Twisted Games

Chapter 1 - Eve

"Eve?"

I lifted my head from the com"Eve?"

I lifted my head from the computer screen and the numbers I was deeply submerged into on the request of my supervisor.

"You've been called to the security room."

I gave my colleague a questioning look, but she just shook her head.

"I don't know anything," she said.

Well, fine. I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. I'll go there and find out myself. No problem.

Only...

"Where is the security room?" I asked, realizing I had never been there before and met the same bewildering stare.

"Dunno. Ask at the reception table. Tanya should know everything."

Right.

Our Tanya, the receptionist, did know everything. Once, when the CIO's documents were accidentally disposed off by his lousy secretary, Tanya got hold of garbage disposal service and delayed their arrival to Barrett's Holdings for an hour. That gave her and our dear chief an opportunity to spend quality time together in the garbage room searching for the lost folder. Mutual hard work, that involved huge stinky garbage bins, played an  essential role in the couple's future rendezvous.

That was a story everyone in our accountanting department knew very well.

My ponytail got a little loose, so I hastily retied it.

Alright.

I straightened my long sleeved white shirt, made sure my pristine skirt was sitting well and adjusted the huge glasses on my petite nose.

Security room it is.

Wading through a number of little tables, I nodded to a few fellow workers and just as I was leaving our noisy accounting floor, collided with Tanya, who was leaving the chief's office.

Just on time!

"Do you know where the security room is?" I asked the girl, smiling to hide my tired expression.

She raised her perfectly painted eyebrows.

"Minus third floor. Why?"

I shrugged and continued walking.

"I was called to come there."

"I hope it's not because of you being late to work," she said in a hushed voice. "I heard our CEO ordered to monitor everyone's arrival."

My heart missed a beat and I stopped dead.

"What?" I breathed out.

"You have been constantly late for the past month, haven't you?"

Yes. Yes, I was. It was hard not to be late, tearing between university studies, dad's rehabilitation in the hospital and my work.

"I'm sure if that's the case, the CIO would have been the first to call me." I managed a weak smile and strode toward the elevators.

Tanya followed me, but only because her work place was on the fifth floor, two storeys below us.

"Listen, Eve," she said quietly when I pressed "minus three" button. "I know you are in a tough situation now with your dad being ill and all. So don't be a fool. Do as he tells you."

"Who?" I was far away in my thoughts, scared to think how my tardiness might affect my salary this month to catch Tanya's hints.

"Whoever is in that security room! He might as well dispose off the evidence if you please him well enough."