Shade
The receptionist leaves her desk, and I watch her walk quickly to a glass office all the way down at the end of the hallway with a frosted door. She knocks once and goes inside, closing it quietly behind her.
I glance at Daisy again, wondering if the blonde is going to speak to Meyer and Fussell or if we’re going to get security called on us instead.
Daisy just stares at the painting.
‘Do you like it?’
‘The art?’ My eyes move over it. ‘It’s okay, I guess.’
‘I really like it,’ she says, not looking away from the large canvas. ‘When we first came in, I wasn’t sure, but the colors… Yeah. I really like it.’
‘Well, maybe we can—’ I stop talking as the receptionist reappears.
'I'm sorry,’ she says as she nears her desk, ‘but Mr. Meyer is very busy and you don't have an appointment.’
She gives us a tilt of her head as if she's delivering terrible news.
'I know we don’t have an appointment, ' Daisy begins, sounding like she’s struggling to stay patient.
I step closer to her and stoke her hand subtly.
'I called the other day,' I interject, 'and I understand?—'
‘Oh, it was you,’ she interrupts, looking at me like I’m inconveniencing her terribly. 'I’m sorry but without an appointment, you're going to have to leave.'
I step forward, drawing myself up to my full height. 'We aren't going anywhere until we've spoken to someone who can tell us why this office has been corresponding with my father, John Novelle, about his stepdaughter, Marguerite Evans, without her knowledge.'
The receptionist’s lips purse and her eyes are almost reptilian as they move over me. She’s getting annoyed.
'Fine,’ she snaps, hands on her hips and her jaw clenched. ‘Please wait here.'
She goes back to the office with the frosted walls, and I see her gesturing at us through the opaque glass a little. She comes back out quickly this time, followed by a tall, portly man in his fifties.
'I’m Charles Meyer. What seems to be the problem here?'
'I'm Jack Novelle, and this is my stepsister, Marguerite Evans. We're here to ask you about my father’s correspondence with you.'
'You'reMarguerite Evans?' He looks Daisy up and down, appearing a bit uncomfortable.
'I'm sorry,' he says after a moment, clearly flustered 'It’s just… I was told that you were… Well, that is… Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I can't talk to you, Jack, was it? I'm sorry to hear about your father's passing, but I can't speak to you without Ms. Evans’ current guardian present. Andrew Novelle. Your brother, I assume?'
'That's right,' I mutter coldly.
'With Ms. Evans under guardianship, I can't discuss this any further.'
'But IamMarguerite Evans,' Daisy says. 'Are you telling me you can't discuss whatever this is about with me when it's aboutme?'
'I'm afraid not. There are rules for this.' He looks at me again. 'This man could be tricking you or coercing you. You need to speak with your guardian. If you come back with him, I can speak to him and you together. Now, I really have to ask you to go, or I'll have to call security.'
'This is bullshit,' I snarl. 'She's an adult woman?—’
‘A vulnerable adult woman with learning difficulties,’ Meyer fires back.
I glance at Daisy to see her rolling her eyes hard.
'Do I look like a vulnerable adult with learning difficulties to you?' she snarls.
