Chapter Twelve: Welcome to the Life

“Hello? Are you there? Pick up if you’re there. Pick up, pick up, pick up… You’re not there. Where are you? Come on, pick up. Okay, I’ll call back.”

It was Calla’s voice. She called my office on Friday, apparently. But why? She had reached me at home earlier, and invited me to the gallery.

The next message started. “Where are you? Are you avoiding me? I hope you’re avoiding me. I hope you’re avoiding me instead of just busy or something. I told you to avoid me. That’s good. But you might just be grabbing food or something. I hate this. I’ll call back.”

She sounded really upset. Why hadn’t she mentioned calling my office when I saw her that night?

“Frank? Are you there? Don’t pick up. Don’t pick up at all. Stay away from me. I probably sound crazy to you, but that’s the best reason to stay away, isn’t it? Whatever you do, don’t pick up if I call.” Click.

I wondered if she took medication. Maybe she was bipolar, and forgot her meds sometimes? She seemed so paranoid one minute, and so normal the next. There had been no hint of this anxiety at the gallery. We had flirted and joked…

I felt uneasy. I really didn’t want to get involved with this girl, if this was how she’d be acting. She needed help. Why did she keep calling me Frank all the time?

The fourth message started:

“Mr. Franklin, it’s Lorraine Bowden. I just got a message from your father’s secretary that he left an important folder on your desk. I tried you at home, but there was no answer. I’m trying the office just in case you’ve headed over there. I wanted to apologize for not having checked for it, I’m usually much more thorough. I left early on Friday, since you didn’t need me.”

I checked the display. Lorraine had called about ten minutes before I walked through the door. I decided to call her back. But, while I dialled, I had a thought.

As crazy as she sounded, it made sense that Calla had called my office. That was the number on the card I gave her, after all. My home number wasn’t on it. How had she called my apartment?

I dialled Lorraine.

“Hello, Bowden residence.”

“Lorraine, it’s Diggory. Just returning your call. I got that file you mentioned.”

“Oh, Mr. Franklin. Good, thank you for touching base. Your father’s office was very insistent that you get it.”

“Don’t worry about leaving early Friday. I certainly don’t expect you to sit around while I’m off sick. It’s my fault I didn’t get the file, not yours. Have a nice weekend.”

“You too, sir.” Lorraine’s voice sounded unsure.

“Is there a problem, Lorraine?”

“No, sir. Just that, well, you don’t seem yourself.”

I laughed. “How so?”

“No offence, Mr. Franklin, but you’re a slave-driver. It’s one of the reasons I like working with you, you’re as tough as I am. But lately, you’ve been, well, nice.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, sir! Just unexpected.”

“I’ll try to toughen up by Monday. It’s been an odd week.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, Lorraine? Did anyone call for me on Friday?”

“There were several messages. I updated your calendar with next week’s appointments. Oh, and you received a personal call.”

“Personal?”

“Well, I assumed as much. It wasn’t regarding business. A young lady called with an invitation to a gallery showing, but I informed her that you weren’t in the office.”

I drummed my fingers on the desk.

“You didn’t give her my home number, did you?”

“Certainly not, sir. I never share your personal information.”

“Thank you, Lorraine, I do appreciate that. It’s just that the young lady in question called at my home later on Friday, and I wondered how she got hold of the number.”

“Oh, well, you can thank Mr. Pinard for that, sir.”

“Matt?”

“Yes, sir. He dropped by the office to see if you were in.”

I laughed to myself. Matt had suggested I stay home. It was just like him to show up, feigning ignorance, to create plausible deniability for himself. And, to give me an alibi. No one would accuse me of faking sick, if my best friend showed up wondering where I was.

“What does that have to do with the young lady?”

“He took her number from me, in case you wanted it. I assume he may have called her on your behalf, since you were sick. He’s the most likely suspect for providing her with your number, sir.”

“Excellent logic, Lorraine. Thank you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

That wily bastard! He had set me up, knowing full well that Calla would be at the gallery. I wondered why. Matt had tried talking me out of seeing her.

But then, he was a bit of a prankster. He probably wanted to see the drama play itself out. Matt couldn’t resist butting in on my business, ever since we were young. I bet he enjoyed every second of it.

I’d have to thank him at lunch the next day. And, start plotting my revenge.

I picked up the folder from my desk and turned for the door. As I did, the telephone started to ring. On a Saturday.

“Hello? Lorraine?”

“Frank? Oh, thank God! Frank, don’t speak, just listen. Ignore all my calls. Stay the hell away from me, okay? No matter what, just don’t answer if I call. I’m so glad I reached you. You need to listen to me about this. I know I probably sound crazy, but it’s for your own good. Stay away!”

“Calla? I’m going to pretend this conversation never happened. I don’t know what’s wrong, and I think you need to talk to someone about it, but the next time we speak, I’m sure things will be fine.”

“No, you dumb jerk! If you pick up the phone the next time I call, there’s a good chance you’ll end up causing your own death! Exactly one year after I call you, you die! Your only hope is to never speak to me again!”

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