The temporary secretary buzzed Ethan.
'Your 4 o'clock is here.'
'Send him in, Shelly.'
Ethan got to his feet to greet an old friend from high school, now a well-respected security consultant.
Stefan Petrovski was the complete antithesis of Ethan. Being short, thick-set and of Macedonian stock in a high school dominated by Anglo-Saxons of lower socio-economic status he had often been the target of the school bullies. That was until Ethan had befriended him. A tall, athletic and very 'cool' Ethan.
Ethan couldn't recall what had drawn the two together but despite long periods of little contact they had remained firm friends through Stefan's time with the police force and Special Forces and Ethan's early struggles as a builder.
Now both successful in their own way, the stocky mans consultancy was utilized by Holt Properties for a variety of security functions.
'Long time, no see.' Stefan chastised in jest. 'And why have I been summoned to these hallowed chambers by the big time property developer and so late on a Friday? Phone out of order?'
'It's good to see you too, Stefan in the more and more flesh I see. Come and sit down. It's a personal matter. I felt I needed a face to face.'
'One of your lady friends knocked up, are they?' Stefan never did mince his words.
Never one to be offended by his friend's sense of humour Ethan replied 'A new lady friend has been knocked out.' He outlined the situation of Ellie and her memory loss.
'I've been toying with the idea of enlisting your help in tracking down her history but with very little to go on I felt the task would be fruitless. But then last night she called out the name 'Wayne'.'
'A dream?'
Ethan shook his head. 'Definitely a nightmare. Writhing, distressed. She kept calling out. I assume she's had them every night. Last night when she woke up she was clearly distraught but had no recollection of the events in her nightmare. She tried to dismiss it but the only way to describe how she looked was petrified.'
His friend now in professional mode asked a variety of questions honing in on some factors that to Ethan at first appeared irrelevant. Correlating factors such as being in her mid to late twenties but no children hinted at a tertiary education or a professional background.
This probably explained her knowledge of one of Shakespeare's lesser-known characters and a high level of general knowledge. Ethan hadn't liked being thrashed in Trivial Pursuit. She didn't play chess though, a failing that he would have to rectify if they were to continue…what?