@Stern AlgorithmVern was sitting in the dark. No matter how many times the bulbs were changed, the lighting in Ink Spark Bookstore was always spotty. Some spots were brightly lit and others were pitch black. In fact, the wiring was extraordinarily odd in this part of the building, forcing the lights and certain other fixtures to be placed in certain locations. The register, for example, had to be in the same place on the counter unless he wanted to tear up the foundation to re-lay the main cables and the lights were wired with too much power for standard bulbs. Instead, he had to use a higher intensity spotlight bulb. And so he sat in a small corner on the small balcony, the only second level that the store had room for, with no light while a stack of papers sat on a small table in front of him under the intense and excessively warm brilliance of a spotlight. The only sound was the scratching of his pen on the paper as he filled out and signed one form after another.
He finally owned his own business. It's true, he only owned one. But, time would change that. This little outfit would be the starting cash flow that would fund his acquisitions. So, with that modest plan in mind, he devoted a great deal of time and effort to making it stable, legal and profitable again.
Then the door opened. The store was still closed. Vern looked up from his work. Hidden in the shadows as he was it would be nearly impossible to see him. Besides, even he wasn't usually here quite so early. The fleeting thought of burglary flitted through his mind, as often happens in shady neighborhoods when locked doors are opened. But, it fled as quickly as it had come when one of the clerks he had hired a couple months ago entered and locked the door behind her to begin getting ready for her shift. Vern went back to his work.
Every now and again he would look up and observe how his employee was doing. She was very effective at proving to the persistent that this business had no remaining connection to illegal deals. In fact, the prior owner had sold it to fund his escape from that business. The last news of him that Vern had heard involved a train ticket east and plans to start over. Vern wished the man luck and returned to his work.
It did indeed get warm in this store. Unfortunately, correcting the AC issue was also affected by the power problem. Vern was actually getting quotes for a remodel of the front end. If he could get a bid in the right range then those front windows would be replaced by versions that could be opened, some of the wiring could be adjusted and some form of supplemental AC could be installed. But, for now, Vern suffered with his employees.
His preference for dark colors did not help at times like this. His buttoned up black shirt was open all the way down and untucked. The red of his thin t-shirt revealed a darker ring where sweat had made a mark at his neckline. His black slacks and professional black shoes were things he couldn't do much about with an employee, especially a female one, in the store. Then again, he never considered his boxers to be something worth showing off.
The 'Naughty Nori's News' radio segment happened to come up just as he was signing the last of his paperwork for the day. Surprisingly, this particular corner of the balcony had not been disturbed at all. In fact, Vern was certain that his employee had not yet realized that he was here at all. With that in mind, he stood up and used the small table to straighten the stack of papers. The sound of rustling cloth and paper carried surprisingly well in such a quiet store. With the stack straightened, he lifted his briefcase onto the table and placed the forms inside. With a click and a clack the latches snapped shut and he was done with his owner's work for the day. Now, for a walkthrough of the back and then off for lunch.
But first, he had to descend the narrow wood stairs and have a brief exchange with his current employee. He wore a professional but friendly smile as he reached the ground floor and approached the young lady manning the register for today's opening shift.
It was Shizuka. He had only had to hire eight people to fill necessary positions so he still remembered them all. She was a little shorter than him and a lot lighter but she carried herself with a subtle competence and respectful manner that had impressed him quickly. Her performance had been consistent and reliable, a very productive employee only surpassed by one particular hire in the shipping area who had just a little too much zeal for his job. She also preferred modest attire and seemed to avoid rough and rowdy company. She was also quite intelligent and pretty as well.
While he had a certain professional distance that he preferred to maintain, especially while being so busy with work, Vern had admitted to himself that his opinion of her was extraordinarily high for having only recently become acquainted. Still, perhaps it wasn't just professional distance that kept him from being more open and trying to be a little more than coworkers. It was hard to talk about, but he could feel that she didn't value herself very accurately. She somehow reminded him of a brand new model of family van with all the latest safety features and a used pickup price tag.
But, he couldn't blame it all on what he felt from her. He still had no idea how his neighbor was doing, the first real friend he had made after moving here. They had regular contact for quite awhile, especially after... that night. But then she just vanished. In fact, his other neighbor had disappeared as well. She hadn't been noisy but her absence had made that four story building feel remarkably empty. So, he was mildly concerned about his next door neighbor and solidly worried about his cross-alley neighbor. Sometimes he wished that he didn't care quite so much.
"Good morning, Shizuka." He said. His tone was a little upbeat but too regular to be natural. He was being professional through his worries with a little effort, and that effort showed today. "You've been handling things well. Just, remember to check the balcony during your morning walkthrough, and keep up the good work. I only realized today how easy it is to hide up there. I'm working on a solution, but for now just be a little extra careful."
Red Gypsy