The call with Gabriel had been running for twenty-two minutes and was approaching the part where it would either resolve or require a follow-up meeting, when Liam's assistant opened the office door.
He registered the opening in his peripheral vision — the particular angle of the door, the brief appearance of his assistant's face with the expression she wore when she was uncertain whether she had made the right decision — and then Rebecca was behind her, already inside, and the assistant was already retreating.
Liam held up a finger toward no one in particular.
"Mr. Gabriel." He kept his voice level. "Give me a moment. I'll call you back."
He hung up before Gabriel could respond and stood.
The assistant had pulled the door shut on her way out. The office held its particular midday quiet — the city visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the desk between them, the space of a room that had been designed for work and was currently being used for something else.
