The Beholder Read Online Free PDF Page A

much to ask for, was it? Untangling himself from the sheets, he struggled to his feet then made his way out of the room, ignoring the crumpled clothes piled along the way. He shuffled through the hall, his steps labored and slow though the cold floor tickled his feet, then cast a wary look at the coffee table.
    He’d hoped the letter had been a figment of his imagination, a trick of his exhausted mind, but there it lay. Giving his coffee table a wide berth, Jason entered a sunlit kitchen, picked up a remote, then hammered a random button. A weatherwoman’s cheerful voice filled the room as she swung her arms to point at spots on the map, then jumped from the right corner of the screen to the left as if there were a mouse chasing her. Jason mustered a wan smile. If only life could be that simple.
    He switched on the electric kettle, listening to the weather report as he waited for the water to boil.
    “Hot, dry weather returns to New York,” the woman was saying, “whisking away the limited relief brought by yesterday’s thunderstorm. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning, urging residents to avoid the use of open flames and …”
    Jason peered outside, falling deaf to the forecast. The sky was featureless except for a layer of thin cloud, giving a white tinge to the blue. The color pressed against his eyes, and the glare made him blink. Beads of condensation ran along the air conditioner tray and dripped onto the baked concrete. There seemed no end to the blistering heat. Jason didn’t need a weather report to tell him they were in for another hot day.
    After a cup of strong coffee, Jason changed into his suit and left the apartment. The elevator carried him down to the basement, but he decided to leave his car in the garage and take a taxi to Evelyn & Laurens instead.
    When he arrived, Debbie was at her desk, busy with papers. She looked up at his entrance and blinked, looking contrite.
    “Morning,” he mumbled. “Sorry I left so soon yesterday. How did the evening go?”
    “Pretty good. Um … Evelyn called and asked you to come to her office as soon as you arrive.”
    Jason had known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. “Crap. Did she tell you why?”
    Debbie glanced away and started rummaging for something in her desk drawer. “No, she didn’t say.”
    “It must be about the presentation.”
    Sucking up his nerve, Jason knocked on his boss’s door, and she welcomed him into her lemony scented, pristine office.
    “Good morning, Jason. Please sit down. Would you like coffee or tea?” Evelyn’s face beamed with hospitality, which only served to unnerve Jason further.
    “No, thank you.” He frowned. “Debbie said you wanted to see me?”
    “Ah, yes.” Evelyn’s expression became somber. “I think we need to talk.”
    Jason sat stiffly, expecting the worst.
    “I think you need to take a break,” she said.
    For a moment, Jason said nothing. He simply blinked. This was not at all what he’d been expecting. “A break from what?”
    “From work. This month was difficult for you, and yesterday’s presentation is proof of that. Take a break and go somewhere nice. You need a change from the routine.”
    “Who said I wanted change?” Jason protested.
    “Debbie’s worried about—”
    Jason blew out his breath, feeling easier now that he knew it hadn’t actually been Evelyn’s idea. Except now he felt a little betrayed. “So Debbie told you I need to take a break?”
    “I think you need time off work.”
    “But—”
    Evelyn pursed her lips and stared him down. “That’s my final decision, Jason.”
    He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. There was no point in arguing. “Thank you,” he said through gritted teeth, then stood and returned to his office. Slamming the door closed behind him, he went directly to Debbie’s desk and glared down at her.
    “Thank you very much,” he snarled. “You know, I never expected this from you.”
    Debbie