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it's taking long enough,' replied Sam, glad for once to have the distraction of some company. Not a single person had entered the foyer for two hours. Even the receptionist had long disappeared.
    'You won't catch me sitting around for hours on end,' his new companion remarked haughtily. 'I've been into town and done some shopping.'
    'You're a driver as well?'
    Carrie Smith introduced herself, curtly informing Sam she was most certainly not a driver. She was the personal assistant to Colin Doyle, chairman and owner of Minstrel Clothing.
    'Who's doing the driving for Mr Doyle today, then?' Sam teased, having seen Carrie drop car keys into her handbag as she came through the door.
    Carrie crossed her legs and pretended to look offended.
    'Okay, I'm a personal assistant who does a bit of driving sometimes.'
    Sam looked at her but said nothing.
    'Okay, the games up!' she said, with a hint of a smile. 'A lot of driving ever since the chauffeur caught whatever horrible illness he's got.' Carrie glanced at her wristwatch. 'The meeting shouldn't take much longer, as long as Mr Doyle doesn't get into another row with Mr Renshaw.'
    Sam's ears pricked up.
    'Mr Renshaw?' he asked. 'Carl Renshaw, from DR Garments?'
    'That's him. Mr Doyle can't stand the man. Anyway, who are you waiting for?'
    Sam grinned at her.
    'What's so funny?' she asked.
    Then the penny dropped.
    'You're here with Mr Renshaw?'
    Sam nodded. Carrie's jaw dropped open. She placed her hand over her mouth.
    'Oh, no!' she cried, looking horrified. 'How embarrassing!'
    Sam tried to keep a straight face. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then both burst out laughing.
    'I really shouldn't have said that,' Carrie squealed, wiping tears from her eyes. 'Sorry.'
    'Hey, I'm his driver, not his mother. I couldn't care less.'
    This started Carrie off giggling again.
    'Seriously,' said Sam. 'What's the problem between the two of them?'
    Carrie told him she wasn't totally sure. DR Garments and Minstrel Clothing were in the same trade, so their respective owners were naturally direct business rivals. However, Carrie thought it was more personal than that.
    'They just don't seem to like each other.' she said. 'Mr Doyle seems to have more of a problem, which is strange as you'd have thought Mr Renshaw would be the one with more reason to-'
    'I don't understand,' interrupted Sam.
    Carrie pursed her lips.
    'What I mean,' she said, 'is Minstrel Clothing has only been going for five years. I've been with them for the last two, whereas Mr Renshaw's business was around long before that. I would have thought he's lost a fair few orders to Minstrel over the last few years.'
    'What did they row about last time?'
    'Oh, dirty tricks, undercutting each other, they always find some reason-'
    The doors of the meeting-room suddenly burst open. Sam and Carrie both stood up. They watched Carl stumble out and almost lose his footing. A man charged out in his wake and prodded Carl forcefully in the chest. Sam looked sideways at Carrie, who rolled her eyes and nodded back knowingly at him.
    'Carl Renshaw, you are without doubt the most despicable...underhand...pathetic man I've ever had the misfortune to come across!'
    'Get lost, Doyle! You're no angel yourself!'
    Colin Doyle pulled his fist back, fully intent on swinging for Carl. Sam dived in and grabbed Doyle's arm before he could unleash the punch. Carl looked on, shaken.
    'Come on, Mr Doyle,' implored Sam, pulling him away. A crowd of suits had gathered, stunned to see such high-profile figures behaving this way. 'Whatever's going on between you two, a punch up in public isn't the best way to settle it.'
    Sam watched Doyle carefully, ready for any sudden move. Doyle was a lot younger than Carl and in better shape. Sam had no doubt he was capable of doing serious damage to Carl if the two were ever to have a fistfight.
    Doyle looked at Sam properly for the first time. He went to say something to him but thought better of it. Instead, he