Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Champions, Part 7

Richard

"Perhaps he's nervous of you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. He knows perfectly well that you could dismiss him on the spot.”

I huff. “I don't need to dismiss him. He has no contract yet. It’s not signed.”

“No?”

“No. I held off when I first began to sense something was wrong. If I ordered James out of the building right now, he'd have no comeback at all.”

“And you wonder why he might be nervous? He must have put a lot of work into what he's done for you.”

“Yes, he has. And that’s what’s at the forefront of my mind. James may be a loser at judging people, but as engineer-architect, he's phenomenal.”

She smiles. “So, are you going to tell him that? That you’re keeping him?”

I take a pace or two, then sniff. “Yes, but not yet. It'll do him good to sweat awhile.”

“There's no real harm done is there? You do think Charlotte is innocent?”