“Would you mind if I put the top down and turned the music up?” Eve asked Lainey. “It’s sort of a tradition on a beautiful morning like this.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of a tradition,” Lainey teased. “Of course I don’t mind.”
“Thanks. By the way, you should wear jeans more often. You have a great ass.”
As the buoyant sounds of Shania Twain washed over them Lainey stared at Eve not believing what she just heard. When it finally hit her, she turned to look out her window, covering her smile of pride and pleasure with her hand. Eve was full of surprises. She wondered what would come next.
Meredith was sitting at her desk going over the altered reports when her phone rang. “Sumptor, Inc. this is Meredith,” she answered. Her blood froze when she heard the voice on the other end.
“Is the plan in motion?”
“Yes, sir. I’m working on it now. The reports have been changed and we’ve covered our tracks.”
“Take more. The preliminary reports you gave me are unsatisfactory.”
“More? But we’re being cautious...”
“Who is paying you to do this?” he interrupted.
“You are, sir,” Meredith answered timidly.
“That means you do what I say. Take more. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, I understand. But what if she notices? The more we take, the more the risk.”
“She’s preoccupied with the gallery, is she not?”
“That’s true, but...”
“Then she won’t notice anything,” he snapped. Dealing with little people like Meredith annoyed him. Unfortunately he had to put up with her for now. Later, he would deal with her for even thinking of questioning him.
“I’ll take care of Eve. You just do as you are told. I thought the deal was to get you into the gallery with Eve while your friend took over there.”
The glitch in his plan displeased him and it was just one more thing Meredith and Eve needed to be punished for, but at the present time, he needed to rework his plan and find another way to get to Eve through the gallery.
“Yes, sir, it was,” Meredith said apologetically. “I don’t know what happened. This Lainey person came out of nowhere and before I knew it, she was assisting Eve. She was hired to be an accountant, but after the first day, everything changed.”
“Who is this Lainey person?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find out more about her, but I haven’t come up with much. All I know is she’s married with two sons.”
“What’s her last name?”
“Stanton. But I don’t think...”
“I’ll take care of it,” He told her irritably. “Do your job. That will be all.”
Meredith sat with the phone in her hand for a moment, and then carefully hung it back up. This man frightened her as no one had. Thankfully she had never met him, but the phone calls were enough to give her nightmares. Meredith was almost sorry that Eve had such an enemy. She didn’t dislike Eve and didn’t know why this man hated her so much, but the money was too good to turn down what he had suggested or question his motives. Besides, Eve had insurance, so it wasn’t like Meredith was doing much harm to her directly. Meredith focused on the reports again, sighing.
Where the hell was she going to pinch the money from and not get caught, she wondered, and settled in to work it all out one more time.
“Where should we put this?” Eve called out to Lainey, turning the painting she held around so that Lainey could see it.
“Oh my God! That’s hideous.”
“Lainey! Where are your manners?” Eve teased her. “It’s not that bad.”
“Are you serious? Even Darren could do better than that.”
“Ouch. You are a harsh woman, Lainey,” Eve replied, laughing. “Remind me to not show you any of my paintings from my ‘earlier’ years. Okay, so it’s no Picasso...”
She studied the painting again. “You’re right. Darren could do better. Have him draw me something and I’ll put it up. In the meantime, we have to find a place for this.”
“You have a storage closet, right?” Lainey said as seriously as she could.
“Lainey!” Eve’s cell phone rang. “Hmm. Saved by the bell,” she said. “This is Eve.”
Lainey watched the amusement fade from Eve’s face.
“I see. Yes,” she said finally. “I understand. No. I’ll take care of it. Thank you.” Eve found that she was more resentful about being interrupted than she would have imagined. Somehow, right at this moment, nothing seemed more important than what was going on between her and Lainey. “I have some things I need to take care of,” she said. “Do you think you could do a little more here and then lock up for me?”
“Of course,” Lainey replied, concerned. There had been a note of irritation in Eve’s voice just now that she had never heard before. “But - is everything all right?”
“Yes. Everything is fine. But that’s not what you want to ask, Lainey. What is it?”
“Nothing. Really. I thought we could...” she sighed. “I’ll lock up. Will I still see you tonight?”
“You thought that we could what, Lainey?” Eve said softly. “Say what you want to say to me. Don’t ever be afraid to tell me what you want.”
“I-I just thought we could have lunch together.” Lainey said quickly.
Eve smiled brilliantly. “I’d love to have lunch with you.”
“But I thought there was something you had to do now.”
“It can wait,” Eve told her. “I have to eat, right? And I’d much rather have you as company than eat by myself. There’s a little deli on the corner downstairs. They have great burgers.” She hooked her arm in Lainey’s. “Come on. Let’s go stuff ourselves.”
Two hours later, Eve stepped out of the elevator at Sumptor, Inc. and headed to Meredith’s office. She was glad she’d had lunch with Lainey. It had done a lot to lift her mood. She enjoyed their conversations, and even the sexual tension she knew they had between them. It was exciting for Eve, even if a little bewildering.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Sumptor.”
“Good afternoon, Jackie,” she said to the small blonde woman who had appeared beside her. “How are you?”
“I’m just fine, thank you.” Jackie replied more than a little surprised that Eve knew her name. “How is everything at the gallery?”
“Great. Thank you for asking. Could I ask you something?”
“Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
Like everyone that came into contact with Eve, Jackie was struck by the mere presence of her. There was something about Eve’s eyes, and the way it looked as if Eve could read every thought in a person’s mind.
“How is everything here?” she asked. “Are you being treated well?”
“Yes, ma’am. I love working here.”
“Jackie, don’t call me ma’am. Call me Eve.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” the young woman said shyly. “My mother always taught me respect. It would be disrespectful of me to call you anything but ma’am or Ms. Sumptor.”
“Ms. Sumptor then,” Eve replied. “So, you’re not having any problems with anyone?”
Jackie shifted her eyes away for a fraction of a second, just long enough for Eve to be alerted to something she already expected.
“Jackie,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m not asking you to get anyone in trouble and whatever you say will stay between us. But if you are having any problems, I want you to know you can come to me. I want you to keep loving working here,” she paused long enough to give Jackie a chance to respond. “Okay. If you ever want to talk to me, you can get a hold of me either at the gallery or through my assistant.”
“Thank you, Ms. Sumptor.” It was clear to Eve that the young woman felt relieved.
“My pleasure, Jackie,” Eve told her. “Have a great day.”
Jackie headed back to her own office, feeling horrible for lying to Eve. She would get the courage to tell Eve everything one day, sh
e thought, and closed her office door behind her.
Eve opened Meredith’s door and found Katherine sitting there with her having what looked to be a very important discussion.
“Ms. Sumptor!” Meredith stood up so quickly she almost knocked her chair over. “I-I wasn’t expecting you today. Did we have a meeting scheduled?”
She looked down at her calendar, wondering how she could have forgotten that Eve was coming.
“No, Meredith,” Eve replied crisply. “We didn’t have a meeting. Good afternoon, Katherine.”
“Hello, Ms. Sumptor,” Katherine replied, hoping she sounded calm. How much had Eve heard?
“Could you excuse us, please?” Eve said. “I need to speak with Meredith.”
Eve waited until Katherine closed the door behind her, before taking a seat in front of Meredith’s desk and crossed her legs.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Meredith said with feigned cheerfulness, praying she sounded sincere.
“I own the company, Meredith. Do I need a reason to just drop in?” Eve could see that Meredith was nervous and she was glad of it. “Can I see the quarterly reports?”
“I’m sorry?”
“The quarterlies. I want to see them,” Eve repeated calmly.
“Th-they’re not, um, done yet,” Meredith stammered.
“Not done?” Eve repeated incredulously. “Why, exactly, aren’t they done, Meredith?”
Meredith searched her mind for a plausible excuse while a line of cold sweat trickled down her back. Suddenly, inspiration hit her and she looked up at Eve with an almost triumphant smile.
“I had to show Katherine the ropes, so we haven’t had time to do the quarterlies, yet.”
“Hmm. There are nine other people in this department, Meredith. Now, tell me again, why aren’t the quarterlies done yet?”
Eve’s eyes never left Meredith. It was Meredith who faltered. Her ‘triumphant’ smile faded.
“Well, Ms. Sumptor,” she explained, clearly flustered. “I just felt that...that I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it needed or that one of the less experienced employees would need, if I were busy training Katherine.”
“I see,” Eve countered. “And Katherine needed a lot of training? That’s a bit disappointing considering she’s been here going on three years now.”
“No, she didn’t need a lot of training, but...”
“Let me see that report there on your desk,” Eve interrupted.
“What report?” Meredith felt her hands go wet and clammy.
“That one, there.” Eve pointed with a perfectly manicured finger. “The one that says Quarterly Report.”
Meredith placed a hand over the report, panicking now. “It’s not finished.”
Eve leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason you are not following directions, Meredith? Hand it to me.” Eve held her hand out. “Now.”
With great reluctance Meredith picked up the altered report and handed it to Eve. She held her breath as Eve took it and studied it silently.
“Hmm. It seems I have some house cleaning to do, doesn’t it?” Eve finally said.
“What?” From Meredith’s terrified expression, Eve knew that she had struck gold.
“Well, I can’t keep these people on if they are doing such a horrible job,” Eve said simply. “I’m losing quite a bit of money compared to last quarter according to these figures, so either you’ve made a mistake, or, my employees are not doing their jobs.”
Holding on to every ounce of control she had, Eve reached for a pen off of Meredith’s desk and began writing on the report. When she was finished, she laid the pen back on the desk and handed the report back to Meredith.
“Your math is wrong here,” she said mirthlessly. “Not a good sign for the manager of accounting, is it?” Rising, she placed both of her palms on Meredith’s desk. “Be careful, Meredith. I can be a very nice woman, but if you cross me, I guarantee you’ll see just how much of a bitch I can be.” She leaned closer. “You don’t want me as an enemy. I promise you that. Fix it.”
Eve had made her point. That was clear from the distress on Meredith’s face. “Have a nice day, Meredith,” she said sweetly and left, closing the door with a snap that made Meredith jump. As Eve walked towards the elevator, she saw Katherine out of the corner of her eye. Changing directions, Eve stopped in front of Katherine startling her.
“Ms. Sumptor. You scared me.”
“Where are you going, Katherine?”
“I-I was just going to see Meredith.”
“Meredith is busy. I believe you have work to do, too.”
As much as Katherine hated to admit it, she was afraid of Eve. “Yes, ma’am, but...”
“Go back to your office, Katherine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Eve turned her head then and locked eyes with Jackie, who jumped at the contact. Deliberately, Eve softened her gaze, nodding once to Jackie before turning to leave.
Meredith nervously picked up the phone, still shaking from Eve’s visit. She dialed and took a deep breath to calm herself as she waited for him to answer.
“You are not to call here,” he answered angrily.
“Yes, sir, I know,” Meredith said quickly. “I didn’t know what else to do. I think Eve is suspicious.”
The mentioning of Eve’s name renewed his interest. “Is that so? Why do you say that?”
“She just came here wanting to look at the quarterlies. She wasn’t happy, sir.”
“Did she notice anything?”
“I’m not sure. But she did threaten me.”
“Eve threatened you? What did she say?”
“That if I crossed her I’d be sorry and that I didn’t want her as an enemy,” Meredith said defensively.
“Ahh, yes. She’s right about that. Little Eve can be very nasty.”
“What do I do?” Meredith asked, now even more frightened by Eve’s threat.
“Do what I told you to do,” he said sharply. “As I said before, I’ll take care of Eve. Don’t ever call here again.”
Tony Sumptor sat back in his chair and smiled. His hair was darker than his daughter’s and he wore it slicked back away from his face. He was striking and unforgettable, with eyes a darker gray than Eve’s and a stubborn jaw, but most saw him as arrogant and shady. That jaw twitched as he thought of Eve. “Yes, Eve,” he muttered to himself. “Make it a challenge for me. You know how I love playing games with you. Soon, it will be time for a little family reunion.”
Eve joined the two men waiting for her in the coffee shop. “Could you two be any more obvious?” she said as she slipped into the booth. “The car, the suits, hell the coffee shop all scream cop.”
“Hello to you, too, Ms. Sumptor.” Detective Harris was in his mid-thirties with sandy blonde hair and a full beard to match. His eyes were compassionate, Eve thought. They were a warm, golden brown and always just a little too serious, the eyes of a man who had seen the horrors of police work day in and day out.
Detective Carter was a few years younger than his partner. His hazel eyes held more humor and mischief and his red hair, always unruly, reminded Eve of someone who just rolled out of bed. Eve liked both of the men although Detective Carter raised her warning flags for reasons she didn’t understand.
“Some coffee, Ms. Sumptor?” Harris asked.
“In this place? No, thank you. I enjoy my health.”
Eve sat back and watched as the younger man filled his cup with enough sugar to create an instant cavity. “Why did you ask me here?” she asked. “I’m a busy woman, detectives, with a gallery opening in a couple of days.”
“You weren’t too busy to pay Meredith Lansky a visit today after my call,” Harris told her.
“I own the company, Detective. I have to go there every once in a while,” Eve responded with a smile.
“You could have jeopardized the investigation!” Carter reminded her.
“Did I?” Eve asked him.
�
�That’s not the point, Ms. Sumptor.”
“That’s precisely the point, Detective Carter. Do you honestly think the person that is after me is going to stop just because I go to check on a few altered reports?” She leaned toward them, resting her elbows on the table. “Surely you can’t be that naïve. They’re decoys, detectives. Meredith and Katherine are mere pawns in this game of chess. Nothing else. What they’re up to is simply a distraction.”
“If you knew that, why did you play into it?”
“Because, Detective Harris, I know how to play the game. This person wants to destroy me and will stop at nothing to do it. But he also wants it to be a challenge for him. Where’s the fun if it’s easy?”
“You know who’s doing this to you, don’t you, Eve?” Harris asked her.
Eve looked him in the eye. “I have a feeling.”
“And you didn’t tell us?” Carter whispered heatedly. “Why would you keep that little bit of information from us Ms. Sumptor?”
Eve turned her gaze on him. “Because, Detective Carter, you have a feeling about who it is, as well. Why haven’t you told me?”
Harris leaned in, interrupting the rant he knew his partner had on the tip of his tongue. “Who do you think is after you, Eve?”
“My father,” Eve said shortly.
“Do you have any proof?” Harris asked.
“Well, that would be your job now wouldn’t it, Detective.” She grinned sardonically and stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get ready for.” And giving the two men a last, radiant smile, she left them.
“Lucky man,” Carter mumbled and sighed. “Is it me, or do you want to go home and jump your wife every time you see that woman?”
“It’s just you,” Harris told him and took a sip of his coffee, watching Eve disappear into the crowd.
“Right. I forgot. You want to jump her.”
“Get out of here,” Harris said slugging his partner on the shoulder. “We have work to do.”
Eve sat in front of her vanity mirror, wearing only a robe, with her legs crossed. With the touch of a fingertip to the remote, energetic dance music filled the room. Taking her hair in both hands, she twisted it into an attractive hairstyle and securing it with a diamond encrusted barrette. She pulled a couple of strands down to frame her face that was still bare of any cosmetics and thought about the events of the day as she prepared for her night out.
Something About Eve (An Eve Sumptor Book 1) Page 8
