Kari
Kari just nodded and cringed at the sorrow-filled tone of Jennifer’s voice and her pale face, bleak with grief.She watched her boss and friend leave, clearly devastated, and wanted to pull her back inside.She didn’t think driving that upset was a good idea, but she kept quiet.
It had to have been that call because Jennifer had been fine a few minutes ago.She rifled through her call log to find the name.Madlyn Stephenson.Kari didn’t think she knew her.She’d never heard Jen talk about someone with that name.Maybe someone she cared for died?She continued to think about the situation as the afternoon passed.A little before five, Grant called.
“I’ve been trying to get Jennifer on her cell, but she probably forgot to plug it in again.Let me talk to her.”
“Sorry, Mr.Batali, she’s not here.She started feeling unwell and went home.”
“At what time was that?”His voice softened and grew cool.
Her grip on the phone tightened.“Around noon, I think.”
“I see.”
Kari shivered at the coldness of his voice.She wouldn’t want to piss someone like him off.The way he looked at a person was intense.It was like he knew what you were thinking, was waiting for you to attack, and was ready for you.The first few times she’d been around him, she’d been so intimidated she stayed as far away from him as possible.Now, she could at least stay in the same room and even converse with him.
“Look, Mr.Batali, it might not be an illness.She received a call right before she left.She was fine before she went into her office.When she came out a few minutes later, she looked awful like she might have been hit with a virus, but that suddenly?”
At first, she thought he’d hung up.
“Tell me who the call was from?”
Kari hesitated.“I’m not supposed to give—”
“Kari, I’m not asking.”
His voice was emotionless, and it chilled her, sending a shiver up her spine.
“Oh, um, okay, I guess.It was a woman.Her name was Madlyn Stephenson.”
“Who the hell is that?”His voice lashed through the phone, making Kari cringe.
“I don’t know, sir.I’ve never heard of her.”
There was another pause.“Thank you, Kari.”He hung up.
God, she didn’t want to be in that woman’s shoes when Grant found her.
