17
Before the car repair shop, she stopped at the Mirror to talk to Patrick. She sat down across from his desk inside his drab cubicle and looked around.
"I've had a very busy day," Patrick said.
"You're welcome," Becky said with a smile.
"That was sensational work." Patrick was half talking to her, half typing on his computer. Without fail, his hands were typing on his keyboard, but he was looking at her.
"What do you need from me?" Becky asked. Like during her last couple of visits, the Mirror newsroom was still and quiet. She was always disappointed to see it like that. Everyone was involved in their own stories and their own work. Patrick had a pack of cigarettes on his desk, and Becky stared at it.
"I only smoke on three-story days," Patrick said. "It's a three-story day." Becky
