No Shelter Left novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: Void

The nominee lunch was held in the Starling atrium, under a glass roof, with two hundred people at round tables.

Aisling sat at the back with Brodie, who had a laptop open under his napkin.

The number on her arm read 344.

At the front, Kaitlyn sat between her mother and Colby in a pale blue dress with sleeves to her knuckles.

Colby saw Aisling and smiled across the room.

"Don't look at him," Brodie said quietly. "Look at the screen."

Over the stage hung a white screen showing the Starling logo.

At the lectern, the chair of the board tapped the microphone.

"Before we honor this year's nominees, a word about the label," she said.

She glanced at her notes.

"Mr. Ransom was relieved of his duties in A&R this morning, and his signing authority ends at noon."

A murmur ran through the tables.

Jude stood up from the board's table at the side.

It was eleven-forty. He had a folded paper in his hand and no tie.

"Not until noon," he said. "The paperwork says I'm still the signing executive on the Larkin agreement. I'd like to use that."

The chair's face tightened. "Jude."

"Section nine."

He walked to the lectern. She let him, because two hundred people were watching.

"Kaitlyn Larkin's recording contract has a warranty clause," Jude said into the microphone.

"She promised this label that she wrote every song she delivered, or held the rights to it."

Kaitlyn's smile held.

"I've listened to the demos. I've read the dates. She didn't write them, and she doesn't hold them."

Colby stood. "This is a stunt."

"Sit down, Colby," Jude said, "or I'll play the other recording first."

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