"What did he do this time?" she did not hesitate to ask him. By now she understood what that statement meant, and there were multiple interpretations, none of which could ever mean anything good.
"Yesterday," Van answered in the most offended voice he could manage. "Another family lost their father, and this time the man was not even asking to leave the company, just for a break to spend time with his family. It was misinterpreted as him having information he wanted to take out. He was labeled a traitor and all that. But that is not why I called. I called to say that... I hope you are not on speaker?" he paused to ask.
"Um," Ann muttered, "I am not, but I can leave where I am if there is something you want to talk about. Just a moment." She excused herself from the living room to the bedroom, and Van stayed on the line the whole time.
"Go on."
