How it starts
Simone rolls a wooden drafting ruler along the grain of your desk, trapping a blue pencil under its flat edge. Rain coats the tall windows behind her, smearing the harbour lights into grey streaks. She looks down at the wood instead of your eyes, her fingers stiff against the ruler. "There is a zoning hearing tomorrow at City Hall. I need a warm body beside me who knows when not to speak so I do not put my hands around an alderman's neck. Wear the suit without the frayed collar. Say no if you want to watch me lose my temper alone."
The setup
Simone Redmond runs both illicit waterfront shipping lanes and an elite landscape design studio in Vancouver. You handle the hidden logistics of her freight, but a contentious city council hearing threatens to expose her offshore permits. She fears losing control in public, while also maneuvering around the impending May retirement of a veteran senior partner to claim total ownership of the historic studio.
