Spillage
Page 9
Chapter 9
They arrived at work the following Monday ready for anything. Anything but what Craig had to say once everyone was there.
"You know how much I'm struggling to keep up with the phone, and all the paper work, so I've decided to get an admin assistant in, part time, to see if it can make a difference."
Pavel tried to give Craig the "Don't be so stupid!" look, but Craig wouldn't meet his eyes. Pavel guessed who Craig was thinking of giving the job to, and did not want unresolved sexual tension in the air messing around with how the spray paint dried.
"It will be on a trial basis for all parties, we'll see how it goes."
"You're not going to have her in your office, are you?" asked Boris. Clint nearly snorted with laughter, but kept it in.
"Of course not. He or she will be moving into the desk that you currently use occasionally, right outside my office, and we'll clean up this area for more desk space." Boris didn't care who got the job, he was upset about losing his clean desk - to him, it was like giving up the Caucasus. He just frowned. Clint again muffled a laugh at the idea of Boris sitting at the grimy bench between his desk and the workshop computer.
"Thanks for volunteering to clean out the mess, Clint," Craig said with a grin. Boris snorted and stalked off to read one of his magazines, and Pavel wandered off towards the car he was working on, muttering to himself.
Melinda started two weeks later, and the impact was immediate. It was like a load had been taken off Craig's shoulders, and he was able to spend more time in the workshop, solving problems with Pavel and training Clint. Jobs were getting done quicker and cheaper.
'OK, Melinda, time to tackle the mess in my office." They stood at the door, and the full horror became clear. There were papers and spare part boxes everywhere, and several old computers in states of disgorging their insides lurked on the filing cabinets that lined the back wall.
"Where do I start?"
"Why not start on the desk. Anything with an invoice number or a client name can be filed, anything else chucked."
"OK. Drawers as well?"
"Yep. Don't think you have to do it all in one day. It's been like this for ages, and I don't want you being late to your afternoon job, yeah?"
Melinda just nodded.
By the second day, the top of the desk was visible, and the paper recycling bin was full. Melinda went to sit in Craig's chair so she could start work on the drawers, but it was stained and wobbly so she just grabbed the top drawer off its runners, and plonked it on the top of the table.
Inside were more random pieces of paper, pens and chocolate bar wrappers. Tempted to up-end the whole thing into bin, she decided to settle down and work through it piece by piece.
The second thing she picked up from the drawer was a slightly crumpled piece of paper with nasty brown stains on it. It read :
"Bottom of the cliff at River Park. No suspicious circumstances."
"No client name, no invoice number," she said to herself as she scrunched it up and tossed it into the bin.
Free Offer
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you enjoyed Spillage.
I’d like to offer you a free download of the second book in the series – IMPACT. Just sign up here and continue to enjoy the adventures of Craig, Pavel, Clint, Melinda and the unflappable Boris.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank: Matthew Busby Andrews, Nick Ingram, Steve McAlpine, Jeremy Pooley.
Also by Dave Cornford
The Queensberry Rule - a mystery/thriller set in the social media age.
Warm Honey - The story of a young man growing up and finding out about family and himself.
The Diary of the 17th Man. Cricket humour at its best, with three titles to choose from. www.17thManDiary.com
Advanced Smash Repairs - A quirky six-part series set in a smash repair shop "that knows too much."
Cracks in the Ceiling - A collection of contemporary short stories with humour and a twist.
For more information on Dave's other books, visit www.davecornford.com
Live-Fiction
Live-Fiction is a stream of short stories and novellas (published as ebooks) that are inspired by current events. The stories will be witty and thought provoking, and aim to be contemporary but not disposable. They will be an easily digestible size - up to about 10-12 thousand words - so able to be read on a mobile device but also long enough to enable character and plot development with substance.
#1: 15 Civic Square. Three short stories set in a contemporary bank.
#2: Performance Anxiety. A footballer is not sure if he's "clean" or not. #3: Pick Me! Pick Me! The campaign diary of a political candidate headed for oblivion.
#4: Prank! When ratings are all that matter, things can go horribly wrong at the local radio station.
#5: Botox Apocalypse. There are sure to be consequences of vanity.
#6: No Room in the Bin. Christmas the season of Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards men. Not bin rage and garbage envy.
#7: Cake Knives Don't Kill. Saying farewell can make corporate downsizing a dangerous game.
#8: Home & Hardware. Two men deal with their past and future when the meet while working in a hardware store
#9: All Bets are Off. Technology and gambling collide on the football field.
#10: Spin: Fear and loathing at the local gym
#11: I Agree: People really should read the "Terms and Conditions" online a little more carefully.
For more information, visit www.live-fiction.com