Hiding Within The Betrayal

Chapter Six: Assistance Required

"Talking to the press? Are you crazy? Or just bone idle?"

Tess was such a mard arse...

By the time Brileigh and I got up to the office, Tess was ready waiting to lecture me. With the way she stood up from her desk, she embodied a WWE fighter: that arrogant stance she did every time she wanted to appear more intimidating than she really was. The cuffs of her blazer pushed back to her elbows, exposing her pale forearms. Again really not intimidating.  Lent against the ridge of her desk, arms firmly folded across her rather oddly board chest with the expression of pure frustration on her face. Poorly outlined lipstick lips puckered like Botox gone wrong. A balloon blown up so much it could pop with the slightest prick. 

Tess was a few years younger than me, in her mid thirties.  For whatever reason, her style trapped her in the early 2000s and with next to no eyebrows, she drew them on but thin. Not a good look for anyone.

Time and time again she had warned me about interacting with the press. Banging on about how we both knew perfectly well how exploitation in the media can ruin careers based on things a person hasn't even done. It was topic to more of our conversations than I wish to admit.  Editors could take two separate takes and line them up against each other changing the reception of what actually happened, or more simply twist words people say to make them appear guilty for something they mightn't have done. So for me to not only answer questions by the press but to also challenge them, Tess argued that I was potentially risking my reputation. 

I gave the intern some bogus task so that I could speak to Tess without her loitering around.

She ran her hand across her jaw and back again, "What exactly did you tell them?"

I shrugged, "Eh, I might have told them that I was too busy getting laid last night to turn up on time to work today," I laughed.

She did not...

Sometimes I regretted hiring an assistant who couldn't take a joke. It made situations like this much harder to digest than it needed to be.

I rolled my eyes, being serious like a boring person, "Would it surprise you to hear that I barely told them anything?" I responded honestly. I turned away from her and over to the filing cabinet by her desk, I still had to finalize paperwork for the Matteo case, there was no point arguing with her when I was already behind on work.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her roll her eyes. Attitude was approaching. She checked around the office before coming up to my side, close to me. Keeping her voice hush, "Myra, what did you tell them?"

I hadn't so much as opened the first draw when her hand landed on the top of the cabinet, I met her glance dropping my typical brush off approach, "They already knew about the door behind the wallpaper."

Uncertain of how to respond, Tess waited to see if I would continue. I myself had wondered how they knew about it. I didn't have the answer as to why, I could take a stab at why but I was in the blue. So I asked her what question stained my mind, "How did the media already know such a specific detail of my case? The very next morning, before I had chance to mention a word?"

Considering what could be the reason, she twisted her lips in wonder. She returned to her crossed arm stance, "Someone who was there yesterday evening might have mentioned it before you got the chance. A rat. Maybe even the parents. Could be anyone. Either way, I still need a full written report from you on my desk before the end of the day so we can-"

"To hell with the report!" I snapped, slamming shut the draw I had plucked folders from, "I have other children to find. Can't I shaft it off to someone else?"