Those are our call, not yours. I understand. Do you? She said, because you've been running this privately for over a year. Privately tends to become a habit.
Damian looked at her. Agent Park, the goal is to protect 17,000 jobs and prosecute the person responsible for nearly destroying them. I don't care who gets credit for the sequence. Sandra held his gaze for another moment. Then she nodded once with the economy of motion of someone who doesn't waste gestures.
End of day, she said. Have your attorney available. At 2:15 that afternoon, Damian was in Caldwell Horizon's legal conference room, the same one, 42 floors up, where he had sat 3 days ago with his preliminary report when the door opened and Adrien Cole walked in. He stopped when he saw Damian. The stop was brief, a fraction of a second, the kind of pause that happens before a person's professional training takes over and smooths it into something neutral.
Adrien Cole was 45 years old and had the easy polished confidence of a man who had spent a decade in rooms full of powerful people and learned to move through those rooms as if he belonged in all of them equally. He extended his hand. Mr. Brooks, he said, I don't believe we've met officially. Adrien Cole, smooth, warm, practiced.
I've been meaning to introduce myself since the acquisition news came through. Forgive me for not doing it sooner. It's been a busy week. Damian shook his hand. It has, he said.
Adrienne sat down across from him. He put a leather portfolio on the table. He had the relaxed posture of a man who has arrived at a meeting he is not worried about. I imagine you have questions about operations. Adrienne said, "I've prepared a full briefing on our current quarter.
There are some headwinds I want to make sure you understand in context because taken out of context some of the numbers can look I've seen the numbers Damian said. Adrienne paused just slightly. Of course the due diligence package not the due diligence package. Damen said the actual numbers the subsidiary structures in four states the seven consulting entities. The transfer from the Delaware account last night.
The room was very quiet. Adrienne's expression did not break. That was the thing. It simply did not break. The warmth stayed in place.