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“That would get you into trouble, I suspect.”
“Not if they don’t catch me. I’d wear gloves. Go in after hours.” He mimed shaking a can. “Watch them be angry the next day.”
“The carbonation will have calmed down by the next day.”
Colton slumped. “Well, damn.”
“Does your supervisor see that the others are lying down on the job?”
“Nah. He’s busy spying on all those rich people who pay through the nose to rent office space in the building.”
“I see. Maybe make him aware. Ask him for ideas on how to get the others to do their fair share. Even if he says no, you’ve put the seed into his mind.”
A lackluster shrug. “Maybe.”
This was going nowhere. “What’s going on at home? You mentioned a new relationship last week. How’s that going?”
Colton seemed to relax. “Really well. She loves me.”
“That’s good. Having someone who loves you might not make all the frustrating things go away, but that person can share your burden. Does she do that for you?”
“I don’t have any burdens for her to share,” he said defiantly. “I leave those at the front door. When I’m with her, I’m one hundred percent focused on her.”
A shiver of distaste rippled across Sam’s skin. Colton’s words themselves were a lie, of course, but the tone with which he’d said them was downright creepy.
“What kind of things do you do?”
“We watch TV. Have supper at my place.” He lifted a brow. “Then other things.”
Sam managed to keep his expression neutral. He didn’t want to think about what other things Colton could mean. “What kind of TV?”
Colton thought for a moment. “She likes Avondale.”
Sam’s heart sank. Teenagers had been Avondale’s target audience.
Although maybe Colton’s pretty young thing was legal now and just enjoyed watching shows from her past. “That show’s been off the air for a few years now. You must have found reruns.”
“I did.” He crossed his arms over his chest, tucking his hands into his armpits and staring straight ahead.
Oh good. I yanked him back under the cone of silence. “Does she know about this? About your therapy?”
Colton was shocked out of his silence. “God, no. I would never tell her about this. She wouldn’t understand.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’m okay now. It’s not like I’ll have another incident. She won’t need to worry about me getting mad.”
Yeah, right. “She never makes you angry?”
“Nope.” Colton cast him a smug look, like he knew that Sam was becoming desperate for his answers.
Back away. In previous sessions, Sam would sit quietly until Colton could be silent no longer. The man hated silences.
Sam was off his game today, too worried about a potential victim to do his job properly. So he arranged his lips into a slight smile, exuding calm and patience.
I’ve got all the time in the world.
Even though he didn’t if a minor child was in jeopardy.
They sat that way for about five minutes and Sam was both impressed and frustrated. Colton’s previous record was two minutes and forty seconds. But maintaining silence wasn’t easy for him. He was biting at his lips and crossing, uncrossing, and recrossing his legs.
“I might miss next week’s session,” he blurted out. “I’m going to England.”
