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him. Swallowing down nerves, he entered through the hall,
agitatedly
picking at the edge of the
cartoon's page and hesitantly walking towards the main office, staring in wonder at the amazing
antique artwork displayed in the striking walk way. Zach cautiously knocked on the majestic
door.
"Come in," demanded a deep voice, full of authority.
Zach anxiously opened the door, stepping into the colossal room of which they called an
office. The intimidating trophies, medals and certificates hung from all walls. A distinguished
looking man sat behind the massive desk, reading the daily paper.
"Yes," he said, not looking up.
"Um, hello sir," stuttered Zach. "I'm here to present the drawing of your deceased horse,
Jackie."
He gingerly stepped forward, anxious to not disrupt or do the incorrect thing in front of
the noble man. Producing his picture now, Zach gained a sliver of confidence as he gazed
adoringly at his sketch.
The man peered up. "No, do it again," he simply stated as he went back to reading the
paper.
"But sir..." Zach objected, "It took me two hours to do this glorious picture!"
The man merely stared at him. "It did not grasp my attention straight away. Hence, it is
not worthy to be hung up with all the other artwork. In fact, it looks like it was created by a five-
year-old! The caliber of work here is much higher than what you have produced and we do not
accept artwork made by amateur artists. Therefore, Mr Balthazar, I suggest you complete this
drawing again if you wish to be paid."
Zach stared at him stunned. With those word, his confidence in his abilities plunged
faster than a cheetah can run. Simultaneously, the pride of his work vanished and his shoulders
sagged. His belief in his picture and himself disappeared. Self-doubt crept into his mind. What if
he wasn't capable of working in Leo's job? Anxiety surged through his veins. The unsatisfying
feeling of failure nudged his mind.
"Yes sir. Thank you," was all he managed to say. And he limped out of the room, as if there were
no meaning to life. The antique paintings that hung in the hallways no longer held the same
wonder as they did before, the breathtaking view seemed ordinary now. Zach had given up.
However, he began to see the positive side to his job. He had a reliable income. His job always
held his interest. Maybe he perceived Leo's and his job all wrong.
But he missed his old job. The thrill of uncovering clues, the intrigue and motivation of looking
and uncovering why and how the individual's death occurred. He missed the excitement of
finally resolving the mystery and finding out the motives behind the murder. Maybe he was
crazy but he missed that. As he came to the resolution of finding out where Leo was, he bumped
straight into him.