4338.210 · July 29, 2018 AD
Through Glass, Darkly
Through courtyard glass, Sarah watches something she wasn't meant to see. Claiborne standing too close. Louise Jeffries comfortable with proximity that doesn't fit witness-and-sergeant. His mouth near her ear, words not meant to travel. Sarah edges closer, needs to hear. Then Ellen's voice shatters everything—loud, aggressive, perfectly timed. Airport updates. Ferry footage. Duncan's arrival. By the time Sarah looks back, they're gone. And Ellen looks satisfied about something Sarah can't name.
Sarah spots Sergeant Claiborne through courtyard windows. Too close to Louise Jeffries. His hand on her elbow, familiar comfort. His mouth near her ear, whispering. The intimacy doesn't belong here—not between sergeant and witness, not with missing persons at stake.
Sarah edges closer, creeping along the wall, desperate to catch fragments of their conversation. Every word matters in an investigation. This could be crucial.
Then Ellen's voice cracks down the corridor like a whip. Loud, raspy, aggressive. Airport updates delivered with theatrical impatience. No flights for Jamie or Kain. Ferry sending security footage with Duncan. Ellen physically redirects Sarah, spinning them one-eighty whilst maintaining her monologue.
By the time Sarah breaks free and looks back, the courtyard is empty. Claiborne and Louise vanished. Opportunity lost.
What Sarah doesn't see: Ellen spotted her surveillance twenty metres back. Saw Sarah creeping towards that courtyard window. Saw Claiborne and Louise in their private conversation. Made the calculation instantly—Mason Wright wouldn't approve, this surveillance would generate institutional nightmares, Sarah needs protecting from her own detective instincts.
Ellen deliberately interrupted. Physically redirected. Maintained aggressive conversation whilst watching Claiborne and Louise exit unseen behind Sarah's back.
Saved Sarah from witnessing what would force everyone's hand. Whether Sarah ever knows Ellen did her a favour is irrelevant.
The work isn't about gratitude. It's about maintaining machinery. Preventing problems before they materialise.
Just another morning being Ellen Lowe—patient, competent, invisibly essential.
