Turning the tables

Douglas

As doors swung open to Brian's office, a new message notification chimed on my cell phone. Before I could even exchange greetings with my friend, I swiftly retrieved the phone from the inner pocket of my jacket and checked the screen.

"Hey, it's an audio message from Oliver!" I exclaimed, promptly opening the message to hear what our friend had sent. Putting it on speaker, both of us listened intently to the words Oliver was sharing. It became immediately apparent that something was off—Oliver mentioned Brian's name, but the audio was intended for me. Yet, before we could exchange comments, Brian's phone pinged with a new message.

"Another audio message from Oliver," Brian commented, his expression clearly puzzled. Just like me, Brian put the audio on speaker. This time, Oliver addressed me directly, swapping our names intentionally. There was no doubt about it.

"I believe he's hinting for us to meet him at the courthouse, during the hearing," Brian proposed, his face showing