“What?” The red mist was descending. She couldn’t even see his scrunched-up angry face any more. “He’s my brother, you idiot!”
There was a hiss. A sharp intake of breath. Evan jerked back as if she’d just delivered an electric shock.
“Your brother?” His voice was barely audible and he looked horrified. “But how can he be your brother?”
Her heart was thudding against her chest wall. Oh, no. She’d just revealed the secret that she’d kept for the past three years.
She couldn’t think of anything sensible or rational to say. But, then, Evan had just asked a pretty stupid question. “The same way anyone can be someone’s brother,” she murmured.
But that clearly wasn’t enough for Evan. He hadn’t finished with her.
“Sawyer is your brother?” His voice had started to rise.
She nodded. But it obviously wasn’t sinking in for him.
“Sawyer is your brother? How can that be possible? You have different names—and you’re not married.”
Her brain was starting to work in another direction. She had deliberately kept this a secret. Could it be considered fraud? There hadn’t been anywhere on her application form to state if family members worked at the DPA. But, then, there would have been an expectation of disclosure. Would she get in trouble for this?
She took a deep breath. “Yes, Matt Sawyer is my brother. I’m well aware that he left here under a cloud and thought it best not to mention our connection. We have different surnames because our mother remarried when I was young. I took my stepfather’s surname—Matt didn’t.”
She held the crumpled piece of paper up in her hand, trying to ignore the fact that it was shaking. “As I’m sure you were aware, Matt hasn’t made much contact over the past few years. He struggled with Helen’s death. I’ve never known where he’s been working. It turns out he’s been in Borneo, Alaska and Connecticut.” She hesitated. Should she say any more? “And I never found that out for myself. I’ve been trying to find out where my brother’s been for years. Matt told me and I checked the details.”
Evan erupted. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me he was your brother? I asked you to investigate him and you said nothing! You had a conflict of interest that you should have declared. Of all the unprofessional—”
Violet flinched and stepped forward instantly, her face inches from his. “Unprofessional? Well, let’s talk about unprofessional behavior, shall we? Because I’m not the only one to indulge in that. I’m not the only one keeping secrets around here.”
“Ahem.”
The loud noise of someone clearing their throat made them both jump.
The director was standing behind them both with a pile of papers in his arms, looking less than impressed. He pushed open the door to the boardroom. “Let’s take this inside, please, and stop entertaining the masses.” How much had he heard?
Violet’s jaw dropped and her head shot round to the office space where just about every member of staff was standing on their feet, their heads above their cubicle walls, staring at her and Evan.
How long had they been like this? And why hadn’t she noticed? She felt heat flood into her cheeks and hurried into the boardroom behind the director.
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. All the nerves that she’d felt a few minutes ago on the walk to the boardroom instantly returned.
The director seemed cool and unfazed. He walked around the desk and sat down in his chair. He placed his paperwork in front of him and gestured to the chairs on the other side of the desk. “Take a seat please. Violet, Evan.”
What was that paperwork? Was that the HR documentation he needed to fire her?
She swallowed. A tennis ball was sitting in her throat. Just get this over with.
There was a few minutes’ silence as the director looked at the paperwork in front of him. It was agonizing. The wait seemed to stretch on and on for ever. She couldn’t stand it.
Evan obviously couldn’t either. “Director, if you’ll just let me explain—”
The director held up one hand. “Enough.”
Evan tried to speak again, his face flushed. “But—”
“From both of you.” The director’s voice cut him dead. He pulled some papers out from the file in front of him.
Violet felt her chest tightening and she struggled to breathe. Was this it? Was she about to get fired?
The director looked her in the eye. He had pale grey eyes. She’d never really noticed before. She’d always been too busy keeping her head down and stopping herself being noticed.
“Dr. Connelly.”
She gulped. He was addressing her formally. This couldn’t be good.
He sighed. “Putting aside what I just witnessed outside, I actually came here today to let you know that your transfer request has been approved.”
“What?”
“What?”
Their voices rang out simultaneously, as if neither of them could really believe their ears.
He folded his hands in front of him. “But with hindsight it seems as if there are a number of issues we need to address here today.”
“Transfer request? What transfer request?”
Evan’s head was spinning. He’d had no idea why he’d been called to the boardroom. He’d assumed it was regarding the missing report. The report on her brother.
Now it seemed as if the director hadn’t even noticed the report was missing.
The director shot him another steely glare. He obviously didn’t like to be interrupted. “Dr. Connelly had requested to be transferred to the emergency operations center and join the stop transmission of polio program.”
His brain whirred. Violet Connelly had been driving him crazy for months. Ever since they’d kissed on that night out and both of them had pretended it hadn’t happened.
But the issues in the past few days had been serious. Serious enough for him to consider reporting her. No matter what their history was. As team leader he had a responsibility to ensure everyone pulled their weight.
Since when had Violet wanted to do field work? And why had she never mentioned it?
“I had no idea. She obviously didn’t see fit to mention it to me.” The hard edge in his voice was crystal clear and he could hear the way his words must sound to her—cold.
Did that hide the fact he couldn’t explain how he was feeling?
Was Violet leaving because of him? Was she leaving because of their mistaken, fumbled kiss?
And why did the thought of not seeing her any more drive him just as crazy as working with her every day?
He watched as she seemed to sag into her chair. As if all the tension had just left her body. Disbelief was written all over her face.
“Really? You’ve approved my transfer? When can I start? Where am I going? What will my role be?” It was obvious her mouth was running away with her and her brain had gone into overdrive.
Meanwhile, he was still getting over the shock that he wouldn’t be seeing Violet anymore. It almost squeezed the air from his lungs.
“Hold on.” The director raised his hands. “I think there are bigger issues here.” He looked between the two of them and leaned back in his chair. “I have to say that I’m disappointed in you both.” Evan felt his heart sink like a stone. This couldn’t be good.
“Evan,