“Well, then,” Sharlene said after a moment. “If you know both brothers, all the better.”
“All the… Excuse me?”
“You claim you’re not involved with Griffin. Despite his obvious interest in you, I might add. Very well. That is your own business. But if you’ve worked with both Dalton and Griffin, then you suit my needs perfectly.”
“Suit your needs?” Syndey sprang to her feet. “Whatever you’re—”
“Calm down, calm down,” Sharlene cooed, with a dismissive flutter of her hand. “All I need is a little information.”
“Information? I will not betray Cain Enterprises!”
“Betray Cain Enterprises? Oh, goodness no.” Sharlene gave a trilling laugh. “I have more information on Cain Enterprises than I know what to do with. Corporate secrets are the last thing I need. No, I need information about the boys. Personal information.”
“And you think I’m going to give it to you?” The woman was crazy. Stark-raving mad. And quite clever. Sydney could clearly see that Sharlene had gotten Sydney alone exactly for this purpose.
“Calm down,” Sharlene said again in that soothing tone. “My interest is not malicious, I assure you.”
“Then what is your interest?” Sydney demanded.
“Is it really so hard to believe that I might be curious about them? Concerned even? Are they happy? Is either of them in a well-adjusted, long-term relationship? Is either of them doing what he really wants to do in life?”
Honestly, Sydney didn’t know if Griffin was happy. If he was “doing what he really wanted to do in life.” So she gave a noncommittal shrug. “Well, who does get to do that?”
“But it’s a shame, isn’t it? That Griffin’s stuck at Cain Enterprises, when that’s not what he really wants to do.”
“And I suppose you know all about what he really wants to do.”
Sharlene gave a self-effacing shrug. “I wouldn’t say that I know all about it. I contribute enough to get the monthly newsletters but not so generously as to attract anyone’s attention. And I can tell he’s not spending as much time as he wishes he could down in Africa.”
“What?” Okay, maybe she was just really tired, but the conversation seemed to have gone off road into the realm of very bizarre. “Newsletters? Africa?”
“For Hope2O.”
“What?” Sydney said blankly.
“Hope. 2. O,” Sharlene repeated slowly. “The international aid organization Griffin runs.”
Twelve
“The what?”
Sharlene recoiled slightly. For the first time since Sydney had walked in, she got the feeling that Sharlene wasn’t putting on a show. Her surprise was as real as Sydney’s shock. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? That he apparently runs an international aid organization in his spare time? No. He didn’t mention it.” Sydney could hear her voice getting all shrill and squeaky. “I’m sorry. Can we backtrack a bit? Start at the beginning maybe?”
Sharlene blinked rapidly. “Yes. Of course.” Then she stood and crossed to her desk and began to rummage around in her file folders in one of her drawers. “A few years ago…or more than a few now, I guess, Griffin got involved in an organization called Hope2O. They provide assistance to impoverished villages that are trying to start up water districts in Africa and Central America. They help with organization and arrange financial backing.”
“And Griffin is involved in this?” Again her voice sounded squeaky.
Sharlene looked up. “I’m sorry. This has come as a shock to you.”
“I just…I had no idea.”
Sharlene must have found what she wanted because she straightened and walked back around the desk. She held out a glossy, tri-fold pamphlet. “Griffin is not just involved. As of four years ago, he’s their major financial backer. In addition to being on their executive board.”
“Of a charitable organization.”
“Yes.”
“In Africa.”
“Yes.”
“And he came to you asking you to donate?”
Sharlene gave a trilling laugh. “Oh, goodness no. As far as I know his involvement in Hope2O is his most closely guarded secret. I doubt any of the Cains know about it. Certainly no one at Cain Enterprises knows, but I just assumed you’d have to know about Hope2O, being as close to him as you are. It appears I really was wrong about your relationship with Griffin.”
Sydney gritted her teeth, but didn’t comment. She refused to confirm or deny Sharlene’s suspicions.
“Then how do you know?” she asked instead. Was Griffin really so close to Sharlene? He’d given Sydney the impression that he hadn’t seen Sharlene in years.