Luke assumed it concerned staffing.
Possibly Harold accelerating his departure.
Maybe even confirmation that Luke would receive full authority sooner than expected.
He dressed accordingly.
Dark suit.
Silver tie.
Polished shoes.
Confidence restored after the previous day's irritation.
He had almost forgotten about the man at the host stand.
People like that disappeared from Luke's mind quickly.
That was part of the problem.
At 7:56, Harold Bennett entered the conference room.
He did not smile.
Luke noticed.
“Morning.”
“Luke.”
“What is this about?”
“Sit down.”
Luke frowned.
“Everything okay?”
“Sit.”
Luke sat.
At 8:01, Renee Brooks entered.
Luke recognized her.
His face changed.
Mrs. Brooks.
He had met her at the executive dinner.
He stood.
“Mrs. Brooks.”
“Good morning.”
Then Elijah entered.
Plain coat again.
Same shoes.
Luke stared.
For two seconds, his mind refused to connect the images.
The man from the host-stand table.
Mrs. Brooks.
Harold.
Corporate boardroom.
Then Elijah removed his coat.
Beneath it was a tailored dark suit.
Luke stood very slowly.
“I believe we've met.”
Elijah took the chair at the head of the table.
“We have.”
Luke looked at Harold.
Harold's face had gone pale.
“Elijah?”
Luke's head turned.
Elijah.
Then the name connected.
The founder.
The annual reports.
Corporate photographs.
Magazine profiles.
Most recent portraits had shown Elijah with glasses and a trimmed gray beard, usually in formal clothing.
Yesterday he had worn neither glasses nor executive presentation.
Luke had looked directly at the owner of the Ashcombe Group for hours and seen only a man he believed did not belong.
Elijah folded his hands on the table.
“My name is Elijah Brooks.”
Luke did not move.
“I am the founder and chief executive of Ashcombe Group.”
Color left Luke's face.
“I…”
Elijah waited.
Luke tried again.
“Mr. Brooks.”
“Yes.”
“There has been a misunderstanding.”
Harold closed his eyes.
Elijah looked at Luke.
“No.”
“Sir, if you'll allow me to explain the context.”
“I sat on your seventh floor yesterday for three hours before service.”
Luke swallowed.
“Yesterday was unusually busy.”
Elijah placed printed occupancy logs on the table.
“Average table utilization during the period I waited was sixty-four percent.”
Luke said nothing.
“I held a confirmed reservation.”
“Yes.”
“A valid membership.”
“Yes.”
“You instructed Paige to treat me as a walk-in.”
Luke looked toward Harold.
Harold stared back.
Elijah continued:
“I called the floor twice.”
Luke's jaw tightened.
“Both calls were deliberately ignored on your instruction.”
“I don't recall saying deliberately.”
Elijah opened a folder.
“The floor phone system records unanswered internal calls.”
He slid a page forward.
“Paige has already provided a written statement.”
Luke's eyes moved toward the page.
Elijah continued.
“You questioned whether my membership was legitimate because, in your words, I did not look like someone who could afford it.”
Luke opened his mouth.
“Then you required prepayment before serving me.”
“We sometimes use preauthorization.”
“Not on members in good standing.”
Luke went silent.
Elijah placed the payment authorization on the table.
“Then you placed me at the least desirable table on the floor.”