There’s another mug on the table. The man, presumably whose cup it is, isn’t drinking. He stands, his back to me, a white-knuckled hand grips the back of the chair. He turns to look at me when I burst through the door, but I think I already knew it’s the suit I took to the Municipalité earlier.
“Brandon.” Lessa’s voice is so flat it could be rolled up like a magazine to smack someone on the head. “This is Clive.”
Of course, it is. Who else? Clive Smith, MP, government minister.
“Clive, this is Brandon Hazelwood.”
Did I imagine her voice softening on my name?
His gaze lands on me briefly then turns back to Lessa. “Who is he?”
“Can you lower your voice, please,” I tell him, struggling to keep my own voice low. “You’ll wake the baby.”
“My baby, you mean.” Now he turns to face me properly and squares up.
I straighten my back and let him take my measure. I’m taller and wider, and if he shouts again, I’ll gladly break his jaw for him.
Lessa closes the kitchen door quietly then pulls out a chair from the table. “Have a seat, Clive, and keep your voice down.”
He clearly would rather challenge me, but after a tense moment, he does as Lessa asked.
She sits opposite, her face angry. “You can’t just put people on hold until you’re ready to see them and then turn up out of the blue and expect everything to be just as you left it, waiting for you.”
“I would have been here like a shot if I’d known.”
“You’ve known for months.”
“Alice.” He leans forward.
The name Alice makes her sound like someone else.
“I’m supposed to be in the Health and Safety committee meeting right now, but I’m here.”
Well, bully for him. What a high price he’s paying, missing a meeting.
Lessa doesn’t sound impressed, either. “Sir Alan told me you were informed just after the elections that was on the twelfth of February.”
“I wasn’t. And what do you mean after the elections? You should have told me as soon as you found out.”
“Don’t even think about playing the wronged father card. You never even tried to contact me.”
“I did. I keep telling you I wrote to you, Alan said he forwarded them on.”
“Why didn’t you send them directly?”
“You know why. You do remember the whole hacked network directive. Alan assured me he would send them from a safe computer. I trusted him.”
My phone starts to ring. I pull it out of my pocket. Janey. Again. Of all the bad times. I suppose hanging up on her earlier was a mistake. Now she is worried. I flick the silence button and put the phone on the counter. Lessa and Clive are watching me.
“Are we going to discuss this in front of him?” Clive gives me an inimical glare.
“It’s his house.” Lessa counters and I could kiss her for taking my side.
“It’s your house too,” I tell her with a small smile for her alone.
“Is he the reason you binned me?” Clive demands in a terse voice. “Because when I saw him earlier, he was on the phone with a woman. Jane or something. And it sounded like a verypersonalcall.”
He makes it sound like phone sex. I’m about to retort, or punch him, either would suit me equally.
