Xandra’s body was twisted towards the glass wall behind her seat, allowing her to gaze down at the private courtyard several storeys below, when the handle of the door opposite her desk began to turn. Instantly she whipped around to face the screen in front of her, fingers tapping away at almost ninety words per minute.
     The door was held open by a bodyguard in a business suit. Alan marched in, rattling off instructions to three civil servants who entered with him alongside another two bodyguards.
     He stopped at the door that connected to his office. “Xandra?”
     She looked up, putting on an expectant smile.
     Alan addressed the civil servants and bodyguards. “That’ll be all for now, I need privacy for the next half hour. Jason, I’ll see you then for my three o’clock?”
     Everyone else left. Xandra walked briskly around her desk, picking up a pen and notepad as she did so, never once taking her face away from Alan.
     He opened the door. “Step into my office?”
     Alan led Xandra around the large meeting table that took up the majority of the glass-walled room, striding towards the desk at the far end. As they went, Xandra wrote the date at the top of a fresh page in her notepad.
     But when Alan reached his desk and sat, he waved a hand towards her. “You won’t need that. Pull up a seat.”
     Xandra shrugged, sat in front of the minister, and placed the pad in her lap. “I had the radio on in the background. I don’t know how you think it went, but I think you made the best points, and you did get some supportive listeners sending in comments.”
     Alan looked out through the wall of windows to the outside world, sighed deeply, and brought his fingers together over his chest. Then he moved his eyes towards Xandra. “The PM is pleased. We’ve got a distraction that will almost definitely shield the more controversial bills we’re putting through this week. But personally? Theo earned the sympathy vote. That means we’ve already got one big challenge to overcome in our campaign against capital punishment.”
     He turned the rest of his body towards her, closed his eyes, and leaned forward on the table.
     “And I’m afraid I can’t allow there to be another.”
     Xandra cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
     Alan’s eyes opened, immediately focused on her. “It means I know what you’ve done, Xandra.”
     As Xandra blinked, she felt her body release a keg of adrenaline into her bloodstream. But her exterior remained relaxed, and she smiled at her boss. “What do you mean?”
     Now he sat back. “You were very clever, I’ll give you that. At first, when I saw that the extra expenses were for travel, I really came close to assuming we had simply gone over budget. But I decided to check anyway. And you know what I found.”
     Xandra knew the game was up. But she could also sense the bodyguards keeping their steady watch over them through the soundproofed glass to her side. So she allowed her hand to idly play with the ends of her hair, and feigned a look of uncertainty. “No? What do you mean, did I make a mistake with the figures?”
     Alan gave a single, unamused laugh. “The odd inaccuracy is a mistake, Xandra. Consistent inaccuracies is embezzlement. What I don’t understand is… why?”
     Xandra held her eyes unblinking for just long enough for her tear ducts to start producing. “I… I’m sorry, it’s just… I needed something quick. I didn’t think it would matter…”
     “Didn’t think it would matter?” Alan shook his head. “Here I was thinking you shared my cause. But you went and targeted the one budget from my department that is entirely personal! And now that Reverend Macgregor has put the spotlight on capital punishment and garnered the sympathy of the nation, the very last thing we need is something to discredit the assistance I’ve allowed my department to provide the Coalition.”
     Xandra bit her lip hard. “I’m sorry…”
     Alan sighed, and looked at the blank monitor on his desk. “This goes beyond sorry, Xandra. This is theft — theft from public funds. You must realise the seriousness of the crime you’ve committed?”
     Xandra fluttered her eyelids to usher the tears down her cheeks. “I know, I—”
     Alan held up a flat palm. “Look. You’ve been dedicated, efficient, and dare I say something of a friend. And I remembered the small detail on your background check that should perhaps have raised a flag, so I feel… partly responsible.”
     This time, Xandra’s questioning look was genuine.
     Alan’s expression softened. “I’m talking about your father’s conviction when you were, what was it, 10? I can’t begin to imagine the full effect his abuse had on you, but we’re told to consider that it can affect your sense of right and wrong.”
     Xandra looked down and swallowed hard. Saying nothing seemed her best option right now.
     Alan studied her. “So here’s what I’m prepared to do. I’ve obviously got to let you go, there’s nothing I can do about that. Howev—”
     Xandra leaned forward. “But—”
     Alan held up the flat palm again. “It’s a very serious offence, Xandra! I can’t jeopardise my position, or the position of my department, any further. You brought that on yourself. You must have realised this was a possible consequence of your actions.
     “However, I’m prepared to give you two weeks to repay the money you stole before I allow the matter to be investigated. I realise that’s not very long, given the amount involved, but on your salary I expect you’ve built up a good credit score. Perhaps a loan will allow you to repay the treasury immediately, but spread the cost to you over however long you need.”
     Xandra shook her head. “I don’t… I don’t know…”
     Alan slowly moved to switch on his PC. “That is all, Xandra. Please show yourself out.” He turned all his attention to his computer screen.
     Xandra nodded, and spoke meekly: “Thank you.”
     He ignored her.
     Xandra stood, turned, and walked away without looking back. The moment her face was hidden from the minister, her expression flattened.
     The bastard.
     He was going to pay for this.

Next Chapter: Chloe