[Selhurst Park. Boardroom. Saturday April 14. 20:14 BST.]
I sat with it for half a minute. Then I told them.
"I need the weekend."
Steve nodded once. Slowly. He had been expecting me to say it. The other five had not. Two of the five looked at each other across the table. One of them, the older one in the suit that did not quite fit at the shoulders, looked at his hands. The other two looked at Steve.
"Take the weekend," Steve said.
"Tuesday morning at nine I sit down with you and Jessica and we sign the contract extension."
"You sit down with me and Jessica at nine and we sign the contract extension."
"And after that."
"After that, you tell me what you want to do about the other thing. Wednesday morning, on my desk, in your own words."
"All right."
"Daniel."
"Yeah."
"This stays in this room. You do not tell Sarah. You do not tell Bray. You do not tell Dougie. You do not tell your mother. You do not tell Emma."
I looked at him.
"Steve."
"Yeah."
"Jessica."
