High Stakes by Danielle Steel

Author:Danielle Steel [Steel, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2022-01-14T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

M erriwether stayed late at the office to talk to Bob the day that Dan was arrested. He was deeply upset that things had gotten so out of hand. He was worried about the agency and felt guilty that anyone had suffered. He should have gotten Dan out of the agency before something like this happened. He had never thought Dan was capable of real harm, but he’d been wrong. And he was concerned about what would happen to Dan if he went to prison. He couldn’t imagine him surviving prison at his age. He was more of a figurehead and did very little work, but it was going to make them look bad if one of the heads of the agency went to prison. He wondered if the judge would be lenient, given Dan Fletcher’s age and stature in the community, but it seemed unlikely. More important men than he were going to prison for similar offenses, justifiably. Bob didn’t disagree with the current stricter policies about women being coerced into having sex, trading jobs for sexual favors, or being drugged and raped. But it was such an ignominious end to what had once been a glowing career for a man who had been his friend. Bob wondered if Dan was getting senile, or if too much alcohol had affected his brain.

“The agency will come through it,” Merriwether said. She didn’t know what to do to cheer him up in the circumstances. It was a serious situation, and he felt terrible for Jane once he knew the story. He didn’t want any of his female employees harassed, assaulted, or abused.

“I want people to feel safe here,” he said to Merriwether. “That’s important to me. I’ve always wanted the work environment at the agency to be like a family, and a second home. We all spend a lot of time here.” He looked miserable.

“I know. Dan is an aberration. Look at all the places where things like that are happening now, in corporations, in the film industry, in politics. Dan has always been a loose cannon as long as I’ve worked here,” she said softly.

“I should have dealt with it years ago. I thought he was harmless. Clearly, I was wrong.” And then he looked at Merriwether. “Did he ever do anything inappropriate with you?” He was afraid of the answer now.

“Just a few comments here and there, nothing too shocking. And he never laid a hand on me. I don’t think he’d dare, with me as the CFO. He knew it would have gone straight back to you.”

“It was stupid and wrong of him to go after Jane. She’s young, with an entry-level job. He probably thought he’d get away with it. She’s a brave girl. If my wife’s firm is representing Jane, they’ll ask for the maximum penalty. And they’re not wrong. I know her father, and I took full responsibility for her when we hired her. He must be ready to kill me and I don’t blame him.

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