Leaving my topcoat on the hall tree, I opened the door, facing my trusted assistant. Connie began working for me when I first set up an office in Ashland. Through the years she’d been an asset in every capacity. As Sherman and Madison grew, so did her responsibilities. However, never had I intended for her job to affect her personal life, not as it had the last week.
“Come in, Connie.” I stopped, looking at the only other person who knew more about me than I usually shared. Her brown eyes met mine. “How are you?” I asked.
With a deep breath, she stood tall. “I’m good. Thank you. I wanted to thank you for helping with Phillip and so does Eric.”
I motioned to the chairs across from my desk. “Have a seat.” I looked at the coffee machine on the credenza. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“I think that’s my job,” she said, taking a seat. “Is Ms. McGrath okay?”
I nodded. “She is. You were right.”
“I was?”
“She knew he wasn’t me. I should have told her about Phillip, but she still knew something was wrong.”
Connie’s smile grew. “A woman knows the man she loves.”
I popped a K-cup in the coffee maker and hit the start button. Taking the chair beside Connie, I offered her my apologies. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with Phillip. I’m sorry he contacted your private phone.”
“The man who traced the calls told me to block him.” Connie looked down at her hands in her lap and back up. “I was afraid if I blocked him, he’d retaliate. Do you think that’s why he went after Ms. McGrath? If it’s my fault—”
“No,” I interrupted. “Nothing regarding Phillip Thomas is your fault. Don’t worry about that. The blame is his and his alone. Can you tell me why you thought he may be dangerous?”
Her lips came together in a straight line for a moment before she spoke. “He demanded to talk to you. He said you owed him and that you’d pay. When he called my personal phone, he mentioned my daughter and two grandchildren among other things.”
I gripped the arm of the chair. “Connie, it’s your choice, but I’d like you to file a police report.”
“You would?”
I nodded.
“Mr. Sherman, I told Eric that you wouldn’t want the publicity. I told him we’d let you handle it, and Phillip would go away.”
I’d like to make him go away.
“I’d like to pretend I could do that,” I said. Letting out a breath, I sat back and unbuttoned my suit coat as I recalled Julia’s request to end the cycle of revenge. “As you know, I’ve handled things with my family more directly in the past.” There was no way to hide everything from Connie. “Things are different now.”
“Speaking of why, I hope Ms. McGrath liked the dress for the New Year’s Eve party.”
“You are a lifesaver as usual. She did like it and she was stunning. I’ll support you with your decision regarding the police. Did you save any of his voicemails?”
“Eric thought it was a good idea.”
“I agree. Turn them over to the police.”
Connie sat forward. “I think you should listen to them first.”
“Me?”
She nodded. “In one that lasted over four minutes, he divulged more than you may want public.”
Fuck.
“Who has heard it?” I asked.
Her head shook from side to side. “I let Eric listen. I was so distraught, I wasn’t—”
“Connie, I trust you, and I trust Eric. I’m starting to understand that when two people care about one another, they don’t keep secrets. I wouldn’t ask you to deceive your husband.”