In the past, she used to have lunch with Éric, Jean or Nathalie. Sometimes they’d all have lunch together – the whole team. Now they disperse – some go to the canteen, others to the restaurant. They don’t tell her. Her allies have disappeared, they have taken the side roads. They are stealing out of Azeroth. They have ‘lunches out’, shopping to do. They grab a quick sandwich. From time to time, Éric or Nathalie suggests going out with them. When Jacques is overseas. When they know he’s far away. It’s one o’clock. The office has emptied all at once, like a school class when the bell goes. For several weeks, Mathilde has generally had lunch with Laetitia, in the canteen or elsewhere. Laetitia works in Logistics. They met on an in-house course and they’ve kept in touch. But this lunchtime Laetitia can’t make it. She has a dentist’s appointment; she’s sorry. If she had known . . . Today of all days, it’s such bad timing. Briefly, Mathilde tells her about Patricia Lethu’s impromptu visit.
