“I don’t think he mentioned anything else. Do you have a waste bin?”
The clerk smiled and pushed it out with his foot. I dumped the heavy document in it unceremoniously.
“Bravo,” he said.
As I was about to open the door to leave a short man in a blue suit came powering through without looking. He was reading a fax and knocked against me as he went straight through to Braxton’s office without a word. The clerk was watching me for my reaction.
“Well, well,” I murmured, “Jack Schitt.”
“You know him?”
“Not socially.”
“As much charm as an open grave,” said the clerk, who had obviously warmed to me since I binned the budget. “Steer clear of him. Goliath, you know.”
I looked at the closed door to Braxton’s office.
“What’s he here for?”
The secretary shrugged, gave me a conspiratorial wink and said very pointedly and slowly:
“I’ll get that coffee you wanted and it was two sugars, wasn’t it?”
“No thanks, not for me.”
“No, no,” he replied. “Two sugars, TWO sugars.”
He was pointing at the intercom on his desk.
“Heavens above!” he exploded. “Do I have to spell it out?”
The penny dropped. The clerk gave a wan smile and scurried out of the door. I quickly sat down, flipped up the lever marked “two” on the intercom and leaned closer to listen.
“I don’t like it when you don’t knock, Mr. Schitt.”
“I’m devastated, Braxton. Does she know anything about Hades?”
“She says not.”
“She’s lying. She’s here for a purpose. If I find Hades first we can get rid of her.”
“Less of the we, Jack,” said Braxton testily. “Please remember that I have given Goliath my full cooperation, but you are working under my jurisdiction and have only the powers that I bestow upon you. Powers that I can revoke at any time. We do this my way or not at all. Do you understand?”
Schitt was unperturbed. He replied in a condescending manner:
“Of course, Braxton, as long as you understand that if this thing blows up in your face the Goliath Corporation will hold you personally responsible.”
I sat down at my empty desk again. There seemed to be a lot going on in the office that I wasn’t a part of. Bowden laid his hand on my shoulder and made me jump.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t wish to startle you. Did you get the commander’s budget speech?”
“And more. Jack Schitt went into his office as though he owned the place.”
Bowden shrugged.
“Since he’s Goliath, then the chances are he does.”
Bowden picked his jacket up from the back of his chair and folded it neatly across his arm.