“Rae, is this woman bothering you?”
Penny flashed a venomous glance. She stepped back.
With her middle finger raised, she marched off.
Chapter 17
Only three of the large-screen monitors glowed with activity on Design Mark’s ground floor.
On Saturdays most of the staff worked remotely, if they worked at all. Freedom of choice brought higher creativity. Griffin encouraged the staff to build their own schedules. The only exception? When clients were on premise. In the age of teleconferencing, those in-person meetings took place less frequently.
The business-casual dress code didn’t extend to Saturdays. Two of the graphic designers who’d come in today wore jeans and ball caps. The third, Tabby Jones, was hunched over her keyboard in flannel pajama bottoms and a neon-green Little Mermaid top, a souvenir from a recent trip to SoCal. No one acknowledged the boss striding past. Fingers streaming across keyboards, they were locked in concentration.
The second floor rested in silence. The conference room smelled of pepperoni; Griffin threw out the day-old pizza box left on the table.
The reception area was orderly, like his large, sparsely furnished office.
With the building’s refurb, the old plaster had been removed from the outer wall to reveal the red brick used to erect the building in 1887. The new bank of windows overlooked the street and his father’s car dealership, which was partially hidden in warmer months, when the century-old maple trees leafed out. Griffin had chosen sleek Danish furniture, including a long white leather couch for impromptu meetings with the staff. No personal mementos graced the office. The only exception was a silver-framed photo on his desk of him with Sally and Jackie at last year’s Geauga County Fair.
If Design Mark resembled a frat house most days, Griffin didn’t mind. He drew the line at his personal space.
He was finishing a call when his sister swept in.
He did a doubletake. Sally’s features were stiff with rage. An uncommon sight. By nature, both of the Marks siblings were even-tempered. He could only recall a handful of times when he’d seen his sister upset.
“Last year, how often did you take Lark to Dixon’s?” Sally demanded.
Warily, Griffin placed the phone in the cradle. “Does it matter?”
“Obviously. You didn’t tell me.”
Brows lifting, he searched for a reply. Taking Lark out for ice cream had been a kind gesture, nothing more.
His bafflement merely increased his sister’s anger. “Why didn’t you mention it when you showed me Rae’s keepsake? Griffin, we talked for more than an hour. We covered a lot of ground. You had ample time to fill me in.”
“It wasn’t relevant,” he snapped. “Why do you believe it is now?”
“Because an innocent man doesn’t hide the facts.”
The strange accusation warned there was more here than was obvious. What am I missing? Sally marched back and forth before his desk. Agitation spilled off her in waves.
“I took Lark to Dixon’s twice,” he said with care. “How is that a crime?”
“I guess it depends on how much you knew. Were you completely in the dark? Griffin, you took her to Dixon’s on Wednesdays.” Sally regarded him as if he was a fool. “If you weren’t keeping secrets, then Katherine is correct.”
Mention of Katherine sent anger flashing through him. They’d stopped dating months ago—not long before Lark’s tragic death. Sometime in early October. The relationship was never serious.
“Sally, what are you trying to say?” With misgivings, he grasped the real issue. He never should’ve agreed to take Katherine out in the first place.
“Katherine believes Lark used you as bait. She used you, and you had no idea why.”
“My personal life is none of her business.” For emphasis, he came to his feet. He didn’t relish arguing with his sister. Yet he refused to allow her best friend to meddle in his affairs. “I don’t care what she’s told you, or why she’s suddenly focused on Lark. Or me, for that matter. You’re overstepping here, sis.”
“Am I? Katherine is convinced it was no coincidence that you dumped her after Lark began coming around. A reasonable conclusion, isn’t it?”
“Sally, that’s ridiculous.”
“You might want to change your assessment. She overheard Lark bragging about you to Stella the week of the slumber party. When she picked the girls up from my house. They were walking to the car, and Lark was bragging up a storm. The driver-side window was open. She didn’t know Katherine was listening.”