Chapter 19. Letter from Swernbach

Elaine stood outside the meeting room with a pile of books in her hands. The pile ended just below her chin. She tried to open the door with her feet but it didn’t give way. She stood aside. The last thing she wanted to do was drop the books and have to relive the burden of picking them up again.

“Hey, Elaine, do you need help with that?” Raymond asked.

Elaine shook her head. No more favors. She wouldn’t be accepting them. It was the favors that had got her in this situation. Now she had to present a book to Presley that she didn’t care for and she had to pretend that this book had potential even though the writing was drab and the topic was boring.

“Eh, no.”

“Are you sure?” Raymond reached for the stack of books.

She turned away from him. “I’m fine. I assume you’re going to see Presley.”

“Yes,” he smiled, waving a stack of small envelopes in her face. “We got some pretty interesting mail.”

“Mail?” Her eyes brightened as he opened the door.<