Sloan swept past, ready to enter her office and close the door, then paused. “Who’s in charge of contracts?”
“That’ll be legal, I think,” Dawn said.
“I know that,” Sloan answered. “I need a name.”
“On it,” Dawn said, pressing buttons on her keyboard, eyes flicking across the screen as she scanned the details. “Lakshmi Chatterjee.”
“Good. Have her come to my office as soon as it’s convenient.” She turned to go, then stopped once more. “And make it clear that this is a private matter—so book it for lunch.”
“Of course. I’ll do that right now.” Dawn watched as Sloan nodded and then entered her office.
Behind her desk, Sloan stood and looked out over the high street, then the square. The memory of watching her mother fly through the square, Matty behind her, brought a smile to her lips. Who would have thought anyone could get Gloria Slater to squeal?
Her gaze shifted towards where Compton’s would be if she could see that far. She’d experienced a similar strange twist of fate once before, years ago, with Maggie.
They’d crunched bumpers in the Waitrose car park, swapped details, and then ended up at the same garage days later. Maggie had gone pink under Sloan’s stare, all fluster and politeness, and Sloan had enjoyed it enough to suggest coffee.
It had been that simple.
The memory of Maggie's restless energy echoed in the way Matty sometimes looked at her—bold, challenging, impossible to ignore.
Dawn’s voice came through the intercom, “Lakshmi is on her way up. She said she has five minutes before she’s in a meeting.”
Sloan took her seat and pressed the button to reply. “Send her straight in.”
Moments later, there was a short, sharp knock on the door, and then it opened.
“Hi, Lakshmi. Please come in. I’ll get straight to the point. I need something drawn up for a private matter—nothing to do with work.” Sloan kept her voice low. “I know you’re the company solicitor, but I don’t have time to instruct someone else.”
Lakshmi’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes sharpened. She took a seat. “Tell me what you need.”
“It’s kind of an HR issue,” Sloan said, palms flat on her desk. “My mother needs a carer while I’m at work.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
Sloan acknowledged it with a stiff smile. “She’s much better, but I need to employ somebody, and I’ve found the perfect person—my mother actually likes her. The thing is, she’s not technically a healthcare worker, so I don’t know what I need in place.
“I want to employ her full-time, and I need a contract that covers everything properly—employment terms, confidentiality, liability, and the basics such as right to work, DBS, insurance.”
Lakshmi glanced at her watch and stood. “I have to go, but yes, I can do that for you. I’ll email you later for the details, and I’ll get something together in a few days.”
She reached out a hand. Sloan stood and took it.
“That would be great. Thank you, and send me the bill.”
When Lakshmi left, Sloan let out a slow breath. If Matty took the job, maybe she’d have a life again.
***
The afternoon film was one of those old black-and-white mysteries Matty remembered watching with her gran. From her seat, she could see Gloria watching just as intently, but she was doing something else too—her chair exercises.
Her right leg lifted more than the left, but she was doing it.
Matty continued to watch the film.
Gloria let her legs rest, exhaling softly. Matty took that as her cue. “Fancy a cuppa, Mrs S?”
“I wouldn’t mind one,” Gloria answered.
