Daniel unlocked the door to the Oyster Creek General Store and stepped into the gloomy room beyond. The dusty shop-front looked almost ominous in the darkening afternoon light, and he closed the door behind him with a sigh. He flicked the light switch, bathing the dirty space in a lurid yellow, and moved into the storage space beyond.
His office was in the corner and he stepped through the entranceway into the cluttered mess.
This is going to take some work.
He grimaced, glanced around, then set about clearing.
It was a boring job, and he would rather have not been doing it, but Daniel knew the room would have to be sorted sooner or later, and he ought to have it done by the time the staff came in Monday. For one thing, he'd want to be keeping an eye on their work rather than spending all day tidying his office, but more importantly nothing set the tone like a good first impression. A clean space of his own would not only look good to his employees, but it would get across what needed to be done in the rest of the store.
He grabbed a trash bag from the corner and began scooping loose items into it, grimacing as dust filled the air. But soon he was making visible progress, and as the black plastic bags piled up against the far wall of the storage room more and more of the office was revealed.
There were a desk there; large and not in too bad condition. A bit of cleaning would see it in a perfectly usable state, and Daniel couldn't help but be pleased at that. It actually looked like a rather ornate and antiquated piece of furniture, and he felt a little sorry that it had been so poorly looked after. Still, it appeared to have survived the unpleasant details of its storage.
Eventually, he was done. The room was cleared, if still dirty, and he glanced around to ascertain his next move. It needed scrubbing and dusting, but was otherwise acceptable. Some things -- like the office chair -- would need to be replaced, but what was currently there would suffice until he could get a new one.
He paused, then set down the final trash bag, returning to the office with a small smile. Back in London he'd had his own office, too, though it was much larger and brighter than this one. But that was before he had been demoted for his affair with the boss' wife, and so the thought of having his own office once again brought a sense of satisfaction to him. Though he did not want to be in this sleepy town, he could at least feel professional whilst he was there.
He sat down on the chair, pleased to note that, although he did intend to replace it with a more expensive one, it was not going to collapse under his weight. He set his hands on the desk, glancing round the room. A potted plant there, a picture frame there...
yes, I could turn this into a perfectly respectable office space
.
His hands stroked the top of the wood, and it was then that the drawers caught his eye. Large, ornate bronze handles were set into the dark mahogany, and he reached down to pull one open. It slid out easily, though his was disappointed to find it empty, and he moved to the next.
It was stuck. At first he thought it was locked, but the way in which the drawer would not move suggested more that the wood had just warped over the years. He grimaced, pulling harder on it, and at last it flew open, smashing into his shin.
"Fuck it!" Daniel roared, recoiling and grasping the throbbing site of the blow. He quickly rubbed at the affected area, hoping to soothe the pain, until he was distracted by the documents that rested in the drawer.
He reached forward, pulling them free, and set them on the desk. He looked for a lamp, but could not find one --
something to add to the shopping list
-- and so instead had to squint against the dull light of the single bulb that hung overhead.
'The Last Will and Testament of Stanley Porter-Michaels'
My great-grandfather!
Daniel leafed through the document, fascinated by what he saw. A yacht here, a multi-million dollar business there -
so that's where Cohort Enterprises went...
- there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but it still held Daniel's rapt attention. He was sure he wasn't supposed to be reading this, and that taboo edge made him delve deeper into the will.
Something caught his eye, and he leaned closer to thoroughly read it.
'And the Oyster Creek General Store, my pride and joy, I leave to Susan Birch and her lovely husband Mark. They deserve it.'
Daniel froze. He dropped the will back onto the desk, hurriedly reaching for the employment register he had found earlier in the day, and pulled it open. Running his finger down the list of ex- and current employees, he came to the four that worked for him now. Claire Harrison, Rodrigo Sánchez, and Jenny and Lucy... Birch.
Surely not?
He carefully put the book back down on the desk and reclined in his chair, his eyes drifting thoughtfully to the ceiling.
They've not inherited this store. They can't have done.
He leaned forwards again, checking the two documents once more. The information hadn't changed as he pondered its significance, and it was with a confused shake of his head that he replaced the two items in the drawers.
How had this happened? Surely his family would have known about this? Or, even if they hadn't, the Birch family would have done. Why would they let their inheritance go unclaimed? Unless they didn't know, which Daniel supposed was always a possibility.
This needs research
.
But not now. He was tired now, and this was a weekend after all. Checking his watch revealed it to be gone five, and a gloom was already settling over the town as night fell. He was unlikely the find the record's office open this late, and even if it were he was not in the mood to dig into their archives.
He stood, sighing as he left the small office then the shop, locking the door behind him and reaching for his phone. The cab he called said it would take five minutes to get there, and as he pulled the mobile from his ear a thought entered his mind.
His eyes swept down his contacts list, and he smiled as he pressed the call button.
The phone rang a few times, before a familiar voice picked up.
"Heya Dan!"
"Hi Jenny."
"How was your day? And Lucy?"
He paused, not knowing how to answer. Was she really asking what he thought she was? "It was... alright."
She giggled. He rolled his eyes and continued. "I just wanted to extend that invitation we discussed earlier."
"Oh yes? Where should we meet?"
"Well, I'm just getting a cab back to my hotel room now, but after I've dropped off some stuff then anywhere is fine."
"Nah, don't bother. I'll come to you, and even better, I'll bring dinner."
"Sounds like a plan, Jenny."
"See you in thirty minutes!"
The phone clicked dead, and Daniel smiled. The evening was looking hopeful already.
*****************************
Jenny was almost completely on time, knocking on his door only a few minutes after her guessed thirty had elapsed. He was impressed by her punctuality; he knew he had a habit of turning up late to social engagements.
