Eastern District School

Chapter 84 - Emotionless Thomas

Rose once again found her head darting to and fro from one point and another. Rich was almost glaring at his father. At first Thomas Stork wore a look of pure confusion on his part.

"Ruffus?" he asked, the puzzled tone evident whether he was using his poker face or not. Rose realise then what Rich was asking, or rather implying. In front of everyone else though...that seemed rather unlike Rich himself. 

"I don't understand why. I was dealing with it. They didn't sound happy about it but they have agreed now." His tone softened slightly with each word he spoke. 

It was as though Thomas had a moment of realisation before continuing. A brief pause where his son just stared at him in disbelief. "Ah Ruffus, you say?" He rose again, and turned to the women in the room, minus Sarah who had gone to fetch Rose a coffee. "Excuse me ladies, I just need to have a word with my son." Thomas walked away from them then and towards his office. 

Rose quickly jumped to her feet, and managed to catch up alongside Rich. Thomas turned to her then as if she were intruding on some kind of father-and-son moment. He opened his mouth as though about to say something, but rather let out a sigh and continued to his office, not bothering to hold the door open for either of them. 

"Listen," Thomas said upon Rich closing the door behind them. "I'm not about to start discussing everything...not in front of your mother!" 

Rose wasn't sure who he was talking to then, his eyes did not indicate whose mother he was referring to. 

"Why bother?" Rich said, his voice effortlessly elevated. "What did you do...blackmail them?"

Rose had just been about to open her own mouth to ask what exactly she was missing, but upon the mention of blackmail she whipped her head around to face Rich. 

"Blackmail?"

Thomas smiled instead of even trying to defend his name or give some kind of explanation.

"Who did he blackmail?" Rose asked, her head flicking between father and son. 

Thomas brought a hand to his head as he shook it gently, but continued to offer no words.

"The garage! I just phoned them to see what I could find out and they told me that they were happy to go ahead following the discussion with Mr Ruffus. I asked what they meant, but they just kept saying the same thing over and over."

"Is this garage someone you usually deal with?" Rose asked, not giving Thomas any further eye contact. If he had something to say, then he should say it!

Rich sighed and shook his head. "No Rose, It was one that was close to you not me, it came highly recommended though."

By who? That was the question!

Rose turned to Thomas then, feeling his eyes begin to bore into the side of her head, yet still no words uttered from his mouth. He just looked at her, as though he were waiting for her to say something. Would this guy really not answer his own's son's questions? Was that what he was expecting? He was waiting for her to ask him the right questions again? She really didn't like that game!

"I'm going to have to go down there Rose, I think that's the only way of putting things right. Of un-doing what he has done!" He gestured to his father who just continued to smile at Rose, but Rich was unaware having focused his efforts on diverting his own gaze from his father. 

"It's not..."

"You said that they told you they couldn't do the work. That means he went behind my back. I'm trying to do the right thing and take care of her."