The Assistant

Chapter One

Maddie slid her passport back into the front compartment of her shoulder bag and walked out of passport control into the arrivals hall of Boston Logan airport. Behind the cordon, eager family and friends waited for their returning relatives with signs, flowers and huge smiles on their faces. Maddie watched as the middle-aged man whom she'd been seated next to for the last seven hours rushed over to his wife and children, enveloping them in a bear hug. She blinked away the moistness forming in her eyes and turned away. No, she wasn't going to feel this way today. This was a fresh start, a new beginning, and she was going to do it all by herself, starting by making her own way to the hotel.

Or maybe not. Looking for the exit, Maddie almost missed seeing a man holding up a card with her name written upon it. Surely they hadn't sent someone to collect her? There'd been no mention of it in their most recent email. She wheeled her case over to the man who greeted her with a warm smile. "Madeleine," his fingers spelled out.

Eyes widening in surprise at seeing him sign her name, "Hi," she mouthed, shyly.

"Welcome to Boston. I'm Henry, your interpreter."

"Interpreter," Maddie replied verbally, "I didn't know I was having one."

"Well, kind of. I work for DIGIPA and Marcus has asked me to assist in helping you settle in," he continued to sign.

Maddie couldn't remember the last time she'd needed an interpreter. Fiercely independent and now an excellent lip reader, she hated relying on other people and didn't want to begin now. But Marcus, her new boss, had been very attentive thus far, and Henry was looking at her like a puppy desperate for praise, so she resolved not to let it bother her. Instead she would have a quiet word about it with Marcus when she next saw him.

"Well, that's very kind, thank you."

"Excellent. Okay, you wait here and I'll just check the car is still out front." Henry jogged off just as Maddie's phone vibrated.

Hey, Maddie, welcome to the US. Hope your flight was good. I've ordered a sandwich to arrive in your hotel room at seven. Also, your credit card bill payment is ready. Please tap on the green box if you wish to authorise a payment of £135.00.

Maddie pressed her thumb down on the green box. The app's scanner swiped across her thumb print.

Thank you. Payment has been accepted. For your information the storm warning for Boston has been downgraded, so you shouldn't have any difficulties travelling to the office tomorrow. Wrap up warm.

Maddie shuddered as a blast of cold air whipped through the open doors. Pulling her scarf tight around her neck, she walked over to where Henry was waving for her.

***

The warm, stretched limo was a welcome surprise and, as they made the short journey to her hotel, which had also been booked and paid for by DIGIPA, Maddie learned that Henry's mother was deaf too and that he'd been signing since he was small. He was also proficient in British sign language, after a year spent doing volunteer work in London during his gap year.

"How long have you worked at DIGIPA?" she enquired.

"Since the beginning," he replied. "Marcus and I met in college and he asked me to join the company."

So Henry was more than an employee. "So what do you do there?"

"I lead the new accounts department, which as you can imagine has been quite busy of late," he said with a wink.