“Yeah, well.” It didn’t seem like they were working very hard.
Aster pressed her fingers to her temples. Her head was pounding, probably because she hadn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep since Poppy’s murder. The last few nights, her mind had whirled overtime as she struggled to think of who could be after them. Natasha, perhaps—she hated their family so much that perhaps she was picking them off one by one, only her latest plan had backfired and injured her instead. Or a random girlfriend of Steven? Maybe Elizabeth. Maybe someone they didn’t even know. And did Poppy have a secret? Why was Natasha the only one who knew about it?
“Mitch,” she asked, getting an idea. “Have you ever looked through company e-mails?”
“I’m not sure if I should answer that honestly.”
“I’m not going to get you in trouble. I’m just curious about Poppy.” She cleared her throat. “I sort of found out that she had . . . struggles.” It was the same word Jonathan York had used with Corinne at Poppy’s funeral. “And maybe a secret.”
Mitch frowned. “You mean the jewelry thing?”
“What jewelry thing?”
Mitch looked conflicted, then slid forward in his chair. “I thought that’s what you meant. A few months ago, HR was concerned that Poppy was . . . taking things.”
Aster balked. “Taking things? What do you mean?”
“I saw it on e-mail. I think she checked out some pieces to show clients and never checked them back in. People were worried that she . . . stole them, I guess. And then maybe sold them.”
Aster laughed incredulously. “Why would Poppy need money?”
Mitch shrugged. “I don’t know. According to the e-mails, the jewels were never returned.”
“So was she in trouble?” Aster asked, her mind moving slowly.
Mitch stared up at the ceiling. “I think it just went away. But I have no idea how it was resolved.”
“Jesus.” Aster’s head pounded even harder now. Who was this new Poppy, and why had Aster never met her? She wondered if Rowan knew about the theft allegations. Probably not—she would have mentioned it. “I hate this,” she whispered, feeling overwhelmed.
“Hey,” Mitch murmured. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.” He reached out as if to touch her shoulder, then seemed to think better of it and let his hand fall to the side. The silence stretched taut between them.
Finally Aster turned and started clicking randomly at her computer. “You’d better get out of here, or Elizabeth will push us both over a bridge.”
“Right.” Mitch looked a little disappointed. “See you later, Aster.” He turned and loped into the hall. His shoe was untied, and he tripped over the laces, then turned back and shrugged goofily. Aster shook her head, smiling.
Her phone rang, and she jumped. Her father’s extension appeared in the caller ID window. “Dad,” Aster said shakily. “What’s up?”
“I have something I need to talk to you about.” Mason sounded very sober.
“Now?” Aster swallowed. Was he going to scold her about the CNN interview? What had she done wrong this time?
“Can you come into my office?”
Aster peeked into the hall. “I’m not sure Elizabeth would like that.”
“I’ll clear it with her. Come down now.”
He hung up before Aster could reply. She rose and smoothed down her dress, a solid blue that would look good on camera and brought out her eyes. Maybe this was a good opportunity, actually. She could ask him about Steven.
She thought back to that night, at the end-of-summer party five years ago. It had been their point of no return. If she’d chosen differently that night, she and her father might have salvaged things.
But instead Aster had followed Steven away from the group, fueled with adrenaline and spiky anger. This was the perfect revenge against her father. If he could ruin her relationship with her best friend, then she could destroy one of his.
As for Danielle, all Aster had felt was hate. She’d thrown away their friendship to be with Aster’s dad.
She and Steven pushed through the reeds and walked down to the beach. Though Steven had said he wanted to show Aster his yacht, as soon as they were out of view, he seized her around the waist and pulled her close to him. They sank down, and his hands traveled all over her body. In moments he’d unzipped the dress she was wearing and tossed it on the sand. Cool wind kissed Aster’s bare skin. She undid the buttons on his shirt and loosened his tuxedo cummerbund. “Oh my God,” he’d breathed into Aster’s ear. “You are so wet.” Aster didn’t really feel like dirty talking, so in response she just unzipped his pants and yanked them down.
The moon had risen higher in the sky. Aster closed her eyes and pulled Steven closer to her, letting the anger fuel her movements in place of desire. His mouth was hot, and tasted like whiskey and lime. At one point she thought she smelled a cigar, but then the wind shifted and it was gone.