googled his own name, the list of results was as endless as it was demoralising.
He shifted his focus on the other page. “Who’s this?”
“Marnie Browne, from Hamilton. Thirty-nine, and ... well, she’s even more private, couldn’t get anything on her. I only included her because I haven’t been able to rule her out. Most people went to one of three other parties afterwards, so if they were seen somewhere else that night, I was able to cross them off the list.”
Jason nodded, impressed with Tracy’s thinking. He thought about Beatrice, how she’d felt against his chest, her supple skin under his fingertips. She couldn’t be thirty-nine, and the middle name felt like a good sign. “No. It’s got to be this one.” He lifted the Auckland woman’s profile. “Can you find out where she lives?”
Tracy smiled and handed him a sticky note. “I have her address right here. Found it through IRD. She’s listed as a business owner – a one-person operation that sells trinkets, earrings and such.”
“Good work! She said she didn’t make a lot of money.”
“Yeah, this wouldn’t.”
“Jason, my boy!” Malcolm hollered, simultaneously knocking on the door and bursting in.
Tracy caught the swinging door and slipped out past him. She couldn’t stand Malcolm’s weekend stories.
“Hi! How’s it going?” Jason asked, folding the printouts in his hand.
“Can’t complain. Bought a new barbecue on sale. The best time to upgrade the equipment. Off season!” Malcolm launched into a detailed account about meats he’d cured and prepared. Jason nodded along, feigning enthusiasm over Hoisin sauce. Tracy had a point.
Malcolm’s tone turned serious. “How’re you doing? Got those sleep issues sorted?”
“I’m working on it.”
Jason tried to smile, uncomfortable under Malcolm’s discerning gaze.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think the degree made much of a difference. You’d have been selected regardless. You have support, and you’re doing a great job. So, it doesn’t really matter.”
Jason’s heartbeat kicked up a notch and he looked over his shoulder. A nervous tick. There was nobody else in the office. His voice came out low and strained. “I have a fake Master’s degree in my CV and you’re saying it doesn’t matter? What if someone finds out?”
Malcolm tilted his head. “Who reads resumes anyway? I’m just saying, nobody else cares. They only care about the policy changes. They care about getting on the property ladder. So don’t let that keep you up at night. Not worth thinking about.
Jason’s nails dug into the printouts he was holding and tried to control his breathing. He recognised the logic in Malcolm’s words. Why couldn’t he get past this? Why couldn’t he just forget and move on?
