And I was no closer to figuring out who had tried to screw us over.
Nor who ‘us’ was.Was this targeted at me personally?At Ace?At the Harvey Agency?At Ridley Angus?
There were too many avenues to consider.Too many people who wanted to see us fall.Too many journalists who would do anything for a thrilling story.
Ridley’s age had been in question lately.He was one of the longest-serving players out there right now.Could this be the work of someone trying to push him to go now?But who would they be serving?What would they get out of it?
I fired up my laptop and opened my emails.There were so many waiting for me that I wanted to close it and sleep.I powered through instead.There was a query I could answer quickly with my reference sheet.I went to grab it –
It wasn’t there.
I frowned.
I looked to the left.My pile of incoming paperwork had been straightened.
I looked to the right.The circular coffee stain the cleaners had missed for three nights in a row was gone.Three paperclips I’d taken off contracts yesterday had been returned to their correct jar.A couple of loose notes I’d had on the desk were also missing.
The cleaners.The fucking cleaners.They must have had someone new start last night.
I looked down at the wastepaper basket beside me and swore out loud.It was still full of the packaging from last night’s takeout.They had swept my desk and not emptied the trash?What kind of unprofessional outfit was this?
“For fuck’s sake!”I exclaimed.“Who was the cleaner on duty last night?”
Keaton looked up at me with a startled expression.I kept forgetting how new he was at this.He probably didn’t even know how to look it up.“Um, sir?”
“You can find the roster on the company server,” I started.It was irritating to have to explain it but at least I would only need to do this for him once.
“No,” Keaton said.I raised an eyebrow.It wasn’t like him to cut me off.He flushed red at my expression.“Um, what I mean is – the cleaners didn’t come in last night because we were all still here.They’ll come by tonight, unless you want me to call and ask them to send someone now?”
I frowned at him.He was right.I hadn’t remembered at first.But the cleaners usually came around in the late evening when I was still here with him and Ace.
“Then who the hell tidied my desk?”I exclaimed and kicked the wastepaper basket for emphasis.It spun slightly and drifted a few inches across the polished floor.
“Um.”Keaton looked like he wanted that floor to swallow him up.“I did?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.“You?”
“You told me to just get on with stuff this morning,” he said.His voice was high and fast.Nervous.“You didn’t leave any instructions, so I thought I’d look around for something to do after I’d dealt with your incoming meeting requests and sorted your mail.I noticed you like things to be kept tidy, so I took away the empty coffee cups from yesterday, wiped down your desk, and tidied your papers.And I cleaned up the coffee table and the coffee machine, too, and I…” He trailed off.
It must have been the look on my face that made him stop.
I felt my jaw go hard.My muscles tighten.My whole being focused into one glaring gaze.
“You touched things on my desk.”
Keaton swallowed hard.
I shot to my feet with a suddenness that made him flinch.“Don’t youdaretouch my paperwork again,” I fumed.I slammed my hand on the desk for emphasis.He flinched again.
I found myself faltering.
Why would he flinch like that?It was more than just surprise.He looked like he wanted to cry.To duck.
Was he that incapable of taking criticism?
The look on his face made me want to stop.But the next thought that came to my head was what would have happened if I’d had an important call.If someone had put me on the spot for the figures.The cheat sheet wasn’t at my side.I would have been stuck.Lost.Floundering.
I had built a reputation for myself.The unflappable Oliver Harvey.Make one mistake without my cheat sheet and all of that went away.The story would spread through my staff.My clients.My rivals.
