Excerpt:

Arriving at the SubCorp building, Blaire shook out her coat and took it to her locker, collecting a newspaper along the way. She had always marvelled at the fact that newspapers were still in use, even in this day and age, although most people preferred to use e-books. She took her folder out of her locker and stowed away her coat. She was about to make her way toward the elevators, past the many other workers in the building’s foyer, when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see the smiling face of her colleague, Robbie.

“Good morning, Blaire,” he said in a sing-song voice, with a roguish grin. The typical trickster, Robbie loved to annoy Blaire by being unnaturally happy in the mornings. Even his hair, a bright red, hurt her eyes.

“And how are we this morning? Get out of bed on the wrong side? What a pity, because today, you’re on, wait for it, surveillance duty!”

“Uggh,” Blaire replied, feeling fed up with the world. “Why me, Robbie? Why me?”

“Because Blaire, it’s your job,” he answered, looking smug.

“Who’s on with me then, Robbie?” Blaire asked. She knew that there had recently been a recruitment drive in her department, so hopefully she would get to meet the new employees, even if it did mean being on surveillance duty.

“As far as I know, it’s me and the new guy,” Robbie replied, much more calmly than before.

“The new guy? As in, there’s only one?”

“Yep. As far as I know, only the one. Think about it. How many people would really want to work here?”

“Good point,” Blaire observed.