Finally, after several minutes, he set down his pen. He took a puff of the cigar, blew the smoke in her direction, and put the cigar in the large ashtray on the corner of his desk.

“Listen, Miss Lindstrom.”

Nora’s nostrils flared. That’s Dr. Lindstrom to you.

“I hate to do this because I really like you. I didn’t think a woman had the balls to do this job, but you’ve made a believer out of me.”

Fear stuck in her throat and dread settled in the pit of her stomach. He was going to fire her. All of her hard work was going to be for naught.

“Now, let me start by sayin’ I don’t believe a word of it. Not one word.”

She swallowed hard. Here it was, the one thing she’d feared above all else.

“But a complaint has been brought to my attention that you might be one of them sexual deviates.”

Although she wanted to cry, she sat as tall and still as she could manage. She schooled her expression so that she appeared completely nonplussed, as though she were confident of her innocence. She also resisted the urge to issue a hot denial. Don’t protest too much. Wait him out.

“So, here’s the way I see it.” He leaned back and steepled his fingers. “The girl who made this here complaint gets jealous because you’re prettier than her—you are, by the way—and she files a complaint. She’s got her eye on this fella, and he’s got his eye on you. If she can get you out of the way, she’s got a clear run at this ol’ boy.”

If he hadn’t been sitting right in front of her, Nora would’ve rolled her eyes at the ridiculous presumptions inherent in his theory. Instead, she continued to sit ramrod straight and say nothing. Outright lying wasn’t in her nature, even if keeping secrets was something to which she’d uncomfortably become accustomed.

“Best to watch your back. There are girls here that are gunning for you, and they ain’t going to quit until they have your scalp.” He picked up the cigar again. “The good news for you is, as long as I’m sitting in this here chair, I’ve got your back. But you best be careful out there, Miss Lindstrom. The world is full of snakes.”

She realized she was being dismissed. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your confidence in me. You can be sure I’ll be careful. Thank you for letting me know. I’m certain no disciplinary action will be necessary against the complainant. She was just doing what she thought was right.”

“That’s mighty generous of you, Miss Lindstrom. I don’t know that I’d be as generous in your place. She’s a lucky girl.”

So am I. Nora took her leave.