Ashbury turned to her and said, “What are you talking about?”
“Your arrangements are with me. In the future kindly make all arrangements through me. I’ll give you the information.”
He looked at her over the tops of his glasses. His voice was low, well modulated, and exceedingly polite. “I take it,” he said, “that I’ve been getting a little out of hand.”
“Donald has.”
“About the expense money perhaps?”
“That’s part of it.”
Ashbury said, “Come with me, Donald. You and I are going to have a talk.”
Bertha Cool said acidly, “Don’t mind me. I’m just his employer.”
Ashbury looked at her. He said quietly, “My principal concern is for myself, and I happen to be the one who’s paying all the bills.”
That had Bertha falling all over herself. She said, “Why certainly, Mr. Ashbury. We’re representing your interests. The thing we want the most is to do what you want.”