I saw Clara a few days ago and she was depressed (also distraught, devastated and desperate). I bought her a couple of drinks and she told me what happened.
At work she was queen bee, la crème de la crème, the pick of the litter ... everybody loved her, asked her for advice and help and clamored to sit at her lunch-table ... that is until Errol arrived.
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| Clara, February 2026 |
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He was handsome, young and strong (and knew the words for every song). He was friendly, worked hard, jumped in to help everyone, and brought doughnuts (on Wednesday). Suddenly he was la crème de la crème, top of the crop, the pick of the litter and everybody asked him for advice and help and wanted to sit with him at the lunch-table. On the outside, Clara played along, laughed at his jokes and praised him. Inside, she burnt up with the red hot flames of rage and envy and jealousy.
She was making plans to fix this finding a weakness and exploiting it. Errol had no weakness, no vice. He was an orphan, the only relative was his father's elder brother, a rich uncle in poor health living alone in a big house by the lake. He took very well care of his uncle, visited him every weekend, took him grocery shopping and to doctor's appointments. The only "wrong" Errol admitted to jokingly was vaping. His uncle ordered identical custom made vapes for both of them as a gift. They sat together on the porch looking at the lake and vaped and talked.
Clara, as system administrator, looked at Errol's medical record. He had a hereditary allergy to Almonds, Walnuts and Macadamia (transmitted down through male relatives). Clara thought she could work with this. She came early one morning, sat at Errol's computer, and did some internet searches on the triggers for that allergy. Apparently malic acid permanganate (hydrochloride), available on Amastone in 2.5 ml containers caused migraine and nausea lasting several days for a a healthy person. She ordered a batch to be delivered at the address of her lepidopterist cousin who was away on a three month trip to Madagascar and left her the key to look after the flat.
The next day, Friday, Clara was watching Errol's comings and goings and caught a break when he went to the washroom. She quickly unscrewed the cap on the vape and added a few drops of the liquid she bought to the pod. She screwed the top back and put the vape back exactly how she found it.
She went home satisfied, with Errol out of the picture, even for a few days, she would be again the queen bee, la crème de la crème, the pick of the litter.
On Monday Clara Errol didn't come to work. People started coming to her desk with questions or for help and advice. At lunch someone asked about Errol and someone else said they heard he called in sick. Two days later, Paul, the shift manager asked them to come to the lunch room five minutes early for an important announcement. Paul read a statement prepared by corporate council saying that Errol was arrested and charged with first the degree murder in the death of his uncle who died over the weekend of an allergy attack. The police had determined that his vape was tampered with. The only fingerprints on the vape were Errol's and his uncle's. The investigation found internet research of toxic substances on Errol's computer. The allegations have not been proven in court. Errol has been denied bail and was kept at the South Toronto Detention Center. Staff counselling available upon request.
Clara was in a total melt-down wailing and crying, tears streaming down her face, all thought due to her delicate, sensitive and compassionate nature. Paul asked if there were questions and Clara asked if they shouldn't go visiting with muffins and/or fruit basket. Paul replied that this would be inappropriate.
That is what Clara told me, and after finishing, she asked what she should do. She tried to hit and she missed, but did she miss? I told her not to tell anybody about this and to enjoy being, again, the queen bee, la crème de la crème, the pick of the litter whom everybody loved and asked for advice and help and clamor to sit at her lunch-table with.
Clara looked even more depressed (also distraught, devastated and desperate).
