Chapter 7: Sign Here

The Tolland rail-yard contract was the biggest freight deal in the city that year, and the bids were opened in public.

On Friday morning the hotel ballroom held three hundred people.

Claire sat at the front table in a navy suit.

Darius sat on her right, with a leather folder in his lap.

I walked down the center aisle in a plain gray suit, my hand still wrapped in a bandage.

Nobody stopped me.

The Danforth staff saw me coming and looked away. They had not forgiven me for the scene at the party.

I reached the front table and stopped.

"Nathan?" Claire said.

Her voice was cold. She did not stand.

Darius smiled up at me.

"Mr. Ames, this is a bid hearing. Employees only, I'm afraid."

"I'm not an employee," I said. "I resigned on Monday."

"Then you're trespassing."

"I'm here to see my wife."

A murmur ran through the nearest tables.

Darius's smile did not move, but his eyes did. They went quickly to Claire.

I took a folder out of my bag and laid it in front of her, on top of the bid documents.

I had picked a plain white folder from Danielle's supply closet. It looked like any contract.

I opened it to the last page.

"Ms. Danforth," I said evenly. "Please sign here."

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