"I'd rather that matter be left to me, yes," was Rob's simple reply to the subject of Rafferty, partially as a knee-jerk response to the knowledge of just how much of a mess a corpse left by a patrolmen could cause, but also just out of pure, unadulterated habit. He said it in exactly the same tone of voice and just as quickly as he would have if Olinger had suggested something similarly extreme. Let me handle it, sir. You shouldn't trouble yourself. Subtle deference, but present, whether it was warranted or not. Sometimes the best ways to handle misguided hubris was to allow it the illusion of dominance.
A problem-solver at his very core, and so intent on his internal solutions that he hardly notices the shift in dynamic. By casually offering to remove Demi Rafferty from the equation and agreeing to a reasonable plan of protection for Adelaide, James Hawkins had made himself into someone who might be worked with, and Rob's reaction to that was to slip further away from the mindset that he'd intended to judge this person, poke holes in their proposals so that he could keep his wife close and safe behind his walls and more into an actual conference. He'd have to keep careful reigns on that, lest someone to work with became someone to work for. Hawkins was not like Olinger. One of those men had succeeded in life. The other was an abject failure who happened to have his wife's affection. Facts were facts. Undeniable. "If I can trust that you won't disarm her, as well, then this seems to be an acceptable course of action. Perhaps not ideal... but it should be safe enough travel without arousing suspicion."
Then, perhaps because his wife was pacing away by the window and he ached for another sign of her approval... or perhaps because he could see his son's face over her shoulder, Rob adds, "I appreciate your willingness to consult with me on this matter. I'm aware that you didn't have to."
It wasn't a lie, though it was said out loud largely for Adelaide's benefit. She didn't seemed particular impressed with his cleverness in keeping her safe, which was disappointing, but she'd seemed to like it earlier when he'd been making a more overt effort to be friendly.