This man knew, as he'd known yesterday, exactly what her brooch had concealed. Though he hadn't needed to see the Addison Kirk logo; he'd probably recognised the car she had been driving. In all probability he had only very recently-perhaps even the day before-been a passenger in it!

'Mr Wakefield?' she enquired, hoping there was some wonderful mistake and that this man-this man who yesterday, by his swift and skilful reactions, had managed to avoid what would have been an almighty collisionand earned a load of lip from her for his trouble was not, by some miracle, the head of the Addison Kirk Group.

He didn't bother to confirm but, ignoring her completely, instructed his PA, `Hold my calls for five minutes, please.' She had called him a grumpy old devil-it was going to take that long?

He held his office door open for her to go through. Yancie stood up, uncertain whether or not to walk to the other door, and keep on walking. `I'll attend to you later', this man had yesterday threatened-he must have pegged her as employed by the company before he'd even said it. 'Later', Yancie knew, had just arrived-but she wasn't the sort to run away.

CHAPTER TWO

YANCIE crossed into Thomson Wakefield's office. It was large and, as well as having the usual office furnishings, also housed a comfortable-looking sofa, and a couple of easy chairs grouped around a low coffee table.

She had thought his dismissal of her from the company he headed would take seconds; she would have preferred it. But, no. Not the most talkative of men she had ever known, he pointed to a chair on the other side of his large desk.

She took the seat and while he sat facing her so she began to gather her scattered wits.Without question she was to be well and truly carpeted-she guessed few had called the head man a grumpy old devil-apart from all the rest that had gone with it and got away with it.