“Us?”

“Charlotte, myself and Michael.”

“Right, so….?

“I’ve been quite impressed with your performance….”

Really?

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I liked the way you dealt the situation out on the street the other day, and Ben in the downstairs lobby; even, dare I say it, the situation when Ben dragged you to our home, although I’ll admit, that’s with the benefit of hindsight.”

I flush. “You didn’t seem very impressed at the time.”

He rolls his eyes ceiling-ward. “Yes, I’ve never apologised for that, have I….”

“I don’t think you have a lot to apologise for, Sir. I feel terrible about it….”

“Well, get over it. It’s in the past. I want to talk about where we go from here. It seems to me that you handle yourself rather well in awkward situations and that being the case, I have a favour to ask of you.”

What’s he talking about?

“Right…. what is this favour?”

Perhaps I look suspicious. For a moment, he meets my eyes, his gaze level, expressionless; then he says, “Don’t misunderstand my motives, Kirstie. I’m not about to go dipping my nib in the office ink. It would be horribly unprofessional of me, and also, regardless of what Ben might think, I’m a married man.”

I flush. “I didn’t mean that at all.”

“Good. But for the avoidance of doubt….”

to change

what is this

couriers.… everyone. They all must go by you. You also see a lot

Choosing his words?

part of

“To you?”

will be my

sip my coffee, digesting his words. “So, you want me to…. what? Be a spy

you to do something underhand or illegal and that’s not it at all. Really, all I’m asking you to do is something which comes easily to you, which is to watch the people around us for any kind of threat. I think you are a ‘people-person’, good at assessing them, weighing them up,

my stomach. “Is this just about

can handle that kind of thing myself rather easily, even when I have to take Michael’s feelings into consideration. Despite Marcie’s remarks to the contrary,

female has been trying to get her

laugh. “A woman

his brows, laughter dancing in his

I watching

to Charlotte, much

thinking of the proverbial swan; all calm grace above water, frenzied activity down

“James….”

It sounds as though you’re asking me to get involved

asking that of you. Other people, myself included, will deal with any

sort of

for anything that….” He holds up both hands in a gesture of helplessness, “…. anything

me to report what I

that’s all I’m

do I make

will find a second panic button has been installed. If you hit that alarm,

“Which other people?

“Michael for one….”

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