Peter's secretary cut short her phone conversation the moment she saw Matthew.
"Peggy, is Peter in?"
Before she could respond, Peter's own voice answered from behind him. "No!"
Matthew turned just in time to see Peter's office door slam shut. He knocked gently.
"Nobody's home," said Peter Jones in a calm voice from behind the closed door. "Please leave a message at the tone. Beep."
Matthew Locke was not amused. Like a father exercising his right to open any door in his own home, he entered the office.
He was met with the sound of continuous clicking from Peter's keyboard. The office was small and sparsely furnished, with simple overstuffed furniture and gray carpeting. Peter was sitting before his computer at a black lacquered desk against the wall, his back turned to Matthew. He closed the door behind him and waited for Peter to turn around.
"Nobody's home," Peter repeated over the sound of his staccato typing.
Matthew eased himself into the chair beside the couch, remembering the first time he had sat in this very office, more than two years ago, when Jones had hired him to run the company. My God, Matthew thought, how he has changed - how everything has changed.
All at once, the room was silent. Peter Jones turned around in his chair.