‘Robby, you know I will never give up on a just cause.’

What? Who sends messages like that? Dalai Lama? Pained beyond belief.

8.12 p.m.

Dominic has sent a text message that sounds troublesome: ‘We are fucked. See you in office tomorrow.’

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN? CAN NO ONE IN THE WORLD SEND ME SMSes THAT MAKE ANY SENSE?

Either he means Dufresne is screwed. Or he means that the Lederman II team is screwed. Or maybe Dufresne or Lederman are screwed. Or, in worst case scenario, he means both of us are screwed.

Breathe breathe breathe …

18 July 2007

9.12 p.m.

Worst case scenario.

Finished.

Details later.

8.23 p.m.

BLOODY FOOL! BACK-STABBER! I AM NOT THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY TO THE COMPANY! YOUR FATHER IS A POTENTIAL LIABILITY TO THE COMPANY! BASTARDS!!!

Diary, Dominic and I have been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect. We ceased to be Dufresne employees from this morning.

I AM UNEMPLOYED RIGHT NOW.

Went to office this morning. Met Dominic. He took me to a small conference room and then both of us dialled a number at the Dufresne office in New York. Our meeting was with Farookh Khorji. He sounds like, and possibly is, an illegal immigrant. But he is also one of the senior partners at Dufresne. After some fuck-all ‘how are you?’, ‘I am fine, how are you?’, ‘you are a bastard Farookh’ shit, he told us that Tom’s interrogation has revealed irregularities with the Lederman II project.

The life went out of both of us. We’d been dreading this for days.

Then Farookh said that thanks to Dufresne’s cooperation with the SEC and FSA, they would not be pursuing this angle or pressing charges.

You should have seen the relief in our eyes. What unsuspecting idiots we are.

However, he then continued, the partners at Dufresne were extremely upset. This would do tremendous damage to the firm’s reputation. And they were unhappy with this. The partners had a conference call yesterday and they have decided to clean this up and shut it down.

He told us that we had shown poor judgement in our interactions with Tom. Dufresne simply will not allow charges of bribery against employees. Therefore both of us were being terminated from duties right away. We will get a month’s severance and the immunity will be extended to us. However we may be summoned at any time to testify against Tom, if it came to that. We would also have to sign off confidentiality agreements. If we spoke to anyone, anywhere about this our immunity would be revoked and we would get ‘our asses sued for life’.

Farookh then wished us best of luck and told us to hand in all identity cards, visiting cards and company documents. Dominic asked if we could keep our laptops and phones till the end of the week. Fucker Khorji refused.