I pushed my orange peel to the edge of the tray and left it there.

“They already had the letter typed up,” I said.

“Dated Thursday.

Before the board even posted my name.”

Charles studied me for a while.

Then he opened his notebook, wrote three lines, and closed it before I could see the page.

“You don’t trust him at all,” I said.

“I don’t trust anybody who’s loud in a quiet room.” He glanced out at the maple tree and back again.