Sentence:  On the table top behind him lay the letter from the Vatican. It was what he had dreaded. <WSD>Shenanigans</WSD> like that don't go for long unnoticed. Canon Tom may have provided the Church with a touch of class, but when the chips were down, he was expendable. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Deceitful tricks; trickery, games. (from mid 19th c.)