by Jane Godman
“Yes.” Kiely joined in the conversation. “I used to think that when Griffin was still and silent he was angry. Turns out, he’s just recharging, or people watching.”
Even in the midst of the lively family group, Abigail found herself watching Griffin more than any of the others. She wondered how someone so shy could be so successful in a career that required so much persuasive human interaction. And he was also able to switch on a forceful persona, such as when he dealt with her caseworker.
In the end, she was so fascinated by the contrast between his personal and professional personalities that she decided to ask him about it later that night when they were bathing Maya.
“Damn it. Just when I thought I was doing so well at disguising my introversion that you might actually believe I was outgoing.”
“I just wondered,” she explained. “You do such an amazingly complex job, yet I don’t think you enjoy being in a large group of people.
“You’re right. Social situations don’t come naturally to me. I don’t do small talk and I prefer solitude to crowds. But my job requires me to mingle and to appear confident. So, over the years, I’ve developed a secondary personality. That’s the person I become in social or work situations.”
“That must be hard,” Abigail said.
He shrugged. “It’s second nature now.”
As he leaned over the edge of the bath to splash water over Maya’s upper body, the baby squealed with pleasure, making them both laugh.
Abigail sent him a sidelong glance. “Sadie was very keen to tell me how to handle your shyness.”
He started to laugh. “I’ll bet she was. My sisters are relentless matchmakers.”
“Oh.” She glanced his way again. “Have they been trying hard to find you a partner?”
“Why not come right out and say it? I’m thirty-two and still single. A hopeless case.”
“What does that make me?” She held out a towel. Griffin handed Maya over and Abigail wrapped the baby up. “I’m thirty-five and not a man in sight.”
“All I can say is that there must be something seriously wrong with the men of your acquaintance.”
Embarrassed, she bent her head as she tended to Maya. “That doesn’t sound like something an introvert would say.”
“I don’t feel very introverted when I’m with you.”
When she looked up again, he’d left the room.
* * *
“How can you be able to climb the furniture before you can walk?” Griffin lifted Maya down from the coffee table for the fifth time that evening. “I don’t understand how that works.”
While Abigail prepared dinner, he and Maya were spending some time together. Although he had decluttered the living room, he’d underestimated the baby’s ability to get into mischief. Wriggling on her belly, she managed to get around the room pushing buttons, pulling wires, emptying bins and throwing, or chewing, anything she could find. As Griffin removed each item from her reach, she moved on to the next. Her own toys lay in a neglected pile on the rug.
At nine months old, she either didn’t understand the word no or she’d developed selective hearing. Each time Griffin moved her away from a harmful item, she gave him an angelic smile and went straight back again. He knew babies were meant to be lively and inquisitive, but he hadn’t been aware that their mission in life was to wear out the adults who cared for them.
He had a sudden flash of inspiration. “I know what you’d like. There is someone in this house who is even faster and nosier than you.”
He’d taken Maya to look at Lucy in her cage a few times and the little girl and the ferret had regarded each other in fascination through the bars. So far, he had released Lucy only when Maya was asleep, taking the ferret for walks in the yard, or to climb in the park. Lucy was very tame and didn’t mind wearing a leash and harness. As long as she could snuffle in the grass and under shrubs, or run up trees, she was happy.
Aware that ferrets had a reputation for nipping fingers, he didn’t want to take any chances with his pet in close proximity to Maya. Probably because of her sad start in life, Lucy had the sweetest nature of any animal he’d ever known. She had never even scratched him, but a baby and a wild animal were a potentially volatile combination. With that in mind, he checked with Abigail. She was happy to leave the dinner cooking for a few minutes to help supervise the introductions.
“You’re sure Lucy will be okay around Maya?” Abigail regarded the bright-eyed little animal with a combination of interest and caution.
“I’ll keep Lucy in her harness,” he promised, as he gently stroked the ferret’s head. “I just thought Maya might like something else to do as a change from destroying electrical items.”
“You could read her a book.”
“Tried that.” He rubbed his head reminiscently. “She hit me with it.”
“There are educational games on my tablet.” Although Abigail’s expression was prim, her eyes danced with laughter.
“When she found out the tablet wasn’t edible, she tried using it to hammer out a beat on the table. I think she may have a future as a drummer in a rock band.” Maya, who had been looking from one to the other as they spoke, clapped her hands and bounced up and down on Abigail’s knee. “See, she likes that idea. And I know a place where they can fix the screen on your tablet.”
Abigail rolled her eyes. “Okay. Let’s try the wildlife option.”
After getting to his feet, Griffin placed Lucy on the floor. The ferret immediately scurried around, nose to the ground, her long body wiggling with pleasure. Holding the end of her leash, he followed her as she checked out every inch of the room. After a few minutes, having satisfied herself that there were no predators or rival ferrets lurking in any of the corners, she shimmied up the drapes.
Turning to look at Maya, Griffin saw that the baby was completely still, her eyes wide and her mouth open.
“All these books and lectures about parenting,” he said, as he drew closer to Abigail. “And all that’s really needed to keep a baby quiet is a small, furry creature on a leash.”
She punched him lightly on the upper arm. “You do know that Maya will want to copy Lucy, don’t you? From now on, she’ll have a burning ambition to climb everything in the room.”
This was what he’d been missing. Lighthearted exchanges and laughing over nothing. Little things that added up to big things. He wanted more of these moments with her.
Abigail’s cell phone buzzed, and the moment was lost. She checked the number and frowned. “It’s Dr. Wallis Porter. He’s a member of the Danvers University administration.”
“Do you want me to take Maya out of the room?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I guess it will be about the Anthrosyne investigation and I’m fine with you hearing what they have to say.” Her hand shook slightly as she swiped to answer the call, and he’d have given anything to have been able to take that nervousness away. “Dr. Abigail Matthews.”
She listened intently for about a minute, her expression becoming more and more disbelieving. When she spoke again, her voice betrayed a combination of hurt and anger. “You must be mistaken. Dr. Jenna Avery is my subordinate. You can’t appoint her to lead an internal investigation into my conduct.”
It was clear to Griffin that Abigail was not convinced by any explanations she was hearing from the person on the other end of the call. Her cheeks flushed and her jaw tensed. After a moment or two, she cut in sharply. “I don’t care how busy you are, Dr. Porter. You and I need to meet to discuss this. Tomorrow morning.”
When she ended the call, she stared at Griffin, her eyes wide and scared. “What is going on?”
He used his free hand to grip her knee. “I don’t know. Not yet. But we will find out.”
Chapter 9
The next morning, while Abigail and Maya were still asleep, Griffin checked his email
s. His colleagues had already dealt with most work-related items but there were a few things that needed his attention.
One of his messages was from Liam Desmond, the man who, with his wife Shelby, had been on the receiving end of the adoption scam. Griffin had been thorough in his research and Liam was thanking him for his work. Griffin scanned the items Liam had sent again. Not only were there copies of all social media interaction between the Desmonds and Dr. Anne Jay of MorningStar Families, he had also included any links he’d found to her and her online adoption agency. These were admittedly few, and vague.
Among the lengthy records that Liam had sent, the only interesting thing Griffin had found was an old profile picture from one of Dr. Jay’s dormant social media accounts. She’d been more careful recently to protect her identity, leaving no photographic trail, or other evidence that could be used to identify her. There was no guarantee that the woman in this picture was actually her. And, of course, the name Anne Jay was likely an alias, the title “Doctor” fake as well. Even so, it was a possible link, if the police ever tracked her down. Taken from the side, it wasn’t particularly clear, but it showed she was young, possibly early thirties, white, and her hair was cut in a sleek, dark bob.
Griffin replied to Liam’s email, reminding him again to contact the police and suggesting that the photograph might be helpful to them. He didn’t point out that unless the police had a suspect, it was unlikely that they would be able to track down the perpetrator of the adoption con from a single picture. Ultimately, he believed that the Desmonds would have to accept that they had been the victims of a nasty fraud. Dr. Jay had probably moved on to her next target and a new scam. In all likelihood, she also had a new name.
“Coffee?” Abigail’s voice from his office doorway provided a welcome distraction.
“Please.” He studied her face. “You look tired.”
“I didn’t get much sleep,” she admitted. “Maya has settled well after her bad first night. In fact she’s still asleep now. But this new development in the Anthrosyne investigation is bothering me.”
Griffin closed the lid of his laptop. “Let’s go get that coffee, then we can talk about the issues in more detail.”
They went through to the kitchen and Abigail prepared their drinks. When they sat at the table, she cradled her cup in her hands as though trying to get warm.
“Tell me why you think putting this Dr. Avery in charge of the Anthrosyne investigation is another attempt to undermine you,” Griffin said.
“Jenna Avery is one of my team on the Mem10 program and we worked together on the miscarriage project. She is a talented research scientist, but she’s lazy. She cuts corners and doesn’t complete paperwork to a good-enough standard. Until recently, I would have said she was also one of my friends at Danvers University. We used to eat lunch together, go out for dinner now and then—we’d meet up at the gym occasionally.” When she looked up from her coffee cup, he could see the haunted look in her eyes, the one that usually meant she was thinking about her father. “That all changed one day in a team meeting. Without warning, Jenna started shouting abuse at me over RevitaYou. It turned out she’d bought a bottle of the tablets and got sick.”
“Then she can’t investigate you. Never mind that she’s junior to you. She has a conflict of interest.”
“I never thought of that.” Abigail gave him a grateful look. “I wish you could come with me to this meeting. I’m so nervous I’m sure I’ll mess it up.”
He considered the matter for a moment. “If you want me there, I’ll come. I’m your attorney. I know my specialism is adoption, but my role is to support you.”
She started to lift her cup to her lips, but her hand shook so badly that she placed it back on the table. “Would you do that for me?”
“Of course. I’ll admit I’m intrigued as to why the Danvers would appoint Dr. Avery to head the internal investigation. It sounds like she’s not up to the job, but leaving that aside, it’s not a smart move on their part since it leaves them open to allegations of incompetence or deliberately trying to get rid of you. Either way, I’m happy to help you fight back.”
He was taken by surprise as Abigail leaned across the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. It wasn’t the most comfortable of positions, since she was on one chair and he was on another, but Griffin wasn’t about to complain.
“Thank you.” Her lips were pressed up against his neck and the sensation was maddeningly good. “There’s just one thing we need to think about.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
She lifted her head, momentarily distracting him with the nearness of her mouth to his. “What will we do with Maya during this meeting? I’ve told daycare I’m on leave.”
“If you’re in agreement, we could ask Riley and Charlize to take care of her for an hour or two. It’ll be good practice for when their own baby comes along.”
“I don’t know.” She gave him a troubled look. “I’ve only ever left her at daycare.”
He tightened his grip on her waist, enjoying the way she leaned closer. “You’d never introduced her to a ferret until yesterday. Now she has one as a new best friend.”
“I’m not sure how your brother and his fiancée will feel about being compared to a small furry animal...and I don’t want you to think that I don’t trust your family.”
“You don’t have any reason to trust my family. But I hope you know that our investigation into your father’s schemes would never affect our judgment where you or Maya are concerned.”
“I’ll admit I was worried that you and your siblings could have reached a decision about my guilt without knowing me,” she said. “But now that I know you, I can see that you have higher standards than that.” He could tell she was still fighting her natural caution where Maya was concerned. “If you’re sure Riley and Charlize won’t mind?”
“Once they get used to the exhaustion and know they have to hide anything that can be thrown or spilled, I’m sure they’ll be delighted.”
She started to protest, but he silenced her by pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. As he did, the baby monitor crackled into life with a series of demanding cries.
“Oh, that’s something else I need to warn Riley and Charlize about.” He flashed a grin at Abigail as she got to her feet. “Maya has perfect, or maybe I should call it imperfect, timing.”
* * *
After leaving Maya with Riley and Charlize, Griffin drove them to the Danvers University administrative offices. Having observed her daughter closely with Griffin’s brother and his fiancée, Abigail felt reassured that Maya would be fine. Actually, she felt slightly concerned that she would return to find her daughter had taken charge of the household.
“She doesn’t have to get her own way all the time,” Abigail had told Charlize, as Maya was pointing to a stack of pancakes on the kitchen counter while fluttering her eyelashes and making cooing sounds. “It’s fine to say no.”
Since Riley had been gazing at the baby with a besotted expression, and Charlize had already been reaching for a bowl and spoon, she had little expectation of being listened to. It had always been at the back of her mind that she and Maya had no family except each other. Wes was their only close relative and he had never shown any interest in his foster granddaughter. He was hardly a conventional grandfather and his recent behavior made his credentials even less appealing. Uncle Riley and Aunt Charlize were just what her daughter needed.
But she was getting a little ahead of herself. They had stepped in to babysit as a one-off. It wasn’t like Griffin’s family would be there for life. The thought had caused her cheeks to burn. Distractions were not what she needed. Not today.
As Griffin found a space in the parking lot, Abigail gazed at the familiar building. It had been her workplace for the last five years, yet it felt hostile to her now. The decision to appoint Jenna Avery w
as so bizarre it felt like a declaration of intent. As Griffin had said, it either meant her employers were incompetent, or that they intended to get rid of her. And she didn’t believe the university administration was incapable of doing its job. Dr. Wallis Porter had headed up the human resources department for over twenty years and he was as sharp as a tack.
Which left her with a nasty reality. She was no longer welcome at Danvers University. Could she blame those in charge for reaching that decision? She was the daughter of the man behind a particularly nasty con. The publicity surrounding the dodgy vitamins hadn’t impacted the university yet but it was only a matter of time and Abigail felt that the clock was ticking. They were on a countdown to the first RevitaYou death...
The fallout had already been felt, though. Ryan Thorne might be the most vocal, but she knew that others had made complaints about her, asking how the university could continue to employ someone with her connections. It didn’t matter that, in reality, her record was blemish free. All that counted was the perception.
Wes Matthews’s daughter. Tainted by association.
Add the Anthrosyne allegation into the mix, and even before the investigation started, she was doomed.
“Why didn’t I see that?” She spoke aloud without thinking.
“Pardon?” Griffin turned his head to look at her.
“I can’t survive this, can I?” She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. “It doesn’t matter who conducts the Anthrosyne investigation, or what the outcome is. My reputation is ruined, both here at Danvers University and as a research scientist.”
“Once we clear your name, the damage will be undone,” he said. “People have short memories. Before long, they will move on to the next story.”
She nodded. “I know you’re right. It’s just so hard when we’re in the middle of this one.”
He pressed her hand. “Let’s go get ’em.”
They exited the car and crossed the parking lot. The sensation that she was being watched from the building made Abigail square her shoulders. She’d done nothing wrong. She’d worked there happily for so long. She wasn’t about to enter the place now like a condemned woman.