Blog Week 33: Less Fox-hunting, more like road-kill.

Sunday 9 July 23.58

Returned this afternoon. Fabulous time. Wished we could have stayed in France to see the final. There are no losers with penalty shoot-outs, just one winner.I can hear the Italian supporters celebrating in their cars outside.

Back to the office tomorrow. Wonder what awaits me ...

Monday 10 July 23.39

Fox - like me back in the office today - supposedly went to the Commission library this morning. Only it was in fact the modern office building he went to the last time I followed him. Pierre told me to follow Fox to his destination and then to return immediately. Pierre definitely knows something and is not telling me. So far have not used the camera phone. I hope this following around stops soon.

The Brochure committee meeting number 3 took place this afternoon. The partner in charge that likes to talk a lot was back. So not a lot happened. In fact progress was put slightly in reverse as some decisions are being reconsidered.

Tuesday 11 July 23.55

When Fox left our office this morning, it was not just me in pursuit but Pierre too. As we approached the modern office building (that Fox always actually goes to) we stopped and watched Fox go inside. After 10 minutes waiting outside, Pierre decided we should go in. I had no idea what was going on so just followed. We went up to the offices of a lobbying company.

Pierre asked the receptionist for Fox, saying we were old friends. The receptionist looked a little uncertain but passed on the message and so we sat and waited.

When Fox walked into the reception the look of surprise on his face was a picture. He froze, not say anything, as all the colour draining away from his face.

The receptionist took a call as Pierre quietly said "We should return to the office". Fox nodded and mumbled he first had to get his jacket.

Nothing was said by anyone as we went back to the office. In the office both Fox and Pierre went into Pierre's office. They were joined soon afterwards by the two managing partners, Johan and Bill. After a while, they all emerged and Pierre escorted Fox out of the building.

An email came round later saying Fox was no longer working for the firm.

Mockney came over in the afternoon - ostensibly to collect the camera phone. In fact he was buzzing around me trying to find out what happened. I told him the truth: I do not really know. Pretty frustrating really; I usually am the last to know about events in the office. For once I had the opportunity to know something more.

Wednesday 12 July 23.53

Pierre called me into his office this morning and thanked me for my "surveillance" over the past couple of weeks.

For some time now there was a suspicion Fox was up to something. Going to the Commission library was his latest excuse for office absences. Apparently not-so-long ago there was a period when he said he had to visit various sick relatives in hospital.

Basically it turns out Fox has been trying to manage a couple of jobs at the same time. It was totally by chance that Pierre found out about Fox's part-time work at the lobbying company.

For legal reasons Pierre needed some sort of independent confirmation of Fox's action (which is where I came in). Pierre apologised for not telling me more in the first place.

Yesterday Fox confessed to what he had been doing. Rather than being angry, the managing partners (Bill and Johan) said how disappointed they were: they wished he could have channelled his initiative a bit more productively.

Fox will be back to collect his personal stuff at some prearranged time after work on Friday. Under the watchful eye of Pierre.

Hedgehog is happy; he is temporarily in charge of the whole library.

Thursday 13 July 23.58

Hedgehog's pleasure at being "top-dog" in the library (sorry for the animal analogies) has not lasted long. A firm-wide administrative reorganisation is taking place and it is likely many European library services are moving to another office. So Hedgehog may become king of a shrinking island.

A unanimous decision was taken by all the partners concerned that Project Brochure will be postponed until after the holidays. Between you and me, the short deadline was unrealistic from the start. I get really frustrated as I know what is going to happen and just have to wait as office events follow their course.