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Now, it was starting to make sense why we were having the meeting in his office instead of a meeting room. For a minute there, I started to foolishly imagine that, perhaps, my “brilliant” proposal wasn’t that infra dig for a tycoon like Jared after all. The meeting was slowly turning into something awkward even for me. I was in the process of getting the coveted financing from the son of our family’s former cook with whom my little brother used to play tag all the time. To make matters worse I failed to recognize him and his mother. This was not what you’d call a “good beginning” for a professional relationship.

Jared took the picture and put it back. There was a short pause that made me a bit more uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to be offended by my poor memory.

“I realize it’s way overdue but I’m sorry about your brother,” Jared said finally. “Charlie was a great boy. I loved him like my own brother.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said, relieved that we were talking about something else but, at the same time, hoping that there would be no questions about my little brother. I added just in case there would be more: “We all loved him, and it still hurts to talk about him.”

The office that seemed so vast at the beginning of this meeting seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. Even though money was a rather sensitive subject to me, I tried to focus on my pragmatic objectives to stay calm. I had to get this investment so I could smooth out the consequences of some of my financially disastrous decisions. Not many people were aware of how bad my situation was, and I wasn’t going to reveal it unless it was absolutely necessary. I had been able to keep the pretenses quite well, but I had too many bills that were urgently waiting for my attention.

“Weird though, after all this time … they’ve never found him,” Jared said, not getting my hint.

I’m in the third-floor corridor that leads to the attic. I’m approaching the stairs and want to check if anyone is up there, but something catches my attention. I’m getting closer to the window, and I see Charlie in his white shirt running away through the garden.