Silent Victim(25)

‘Thank you, Alice. Could you bring us through two coffees when you have a minute?’ I said, remembering Roger’s fondness for caffeine.

‘Of course,’ she said. ‘I’ll be right with you.’

‘Alex, mate, good to see you!’ At six foot one with a confident swagger, Roger was a man with enviable taste in suits. I made a mental note to ask him about his tailor now that I had come up in the world. He gave me a hearty handshake. We had known each other since back in the day – I’d been no stranger to bunking off school with him and his twin brother Jimmy.

Within minutes we were reminiscing about old times and what we were both up to now. I steered the conversation away from Emma, trying to focus on work.

‘So you don’t mind me being your boss then?’ I smiled, feeling my shoulders relax. Being in Leeds and chatting to friends was just the tonic I needed.

‘I’m made up,’ Roger said. ‘Besides, anyone’s an improvement on Hopkins.’

‘Thanks,’ I laughed, knowing he did not mean it the way it sounded.

‘Seriously,’ he said, flashing me a smile. ‘We have to call him Mister Hopkins. What a ponce. He’s only been in the game a few years.’

I grinned in response. ‘Not like us fresh-faced uni graduates hammering in our For Sale signs, then.’

‘Yup. And as for your secretary – you can thank Hopkins for her. Talk about perks of the job.’

I savoured my coffee as I sipped, the smell of freshly ground beans invigorating my senses. ‘I’m an old married man,’ I joked. ‘I don’t have the energy for that sort of carry-on any more.’

‘So that’s why you got rid of the whiskers? Too many grey hairs creeping in?’

Feeling the absence of my facial hair, I rubbed my bare jaw. ‘There might have been one or two. What can I say? All down to the pressures of work.’

Finishing his coffee, Roger threw me an envious glance. ‘Who would have thought it, us two ending up in the same office with you on that side of the desk. Fair play to you – maybe if I’d put in a few extra hours I would have made more of myself.’

For all Roger and I went back, I didn’t rush to tell him about the fact that I was Mr Second Choice, having applied but failed to get the job the first time round. I was pretty sure that if it weren’t for Theresa, I wouldn’t be sitting there at all. Despite her impending divorce from Charles, my boss in Colchester, she was still able to pull a few strings. Still, that was something Roger didn’t need to know. I would prove myself and make the team a huge success. I sank my coffee, filled with enthusiasm for what lay ahead. ‘I’ve seen your sales figures, Rog, you’re doing just fine. As long as you’re happy to be working for me . . .’

‘Like I said, goes without saying,’ Roger said, placing his empty cup back on my desk.

Our meeting was interrupted as Alice announced my predecessor was on his way in.

As our office door opened, Roger straightened, fixing his tie. He nodded sweetly at the man entering before giving me a knowing look. Hopkins had short-clipped grey hair and was in reasonable shape. I guessed him to be in his late forties, and had heard on the grapevine he was an ex-army man. He carried an air of authority as he approached. Straightening my shoulders, I held in my stomach as he reached his hand to shake mine.

‘So you’re my replacement. Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll get on better here than I did. This lot can’t wait to see the back of me, can you, Roger?’ He narrowed his eyes at my friend as he took his leave.

Roger coughed, giving him a sour smile. ‘Of course not. But it’s about time I got back to work. These properties won’t sell themselves.’

‘Who knows, maybe you’ll sell the big one this month. You might be able to buy yourself a decent car instead of that pile of shit you’re driving around.’

I winced. Roger’s wife got through money at a frightening rate, and his lack of a decent motor was a tender subject. I made a mental note that as soon as Hopkins left, I would make it my business to get Roger a company car.

As the door closed, Hopkins turned to face me. ‘I hear you can’t wait to get stuck in.’

I smiled. There was no point in getting mardy with my predecessor if he was leaving soon. ‘Yeah. I’m looking forward to working in Leeds again.’ It was true. It was a vibrant and welcoming city, and my heart remained firmly in my home town.

‘You’re a native aren’t you? What took you down to Essex?’ Hands in pockets, Hopkins walked to the window, his gaze firmly on the streets below.

‘The missus,’ I said. ‘But I’ve managed to persuade her Leeds is the best place to be. I’m looking forward to heading up the new team.’

‘Oh, that reminds me, I’ve got a message for you,’ Hopkins said, interrupted by the insistent strain of Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’ ringtone playing in his pocket. He frowned as he silenced the phone call. ‘Looks like I’m in demand. IT will sort you out with some passwords for the new system. Enjoy reacquainting yourself with the sights of Leeds.’

‘I will,’ I said, in an effort to be polite. ‘You said you had a message?’

He raised a palm in the air as he made his way out. ‘Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I’ve got the number of a potential client who insists that he’ll only deal with you.’