So there we all stood, a row of dominoes waiting to be felled by a flame that wasn’t there. Yet no-one had said anything about a drill taking place. It was getting quite chilly stood in the carpark. I had placed the file in my boot – this had been quite easy in the hubbub of humans hustling for self preservation. But looking around there had been no sight of Ms Bright, and I wondered where she had got to. In my search I caught the eye of Maggie, and she smiled nervously before looking down. Next to come into my line of vision was QC Jez and he winked suggestively – my turn to look away, before believing it safe to resume my search – where, to my relief I saw Ms Bright emerge from a side door.
Once we had been cleared to re-enter the building by the fire attendants, the rest of the day passed without much further ado. Home I went, and resolved to get to the bottom of the whole secrecy thing. I had been given strict instructions to keep this private, so had told no-one about the file I carried in my car. Having said that, I had had the distinct impression I had been followed, but dismissed it. I was just an ordinary mum, why would someone follow me?
Still, I was pleased to have got home and the file was there on the table .
I brought my cup of tea in and settled myself down, with my laptop to one side, I was going to open up the company site and have that running, but once more, the information would not come up. I looked at the sheet I had been given earlier, hang on what was this – user name and password – I just had to find where to type it in now. A hour later and I had managed to access the site fully.
‘…..installation of cameras has become necessary on the company premises to stop this form of malpractice but officials have cited that until the investigation is complete, the whereabouts of these cameras cannot be disclosed. Mr Watt, currently residing in a nursing home, the location of which remains the knowledge of close family members, has issued a formal statement to the relevant authorities….’
Oh, my screen went blank, and I could not reboot. After a lot of deliberation, I asked my husband to have a go and he couldn’t either. My system had crashed, taking with it a lot of information. After one last try, I went back to the file. Just what was going on at this place? What was this statement – maybe there was a copy in the file?
Flicking through the papers, I thought I had found something, the word STATEMENT jumped out at me, but it was an old bill or something. These papers went back years, and nothing looked particularly relevant. Some more flicking and another cup of tea later, and I felt no further on. The bulb above me flashed a couple of times, I was getting tired and was now the only one up. Then I came across a letter, apparently addressed to H Bright. A scribbled Post It urged me to open this. It was foolscap – and had come from a legal office, signing over Power of Attorney to Ms Helen Bright should circumstances prevail.
It was to be signed by Mr James Watt, Company Founder. Also as executor to the estate – Margaret Osmington-Mills – one of the law partners, perhaps? The second signatory was to be Mr Thomas Edison, CEO of BrightSparkz Ltd, but no signature, just a space. At the bottom of the page it stated that Page Two contained the conditions under which this power were to be given. Page Two was not attached. There was, however, a yellow post-it note attached ‘Hang On To This – Do Not Let It Out of Your Sight’
It was at that point the power for the whole house cut out with a pop from the light bulb overhead. Apart from the computer screen, simply flashing a message ‘ Ask HER Where It Is’
My husband came into the room asking what was going on, and to remind me to unplug the computer. I looked down at the socket – it was unplugged . Still the screen flashed. The green text was bold as it gave out its’ message. I could not get rid of it.
Going up to bed, by the light of the street lights, I tried to get rid of thoughts of work out of my head and – I thought I had managed. Until the screech of tyres in the road below made me jump almost out of my skin. It was two -thirty in the morning.
