face. “Sorry, more information than you could possibly require. I have an unfortunate tendency to provide irrelevant detail. I do beg your pardon.” He checked his verbal torrent and stood looking at her in mute embarrassment.
Cassie turned away to glance around the entire room. “So this is it? This is the giant vault Fay was telling me about? An empty schoolhouse with fancy bleachers and a big table?”
“Hardly.” Griffin gave her a thin smile. “Faye thought it best to introduce you to us in stages. Today you’re here to learn about the organization not the vault. Don’t want to overwhelm you all at once. This way please.”
Their footsteps made the oak floorboards creak as they crossed the main room to a door at the opposite end. It led to a short corridor that ran widthwise across the back of the building. At either end were exit doors and stairways that led up to the second floor.
Cassie followed her guide upstairs to stand in a short hallway that mirrored the one below. To their left was a corridor that ran the length of the building. As they walked down the hall Cassie glanced through the open doorways on either side. There were conference rooms and offices with desks but they were all empty. Nobody else was about and none of the rooms gave a hint of the kind of business that was conducted here.
Griffin continued walking to an unmarked door at the far end of the corridor. Cassie guessed it must be positioned right above the entry vestibule.
“Just a bit farther,” he said reassuringly. “In here.” He opened the door to reveal a spiral staircase. “We’re going up to the bell tower.”
They could hear a voice echoing down to them. It was a gravelly female voice and it was raised in anger.
Griffin smiled nervously. “That’s our Operations Director. Don’t worry, her bark is far worse than her bite. You have to take some of what she says with a grain of salt.”
“And let the chips fall where they may?” Cassie asked wryly.
“What?” Griffin looked puzzled.
“I thought we were swapping clichés.” She laughed.
“Oh, yes, of course. How stupid of me.” He cleared his throat and looked at his shoes. “Very amusing.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Cassie felt instantly guilty.
“No, certainly, you didn’t.” He rushed to reassure her. “It’s me. I always…” He trailed off and then changed the subject. “Well, up we go.” He tried to sound cheerful as they climbed to the top of the staircase.
Chapter 18 – The World According To Maddie
Cassie peeked above the final spiral stair. To her surprise she found herself emerging in the middle of the bell tower. It was a bell tower in name only because the room had been remodeled and there was no bell anywhere to be seen. The open air tower had been fitted with glass picture windows. It was a bright, airy space, or it would have been if not for the smell of cigarette smoke. The atmosphere was thick with it. Cassie was about to make a comment but Griffin anticipated her.
“She would resign if we didn’t let her smoke somewhere in the building,” he whispered. His tone was apologetic.
The room was comfortably furnished with chairs and couches and tables.
“Is this her office?” Cassie asked in disbelief.
“No, her office is downstairs. This is a lounge area.”
“A smoker’s lounge?”
“That wasn’t our original intention but you’ll discover it’s very hard to say no to Maddie.”
They advanced into the room. There was a woman seated on a sofa near the front window. She was talking on the phone but gestured for them to draw closer. “Uh huh. Uh huh. Well you can tell him from me that he’ll get paid when he delivers. No, that’s not negotiable. Just tell him, all right?” She slammed down the receiver, looking irritated.
Griffin stepped forward. “Cassie, allow me to introduce Maddie, our Operations Director.”
Maddie rose to greet them. Her bangle bracelets clanked.
Cassie turned away to glance around the entire room. “So this is it? This is the giant vault Fay was telling me about? An empty schoolhouse with fancy bleachers and a big table?”
“Hardly.” Griffin gave her a thin smile. “Faye thought it best to introduce you to us in stages. Today you’re here to learn about the organization not the vault. Don’t want to overwhelm you all at once. This way please.”
Their footsteps made the oak floorboards creak as they crossed the main room to a door at the opposite end. It led to a short corridor that ran widthwise across the back of the building. At either end were exit doors and stairways that led up to the second floor.
Cassie followed her guide upstairs to stand in a short hallway that mirrored the one below. To their left was a corridor that ran the length of the building. As they walked down the hall Cassie glanced through the open doorways on either side. There were conference rooms and offices with desks but they were all empty. Nobody else was about and none of the rooms gave a hint of the kind of business that was conducted here.
Griffin continued walking to an unmarked door at the far end of the corridor. Cassie guessed it must be positioned right above the entry vestibule.
“Just a bit farther,” he said reassuringly. “In here.” He opened the door to reveal a spiral staircase. “We’re going up to the bell tower.”
They could hear a voice echoing down to them. It was a gravelly female voice and it was raised in anger.
Griffin smiled nervously. “That’s our Operations Director. Don’t worry, her bark is far worse than her bite. You have to take some of what she says with a grain of salt.”
“And let the chips fall where they may?” Cassie asked wryly.
“What?” Griffin looked puzzled.
“I thought we were swapping clichés.” She laughed.
“Oh, yes, of course. How stupid of me.” He cleared his throat and looked at his shoes. “Very amusing.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Cassie felt instantly guilty.
“No, certainly, you didn’t.” He rushed to reassure her. “It’s me. I always…” He trailed off and then changed the subject. “Well, up we go.” He tried to sound cheerful as they climbed to the top of the staircase.
Chapter 18 – The World According To Maddie
Cassie peeked above the final spiral stair. To her surprise she found herself emerging in the middle of the bell tower. It was a bell tower in name only because the room had been remodeled and there was no bell anywhere to be seen. The open air tower had been fitted with glass picture windows. It was a bright, airy space, or it would have been if not for the smell of cigarette smoke. The atmosphere was thick with it. Cassie was about to make a comment but Griffin anticipated her.
“She would resign if we didn’t let her smoke somewhere in the building,” he whispered. His tone was apologetic.
The room was comfortably furnished with chairs and couches and tables.
“Is this her office?” Cassie asked in disbelief.
“No, her office is downstairs. This is a lounge area.”
“A smoker’s lounge?”
“That wasn’t our original intention but you’ll discover it’s very hard to say no to Maddie.”
They advanced into the room. There was a woman seated on a sofa near the front window. She was talking on the phone but gestured for them to draw closer. “Uh huh. Uh huh. Well you can tell him from me that he’ll get paid when he delivers. No, that’s not negotiable. Just tell him, all right?” She slammed down the receiver, looking irritated.
Griffin stepped forward. “Cassie, allow me to introduce Maddie, our Operations Director.”
Maddie rose to greet them. Her bangle bracelets clanked.
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