“How long have you known him?” Alec asked the average-looking woman in her early thirties who was seated on a chair on the other side of his newly purchased office table. She looked all prim and prepped for that day’s occasion though wearing a red lipstick became out of the question.
“Four years,” Tabithia answered as she cleared some of the fine strands of her auburn hair and tucked them behind her right ear.
Alec gave a quick eye at Tabithia as though a bit shocked upon hearing her response. He immediately dug up something from his coat’s breast pocket and recovered a small green notebook. At a speed as though he was used into flipping its pages with his short pale fingers, he came on the part where his intuition was proven right. He put the small notebook on the table and stood up revealing his dwarfish figure.
“Four? It’s listed here three and a half,” Alec said while pointing his index finger on the notebook.
“Oh! Sorry, I lost track,” Tabithia replied.
“Ms. Wallace, you should look like you know better than that,” Alec demanded to Tabithia, “Okay, what was your relationship with Mr. Phillip Sanders?”
Tabithia stared at the small notebook for quite some time and was trying to remember everything that had something to do with the case on hand. Although she was pressured on recalling important details about Phillip Sanders, Alec couldn’t read any emotion on her face. She looked as if she was entirely lost in the trip down her memory lane. A minute had passed and her hazel eyes suddenly found their spark as she looked up to meet Alec’s concerned gaze.
“We were close but it’s nothing romantic. We only maintained a professional outlook toward each other brought about by our seemingly related careers. He was a wild explorer. I was one of his three roadies. He just got a few contacts when he traveled to China and as far as I’ve known, he almost got nobody in his hometown, except for his family. It was great knowing and working with him on that certain project. As a matter of fact, he used to talk about his wife and three children back here in Nashville and how his in-laws hated him so much,” Tabithia explained.
Alec, who at that time felt satisfied with Tabithia’s answer, decided to sit down and propped himself on his chair. He then faced his old computer and before typing a word, he took a glance at Tabithia who was curious enough on what he was about to do.
“I bet you’re thinking why I still have this crappy machine on my new table, aren’t you?” Alec asked as he gave Tabithia a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Honestly, no. I don’t have a computer Mr. Green nor have I any idea on how to operate it,” Tabithia said.
After typing some words and numbers on the computer’s spreadsheet, Alec opened his drawer and got a bundle of notes. He only took a hundred and fifty bucks out of the bundle and handed them to Tabithia. She politely smiled to Alec after receiving the cash and unconsciously clutched them in her hand.
“That amount is worth three hours of work. It’s the only way I can help you and your family Tabithia. I hope you’ll be okay with that,” Alec said with a voice ringing with pure concern.
Tabithia had always thought Alec Green as a good man but the kind that only gives when he gets something in return. She was in dire need of cash as she and her family had their own crisis at home. Had not her son got sick, she wouldn’t have to ask Alec for money. Tabithia’s cousin Shirley who had Alec for a boss, referred her to the man. “He’s a good man, Tabby. You just have to do something for him,” Shirley would often say.
“Of course I am okay with this Mr. Green. Don’t worry, I will bother you no more after this,” Tabithia answered.
“Actually, if I find your performance satisfactory, you could come here more often and offer your services,” Alec said in a business-like tone.
