Better Together

by Annalisa Carr

  “He’s busy till ten,” she told him after she’d called. “After that, he’ll come straight to your office.”

  Aiden couldn’t concentrate; his mind full of problems. He was so sorry for Francesca. What will she do if Gareth really has been stealing from the company? Will she stay with him? Will she stay with Marlowe’s? He stood up and walked to the window, gazing out over the city.

  And Tallulah? He didn’t want to go back to New York and leave her behind. He couldn’t stay in London though, and Tallulah wouldn’t want to follow him to New York. His life had been chaos since Sasha had left him. She’d started the avalanche his life had turned into, although he supposed he couldn’t blame her for Tallulah. I never expected Tallulah, he thought, and she’s changed my mind on so many things. He stared into the window of the office block opposite, where a business meeting was in progress. I do want to be with her. Hell, I think I might want to get married. When he’d described his feelings as a coup de foudre, he’d thought he was joking at the time. She likes me, but . . .

  At ten o’clock, Gareth strolled into the office. “Sorry I’m late. There were things I had to do this morning.”

  “Sit down.” Aiden waved him to a chair at the conference table, before picking up the sheaf of evidence he’d collected and joining him.

  “What’s this about?” Gareth crossed one leg over the other and leaned his elbow on the table.

  “My father has had some concerns about inconsistencies in cash flow in the company,” Aiden said. “He asked me to investigate them.”

  Gareth’s face arranged itself into calm attentiveness, but he shifted in his seat and re-crossed his legs. “Why you? Why not myself or the CFO?”

  Aiden stared at him, trying to analyse his expression. “He wanted someone from outside the company. Someone with a fresh approach.”

  Gareth nodded, but to Aiden’s eyes, he looked both puzzled and nervous.

  “I’ve come across some worrying anomalies,” Aiden continued, “and I wondered if you could explain them to me.”

  “I’ll certainly try.”

  Aiden pulled the conflicting order sheets from his pile of papers and pushed them towards Gareth, who read through them slowly.

  He looked up. “It certainly looks as if there’s a problem here. A mistake in the accounts department perhaps?”

  Aiden gave him the second lot of data without saying anything more.

  Gareth read them and raked one hand through his thick brown hair. “It certainly looks suspicious.”

  Aiden picked up one of the incriminating emails. “This is from you.” He pulled out another. “And this one.”

  The colour faded from Gareth’s face. “I can explain.”

  “Go on.” Aiden leaned forward attentively, but Gareth said nothing more.

  “Well?”

  “I needed to borrow some money,” he said after a moment.

  “You didn’t think a bank was more appropriate?”

  “I had some financial problems. Just in the short-term.”

  Aiden sighed. “This has been going on for over a year.” Gareth was the guilty party. He’d been ninety-nine percent sure but had hoped desperately that he was wrong.

  “I meant—”

  “Did you do this alone?”

  Gareth met his eyes briefly, before looking away.

  “The auditors are coming in later this week to investigate. They’ll pick up any problems, now they know what they’re looking for. There’s no point in trying to protect anyone.”

  “There was a man in accounts,” Gareth mumbled. “He helped with the paperwork, for a fixed payment.”

  “His name?”

  “Rob Falshaw.”

  Aiden wrote it down.

  “Anyone else?”

  Gareth shook his head, and Aiden knew he was lying. “You can go home. I’ll need to talk to you again.”

  Gareth rose to his feet. “Can’t you hide this? After all, it’s in the family.”

  “No. The evidence is already with the external firm. There’s no way—”

  “How am I going to tell Francesca?”

  Aiden had absolutely no sympathy. “You should have thought of that before you stole from her.”

  Gareth looked up, shocked. “I’d never have stolen from her.”

  “Who did you think . . .?” Aiden took a deep breath. “Never mind.”

  Gareth finally left, and Aiden stood up, stretching. He was furious. What will this do to Francesca? He opened the door and called to Tallulah. “Could you get Rob Falshaw from accounts up here?”

  ~ ~ ~

  Gareth had walked out of Aiden’s office and past Tallulah’s desk without saying a word. He looked straight ahead. His face was drained of colour. Tallulah thought it wasn’t surprising if he really was responsible for the embezzlement, and it looked like he was.

  She called the man from accounts and told him Aiden wanted to see him.

  “What’s it about?” He sounded nervous.

  “You’ll have to ask Mr Marlowe that.”

  He rushed into the office five minutes later, a thin man in his late twenties or early thirties, and paused in front of Tallulah’s desk. “Are you sure you don’t know what it’s about? I’ve never been up here before.”

  “I’m afraid not.” She tapped on Aiden’s door. “Mr Falshaw is here to see you.”

  Ten minutes later, he passed her desk again, even paler than Gareth. It was only eleven o’clock.

  Aiden opened the door and leaned on the wall. He’d taken his jacket off and rolled his sleeves to the elbow. “Tallulah?”

  “Yes?”

  He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “I need coffee? Let’s go and get some from the café around the corner. I want to get out of here.”

  She looked down at her open file and back at Aiden, who must be having a horrible day. Closing the file, she locked the computer, and stood up. “You’re buying?”

  His smile was faint. “I suppose so.”

  Outside the building, the heat rose from the pavement, moist and heavy, despite the weekend’s rain.

  “How did it go?” It was slightly cooler in the shade of the café.

  “Awful,” he said. “Gareth definitely did it, but he said no one other than the accounts man was involved. Rob Falshaw.”

  “He didn’t look as though—”

  “No,” Aiden interrupted. “I think he was pressured into messing with the records. And he pointed the finger at Malcolm Riordon.”

  “What? Tallulah was shocked. “The CFO?”

  “Yes.” Aiden grimaced. “He’s been with the company for years, played golf with my father, took my mother out to lunch. He’s supposed to be a family friend. I’ve no idea why he would do something like this. It’ll kill my father. God knows how I’m going to tell him.”

  Tallulah stirred chocolate into her cappuccino. “Why would Gareth do it? I don’t understand. They’re both loaded. Why would they risk so much just for more money?”

  “I haven’t a clue.” Aiden rubbed his hands over his face. “No doubt I’ll find out. I’ll try and talk to Malcolm this afternoon. Get it over with.”

  “Do you think Gareth’s told Francesca?”

  “I don’t know,” Aiden said. “I’ll give her a ring after we get back. Maybe I’ll take her out to lunch.”

  “What about Gareth?”

  “I told him to go home. I had his security card wiped.”

  “Will you prosecute?” Tallulah put her cup down.

  Aiden shrugged. “That’s up to my father. I don’t know that he’ll want the scandal. I should imagine they’ll both be out of the company though.”

  She reached over and touched his hand. “At least you found out. It’s
horrible, but it’s better to know.”

  “Come on.” Aiden pushed his chair back from the table. “We’d better get back.”

  When Tallulah called the CFO’s office, it turned out that he was away all day at an off-site conference. She informed Aiden, who asked her to set up a meeting for the following morning. At lunchtime he disappeared, telling her that he’d gone to see Francesca. He didn’t return until three o’clock and headed straight into his office.

  At five thirty, Tallulah had had enough. She knocked on his door. “I’m going home now.”

  He looked up. “I don’t suppose you’d have dinner with me. It’s been an awful day.”

  She wanted to make him happy. It was far too late to think about how unwise the relationship was. “Okay. I need to go home first.” Her skin was sticky, and she felt bad-tempered. Even the air conditioning in the building struggled against the heat.

  “Yeah.” Aiden raked a hand through his hair. “I might leave now myself and have a swim. Work off the stress.”

  They left the building together, discretion completely gone to the wind. On the steps, Aiden paused. “I’ll pick you up at seven thirty?”

  “Fine.” Tallulah turned towards the bus stop, decided she couldn’t face being packed in with a crowd of other hot people, and started walking. She’d have plenty of time.

  Once home, she showered, dressed in a short dress with a flirty skirt, and went downstairs. She sat on the top step to wait for Aiden. It was going to be a real date, not just an accidental connection, and she fizzed with anticipation, her irritability washed away with the shower water.

  He arrived in a taxi, climbing out and paying the driver before turning to her. He was dressed in another linen suit, a deep indigo blue. They didn’t match at all—his designer clothes and her homemade dress. She shook the thought out of her head. Since when did I care how much things cost? He reached down and, taking her hands, pulled her to her feet, leaning forward as he kissed her.

  “I thought we could eat round here,” he said. “There’re a couple of good Indian restaurants at the back of the station.”

  “How do you know that?” Aiden had only been in the country a month.

  “There’s this thing called the Internet.”

  She laughed and swung his hand as they walked to the restaurant.

  “Do you want to go home?” he asked afterwards.

  “Kyle’s at home tonight.” She answered the unasked question.

  “Come back to my place?”

  Tallulah chewed on her lip. It was her decision to make. “Okay.” There was no point in deceiving herself. She wanted Aiden. Worse, she suspected she cared for him. It was going to hurt when he left, so she told herself she might as well have him while she could, and make the inevitable suffering worthwhile.

  He smiled, and heat spiralled through her body; heat that had no connection to the muggy evening air.

  Outside, they found a taxi and headed back to Tower Hill and Aiden’s apartment.

  “Do you want a drink?” Aiden asked as soon as they were inside.

  “Just water,” she said. She looked around the apartment as he went to the kitchen to take some mineral water out of the fridge. The place barely looked lived in. Either Aiden was a neat freak (and she wasn’t getting that message), or the cleaning service was phenomenal.

  “You haven’t put much of a mark on the place,” she said as he handed her a glass of sparkling water, with ice and a slice of lime. “Tap water would have been okay.”

  “For you?” He shook his head. “No way. Only the best for you.” He watched while she drank, and took the glass when she’d finished, placing it on the small table. He pulled her onto the sofa next to him and buried his face against her neck. “Do you know how gorgeous you are?”

  “Yes. Almost as gorgeous as you.” She snuggled into his side.

  “What are we going to do?” Aiden raised his head.

  “I don’t know.” Tallulah’s heart slammed in her chest; she wasn’t ready for this discussion. “You’ll go back to New York?”

  “I can’t stay here.” Aiden’s arm tightened round her. “I hate the construction business, and I don’t want to answer to my father. We’ll end up killing each other. And Francesca hates me.”

  “I’ve got to finish my degree.” She’d worked hard to get so far, and however much she told herself she cared about Aiden, she just couldn’t give up on her dreams. Suppose it doesn’t work out?

  “I know.” He twisted round and kissed her with fierce desperation.

  Chapter 23

  The next morning the two of them walked in together from Aiden’s flat, Tallulah having resigned herself to the fact that everyone knew about them anyway. There was no point in appearing furtive as well. That would just be undignified.

  As Aiden went into his own office, he kissed her.

  “Not at work.” She couldn’t help smiling.

  He tugged on her ponytail. “I forgot. There’s no one here but us.” His smile mocked her concerns, but at least he’d bounced back from the Gareth interview.

  Tallulah started the coffee, ignoring the fact that Aiden had made her an impressive cappuccino before they’d left his flat. She needed more caffeine even if he didn’t.

  The phone rang at nine o’clock. It was the CFO’s secretary. “Mr Riordon will be able to meet with Mr Marlowe at twelve thirty,” she said. “He has a site visit this morning.”

  “Thanks.” Tallulah marked it in the diary and let Aiden know.

  At nine thirty Kyle burst into her office. “Where were you last night?”

  “What?” She stared at him blankly.

  “You didn’t come home last night.”

  Tallulah narrowed her eyes. “You often don’t come back home.” She sounded like a defensive teenager herself.

  “And what did you say to me?”

  “I’m sorry, Kyle. I should have called you.” Although he’s hardly ever in the flat. How was I to know he’d be home last night?

  “Too right. Remember that in future.” He jabbed his forefinger at her.

  “Will do.” It would be a relief when he moved back to his foster parents.

  “How about lunch?” he suggested.

  “Okay.” She hadn’t seen Kyle for a few days. “Just after 12.30? I’ll meet you in reception.” She’d have to shepherd the CFO through first, so hopefully he’d be on time.

  At 12.25 Malcolm Riordon arrived, pushing the door open and bursting in.

  His face was flushed, unsurprising considering the heat, but he also looked worried. He loomed over her desk, breathing heavily. “Do you know what this meeting’s about?”

  “You’ll have to talk to Mr Marlowe,” she said. Why do people keep asking me? They must know it’s my job to be discrete. It would drive me mad if I had to do this job for the rest of my life.

  As soon as the door closed behind him, she picked up her bag and left.

  Kyle waited in the reception area.

  “Tanya not coming?”

  “No, she’s having lunch with a couple of friends,” he said.

  The two of them ate in a small café close to work and, afterwards, bought ice-creams at a small street stall. They sat outside on the steps of the Marlowe building to eat them, lingering in the sun, before returning to work. It was almost one thirty when Tallulah pushed open the door to her office. She unlocked her computer and went to see if Aiden was in and if he wanted anything.

  She halted in the doorway, unsure of what she was seeing. Aiden sat on the floor, head in his hands. He met her eyes and groaned.

  “What happened?” She knelt on the floor next to him.

  “That bastard hit me.” He pointed at the glass paperweight on the floor next to him. “He lost his temper when
I said I’d called the auditors in, picked that up, and threw it at me.”

  “Are you okay?” She touched the mark on his forehead.

  “I think so. I was only unconscious for a few minutes, but when I came around, he’d gone.

  “You were unconscious?” A streak of blood led from his forehead to his chin. “You need to see a doctor.”

  “I’m all right.” A large bruise had begun to appear over his eyebrow.

  “You could be concussed.”

  He struggled to his feet.

  “I’ll call a taxi.” Tallulah picked up the phone on his desk and connected with reception. “We need to let the police know as well.”

  “No, I don’t think—”

  “He assaulted you. You could have been killed.”

  “Tallulah?” Aiden collapsed into the seat behind his desk. “You’re overreacting. I’m fine.”

  “I’m not. I’m being efficient.” She sat on the edge of his desk and closed her eyes. When she’d spotted him on the floor and seen how he’d looked blank and unfocussed, she’d been afraid. “You’re bleeding.”

  She leaned over him to touch the bruise again.

  He winced. “My father’s going to be devastated.”

  The phone rang. The taxi had arrived, and still protesting, Aiden allowed Tallulah to shepherd him into the lift and down to reception. She instructed the driver to take them straight to the nearest accident and emergency department. They walked through the door into chaos.

  Aiden closed his eyes. “I’m fine. There’s no need for all this.”

  “I suppose you normally go private,” she said.

  “Everyone does in the US.”

  It was two hours before they were seen, and if she hadn’t been so worried, Tallulah would have let Aiden walk out. It was an indication of how bad he felt that he sat in a plastic chair and waited.

  When they were finally called, Aiden pushed himself to his feet. There was no colour in his face, and the bruise on his head had begun to take on an impressive range of hues. Fortunately, the doctor’s opinion was that he would be fine, but he shouldn’t be left alone for twenty-four hours.