Page 32 of Every Silent Lie
“And Christmassy.”
And there explains the nerves. “Christmas glam,” I say, wary.
“Yeah.”
I laugh, slamming the door, making him jump back to avoid being clattered in the face. “Shit.” I look down at my watch. Double shit.
Scooting around my desk, I drop into my chair and quickly dial in, kicking my shoes off. Jeff—a poker-faced string of a man with wire hair and a bulbus nose too big for his face—is waiting, head down as he makes notes. He doesn’t look up, even after the system dings my arrival to the meeting. I like Jeff. No small-talk is expected, and there’s no diversion from business or annoying intervals. He gets done and gets off. “Morning, Jeff,” I say, pulling my phone out of my bag and setting it on my desk.
“Morning,” he says, still not looking up. I’ve had meetings with Jeff before when he’s not looked at me the whole time. He’s marvellously efficient. “You requested the accounts.”
“I did.”
“You’re not going to like what you see.”
I sigh. “Half expected.”
“And they’re not finalised just yet.”
“Can you give me drafts?”
“Indeed.”
“Thanks.”
“By end of play today.”
I lean forward on my forearms, my brow knitting. “You wanted a call, Jeff. Why?”
“Just wanted to say goodbye.”
“You’re retiring?”
His pen stops moving across the notepad, and he slowly lifts unamused eyes to mine. I know instantly I’ve put my foot in my mouth. “I’m fifty.”
Fuck. Life has not been kind to him. My flinch is hard. Do I look older than my years, because life has definitely been cruel to me? A total, unrelenting, brutal bitch, actually. “Of course,” I say, shrinking. “So, where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“I’m really fucking confused, Jeff.”
“I’m saying goodbye, because you’re leaving TF Shipping.”
“I am? Since when?”
“When you see the accounts that land in your inbox later today and you quit.” Jeff disappears from my screen, just as a knock rings out. “Yes, Thomas?”
He pops his head around the door. “I have a problem.”
So do I, it seems, Thomas. “What’s the problem?” Fucking hell, how bad is it? Irreparable? I need this job.
“I need to launch an investigation and I’ll be spending money.”
“Why? The investigation, not the money.”
“There’s been a complaint made about someone.”
“Who?”
