by Robin Mahle
“And he is?” Sanchez asked. A server now stood at the end of the table, waiting to take their order, but the agent brushed him away.
Claire wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy with this guy and wondered if she would be able to convince him to direct his attentions to another in the company. “He’s a programmer in IT. When the systems crash, he’s the guy who fixes it. He’s also the guy who has access to everything. And when I say everything, I mean, he can find out who has logged on to the system, when they did it, and from what computer.”
“I’m listening,” Sanchez continued.
“I went to see him this morning because he and Beth were friends. I was going to ask him to find out who logged on using her sign-in information this past Monday night. That seems to be when this whole thing got started. That was when Beth asked me to look at the discrepancies in the Sea-Tech reports. But when I went down there, they’d told me he quit last night. Just out of the blue, quit.”
Sanchez and Huffman exchanged glances.
“Ms. McKenna—Claire,” Agent Huffman began. “Do you know what it is that we do for the FBI?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t, not exactly.” It was obvious they were investigating embezzlement, but other than that, she hadn’t a clue as to what they did or how they went about doing it.
“We’re a part of the FBI’s Financial Crimes Section. Meaning, we get involved in cases of fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement is, of course, considered a type of financial fraud. See, here’s the thing. We don’t believe you—Beth—are guilty of anything other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Huffman said.
Claire shot a hopeful glance to Beth. This seemed to be news to her as well.
“We’ve been watching some of the people at Winters Financial for a while now,” Sanchez interrupted again. “We believe there’s been a misappropriation of funds, small amounts and hardly detectible, for the past several months, maybe even years, but we just don’t know for sure yet.”
“Oh my God,” Claire replied. “So why is that you don’t believe Beth had anything to do with it? From what she said earlier, you seemed to be implying everything but.”
“First of all, not to be condescending, Beth, but you don’t exactly live beyond your means. We know; we’ve done the digging. That’s usually the first thing we look for. Suddenly, someone who’s making an average wage comes to work one day in a brand new Lexus, or buys new toys, boats, ATVs, whatever. Even going so far as to buy a big house. All that on say, a mid-level management salary. That’s a great big red flag waving in the air. We didn’t see anything like that with you, Beth. Secondly, well, you just don’t fit the MO. Single mother of three, deadbeat ex-husband, loyal worker, going on ten years at the same company. Some might say you’re the perfect person to pull something like that off, but it’s not usually the average Joe or Jane, as the case may be. Your good ol’ fashioned embezzler tends to be a little higher up the ladder, someone with greater access, more autonomy, maybe has an ax to grind or is just simply greedy and feels that everyone else screws the system, so why not them? And it usually involves more than one individual. Skimming money in this day and age requires the cooperation of several people in several different departments. Particularly an exceptionally good hacker, say someone from IT.”
“You’re already considering Chris, aren’t you?” Claire asked, slightly annoyed at the run-around they’d been giving her up to now. Were they just feeling her out, wondering if she could be trusted?
“We are aware that he left rather suddenly. As I said, we’ve had our sights set on your company for quite a while.”
“So, what are you saying, Agent Sanchez? What’s going to happen to me?”
“Beth, I think you can still be of great help to us and that’s what I was trying to get at when I talked with you this morning. I needed to get a feel for where you were and if you might cooperate. But now that you have your friend here, Claire, well, I think we might be able to work together on figuring out who’s got their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.”
Agent Huffman looked at Claire. “I understand you got a pretty big promotion over these past few days?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The agents looked at one another and Claire knew what was coming next. Her involvement in this deal was about to be compulsory if she wanted to help clear Beth’s name.
CHAPTER 6
THE TURBULANCE OF the past several days had left Claire in a delicate state, until now. Hope and determination now seemed to propel her beyond any sense of fear she had felt before meeting with the men whom she believed had her back, and Beth’s, for that matter. Someone was finally on their side and all she had to do was “keep her eyes open,” as Agent Sanchez put it.
The nimble steps of her bare feet carried Claire upstairs without disturbing sleeping children or husband, although she had to wake Colin and tell him what happened.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were meeting with the FBI, Claire? How are you supposed to help?” Colin rubbed his palms along his face, appearing to try and stimulate his senses so that he might fully grasp what Claire was saying. “Just slow down a minute. I don’t understand. What are you supposed to do, wear a wire into work every day, waiting for someone to say something about taking the money? Do you realize how dangerous that could be?”
“No, no. It’s nothing like that, I promise you. I’ve only been asked to keep an eye out for certain people. After we got the details hammered out, they started naming some of the employees they believed could be involved. Colin, they think Lucas could be one of them. Can you believe it? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Still, I didn’t think he had it in him.”
“Just hold on a second. They might suspect people, but that doesn’t make them automatically guilty. I’d think you would be the first person to understand that.” Colin paused for a deep breath. “Claire, you just got a great promotion. You’re risking everything you’ve worked so hard for.”
“Not if I’m careful. I just need to look for out-of-the-ordinary things, like reporting discrepancies, or questionable behavior by some of the staff. I won’t behave any differently than I do already and no one will know the difference. I’m just going to feed the FBI information that might help them clear Beth’s name. Isn’t it worth it for me to do at least that much for her?
“They’re working with Beth too. It’s not just me. Agent Sanchez says I’ve got nothing to worry about. He’s not asking me to steal any information or documentation. He just wants me to keep an eye out, that’s all.”
“Easy for him to say. Maybe that’s all he’s asking for now, but what about when you don’t turn up anything? I don’t like this, Claire. Not at all. This isn’t your problem, okay?” It was obvious his frustration stemmed from concern for her safety and that far outweighed what she could do to help Beth. She was essentially being asked to spy on her co-workers. “It’s very late, Claire. Let’s just sleep on it for now and we can talk more about it in the morning. Here you are, meeting with the damn FBI and now you’re going to be a spy for them? I just can’t process this at 1:30 in the morning.”
“You’re right. We’ll talk when you’re more alert. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have awakened you.” Claire headed straight for the bathroom and closed the door. Colin had just flattened her momentum in one swift motion. It was clear he didn’t understand the dire situation Beth was facing or why Claire felt compelled to help her. He was blowing it out of proportion and perhaps it would have been better to approach him in the morning. But what was done was done. “I’m a lot tougher than he thinks I am.” She spoke to her reflection in the bathroom mirror as if it might be her only friend.
***
The day was starting out to be remarkably clear. The kids were home and Claire had hoped that she and Colin could start fresh this morning, forgetting about their hasty conversation last night. She shuffled down the stairs at a much-too-early hour for a Saturday, but sleep only came in short spurts for her la
st night. No surprise, given that her life seemed to have been turned upside down in the span of a few days. She was ready to have a couple of days to sort through it all and work out a plan that would keep her from getting into trouble and help Beth get out of it.
The stunning floral arrangement that Evan had sent yesterday looked even more beautiful today, now that the lilies were blooming. The card still sat on the counter and Claire glanced at it as she prepared the coffee. It had seemed a little extravagant and Claire had sensed something yesterday as she shook Evan’s hand, thanking him for lunch. The handshake was about three seconds longer than was considered acceptable and his eyes held onto hers a little too firmly, not unlike her first meeting with him.
Claire had grown up knowing that she had above average looks. Girls discover that at an early age. Her thick, dark hair rested against the nape of her neck as she tucked it behind her ear and began making coffee. Hair that she’d been blessed with from her Spanish mother. Her father, a professor of science who traveled the world as a guest lecturer, was handsome in his own right. The two had met at a conference in Barcelona when her mother was still a student.
As luck would have it, Claire had been handed down her father’s big blue Scandinavian eyes and her mother’s olive skin. During the course of her life, she had often been on the receiving end of lingering looks as a result of the unusual combination.
So when Evan Winters reacted in a manner with which she was familiar, she didn’t think too much of it at the time. Now, standing in her kitchen, the smell of the blooming flowers filling the room, she wondered if he might be considering her as someone beyond simply an employee. Time would tell, but it was something she would have to keep on her radar. Those types of misunderstandings could get out of hand quickly and, with everything else that was happening, that was the last thing she needed.
“Good morning.” Colin approached her from behind, taking her waist and kissing her on the neck.
“I didn’t hear you come down.” She turned to see his sleepy eyes and mussed hair, looking as he always did in the morning, like he’d battled the pillow in his sleep and the pillow won. “Coffee?”
“Please.” Colin sat down on the barstool while Claire poured him a cup. Black, one sugar. “Wow, those flowers sure are fragrant.”
Did she just hear that twinge of jealousy in his voice again? “They do smell nice. I should put them in the breakfast nook window so they’ll get more sun.”
“Kids still asleep?” Colin squinted to read the clock on the microwave. “I guess it’s still early for them, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t even seven o’clock yet and much too early for pre-teen and teenaged kids to rise out of bed on a Saturday morning.
Claire had both cups of coffee in hand and set one down in front of Colin. She remained standing opposite him and sipped her drink. “So, what do you think about all of this? Me working with the FBI to help Beth?”
“I don’t know.” Colin ran his fingers through his hair, as if this would make him think more clearly. “I mean, will your new boss, or for that matter, will Evan Winters know what you’re doing? Are they helping the FBI too?”
“I don’t think upper management knows about what Agent Sanchez suspects. From what I understand, he’s been in contact with Winters, but only to the extent that he has to keep him informed as to what’s happening with Beth and the trail of the stolen money.”
“Does this agent suspect Winters?”
That was a very good question. Claire didn’t think so, but they didn’t really discuss it last night. It seemed Sanchez was focusing on Lucas Abbott and Chris Goyal. If he did suspect Winters, he wasn’t letting on to that fact. “I honestly don’t know. I think they suspect embezzlement from lower-level employees, but I ought to ask the question.”
“Yes. That might be important to pin down, knowing whether or not your CEO is under investigation. Might be a deal breaker to your new position.”
“Well, yes, I suppose so.” Claire took another sip of her coffee. “But, I don’t know, after speaking with Winters at lunch yesterday, he seems pretty confident this whole thing is Beth’s doing. He didn’t mention suspecting anyone else.”
“It’s not like you’re his closest confidant either, not yet anyway.” Colin seemed to dig in just a little.
“No. I’m not his confidant,” she shot back. “And, frankly, I’m sure he believes this is all above my pay grade and only mentioned anything to me because of my relationship with Beth. He seems to want to put this situation on the back burner, let the authorities deal with it, so he can continue to run his company. He’s in clean-up mode when it comes to Sea-Tech. The missing money has already been returned to them at the company’s expense, since it hasn’t been retrieved yet. They footed the bill to keep the client happy, as they should do.”
“I’d think so. They don’t have much choice, unless they wanted the client to press charges. I gotta tell you that I’m surprised they haven’t.” Colin stared down into his cup, pressing his lips together in that indecisive way Claire had grown to know well. “Are you supposed to report back to Agent Sanchez on a daily basis, or what?”
His need to know how deep Claire would get before he could make a rational decision about her involvement was understandable. “Only if I see something that looks out of place. It’s not like the guy’s going to be calling me every day, asking if I’ve seen anything unusual.”
“And what about Beth? What’s her part in all this?”
“She’s going to hand over her home computer, give them access to everything she’s got on Winters Financial, which, since they took her company phone and shut down her email account, won’t be much. It’ll just be whatever’s stored on her personal computer. But apart from that, she’s supposed to give them the rundown of the accounting processes, checks and balances, everything she’s done for them from an accounting perspective, including who is supposed to sign off on the reports before they get submitted to billing. Not much else she’ll be able to do without access to her work files.”
“And your only task is to look for suspicious activity, particularly from Lucas.” Colin started to shake his head. “Jesus, do you really think he’s involved in this? He seems like such a good kid, you know? Straight and narrow, hard-working kind of kid.”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s that surprising. The guy’s extremely ambitious. Who knows what he’s capable of? You should have seen the look on his face when he found out he wasn’t getting my accounts. He was pissed, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Ambition is one thing, embezzling from your employer is another, and especially if you’re working hard to be noticed. It just doesn’t make sense for someone who wants to move up the ladder to decide to commit a felony in the process. Wouldn’t make for a good review on his record.”
“So?” Claire needed to know where Colin stood on the matter. She’d explained everything to the best of her abilities. There were still a great deal of unknowns, but she’d laid it out for him. They were in a partnership, no matter what, so if he didn’t want her involved, she’d respect his decision.
“This new promotion—it means so much for this family, Claire. I just don’t want you to jeopardize that or jeopardize your own safety.”
“I won’t be in any danger of losing the job or compromising my safety. I promise.” Claire had no way of knowing if she could keep that promise.
Colin hesitated a little longer, pushing both hands through his hair now. “Okay.” His voice had dropped to barely a whisper. “Just don’t take any unnecessary risks. Keeping an eye out doesn’t mean snooping around someone’s desk or searching their phone or computer, got it?”
“I won’t put myself in a position that I can’t handle.” Claire believed she could handle just about anything, but decided it best to leave that out of contention.
Colin gave her the look he always had whenever she got her way and he caved. “Just remember; you’ve got a family, Claire. If you’re in
volved, then we’re all involved.”
They both glanced towards the stairs, noticing that Anna was walking down. She looked very much like her father; a mass of disheveled hair and sleepy eyes.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. What’s for breakfast?”
***
It took nearly the entire weekend to convince Colin fully that she would not be in any danger. But, in the end, he was on her side, as always. Fourteen years of marriage and she could count on him for support, even if he thought it might end in the destruction of a career that she’d battled hard for. It was that support that made it easier for her to start Monday morning off on the right foot. She would do as Sanchez asked, nothing more.
“I hear congratulations are in order for you, Mrs. McKenna?” Jim was leaning back in his chair, hands laced across his oversized belly as he watched Claire approach the security desk at the pre-dawn hour of six a.m.
“Word travels fast around here.”
Jim always reminded her of the uncle she wished she had. Her father had been an only child and her mother had only sisters. He would have been the cool uncle who would drive her to the party her parents didn’t want her to attend. Only instead of leaving, he’d hang out down the block a little and wait until the party was over, making sure she was safe.
“So when you moving up to the seventh floor?” He was leaning into his desk now as she moved towards him.
“I don’t know for sure, but maybe this week. Why? You gonna help me move my stuff?”
“Well, I might be getting a little old for manual labor, but I’ll make sure some of the younger men around here step up to the plate.”
“I appreciate that, Jim, but I imagine they’ll have maintenance move my things for me. I’d better head up; got lots of work to do. You have a good day, Jim, or will you just be heading off to bed now?”
