by Robin Mahle
“No, I’m not, but I will be.” That was a lie, but what else could she say, sitting here with her boss in a busy restaurant?
“I wanted to make mention too, Claire, that after speaking with Marty and some of the other clients, I’d like to offer you a larger role than regional manager. That will still be your official title, of course, but I’d like you to accompany me on some of my client meetings. And, I’d like you to take over the Envirotech account.”
“But that’s Charlie’s account,” Claire said.
“He and I have already spoken. Charlie’s close to retirement and he agrees that you should be handling the larger accounts.”
This wasn’t just a large account; this was the single largest client Winters Financial had. Charlie had reeled them in years ago and cultivated the relationship as they grew to be one of the nation’s largest manufacturer of sustainable building materials.
Suddenly, Claire felt as though she was being groomed; for what, she didn’t know. A VP position? Maybe in time. “I don’t know what to say.”
“How about, ‘Thank you, I appreciate your confidence in me, Evan.’”
She began to let herself start to feel something besides anguish over what was happening to Beth. If she was being groomed, even if it meant a few years before anything would come of it, it would change her family forever. But she couldn’t let herself get carried away with such ideas. “Thank you, Evan. I appreciate your confidence in me.”
***
When they’d arrived back at the office, Evan continued on after Claire exited the elevator. “Any calls?” he asked as he approached Sheri.
Her southern accent became especially thick whenever she felt nervous, as seemed to be the occasion now. “Just one. An Agent Gordon Sanchez with the FBI called.”
“Oh?”
“He’d like you to call him regarding the Sea-Tech matter.”
“Thank you, Sheri. Oh, and would you mind sending a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne to Claire McKenna’s home, please?”
“Why, certainly. Would you like to send a note along with it?”
“Yes. It should say, ‘Thank you for accompanying me to lunch today. I’m looking forward to working with you more closely. Congratulations, Evan.’”
Claire McKenna had begun to occupy his mind at an alarming rate as he realized his growing appreciation for her. Evan Winters was a man used to getting what he wanted. No matter if what he wanted was already taken.
He approached the plate-glass wall in his office and peered out over the street below as he pondered the carefully worded note. Its intent would be to instill a hint of doubt and jealousy in the man who shared Claire’s bed, a calculated move that was just the beginning.
CHAPTER 5
CLAIRE HARDLY KNEW what had hit her as she drove home from work. Evan Winters was handing her the firm’s biggest account and her closest friend was facing prison.
Beth’s voice trembled through the speakers in Claire’s car. “What am I going to do?”
“I don’t know, Beth.” And she didn’t. This had spiraled out of control so quickly, she couldn’t get her head around it. It was clear that Beth was completely terrified. “Have you spoken to your lawyer?”
“Yeah. At two hundred dollars an hour, all the guy tells me is to keep my mouth shut and he’ll handle the feds. So much for that, right?” She was nearing hysterics. “Christ. I’m going to lose my kids, aren’t I? I didn’t take that money, Claire.”
Beth was looking for assurances, but she had to be calmed down, sounding as though she might jump off a bridge at this point. “Look, have the police sent anyone over to see you?”
“The freakin’ FBI’s been here; not the police, the F-B-I. They said they were going to freeze my bank account if I didn’t cooperate. How the hell am I supposed to feed my kids if they do that? Everything I have is in savings. They’re telling me some bullshit that there are all these other bank accounts where they think the money went to. They said that if I just confess that I took the money, they would be more lenient on me. Lenient? What the hell, Claire? I’m going to go to prison over this!”
“This whole thing is a giant cluster fuck and there’s no way you’re going to prison.” Claire was getting angry for her and started making promises she had no way of knowing how to keep. “Someone’s gone to great lengths to make you take the fall and we’ve got to find out who.”
“And, in the meantime, what? I just sit in jail, waiting? I feel as though they’re going to come knocking on my door at any moment and slap handcuffs on me right in front of my kids.”
“I’m almost home. Right now, you need to call and ask your mother to take the kids. Until we know what the FBI plans on doing, you just can’t risk them being around you. I’ll get changed and come over as soon as I can, okay? I think we need to talk to the FBI.”
“No. You can’t do that, Claire. You’ve got Colin and the kids and I don’t know what will happen to you if the firm knows you’re coming around. You just got a promotion…”
“This isn’t about me; it’s about you. Besides, you don’t need to worry. I don’t think they have any intention of letting me go.”
“Maybe not right now, but if you get in too deep with this…”
“I’m coming over and that’s settled. I’ll call you when I’m on my way. In the meantime, get those kids out of the house.”
“Okay.” Beth sounded small and frail now.
“You’re not alone. I’ll see you later.” Claire pulled up to the driveway and into her garage. Colin was already home and she was grateful for that. He would understand.
Colin was sitting at the breakfast bar when Claire walked in. Next to him was a large and very expensive-looking bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne.
Her troubled expression quickly turned into surprise. “Oh my God, you didn’t have to do this, honey.” She leaned in, taking a deep breath, filling her senses with the pleasant aroma of the flowers. “And this?” Claire picked up the champagne. “Dom? Well that’s a little pricey, don’t you think?”
“These aren’t from me.” Colin pressed his fingers on the note and slid it across the counter towards Claire.
“Oh. This is from work.” Her surprise turned to curiosity and then to something else when she looked at Colin.
“Not just work; the CEO of the company.”
She didn’t like where this was going. “I had lunch with Evan Winters today. He wanted to tell me that I’d be taking over the Envirotech account. It’s our biggest account and Charlie was the one who suggested I handle it.”
Colin hoisted himself up from the barstool. “Well, that is good news. It seems Mr. Winters is really looking forward to working more closely with you. Congratulations.”
“Is there something you’d like to say to me?” Claire began, now feeling as though she was being accused of something. “Look, I’ve got one of my closest friends caught up in something very serious right now. Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Evan Winters.”
Colin lowered his shoulders. “No, of course not. I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect to see this when I came home. I mean, for God’s sake, this must have cost a few hundred dollars. Seems a little extravagant. But, I guess that’s what it means to be one of the big boys, doesn’t it? I know you’ve got Beth to worry about and you can’t even enjoy what’s happening in your own life right now. And I’m not helping matters.” He walked around the counter and pulled Claire in close. “You deserve all of this, Claire. I know you do.”
Dealing with a jealous husband was more than she could handle at the moment, and she gladly accepted his apology. “I told Beth I would come over for a while tonight. I don’t know what help I can be, but she’s got the FBI practically beating down her door right now.”
“Jesus,” Colin replied. “What can I do to help?”
“Just continue to be supportive. And stay with the kids tonight? I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’m guessing it’ll be pretty late.”<
br />
“What are you going to do?”
Claire inhaled a deep breath, considering her next step. “I don’t know. Talk to the FBI, I guess. Back up her story. Let them know she’s not the type of person.”
“Do you know for a fact she didn’t do this?”
It was the first time he’d expressed any doubts as to Beth’s innocence and she could understand why. The cards were being stacked pretty high against her. “Of course she didn’t. I’ve known her for too long. This is completely outside of anything she could ever do. You have to believe me.”
“I do believe you. Go on; you need to be with her. Just call me later and let me know what’s going on, okay?”
“I will.” Claire headed upstairs.
After getting changed, Claire approached Anna’s room. “Hey, kiddo.”
Anna looked up. “You’re home?”
“Yep. But I’ve got to run out for a while tonight, okay? Dad’s going to order some pizza for you guys in a bit. I probably won’t be home until after bedtime.” Weekends meant Anna didn’t have to go to bed until ten, eleven for Robbie, but even still, Claire didn’t think she’d be home until well after that.
“Okay, Mom.” Anna jumped off her bed and gave Claire a quick kiss.
“I’ll see you later. Be good.” She closed the door and walked to Robbie’s room.
“Hey, dude.”
“Mom, please don’t call me ‘dude.’” Robbie turned away from his laptop, his eyes revealing a look bordering on mortification.
“Okay, okay. Sorry. Listen, I’m heading out to see a friend tonight. Dad’s ordering pizza soon. You’d better tell him what you want. I’ll be back late, so I’ll plan on seeing you tomorrow.”
“Okay, Mom. Later.”
That would be the best she’d get from him, but that was okay.
Claire started down the steps where Colin waited, holding her purse and coat in his hands.
“Take this with you; it’s cold tonight.” He laid the coat over her forearm and handed her the purse. “I know you want to help Beth, but try to remember what’s at stake here. If it turns out she’s guilty…”
Claire opened her mouth to speak, but Colin stopped her.
“If it turns out she’s guilty, you could be putting your job and, more importantly, yourself at risk. This isn’t some small misunderstanding. The FBI doesn’t get involved in misunderstandings. I just don’t want you to get tangled up in her mess.”
“I already am.”
“Just please, be careful. I mean it.”
Claire nodded her head as if having been scolded by a parent, but she appreciated his concern and knew it had come from his heart. He was right; she didn’t want to lose her new job, and just wanted to help her friend, whatever that entailed. Beth, however, was running out of options and so Claire’s involvement could end up being futile anyway.
“I’ll be careful. I just can’t sit back and do nothing.”
“I know you can’t and I love you for that. Call me when you’re on your way home.”
“I love you.” Claire embraced him fully, kissing his lips longer than usual.
***
“Special Agent Gordon Sanchez.” Beth handed Claire the man’s card with unsteady hands.
“What did he say to you?” Claire struggled to find comfort in the plush dark brown chair in Beth’s living room. Then again, this was an entirely uncomfortable situation.
“He said they were working with accounting and IT to determine if Sea-Tech’s accounts were hacked, by me, specifically. Like I have any damn idea how to do that? Shouldn’t they be looking at someone in IT? Sea-Tech’s bank transactions showed that $150,000 dollars went into three different inactive accounts in our system. Then the money was withdrawn and deposited into some bank accounts they think belong to me. Now, how in the hell is that possible? The agent basically said that I should stay put. It sure as hell felt like a threat to me.”
“I’ll tell you what we need to do.” Claire glanced at her watch, feeling more determined now than ever. “This Agent Sanchez needs to hear from someone who isn’t just looking to keep this whole situation under wraps. Someone who’s on your side. I think we ought to call and ask to meet with him tonight.”
“Meet with him? You really think that’ll help? It’s 7:30 on a Friday night and I’ve got nothing more to tell him now than I did earlier today. I don’t know where the money is or how in the hell someone used my information to steal it.” Beth began to inhale through her nose, appearing to try and calm herself.
“It’s okay.” Claire reached for her hand. “I know you had nothing to do with this. We need to talk to this FBI agent. Look around here. It’s not like you’re living in the lap of luxury. How could they think you stole that money?”
In that moment, Claire recalled what had happened when she went down to the IT department this morning. “Did you know your friend, Chris Goyal, quit last night?”
“What? No. I had no idea. I only left him a message yesterday to tell him who you were. Oh my God, it was because of me, wasn’t it? Are you sure he quit or did he get fired?”
“It sounded like the guy just up and quit last night. Doesn’t make much sense, does it? But what if he’s not the friend you thought he was, Beth? What if he quit because he feared being found out? Don’t you think it’s worth letting Agent Sanchez in on this? If nothing else but to redirect their attention elsewhere. Give them a reason to suspect someone other than you.”
“For God’s sake, Claire; you make it sound like I’m involved in a conspiracy.”
“Aren’t you? You said you didn’t take the money or alter the reports, so who did?” A powerful sense of vindication swept over her. With her cell phone in hand, Claire dialed the number on the business card.
“Yes, Mr. Sanchez, my name is Claire McKenna. I’m calling on behalf of Beth Graves. I believe you met with her earlier today?” The knot of nerves that bent in her gut restrained her from sounding as gritty as she had hoped.
“Ms. McKenna. What can I do for you?” Agent Sanchez replied.
“Do you have some time to meet with us this evening? I realize it’s getting late, but I think we might have some useful information as it pertains to your investigation into the Sea-Tech matter.”
“I see. Well, I’m sure we can spare a few minutes for you and Ms. Graves. Do you know where Tini’s is downtown?”
Everyone knew where Tini’s was. Everyone who worked downtown, at least. “Yeah. I know it.”
“Good. Meet us there in an hour.”
“Us?”
“Yes, Ms. McKenna. It’ll be me and my partner, Agent Derek Huffman. We’ll see you both there in an hour.”
“Thank you, Agent Sanchez.” Claire ended the call. “Okay. I guess we’re going downtown.” She wondered for a moment if informing Colin would be wise. They were going to meet with the FBI in a bar, so of course he would worry and his consent was unlikely. Just talk to them. Nothing’s happened yet. Claire believed she could handle it on her own—for now.
“You really think this will help?” Beth asked.
“It can’t hurt. We need them to be on our side and, right now, they’re on the side of Winters Financial.”
“Okay, I trust you. Let’s go.”
***
Friday night at 9:00 and Tini’s was already packed, probably with hangers-on from Happy Hour. It was a little too early for the real party crowds, which generally arrived sometime around ten. Claire and Beth made their way inside, weaving in and out of patrons standing with their drinks splashing about in their hands, becoming more animated with each sip. The dim lighting made it even more difficult to negotiate and Claire had to rely on Beth to spot the agents since she knew what one of them looked like.
“I think I see him,” Beth shouted over the voices and loud music.
Claire felt Beth’s hand slide into hers as she pulled her along towards the two FBI agents, who didn’t look quite as Claire would have expected.
“T
here’s Agent Sanchez, the one waving to us,” Beth said.
The men slid out of the booth. Neither had a crew cut, nor were they wearing ties, something Claire had initially envisioned. Agent Sanchez had floppy black hair that reminded her of 1990s Hugh Grant, although this man was of Latin descent and did not seem to be aging quite as well as the famous actor. His brown eyes suggested he was in his late forties, maybe early fifties. And the other one Claire figured was the junior partner. Maybe mid-thirties with a slightly receding hairline, a bit longer, but wavy and sandy blonde in color. He was moderately attractive in a former surfer sort of way.
“Nice to see you again, Ms. Graves.” Agent Sanchez extended his hand. “Please, have a seat. This is my partner, Agent Derek Huffman.”
Huffman shook Beth’s hand as she was sliding into the booth next to him. “You must be Claire McKenna. Nice to meet you.”
Claire returned his greeting and took her seat next to Agent Sanchez.
“So, Ms. McKenna.”
“Please call me Claire.”
“Claire.” Agent Sanchez proceeded. “What brings you here tonight and how is that you’ve come to know Ms. Graves?”
“Beth and I have worked at the firm together for a number of years. Over the past three or four years, we’ve worked practically side by side on the Sea-Tech account. I’m the account manager.”
“Regional manager now,” Beth interrupted.
Claire glanced sternly at her for the unnecessary comment. “Yes. Well, Beth processes the reports that are submitted by my department and sends them off for billing.”
“Okay,” Agent Sanchez began. “That doesn’t really explain why you’re here now.”
“I’m getting to that.”
“First of all, can we just dispense with the formalities here? I think we all want the same thing and that is to figure out what happened to Sea-Tech’s money,” Agent Huffman interrupted.
Claire appreciated his attitude, but wasn’t sure if it was entirely sincere. She didn’t know either of these guys from Adam and had no idea if they had their own agenda. “Of course. I’m sorry. We’re actually here to talk about Chris Goyal.”
