by Lola Gabriel
Tavia stared at him, unsure of how to respond.
“And don’t I give you everything you want in exchange for these small things?”
She nodded, her eyes widening as he rose, buttoning his navy-blue shirt, his eyes burning into her face.
“You are so generous,” she whispered. “Always.”
“And yet it seems like none of you can follow the rules,” Marcus continued. “You poke your noses into my other relationships, you develop jealousies and throw them in my face, as if I have misled you in some way. But most of all, you always want more. The bigger apartment, a raise, a better parking spot… money that doesn’t belong to you.”
Tavia began to vehemently shake her head.
“I’m sorry!” she cried out as he turned to leave. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Marcus!”
He paused in the doorway and smiled charmingly at her. “I’m not upset, Tavia. You forget that I have no room for drama in my life. Have your things out of here by tomorrow evening. We’re done here.”
“No! Marcus, no! I’m sorry!” Tavia screamed after him, but Marcus was already gone, heading up to the rooftop to make his great escape.
He needed to fly that night.
A few people were milling about the Square when Marcus arrived, even though there had been no events scheduled that evening. At that late hour, no one noticed the billionaire meeting the darkly clad private investigator beneath the neon signs.
“Thanks for meeting me, Mr. Williams,” Darren said, and Marcus signaled for him to follow.
“I could use a drink for this, I think,” Marcus sighed. “There’s a bar right there.”
The men began to walk, and the private investigator began talking.
“I did as you requested,” Darren started, handing Marcus a thick file. “I ran a complete background check on Miss Dryden. There is nothing regarding a criminal history. She graduated high school but dropped out of college in her second year. From what I gathered, she couldn’t afford tuition. Her employment history reflects her lack of formal education, working minimum wage jobs until she landed at Williams Industries.”
Marcus flipped open the manila folder, his heart spasming for a fleeting second as his eyes fell on Addison’s beautiful face, captured in various poses as she was photographed unsuspectingly.
“She has had the same driver’s license and social security number since she was sixteen years old, raised in Hamilton,” Darren went on. “Father, Gregory Dryden, mother, Cassandra Dryden, both alive and living in Binbrook. She has one older sister, a nurse in Mississauga, and no one in the family has a criminal record nor a history of mental illness.”
Marcus continued to flip through the pages of Winters’ report, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“There have been no major purchases, her credit cards are maxed out, her bank account has less than fifty dollars in it, and she has no vehicle to speak of.”
Marcus peered at Darren through his peripheral vision. “And?” he urged, wishing the investigator would get to the point.
“I paid her and her roommate a visit tonight under the guise of police,” he continued as they stepped up to the bar stoop.
Marcus whirled to look at him. “You did what? Who told you to initiate contact?” he snapped, his face flushing crimson. The last thing he needed was for Addison to learn he was having her followed, although he could not say why it bothered him so much.
“It’s part of a normal investigation, Mr. Williams,” Darren assured him.
“Well?” Marcus snapped. “What happened?”
The investigator shrugged nonchalantly. “Nothing whatsoever. She and her roommate, Janine, were terrified, but they know absolutely nothing. Janine does have a possession charge for marijuana, but that was from six years ago, and the amount was benign. She got community service, but I wanted to also rule her out.”
“What do you mean, ‘nothing whatsoever’?” Marcus demanded. “What did they say? What did you ask them?”
Darren sighed quietly. “Unfortunately, the real police arrived before I could finish my full interrogation, but they know nothing about Williams Industries. In my professional opinion, Miss Dryden is not your thief.”
Marcus gaped at him, barely stepping out of the way as a group of boisterous college kids exited the bar. “What?” he asked, dumbfounded. “You’re sure?”
Darren shrugged nonchalantly and then nodded. “I have been in this game for over thirty years, and I would bet my left nut that she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“But… but…” Marcus sputtered. “When you called, you said the news wasn’t good.”
The private investigator gazed at him, a peculiar expression on his face.
“I would assume this is terrible news, Mr. Williams,” he said, an interested pitch to his voice. “Your suspect did not pan out.”
Marcus exhaled the breath he had been holding onto, his heart hammering so loudly, he was sure Darren could hear it.
So, it wasn’t Addison, he thought to himself, almost in relief. I knew she couldn’t be responsible for such a thing. That’s not who she is. But that means that one of the others is responsible.
He suddenly felt uneasy, like the world was slowing down around him.
“Are you all right, Mr. Williams?” Darren asked him. “You seem a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” Marcus assured him. “Meet me inside. I need to make a phone call.”
Darren nodded, pausing for a moment. “You know, I can keep up with the background checks with your other employees—”
“That’s not necessary,” he told Darren. “Thank you.”
The private investigator walked into the bar as Marcus pulled a number out of his speed dial, falling against the brick wall of the pub.
“What do you want?” Tavia snapped angrily. “I’m busy packing.”
“Packing?” he demanded. “For what?”
There was a deep, ominous silence.
“Are you pulling my leg?” Tavia asked in a low voice. “Because I’m not in the mood for your games, Marcus.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Marcus replied. “I just wanted to make sure you’re not going anywhere tonight. I’ll be home in a couple of hours, and we can pick up where we left off.”
He heard her breath quicken as Tavia grappled for something to say. “Y-Yes!” she finally managed. “Yes, I’ll be home! I’ll see you soon!”
“Okay, darling.”
Marcus disconnected the call and inhaled sharply, steeling himself from flying into a dragon-colored rage.
You’re not going anywhere, he thought furiously. Not until I know which one of you betrayed me. Until then, you can stay directly in my line of sight.
14
“We need to move,” Janine said, her eyes wide with fear. “I don’t know what’s happening or why, but we can’t stay here.”
“It’s okay,” Addison told her, hugging her close, but her pulse raced at a dizzying speed. The events of the previous night had terrified her as much as they had terrified Janine. Try as she might, Addison had no idea what to make of them. Something about the fake police officer screamed Marcus’ name to her, but that thought seemed improbable.
Marcus wouldn’t be keeping an eye on her, would he? He had always made it very clear that she could leave whenever she wanted to, and the only reason Addison had stayed as long as she had was because she had wanted to.
What had Tavia said to her that first day?
“I have no proof, but girls have just disappeared, ones who Marcus has liked better than others.”
What if it wasn’t Melissa who made them disappear? What if they had all rejected Marcus and he’d had them killed?
It was almost laughable, but Addison was in no mood to laugh. She was gut-wrenched, wondering what would have happened to them if the police had not followed up on the 9-1-1 call, even though Addison had told them not to come. The intruder had taken off through the fire escape j
ust as the cops appeared, but a foot chase after him was futile, and the roommates were left to shiver in fear.
“We have someone out here for the night, in case he decides to return,” a detective assured them. “But I think you two may need to up your security measures or find somewhere else to go in the meantime.”
“How can we move?” Addison demanded. “We don’t have money, and breaking the lease is going to cost us, too!”
“We’ll figure it out,” Janine replied. “Addy, we’re in danger here!”
“Come on,” Addison said, rising from her bed, where they had been for the last two hours. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll go to the diner for breakfast.”
Janine shook her head. “We can’t leave Roscoe here with the door kicked in! If the landlord comes to fix it, who knows what Roscoe will do.”
“Bring him with,” Addison said. “I just can’t stay here a minute longer. I can’t think.” They made their way out of the dilapidated building, nodding to the police officer outside. “We’re going for breakfast,” she told him. “Can we bring you something back?”
His eyes shone with gratitude. “No, thanks, Miss Dryden. I’ll keep watch while you’re gone, though. You two don’t need to worry about anything.”
“He says that now,” Janine muttered. “But in a day, they’ll be gone, and we’ll be corpses on the floor.”
“We will not!” Addison snapped. “Stop saying that!”
“You don’t know that!” she replied. “What was with all the questions he was asking us about finances?”
“I have no idea. He wasn’t making any sense at all, but I don’t think he was a junky or anything. Maybe this is a case of mistaken identity.”
“He knew our names, Addison!” Janine exclaimed. “Both of our names! How many roommates in Toronto have our names?”
“I don’t know!” Addison exploded. “I don’t know, okay? I’m grasping at straws because I’m scared too, Janine! I don’t know what to do, either!”
A part of her wanted to pick up the phone and call Marcus. If he wasn’t involved in this, he would probably know what to do, or he would at least be able to give her some ideas. But if he was involved…
Addison shuddered to think of what would happen if he was a part of it. Her fingers trailed over the cell in her purse as they made their way toward the bus in silence.
“We need to move,” Addison agreed, sighing. “What other choice do we have?”
Olivia and Ramon stared at them in shock as they explained what had happened the previous night.
“Oh, my god!” Olivia gasped. “You have to come and stay with me!”
Janine and Addison exchanged a look and chuckled mirthlessly.
“Olivia,” Addison began, “you already have two roommates in a two-bedroom apartment. Where are you going to put two more and a dog?”
Olivia crinkled her nose and looked down at Roscoe.
“Yeah, the dog can’t come,” she said heavily. “But we will make room for you two!”
“Whoever is after us could still be watching us,” Addison reminded her, eyeing a group of newcomers walking into the diner. “I’m not putting you in the middle of this mess.”
“Do you think it’s your billionaire bastard doing this because you left him?” Olivia asked bluntly, and Addison bristled.
“No!” she said sharply. “I don’t believe that for one minute.”
Janine stared at her. “Is he mad at you?” she asked, and Addison shook her head.
“No!” she protested, her voice rising an octave. “It’s not Marcus, okay?”
Why are you protecting him? a voice in her head demanded. Who else could it be? But Addison did not want to entertain the thought. The Marcus she knew was not a bastard. He was loving and generous. So what if he couldn’t commit to her? That didn’t make him a stalker, or a killer.
“Addison, I know you think it could be him,” Olivia said, and Addison’s hands clenched into a fist.
“You have tables,” she pointed out, turning her head to indicate the end of the conversation.
Olivia grunted and went to deal with the customers as Addison sat back, planning what they should do next.
“You have to move,” Ramon said, as if determined to pick up where Olivia had left off. “It’s not safe for you girls.”
“Janine, maybe you can go stay with your parents for a while until I can figure out a way to get us relocated,” Addison suggested, the wheels in her head turning. However, something told her that no matter where they went, they would be found.
Moving is just prolonging the inevitable, she thought grimly. We need a better plan than that. A plan like running from Toronto and living underground for the rest of our lives.
The bell rang, and Addison’s head whipped around to look at the entranceway again. Her blood froze as she watched a beautifully dressed woman look around the diner, too-wide tinted glasses on her regal face. She gazed in both directions, and as her eyes rested on Addison, fear clutched her heart.
Addison knew her. She worked at Williams Industries.
A caustic smile lit the woman’s face as she strolled toward their table, her heels clicking methodically against the linoleum floor.
“Addison Dryden?” she asked, slipping the sunglasses off her face and revealing a set of steely blue eyes. Suddenly, two men anchored the woman on either side.
“May we see your identification, ma’am?” one asked, and Addison stared at the men in shock, her expression matching the dark-haired woman’s.
“What the hell is this?” the stranger asked in surprise. “Get away from me.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” said the other man, “but Miss Dryden is under police protection. May we see your identification, please?” It wasn’t so much a question as a demand.
Addison and Janine exchanged incredulous looks. They hadn’t realized they had been followed.
“She knows me,” the woman protested, but Addison could only shrug and look down as the detectives stood firmly at her side, waiting. The brunette’s mouth became a line of annoyance as she dug into her handbag for a wallet, thrusting her license and card in the detective’s face. “Are you happy?” she snapped. “My name is Tatiana Dupris, and I’m the chief financial officer at Williams Industries. I could have your testicles on a plate for this!”
“Just doing our duty, ma’am,” the tall cop replied, examining the picture with meticulous eyes. He glanced at Addison. “Do you know this woman, Miss Dryden?”
Addison half-nodded. “I—I’ve seen her in the office,” she replied slowly, and Tatiana seemed to relax slightly as the men stepped back.
“All right. Thank you, ma’am.” They disappeared back to their spots near the counter, leaving Tatiana to stare after them, shaking her head.
“Our tax dollars at work,” she sighed. “Harassing citizens.”
“What are you doing here, Ms. Dupris?” Addison asked, glancing nervously at her.
“May I speak with you privately?” she asked, and Addison wanted to say no instinctively.
“You can speak to me in front of my friends,” she replied with more assertiveness than she felt, but the woman shook her head.
“I’m afraid I can’t. It’s a private company matter and it is for your ears only.”
Addison didn’t know what to do, but the last thing she wanted was to show weakness before the woman standing at the table. Ramon seemed to immediately sense her vulnerability.
“We’ll be right here, Addy,” he told her in a firm voice, and when she looked at him, she could see the encouragement in his eyes. It gave her the motivation she needed to slip from the booth and follow Tatiana toward an empty table in a quieter section.
“Forgive me for intruding on you like this,” she said. “But we have a rather delicate matter that I believe you can help us with. Now, what I am about to tell you cannot go any further than the space between us, do you understand? You can’t tell your roommate, your friends, your mother, no o
ne.”
Addison nodded slowly, already unsure of whether she was going to like what she was going to hear or not.
“Someone has been embezzling money from the Williams accounts, slowly and systematically,” Tatiana said. “In one month, more than three million dollars have been taken.”
Addison blinked at the number. “Wow!” she gasped. “Who?”
“Well, our first thought was you,” Tatiana explained curtly, and Addison felt her heart stop beating.
“What do you mean by ‘our’? You and who else?” she whispered. Tatiana’s smile froze on her face.
“Let’s not make this any more unpleasant than it needs to be, dear,” she said condescendingly, and Addison felt her face flush in humiliation.
Marcus thought I was stealing from him, she realized. That’s why he was angry. He thought I stole money from him and skipped out because of it.
Indignation and fury coursed through her, but she resisted the desire to spring from the table and run away, tears burning behind her eyelids.
“Anyway, through an investigation, we learned that it was not you,” the woman continued, as if she had not dropped a bombshell on Addison, shattering her entire existence.
“That man from last night,” she mumbled. “He was sent by Marcus?”
“That went a little further than it should have, obviously. I mean, now the police are following you around. What an amateur that man is.” Tatiana rolled her eyes.
“He wasn’t trying to kill us?” Addison asked, and Tatiana laughed genuinely, amusement lighting her blue eyes.
“Kill you? Of course not! Although that does explain the look of terror on your face right now.”
“Tatiana, what do you want from me?” Addison demanded angrily, her knuckles white as she gripped the table.
Tatiana looked at her in surprise.
“We want you to come back and work at Williams Industries,” she replied, and it was Addison’s turn to laugh.
