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“She’s your little sister, isn’t she?”
It’s surreal to be having this conversation after so many years of keeping quiet.
“So you know how to work Google. I’m impressed.”
“You don’t sound impressed. Y’know, I was going to play favorites, maybe go easy on her, but it doesn’t seem like you’d care either way…”
I’m needling him. I can’t help it. I want to know about their relationship. I want to know why he’s never spoken of her.
“You can do whatever the hell you’d like with her.Be my guest.”
I don’t appreciate his tone.
“You knew she worked in my field, didn’t you? Architectural restoration. She was a student at Dartmouth when I was there.”
I brace for him to ask questions, but that’s not the way this conversation is going.
“Small world, I guess.” He sounds utterly bored.
“What is it with you two?”
“It’s simple—I want nothing to do with her.”
I’m taken aback.
“She’s your sister.”
“Half-sister. I was six when her mother broke up my parents’ marriage, so forgive me if I’m not overly eager to spread my arms wide open for her.”
My fingers tighten on my phone.
“Is that all? Or do you feel like prying into any other personal matters at nine AM on a Tuesday? Maybe we can get into my mommy issues too while we’re at it?”
“I’m sensing you’re not in a good mood.”
This makes him chuckle. “The point is, I’ve never met the girl. I don’t know her, I don’tcareto know her. Listen, I’ll add you to the table for Saturday. In the meantime, should I tell Miranda your interests lie elsewhere? You seem pretty interested in my sister all of a sudden…”
Ah, so this is his way of taking his anger out on me.
“Good talk, Emmett. I’ll see you this weekend.”
Then I hang up.
Immediately, my assistant, Candace, phones me from her desk.
“Sir, I didn’t want to interrupt, but your nine o’clock is here and he seems to be in a rush. Should I—”
I grind my molars. “It’s fine. Send him in.”
The day continues like that, one meeting after another, phone calls and emails. Word’s out, apparently, that I’m back in Boston for the time being, and everyone wants a piece of me.
I only want a piece of one person.
I work through lunch with Christopher and Lewis. Candace brings us food, but I don’t even have time to touch it until it’s long gone cold.
Around four, I have a moment to myself, and I whip open my office door, practically ready to pounce on Emelia, but I find her desk is empty. Her things are gone.
“Where are the new hires?” I ask Lewis.
