Chapter 10

The next day Kate printed out a voluntary resignation form and went to Gordon’s office at lunchtime. He wasn’t there. She knew where to look: his favorite café, where he ate hamburgers.

Finding him on the ground floor, Kate hurried over to his table and laid the paper in front of him. She caught a glimpse of a photograph on Gordon’s phone showing a woman on all fours, her eyes bound shut with a blindfold. A man was holding her by the hair.

“It’s bad for your digestion to look at pornography while you eat, Mr. Briggs,” Kate said acidly. “Sign your resignation.”

Her blood began to churn in her groin. Looking at the photograph, she remembered the old man spanking her. How she had been in Joanna’s place. It was such a vivid memory ... Kate was beginning to suspect that the impressions left by that incident would haunt her for the rest of her life. This made her nervous. And her body responded with a racing heartbeat whenever she thought about it.

“Well, first of all, that isn’t pornography,” the old man said, setting down his burger. “The man and woman are dressed. It’s cosplay.”

“Of course, of course,” Kate replied mockingly.

“And second, I believe I told you there’s no point threatening to fire me.”

“That was before I used my connections, which outrank yours, and got authorization to dismiss a certain Gordon Briggs. Time to retire.”

The old man frowned.

“Then I simply won’t sign. That’s all!”

Kate smiled with satisfaction.

“In that case, I’ll sign something myself. A complaint against a security guard who brings his mistress into Silver Lining, into his own office, and has sex with her there. Who insults his boss, obstructs her work, and ruins contracts with his outrageous behavior. Who also ... exploits powerful connections to escape punishment. And then you’ll regret not resigning voluntarily. You and your protectors will both face consequences.”