““Another burst of laughter from the ladies below had him opting for the rope ladder exit, thinking the angle might give him a peek into the adjacent café as he descended. They were a jovial lot. Sounded like the meeting was going well at least, perhaps putting Kerry in a more open-minded mood for their lunch later. He imagined his arrival had been at least part of their conversation, then frowned briefly, thinking maybe he didn’t want to know what was at the root of all that laughter after all. Maybe he would drop by, at least long enough to be judged on his own merits. Who knew what Kerry was telling them?””
