‘Just calm down and tell me what happened.’ Jake glanced at Faye, then leaned back in his chair and swivelled it to face the window. He closed his eyes and listened.
‘I’ll call you back as soon as I know anything, Lydia.’ Jake turned his chair round to his desk.
Faye looked up from her paperwork as Jake put his phone in his pocket and stood up. ‘I’ve got to go out.’
‘What – now?’
‘Yes.’
‘But Jake, what about the staff meeting?’
Every Monday morning at eight-thirty was the time the staff all met the head for a briefing.
Jake closed the exercise book and tossed it back on the pile. He looked at his watch. He didn’t have to be in work so early. Officially, the working day hadn’t begun yet. ‘I’ll be back for thestaff meeting, I promise.’
Jake plucked his jacket from the back of his chair.
‘But where are you going?’
‘I’ve got to find someone.’
‘Who?’
‘It’s personal,’ said Jake without thinking.
Faye returned her attention to her paperwork without comment.
Jake hovered for a moment, wishing he hadn’t said that. He didn’t have time for this. He headed for the door, fishing in his pockets for the key to his padlock. ‘Damn!’ Jake halted abruptly – there was no key. He checked both jacket pockets and his trouser pockets, then cast a glance over to his desk.What did I do with it when I hurried after Faye?he wondered.
He glanced over his shoulder at Faye; she was still at the desk, studying a file. Jake reluctantly retraced his steps. He leaned on the back of his chair, staring intently at his mentor.
Faye didn’t look up. ‘I thought you were off out?’
‘Faye, I can’t find the key to my padlock.’
She shrugged. ‘Maybe you left the key in your padlock.’
‘I never do that.’
They both turned to look out of the window, even though they wouldn’t be able to tell from where they were whether Jake had put the padlock on his bike and then left the key in it. It was very unlikely; it was an expensive bike, and Jake was fastidious with locking it up.
As that moment, they both saw someone in a hoodie riding Jake’s very expensive bike out of the entrance gates.
‘Is that your bike?’ Faye asked evenly.
‘Oh, you have got to be kidding me!’ Jake exclaimed.
They weren’t the only ones staring out of the window. Someone else commented, ‘I think someone stole Jake’s bike.’
‘Well, that’s what happens when you ride a bike like that in aneighbourhood like ours.’
Jake slapped his forehead. Of course, they were right.
She looked at him. ‘Aren’t you going to call the police?’
Jake didn’t care about his bike – or rather, he did, but just then he had a far more urgent situation to deal with.
‘Faye, can I borrow your car?’
