Dear Tressi [✓]

29

Des looked at his watch as he walked towards Tressi. It was half past eight. The drafty corridor plunged into darkness as the moon disappeared behind the clouds. The dim light from the warden's office at the other end illuminated the narrow strip. "Your mother isn't here yet, huh?" he asked his wife.

She shook her head. "Apparently not. What do-"

She stopped mid-sentence and cocked her head to the left, hearing a loud commotion outside in the lawn.

"What's that?" Des asked, realising why she'd stopped talking. He too listened, tilting his head towards the noise.

Tressi didn't answer his question but took his hand and led him towards it. They walked through the brick walled archway and stepped onto the grass. Moving through the throng of guests who stood in a circle, they heard loud voices coming from the centre. It sounded like people were arguing. They gently pushed past the guests and Tressi, who spotted Dax and Mrs. Lepoci standing a few feet away, moved to stand next to them. Des followed suit.

She turned to look at the source of the commotion, to find Patty arguing with a lady who might as well have been her twin. Somehow, Tressi wasn't surprised that Patty was involved in making a scene.

She turned to Dax and whispered, "What's going on?"

Daxton opened his mouth to reply, but the screaming women drowned him out. The woman Patty was arguing with, was now red in the face. She had very little neck. Her round eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of their sockets.

"How stupid do you think I am? I saw you take the bracelet out of my bag. I saw you." She turned to a balding man who stood next to her, looking as if he'd be anywhere but here. "I saw her, John. She took it," Mrs. Methro said, pointing an accusing finger at Patty.

Patty looked beyond mad. If Mrs. Methro was red, Patty was purple. A fat vein throbbed dangerously in the centre of her forehead. "I didn't go anywhere near your bag. I know where the bracelet went and it wasn't into my pocket. You pawned it, you lying bitch. You are a liar. You're lying to your husband."

"How... How dare you? How dare you call me a liar? Just wait. Just wait till I go to the police!" Mrs. Methro spluttered as she opened her bag and rifled through it for her phone.

"You aren't gonna call the police. They'll arrest you first. Do you think what you do down there at Grazen Avenue is a secret?" Patty scoffed.

"Patty, that's enough!" Igna bellowed, walking into the scene. It had taken her ten seconds to assess the situation. "Apologise to Mrs. Methro, now." She glared at her assistant, coming to stand between the two women.

But that was the wrong thing to say—for Patty looked more incensed than ever.

"Apologise?!" she screeched, turning blue. "To this lying bitch?"

"Stop it," Igna warned. "You've already caused enough trouble with Mrs. Waldam today."

That seemed to shut Patty up momentarily.

Mrs. Methro swooped in, sensing weakness. "Now you see?" she asked, turning to her husband once again. The poor guy looked as if he'd give anything for the earth to open and swallow him whole. Beads of sweat were evident on his forehead, and he patted it dry with his handkerchief. He looked extremely uncomfortable at the racket his wife was making. His wife however, was triumphant. "She's incompetent and a thief. She should be fired right now."

"You shut the hell up, you trash," said Patty, firing up once again.

Igna could see how out of control the whole thing was getting. But she certainly couldn't be rude to a guest. She only had authority over her assistant. Usually, that was enough. But now, it seemed like Patty wasn't going to take orders from her anymore. Igna looked around at the onlookers, feeling quite humiliated. This was not the impression of the institution that she was hoping to leave on the guests' mind. She tried admonishing Patty once more.

"Patty, don't be a disgrace. This is not how we behave towards our guests at Rothan's. And it's a miracle Mrs. Waldam didn't complain after how you treated her. She's a saint to put up with your rude comments, bad behaviour and constant gossip. The only reason she hasn't pressed for action against you is because she is a lady. Something you don't seem to be. You need to learn to do better right now."

They say you can't help but look at an accident as it happens. They say you can't tear your eyes away from the impending crash. Those gathered at the Rothan's institute that night, experienced something similar. They saw the words leave Igna's mouth. They saw Patty's forehead vein get bigger than what seemed possible. They could sense the impending calamity, but Igna, lost in her own rage, didn't.

Patty's teeth came together in an audible snap. She was now ready to spew venom. "Mrs. Waldam's a saint, is she? She's so proper, is she? Then why didn't she raise her daughter better than to get pregnant by an engaged man when she was seventeen years old and still in school? Huh? Why did she raise such a slut?"

Without waiting to see the impact her words created, she stalked off the lawn, leaving behind open jaws.