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Her client, Mack Stapleton, sat across the table. He had been a client for two decades and over the years she had done a lot of work for him as he built up a large, New England-wide construction firm. He had founded the firm with a high-school friend, Tony Gardiner, who had decided it was time to retire and wanted to sell his share to Mack. This was proving difficult as Tony had recently divorced, so half of his share of the firm belonged to his ex-wife, Marla, who did not agree with the price. She was convinced it was artificially low, an attempt to stiff her. It was ludicrous – there were harsh penalties for that kind of thing, which Mary would never have allowed her client to risk incurring – but that was how divorces went. There was suspicion on all sides, trust a thing of the past. After all, no one got divorced because they liked their partner.

At the end of the table, invisible from reception, was a junior partner from her firm, Ben Cox. He had joined fresh from law school a year before the pandemic. He had been made partner a few months back. He was very effective; sharp, aggressive, and excellent with clients. He was also very ambitious, and had made it clear that he would leave if he didn’t get offered the partnership he felt he deserved. Mary didn’t think he was ready, but the other four partners, all older than her, had voted in favour. The vote had been secret but Mary was pretty sure Ben had found out she hadn’t voted for him; she was equally sure that he held it against her.

She was surprised to see him there. She had discussed some aspects of the case with him – he was a specialist in tax law – but there was no reason for him to be at the meeting.

‘Mack,’ she said. ‘Good to see you. This is Ben Cox.’

‘We’ve met,’ Ben said. ‘No need for introductions.’

They had met? When? Just now, or before? The tone of his voice suggested the latter.

Mary nodded. ‘So, Mack,’ she said. ‘This is where we are. Donna – a paralegal in my team, you met her last time you were here – has gone over the valuation and come up with some options. I’ll—’

‘I looked into it all,’ Ben said, stepping in over her. ‘Especially the valuation.’

Mary was startled by the interruption. Before she could reply, Mack spoke up.

‘And?’ Mack asked. ‘Does it stack up?’

‘Yes,’ Ben replied. ‘Whichever method you use – discounted cash flow, profit multiples, revenue multiples – the valuation we put forward for your business is the right number.’

Mary felt she should make it clear that Ben had not done the math himself. Firstly, because he was a lawyer and not a corporate finance specialist, and secondly because he hadn’t – Donna had. Yet she had the distinct impression he was allowing it to appear as though it was his work.

‘After Donna did the initial valuation,’ she said. ‘We had it independently assessed. And as Ben says, we’re confident that it holds up. Which leaves the other contract provisions.’

‘I compared them to other similar deals we’ve done in the past,’ Ben said quickly. ‘And they are consistent with those deals. So I don’t think we’re asking for anything out of the ordinary.’

‘If the price is good and everything else is normal, what’s Marla’s problem?’ Mack said. ‘What does she want? Has she said?’

Marla had said, and it was not going to be welcome news.

‘She would like a higher price,’ Mary said. ‘She is arguing that the valuation is ten million too low. So you would pay an additional five million to Tony. Which is too much, I think.’

Mack laughed. ‘Not even a pipe dream. Is she trying to kill this deal?’

‘Maybe,’ Mary said. ‘But there are a few paths available. I drew up an assessment of the options.’

‘I have it here,’ Ben said. He passed each of them a sheaf of papers, headed with the firm’s letterhead. Mary had not asked him to do this, nor to try and wrestle control of the meeting from her.

‘The first option is to negotiate,’ he said. ‘You could increase your offer by a smaller amount than five million. Say two.’

Mack wagged his head from side to side in a gesture that suggested he was not convinced. ‘Then she asks for four and we meet at three,’ he said. ‘That’s still too much money, especially as the original asking price is fair.’

Ben smiled. ‘Another option is to increase the offer, but change the payment terms, so you would pay a third this year, a third next and the final third the year after that. In the meantime, you would have been able to increase the value of the company, so the increased price would be offset.’

Mary nodded. It was more money, but it spread it out, which reduced the risk. Mack was gazing thoughtfully out of the window, which looked out onto the main street. A woman came into view, holding the hand of a toddler and pushing a buggy. She was tall and wearing a summer dress, she was walking quickly, her expression strained.

No doubt her expression was nothing more than the stress of dragging two kids around town, but she was coming from the intersection where Mary had seen the note. Maybe she had seen it, too? Maybe the strained expression was something else?

Fear, maybe.

If you are reading this, I am watching you.

God, it was so creepy. And then there was the next bit. You are now part of my collection. And then that stuff about becoming the chosen one, and life changing forever.

What did that mean? Mary shook her head; it was nothing, surely. Just some stupid prank designed to worry people, but even so she could not get it out of her head.

It was the thought of someone hidden away, watching people read the note they had left and getting a sick thrill out of their reactions. Was that what it was? Someone getting kicks? Or was it more sinister?