Hard Case by Elizabeth Lapthorne Page A

The school connection likely had been merely a means of introduction, a foot in the proverbial door.
    Still, now that he understood Leland’s artifice for what it was, Troy felt very uneasy. What was Leland hiding beneath his surface? Sure, he might just be trying to get as high up the political ladder as possible, but did his self-absorbed routine hide a darker, more nefarious meaning? He only wished he could connect the dots faster. Troy made a mental note to do some research. He needed to dig into Leland Knox’s background as soon as possible.
    He wondered if he was becoming paranoid, doubting the strength and power of the old boys’ network one minute, then admitting it was the coin of introduction much of the time in these elevated circles the next. He felt faintly schizophrenic, jumping back and forth like this. It was the knottiest of problems, completely innocent on one side, dastardly on the other.
    “Right.” Leland ran a hand over his hair, patting it as if to reassure himself it remained perfectly neat. “Well, I’ve prattled on and wasted enough time, I suppose. Let me just go check if Keyton can spare you those minutes right now. Just wait here, please.”
    Troy turned to watch as Leland crossed the room. Leland opened the door and stuck his head in.
    “Mr. Marshall, a Mr. Troy Price is here about the near incident and issues over the last few days and he has a Mr. Thompson with him, who’s another alumni. Are you able to spare a few moments for them?”
    Troy could hear Keyton respond, but it was the tone of his voice, not the actual words he could make out. He turned to Steven.
    “What do you think?” he asked in a low tone, hoping Leland wasn’t good enough to listen to Keyton and them simultaneously.
    “Definitely in the right industry,” Steve replied softly. “He enjoys politics, that’s for sure. If he gets lucky in his decisions—and is half as smart as I believe—he’ll probably make quite the career from this. Not a man to underestimate.”
    Troy nodded, ridiculously pleased Steve’s assessment concurred with his own.
    “Agreed. That friendly, good-old-boy routine works wonders sometimes. It took me a moment to recognize it for what it is. I’d bet heavily that he’s got his sights set high.”
    “Without question,” Steve agreed then turned back to Leland. Troy noticed the man had stepped aside and opened the door fully.
    “I’ll just be out here.” Leland smiled. “I’ll knock on the door if security starts asking me what Keyton’s timetable is and will give you as much time as I can wrangle.”
    “Thank you,” Troy and Steve said almost simultaneously, as they entered Keyton’s office.

Chapter Four
     
     
     
    More wood paneling filled the office, but Troy’s gaze was immediately drawn to the far wall. From floor to ceiling it was glass windows looking out onto the Thames. The view was stunning. Another wall had been converted into a bookcase. It was crammed with leather bound volumes. This area looked well lived in and richly masculine. Keyton Marshall stood and came around from his desk, hand outstretched and he warmly shook both their hands.
    Medium height with short dark hair and thin-rimmed glasses made him appear more like an academic than one of the most powerful men in the city. There was warmth in his gaze and genuine pleasure in his tone as he greeted them both. Troy had met many powerful men. Often they used charisma to smooth the wheels. But Troy instantly recognized something infinitely more than this usual shallowness in Keyton’s manner.
    This man genuinely cared and was interested .
    That wasn’t something he could fake.
    “I must say I was impressed with your friend, Finlay, Mr. Price,” Keyton said. “If he wasn’t so clearly passionate about his work, I’d have spent quite a while trying to woo him over to my side of the fence.”
    “I’m glad you can see where his interests lie, then,” Troy replied warmly. “And please, call me