“What did Derek think had happened?”

“Derek thought upper management had reviewed your merit file.” Liam smiled without much humor in it.

“Charles preferred to let him keep thinking that.”

I laughed once, and it came out wrong, only half a sound.

Eleven years of a paper cupcake and a folding chair by a window, and the man had been holding a lever the entire time.

“There’s one more item,” Liam said.