Angus Moody. This is a man Nick looks up to, a man he thinks of as a mentor, someone who once saw a desperate and miserable sixteen-year-old boy and helped him without embarrassing him, who held out a hand of friendship without implying that he thought Nick needed a friend.

In return, not only has Nick worked hard, but he’s lied for him about those non-existent insurance contracts. He did it because Angus meant something to him, and he couldn’t stand by and see him fall. And for what? The friendship means nothing. Angus Moody is just another entitled, arrogant arse. If he has no integrity, then what is the point? He feels anger building in his veins, throbbing at his temples, and knows that he should wait until he’s calmed down. But he can’t. He has Anna Foreman on his shoulders, and the stress of that, the threat she’s holding over him, means that his mind isn’t doing its habitual Connect-4 kind of rationalization. The discs are all over the place.

Angus half stands, his expression welcoming. Nick closes the door behind him. His face feels tight, his hands twitch.

‘Everything all right?’ Angus says, gazing at Nick through his bifocals.

Nick doesn’t say anything. He stares at his CEO.

‘Trouble?’ Angus prompts.

‘You could say that. I’ve just had an interesting conversation with Alex Wells.’

‘Alex? I haven’t heard from him in ages. How is he?’

‘Never mind how he is. He told me something.’

Angus raises his eyebrows. ‘It’s obviously serious. Perhaps you’d better tell me what it’s about.’

‘He said that you persuaded my father’s investor to pull out of Ritchie’s.’

There’s a short silence, then Angus shrugs. ‘I was doing a friend a favour, that place was never going to succeed.’

‘How the fuck did you know whether it was going to succeed or not?’ Nick explodes. ‘You pulled the plug on it. My dad threw his heart and soul into that place.’

The door opens and Phillipa comes in, looks from one to the other, apologizes for interrupting and backs out. There’s a long silence before Angus speaks.

‘Your father never threw his heart and soul into anything. He’s lazy and he’s a bad bet.’

‘Maybe he is, but what the fuck’s that got to do with you? Why did you interfere?’

‘Because Peter Mayhew is a friend of mine, and I didn’t want to see him lose money. I tried to persuade Sean out of it as well, but he wouldn’t listen. More fool him.’

Nick bristles. He leans against the desk, his hands fisted. ‘It was none of your damn business. It wasn’t your money. You’ve got a lot to answer for.’