Page 16 (2/2)

The na in the air between them, an accusatory reminder of why his mother was so frantic orry, so upset that she was ill and he, Da the field with a series of beautiful but spectacularly unsuitable airheads, still, in her eyes, ill equipped to handle the responsibility that would one day be his

‘I shall go down and see him’

Most people would have taken the hint at the abrupt tone of his voice Most people would have backed away fro a conversation he patently did not want to pursue Most people were not Martha Hall

‘So have you considered ill happen to him should your mother’s condition be worse than expected? I can see from your face that you don’t want to talk about this, honey, but you can’t hide from it either’

‘I’reat forbearance

‘Well, I’ll leave you to ponder that, shall I? I’ll pop in and see your mother when I leave work’

Damien attempted a smile

‘Oh, and there’s so else’

‘I can’t think what,’ Damien muttered under his breath as he inclined his head to one side and prayed that there wouldn’t be a further attack on his already overwrought conscience

‘There’s a Miss Drenstairs insisting on seeing you Would you like me to show her up?’

Damien stilled The littleelse on his plate, but at least this was so he would be able to sort out Had it not been for the eency with his mother, it would have been sorted out by now, but

‘Show her up’

Martha knew nothing of Phillipa Drew Why would she? Phillipa Dreorked in the bowels of IT, the place where creativity was at its height and the skills of his highly talented programmers were tested to the limit As a lowly secretary to the head of the department, he had not been aware of her existence until, a week previously, a series of coht and the trails had all led back to her

The departs had been called, everyone had had to stand up and be counted Sensitive material could not be stolen, forwarded to coorous and, eventually, Damien had concluded that the woman had acted without assistance from any other member of staff

But he hadn’t followed up on the case The patent on the software had lie but punishment would have to be duly meted out He had had a preliminary intervieith the woh for her to be escorted out of the building with a price on her head He had more time now

After a stressful ten days, cul in the phone call with his mother’s consultant, Da than by doling out just deserts to someone who had stolen from his company and could have cost millions in lost profits

He returned to his chair and gave his mind over completely to the matter in hand

Jail, of course An example would have to be set

He thought back to his brief intervieith the woed and then, when neither appeared to have been working, offered herself to him as a last resort

His ht have been a five foot ten blonde but he had found the cheap, ugly working of the situation repulsive

He was in the perfect h fashion, that the rigours of the British justice syste for her He was in the perfect mood to unleash the full force of his frustration and stress on the truly deserving head of a petty criminal who had had the temerity to think that she could steal from him

He pulled up all the evidence of her ill-conceived attempts at company fraud on his computer and then relaxed back in his chair to wait for her