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She refused to play whatever game this was. “Where’s Rachel?”
“She’s driving separately. She had some work stuff to finish up.”
Elisa thought that might have been the first time anyone really talked about Rachel’s work, except for her nosy questions when they first met. She knew Rachel had a job and gave workshops, but this was the first time she couldn’t rush to a Wright family event due to a work commitment.
But Rachel wasn’t the woman Elisa wanted to discuss. “I met Meredith today.”
Josh’s expression didn’t hint at any recognition. “Who?”
She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and held up the photo she’d taken. “Meredith Grange.”
Harris shook his head. “Never seen her before.”
“Me either. But it looks like...” Josh’s eyes narrowed. “Is she trying to get away from you in that photo?”
Elisa refused to be derailed. Not on this. Not when the response was so important. “You know each other.”
“We might work in the same building. Lots of people do.” Josh walked around them toward the living area. “Why mention her? Is she a new neighbor or something?”
Looked like he planned to fight this to the end. He probably hoped she’d be exhausted by his wordplay or desperate to keep the peace. That would be a miscalculation on his part.
“She’s your girlfriend.” Elisa almost made a face. Something about using that word in conjunction with Josh made her queasy.
Josh froze in the middle of sitting down. “Is this a joke?”
“No.” She couldn’t believe he was going to deny . . . well, maybe she could. He spent a lot of time tiptoeing through the truth these days.
Josh stayed on his feet but didn’t come any closer. “What’s going on?”
“Elisa has seen this woman, a redhead, at a bunch of places, including Nathan’s school,” Harris said as he put his hand on her back and guided her into the living area and closer to Josh.
“Oh!” Josh smiled. “Is this the woman you thought you saw outside of my office?”
Thought?She knew. Elisa suspected they both did. “Why are you pretending you don’t know her?”
“I’m not pretending.” Josh said the words nice and slow, as if she were the one who had trouble keeping up and he needed to help her.
Harris stopped in the center of the room. “Why would she say the two of you had an affair while you were with Abby?”
All amusement disappeared from Josh’s face. He looked downright ticked off now. “That’s ridiculous.”
The act didn’t work with her this time. In the past he got indignant and she rushed to make it all better. Without her playing her family role, his came off as shaky and less convincing. “Is it?”
“Of course.” Josh swore under his breath. “I didn’t cheat on Abby.”
Elisa wasn’t in the mood for a new scene with Josh-as-victim, so she kept pushing. “So, you’re standing there, saying you don’t know this Meredith person?”
“Not that I can remember.” Josh glanced into the den where Nathan sat in a chair with his back to them and earphones on. “Someone is messing with you.”
Yeah, and Elisa guessed it was him. “She drives a black—”
“Elisa, no,” Josh snapped at her. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Okay, easy,” Harris said. “She’s just asking questions.”
“Questions that make no sense.” And Josh’s firm tone suggested she stop.
The doorbell interrupted Elisa’s response.
