by T. L. Reeve
“I'm a little late. My name's Timothy—Tim for short. Dave didn't tell me you were all the way out in the mountains.” His deep voice surprised her and he wasn't even close to what she'd been expecting. If she was honest. She thought Timothy would be a short, pudgy, middle-aged balding man.
She shook her head as she closed the door behind him, locking them in. “Sorry, I'm Scarlett.” She held out her hand to him. “Thanks for coming on such short notice and welcome to Hearts and Paws, the business side, of course.”
When their hands touched, a surge of electricity skirted up her arm. The reaction startled her, and as she looked up at Timothy, she found he stared at her with the same perplexing expression she felt. Clearing her throat, she released his hand and motioned for him to take a seat across from her.
“Dave said this case is unique in a way,” he said, without missing a beat. “Care to elaborate?”
“Sure.” She willed her fingers to stop trembling and her heart to stop pounding. She had to focus on the seriousness of the situation with Maisie and not the tingling coil of arousal building within her. Scarlett started from the beginning. She gave him every financial folder she had for the sanctuary along with the loan paperwork and the latest ledger from the bank she’d received. It was a lot of information for him to have to analyze, but if Dave was right, he'd be up to the task. “There's one more thing.”
“The auction last night?” Timothy cocked a brow as though he anticipated her statement. “I'm already on it. Dave texted me the photos and the amounts of money.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes. “I mean, you are?”
He nodded. “I'm the friend with Wildlife Management and CITES connections. I've got a friend who can do this on the down-low.”
“You'd...You'd do that for me? Someone, you don't know?” She tilted her head to the side, trying to size him up.
“I would, yes.”
“You don't know me. I could be worse than my sister.” The bitterness of the lie fell from her and she hated the way it made her feel. She'd never betray her feline companions' trust nor her friends.
“Dave wouldn't have called me in to help, nor would I be here, if I thought you would be anything but who you are, Scarlett,” he replied. “Dave and I have been friends since college. We even pledged the same fraternity. I trust his judgment calls implicitly.”
She could tell by the way Timothy talked about Dave, the man held her friend in the highest esteem. “Okay. So, where do you want to start?”
“How about small and we'll work our way up?” he answered.
“Sounds great. I have everything in order here.” She grabbed the red notebook she'd put together earlier the day before. “I have everything color coordinated by type of bill, when it's paid and when there is a flux in usage amounts.” She handed him the binder. “It's five years’ worth of information. I also have the thumb drive to go with it if you prefer.”
He stared at her; a stunned expression colored his handsome features. “When Dave told me you were thorough, he didn't explain it was this thorough.”
She laughed. “I watch every penny that comes in and goes out. I know how to budget, ration, and save. What I'm not good at, is finding the holes or discrepancies.”
“Well, leave that to the experts.” He winked at her. “You are amazing, Scarlett. Dave has told me a lot about you over the years. What the bastard left out was how beautiful you are.”
Her cheeks burned and the tickling euphoria from being complimented filled her chest. Timothy had been too kind to her and yet, he'd been sincere with his appreciation of her, which knocked her for a loop once more. “Thank you.”
“You're not going to refute what I've said?” Timothy laughed. “Boy, Dave will be pissed when I tell him. He owes me twenty bucks.”
“You made a bet?” She didn't know if she should laugh or be pissed off Dave was making bets against her.
“Yeah, friendly of course.” He lifted his hands. “He said you don't take compliments well when it comes to your beauty because you're always worried about your scar. I see it as a badge of honor and courage. Now, my mom and dad, on the other hand, might think you're a badass Yakuza member and keep their distance.”
She laughed, how could she not? “Yakuza? Not even close.”
“Anyway, Dave told me what happened. He's always believed you when it came to the accident. I tend to side with him too after listening to his assessments.” Timothy opened the notebook. “So, I guess I'll take a look at this now.” He pointed to the open desk. “Over there?”
He left her speechless. She nodded then swallowed hard. “I'll grab us some coffee. I'll be right back.”
She headed out into the hall and pressed her back to the door when she shut it behind her. What the hell was wrong with her? Why did her heart go skippity-splat every time the guy opened his mouth? And, after last night with Dave, how could she even feel even the slightest bit aroused by Timothy?
Maybe it's because he's kind.
He was. He listened to her. He didn't interrupt her like some would and he genuinely cared about her big cats. God, the simple way to her heart, it appeared, was loving her animals as much as she did.
She walked down the hall to the breakroom, her mind was still foggy from Timothy's care and compassion. As she stepped around the corner, she ran smack dab into Kenny. “Sorry.” She mumbled the words as he held onto her so she could catch her balance.
“That bad?” he murmured.
“Huh?” She lifted her chin so she could look at him. Worry filled his eyes. “Oh, no. Not at all. I think you'll like him. He's...” What? What did she call him? Nice seemed a little too lacking of a term. “Exactly who we need to do the job.”
Kenny grinned and her belly felt as though a million butterflies beat against the inside of it. “Excellent. I am sure Dave will happy to hear it.”
“How's it going out there?” She hooked her thumb toward the enclosures.
Kenny blew out a breath. The switch in his emotions set her on edge. “Not good, Scar. Two more female lions are pregnant. At this rate, they'll be born during the coldest months. I fear for their safety and their mother's safety.”
Scarlett grit her teeth. “Guess Maisie knew her auction would be a success ahead of time.” She wanted to lay into her sister and knock some sense into her, for all the good it would do.
“We'll figure it out. We always do.” He walked with her as she entered the breakroom. “Speaking of which, did you receive the receipts from last night?”
Come to think of it, when she sat down at her desk, they weren't there. Usually, after the charity events, Maisie’s assistant brought her all of the paperwork along with the deposits, today, not so much. “Maybe she got caught up fucking her new husband.”
Kenny choked on his coffee. “Damn, Scarlett, remind me not to take a sip of anything before you say shit like that.”
She shrugged. “Well, it's true.”
“It bugs you.” He joined her at the creamer and sugar station. “Knowing she got married, didn't tell you, and hasn't introduced you to him yet.”
She shook her head. “No, what bugs me is she got Samantha to cover her tracks. My niece deserves better.”
“Do you think Samantha even knows?”
Scarlett scrunched up her face. “What do you mean? How could she not? They all live under the same roof.”
Kenny held up his hands. “Or, she spends more time here than with her mother.”
Scarlett rubbed her forehead. “I can't think about that right now. I have to find where the money is going.”
Kenny wrapped his arm around her. “You do, and you can do both. Remember, she's your blood. Don't allow her mother to turn her against you.”
No, she wouldn't. “You always know the things to say to calm me down.”
“It's a gift. Ed calls it being a Scarlett whisperer.” He grinned.
She rolled her eyes. “He's so weird.”
Kenny barked out a laugh. “Yes, he
is.” He leaned in then and kissed her. The simple touch of their lips released the anxious knot in the pit of her stomach. “You better get back to Timothy. We don't need him wandering around while Maisie is on the loose.”
No, they didn't. “Thanks for this.”
“It's what I'm here for.” He kissed her again before disappearing down the hall in the opposite direction from where he'd run into her.
Scarlett hurried back to her office and found Timothy already setup and working. He had the red notebook open while he made notes on a tablet beside him. She placed the coffee down on the table away from the electronics and went to her desk. Not having the deposits for the auction bothered her.
“I couldn't help but notice you don't have any of the paperwork from last night.” Timothy grabbed the travel cup and removed the lid before taking a sip. “Is that normal?”
“No. I should have had everything when I started work today.”
“When Dave explained the loan, I had an idea.” Timothy joined her at her desk once again, sitting in the seat opposite of her. “Maybe you've had the same.”
“Hit me,” she said before taking a drink from her cup.
“What if she doesn't plan on giving you the receipts. What if, she's planning to pay off the loan that you're not supposed to know about?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Do you have ESP or something?”
He chuckled. “Not in the slightest. Your mind is yours to have filthy daydreams about me without me interfering.”
She jerked, spilling some of the coffee on her thumb. She hissed putting down the cup and Timothy was at her side, apologizing. “Your timing sucks.”
“Sorry, bout that. I guess I got carried away.” He grinned. “Anyway, Dave worried about the same thing when it came to the loan and I agreed. It would make sense if she’s trying to cover her tracks. If she paid it off, perhaps in her mind it would mean there was nothing illegal about it. However, we all know better.”
“Or she thinks she is above the law,” Scarlett replied.
“That too.” He held out his hand to her. “Let me see your hand.”
“It's okay.” She brushed him off.
“Please?”
She relented, placing her hand in his. He bent his head, peering at the red mark forming near her nail bed and the space between her thumb and forefinger. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss there. The bolt of shock accompanied a little thrill of anticipation. This man... She didn't know what to think of him. Timothy let her hand go then went back to his desk. “Don't worry too much about the deposit and transaction information, we have it with photos and video/audio logs. Your sister would be hard press to say we're lying, especially with a room full of people and yourself.”
“Right,” she agreed, pushing aside the tingle of awareness still spreading through her. “Denying it will only make this worse for her.”
It'd been one of the reasons Scarlett relented and went with Dave to the auction. She had to see for herself what her sister had been up to. What she found out while there, however, pissed her off. Scarlett always knew the battle—any battle against Maisie would be an uphill fight pretty much the whole way, but she could do it. Hell, she spent the majority of her time clawing her way through life, how would this be any different?
“When you're done there, I'll show you the binder with our food bills, it's a little more involved than the utilities.”
Timothy nodded. “Sounds great. With as well as you've documented everything here, I have no doubt the food ledgers will be easy to follow.” He frowned. “Which reminds me, how many other books are there? I mean, I can assume there is more than the one set you've kept, correct?”
“Yes, it’s easier if we both have them on hand should anything arise. If they're not in the safe in Maisie's office they’re at her home. And, if they should fall into the wrong hands well...”
“I understand. We're going to have to take a little trip you and I,” he said. “What do you say to a working lunch, just the two of us?”
“What did you have in mind?” He closed the lid on his laptop and folded his hands behind his head. “We need everything. We need all of the banking statements deposits and withdraws, and I’d like access to any loans the sanctuary ran on as well as charitable contributions. I figure your bank would have all of it on file, wouldn't they?”
She blew out a breath. “That's a lot of information. But, yes, they would. They can't also say no to me since my name is on every inch of everything regarding Hearts and Paws.”
“Good to hear.”
A message popped up on her computer from her sister. She pulled it open and frowned. If she wasn't so pissed off at the moment, she would have laughed at how comical the situation was or how it all fell into place. “I think we're onto something and you were right. My sister is lying out of her ass.”
“Oh?” Timothy joined her and read the note Maisie left her.
The auction didn't do so well. No one bid on the lots you provided. I will send an updated budget forecast shortly. ~M
“You've gotta be shitting me. We need to call Dave. Now.” He slipped his phone out of his pocket. In the next second, he had it to his ear. “Mr. Youngblood, please. Yes, tell him it's an emergency, it's Mr. Yakimoto.” He placed the phone on the desk and hit the speaker button.
“Timothy, what's the word?” Dave said when he answered the phone.
“I've got you on speaker and I'm here with Scarlett.”
“Hey Scar, is Tim treating you well? He's not being too much of a pervert, is he?”
She bit back a laugh. “Not really.”
“Something's wrong,” Dave said. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“The deposits from last night didn't come in,” Timothy said, keeping his voice pitched low.
“Son of a bitch,” Dave sighed. “We have all the information. How could she lie?”
Scarlett snorted. “Why wouldn't she. She doesn't believe I was there last night, so why would she have to worry about whether or not I knew about the auction's earnings? Besides, not like I go out to the enclosures to check on the cats. I'd be the last to know if they were gone.”
“True,” Dave said.
“I'm sure she's working on some kind of plausible reason they were moved as well,” Scarlett added.
“Also true,” Dave stated. “Do you know what you're going to say to her?”
“I think I am going to feel her out and ask about the other silent donors we usually receive gifts from.”
“Good idea. Meet up for lunch?”
“We're going to the bank. I think I can get more information there, than here at the sanctuary,” Timothy said. “Meet us there just in case there's red tape we can't get through.”
“Can do,” Dave said. “Meanwhile get those videos I sent you ready. We'll need to present those to the authorities sooner rather than later.”
Scarlett swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “There's something else I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Dave asked.
“Two more lionesses are pregnant,” she answered. “Kenny told me when I went to grab coffee for Timothy and me.”
Timothy cursed under his breath. “Well, we know how she's going to make money now. Question is, will it be for Hearts and Paws or for herself.”
“Damn it, Scar. I'm sorry this is happening. Can you call Fabien and find out if he can do a rush on spaying and neutering at the compound?” The idea had merit. However, she worried Maisie would continue to bring fertile felines into the sanctuary which would stress all of the other big cats out.
“I will, later, not over the phone. I have a feeling though until we get to the bottom of this, Maisie will continue with her breeding program, even if it is at a detriment to the cats.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I'll let you know at lunch what she said about the other donors.”
“Sounds good,” Dave answered. “Pick me up here at the office at noon.”
“We will,”
Timothy said. “We'll be in touch.” He hung up with Dave then cast his gaze at her. “Sounds like we have a lot of work ahead of us. Ready to get dirty?”
A new determination filled her. “You're damn right I am. Let's get to work.”
Chapter Six
“I think I've found it.” Timothy brought his computer over to where Scarlett was sitting behind her desk. “She's good, but not good enough.”
Scarlett peered up at the screen. “What am I looking at?”
“I'm glad you asked.” He pointed to the yellow highlighted entries. “See these items? There's one every month for three distinct amounts. Five hundred on the first. Seven-fifty on the fifteenth and fifteen hundred on the twenty-fifth. They're going to an account named Sandusky Supply. I tried to find it on the internet, but it doesn't exist." He paused. "Let me rephrase that. They do exist. In name only. Their web presence is a shitty dime-store setup. The template comes from a blogger site. The links refer back to the main page. Well... You get the picture." He peered up at her. “I'm assuming by the face you're making you don't do business with them either?”
She shook her head. “No. I've never heard of them. We get our supplies from a local hay farmer. The medicines come from a Veterinary supply office and Fabien handles it. Our meat is from a local butcher who can keep up with our demand. The same goes for the fruits and treats for the animals. They all come from Colorado Springs farmers markets and such. We try to keep everything nearby for delivery purposes. Besides, the manifests are in the yellow binder. The one you haven’t gone through yet.”
“Figured as much.” He placed his computer on her desk. “I can trace these payments back ten years, Scarlett.”
“How much money is that?” She cringed thinking about it.
“Three hundred and thirty thousand dollars,” he said. “And, that's just one account. I am sure there are others with probably varying amounts of money being taken out. In my estimation, she's made several of these shill businesses to cover her tracks.”
“Well, she'd have to pay with a check or online, right?” The look Timothy gave her, as though she'd been too naive in her thinking, had her cringing in embarrassment. “She wouldn't want to be too blatant, right?”
