A Deadly Promotion

by Melanie Jones Brownrigg

  So, the attorney did have a girlfriend. He couldn’t wait to spring the glorious news on Paige. He wondered if it would break her heart. If so, he’d be there to console her. He pictured her in his arms with his nose buried into her wonderfully citrus-scented hair. The thought of tasting her soft lips sent a wiggle into his pants. He would finally have Paige, all to himself.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  After Paul left, exhaustion set in. It had been a grueling day. Callie and I tucked into bed together. She went to sleep right away, nestled at the end of the bed, next to my feet. But suddenly my head was going ninety miles an hour. Someone had killed Julie and now someone had killed Penny. And I had been blamed for both murders without regard to my innocence. But more importantly, I was supposed to have died both times. I had survived the stairwell fall and I hadn’t eaten a poisoned sandwich. What other attempts on my life lay ahead? If only I could remember what happened in the stairwell, maybe I could figure this out.

  While I continued worrying myself sick over which of the employees was after me, now I felt nervous about Angela. Anyone who texted an ex-boyfriend an excessive amount of times must be unstable. Was she someone I needed to worry about too?

  My night was consumed with tossing and turning. Eventually Callie tired of my endless twisting and moved to the other side of the bed to get some shuteye. When the morning came, I had dark circles under my eyes and my head felt groggy. My doctor had told me to take it easy at work. What a joke. At least I hadn’t had any more hallucinations as he believed them to be.

  Today was Friday and I was looking forward to the weekend. After eating a bowl of cereal and getting ready, I packed a gym bag and headed off to work.

  Around mid-morning, I received a call from Penny’s father, letting me know about her funeral arrangements. After making an announcement to everyone, I ordered flowers and packed up Penny’s desk. He planned to come by later to pick up her personal possessions.

  The rest of the day, I secluded myself in my office while the others worked on putting the files back together. I was doing the same, still unloading boxes and organizing paperwork. For lunch, I ate a peanut butter sandwich I had brought from home. Until I figured out what was going on, I wasn’t chancing the breakroom fridge. I had even brought my own bottle of water.

  Around two o’clock, Penny’s father arrived at my office door. “I’m so sorry about Penny,” I deeply expressed.

  “It was your sandwich, right?” he asked, making me feel guilty.

  “Yes, but I didn’t know someone had poisoned it. The sandwich was meant for me to eat. It should’ve been me who died. I’m heartbroken that Penny fell in the crosshairs.”

  “Me too. You’re right, my daughter should be alive. She should be sitting behind that big desk of yours and planning her and her baby’s future. She had everything to look forward to. The way I see it, there’s no one to blame but you.” He gave me a hateful look and then swallowed. “Is this hers?” he asked, gesturing to the box positioned at the corner of my desk.

  “Yes,” I answered, biting my tongue because I knew he was hurting right now. Losing a daughter wasn’t easy, especially considering the circumstances.

  He grabbed up the container. “Enjoy your next sandwich,” he said hatefully and left, leaving me little doubt that I wasn’t welcome at her funeral service.

  For my entire life, I had always been the honest, hard-working girl who followed all the rules. Everyone liked me … until I turned in my application for a job promotion. Now everyone hated me, even people I’d never met before, like Penny’s father. And while I couldn’t do anything about my haters, I intended to figure out who had killed Julie and Penny. At least they’d have the justice they deserved, and maybe I’d circumvent myself from being killed at the same time. So, for the next few hours, I buckled down and managed emptying all the boxes and getting the files back in order. Tomorrow I would come in and begin auditing the records while everyone else enjoyed their Saturday. With any luck at all, I’d be able to figure out what prompted Julie to believe I was embezzling. And maybe, just maybe it would lead to my want-to-be killer.

  * * *

  As the day slowly ended and each of the employees headed off for their weekend, Paul tapped on my door. “Ready for a workout?” He’d already changed into a T-shirt and some loose shorts.

  “Yes, let me change into my sweatpants and a pullover.”

  “There are dressing rooms in the fitness center. I prefer to change in my office so I can hang my suit up, and then I just wear my comfortable clothes home. But it’s whatever you prefer.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” I went ahead and locked up my office, noticing David was still at his computer. “David, it’s the weekend. You should call it a day.”

  “Yes, I’m almost finished. You go ahead and I’ll lock up.”

  It would have been my preference to make sure the main door to our department was secured. But each of the employees had keys, so I supposed it didn’t matter.

  “Well okay. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight Paige,” he said to me, and I couldn’t help noticing the hateful look he shot at Paul.

  After switching my clothes in the ladies’ room, we rode the elevator down to the basement. As an employee, I had an access card, but had never been down there. We made our way to the lockers which served as a general separation between the men and women’s changing rooms and restrooms. Paul advanced to his assigned unit where he stored his wallet, keys and hung his suit. I added my clothing and purse since I had never obtained a locker.

  From there, we entered the exercise room, where I took in a good whiff of body odor. The workout room was crowded and noisy. Sweaty men and slender women blanketed the place. Though no one probably gave me the time of day, I couldn’t help feeling like I was on display.

  “The stepper machines are over here,” Paul said, directing me to a piece of equipment designed to move like stairs, even having railings to grip hold of.

  “Oh, I thought it would have pedals,” I confessed, realizing it was more like a moving escalator.

  “Let me show you how this works.” He turned a selector knob to a high setting and began practically running up the thing.

  “I hope it goes slower,” I said with a gasp.

  He chuckled. “You can adjust the speed.”

  I turned that sucker down as low as it would go, fearing I’d kill myself on the thing with everyone in the room watching me.

  “I’ll be moving around the room,” he told me. “Since the rowing machine is near you, I’ll begin with it. That way, I can keep an eye on you to make sure you have the hang of it.”

  While he rowed, I climbed. Now here’s the funny part … after a while I wasn’t paying much attention to my climbing, or anyone else for the matter. Instead, my eyes were glued on Paul’s sculpted arms while he worked the device back and forth, his contoured muscles flexing with each pull of the handle. He had me practically salivating.

  After what felt like fifteen flights of stairs, several times, I moved over to a treadmill which provided walking on a flatter surface. Paul worked his way through several stations before we called it quits.

  “So how was it?” he asked, cocking a brow at me while wiping his forehead with a small towel.

  “I liked it. Thanks for bringing me down here.” While I enjoyed it, I didn’t think it would be something I did on my own. But if Paul invited me again, I’d gladly join him.

  When we returned to his locker, I noticed my purse was tipped at a slightly different angle than how I’d placed it. “My purse has moved,” I remarked.

  “It probably shifted when someone slammed the locker next to mine.”

  “Your girlfriend doesn’t have a pass card and code, does she?”

  “No, I’ve never given her access … and she’s not my girlfriend. I made it extremely clear to her last night.”

  Hopefully, he had convinced Angela their relationship was over. And to his credit, his phone didn’t
light up with multiple messages when he pulled it from his locker. Even so, I went through my purse to make sure nothing was missing. After a good inventory, I hoped the worry knot in my stomach meant nothing.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Though it was Saturday morning, the alarm went off as if it were any other workday. Climbing out of bed, I shuffled into the kitchen and had myself a donut and a cup of coffee. I didn’t bother packing a lunch because Paul had already offered to take me out for a quick bite. He was beginning a trial Monday morning, so he planned to put in some working hours too.

  After a quick shower and dressing casually in black jeans and a purple, cream and black splatter-patterned blouse, I checked Callie’s food and water bowls and headed off to work.

  When I disembarked the elevator on the fifteenth floor and unlocked the big glass doors, I stepped inside a quiet room. The receptionist desk was unoccupied and none of the staff members were milling about. For a moment I froze in place, the dead silence giving me an ominous feeling. Clicking the lock back in place had the effect of a sonic boom.

  Making my way to the accounting section, my heels clacked loudly against the tiled floor, each echoing step letting me know I was alone in a huge, empty space. Working my way down a hallway, it felt like the walls were closing in on me. By the time I reached the door to the Accounting Department, my heart rate had picked up considerably.

  With shaking hands, I stabbed the key into the lock and popped the door open. Quickly I scanned the room, reassuring myself that no one else had ventured in to work on their day off. None of the computer screens were lit and all file boxes had been emptied. Everything looked neat and tidy, but eerily vacant.

  Securing the deadbolt behind me, I left the common area lights off and proceeded to unlock my office door. As soon as I stepped inside, I threw the lock and flipped on the lights.

  With my back pressed against the door, I breathed in a few long breaths, telling myself there was nothing to be afraid of. I had worked in this department for years and I was behind three locked doors if you counted the main entrance. There was nothing to fear, but fear itself … so I’d heard.

  Inhaling a deep breath for courage, I worked my way over to my desk and powered on the computer. Just then my phone rang, causing me to have a heart attack. Pulling it from my purse, I realized it was Paul.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “You at work yet?” he asked.

  “Just arrived. My programs are still loading.”

  “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

  Nope. Nope. Nope. “Yes, I’ll be fine,” I lied, not wanting to admit being a scaredy-cat. “With all this quiet time, I’m bound to get a lot accomplished.”

  “Well okay. Remember I’m only a few floors away and can be there in a flash.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure all I need to do is embrace the solitude.”

  “I’ll text you when I’m ready for lunch … or if you get hungry, let me know.”

  “I will. I’ll talk to you later.”

  After disconnecting from Paul, I rolled my chair forward and began.

  The day Julie was murdered, just before we left, she had been doing something in her bottom drawer. When I had gone through the boxes, I had studied each of the documents to see if I came across anything obvious. Unfortunately, a smoking gun hadn’t materialized, or the police had it in evidence and I wasn’t privy to their secrets. Without any clues, I turned in the only direction I could think of … auditing my own files.

  Since Julie had only served as CFO for one month, I assumed she had found something she foresaw as incriminating within the same period. Though it was possible she found something further back in time, it didn’t seem probable for her to have been auditing the books outside her working timeframe. Using this logic, I began my review on the day she took office.

  For the next several hours, I scrutinized each receipt I had paid during those limited days. Then the total was compared to the amount I had written the checks for. In the next steps, I made sure the computerized entry amounts had been logged in correctly. Finally, after verifying each invoice as being from a vendor or supplier our company had dealt with in the past, I checked the amount for reasonableness within the item description. For example, a used shunt motor might only cost $20,000.00, while a new triplex mud pump could be anywhere from $80,000.00 to $100,000.00. Tools, parts and equipment were expensive. And though I had always been careful with the company’s pocketbook, short of overseeing the install, I had to trust that the requested part was necessary.

  After a dedicated analyzation, nothing stood out as being inappropriately submitted for payment, or even something Julie might have perceived me as bogusly paying and pocketing the money for myself.

  My text app sounded with a ping, scattering my concentration.

  I’m starving, Paul texted.

  Me too. I’ll meet you at the elevators.

  Give me five and I’ll be down.

  You got it.

  Standing, stretching and gathering my purse, I left my computer on since I planned to lock my office. While all the staff had a key to the front entrance, only employees from my accounting division had a key to our department. And I was the only one with a key to my office. Therefore, it seemed unnecessary to shut it down on a day when no one else was around. Making my way out, I headed back toward reception, stopping off at the ladies’ room.

  While I was doing my business, I heard a loud banging noise. Thankfully, I was already appropriately seated, otherwise I might have peed my pants.

  “Who’s there?” I called from inside the stall.

  Another loud bang caused my nerves to prickle. Hurriedly finishing, I raced to the door and gingerly cracked it open, just enough to peek down the hallway. My heart thundered in my chest, knowing I wasn’t alone. Shifting my eyes first one way down the hall, then the other, I didn’t spot anyone. But in my mind, I envisioned the person who pushed me in the stairwell and poisoned my sandwich had followed me to work, and now that I was away from my locked office, they were planning on finishing the job.

  Fearing for my life, my plan was to make a break for it and run as fast as I could to the front entrance and hope to find Paul waiting for me. Peering from the edge of door again, I still didn’t see anyone.

  Slipping from the bathroom and letting the door close softly behind me, I wasted no time. As fast as my legs would carry me, I full steamed ahead to the main lobby. Just as I passed by the men’s room a man emerged, pushing a cleaning cart. Before my brain had time to process the noises as only being from the janitorial service, I let out a loud shriek.

  When Paul heard my panicked scream, he began yelling, “Paige, Paige, open the door. I’m calling the police.”

  The stunned man stood by with an astonished look on his face while I apologized. “Sorry, I thought you were trying to kill me.” Without explaining anything more, I rushed to the main doors. “I’m fine Paul. Don’t call the police.”

  As soon as I had the door unlocked, he pulled me into his chest. “You scared the crap out of me. What happened?”

  “It was only the cleaning crew. But I thought …”

  “So did I,” he said, immediately understanding my fear. “I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to you,” he muttered into my hair, embracing me in a warm, comforting and protective hold.

  * * *

  Knowing the cleaning crew was inside, to be on the safe side, Paul and I went back to my office and turned off my computer.

  “Where to?” he asked once we made sure everything was locked up tighter than a drum.

  “Chinese?” I suggested, mashing on the call button. “The place around the corner has a good buffet.”

  “Sounds delicious,” he agreed while we waited for an elevator. “I don’t like you being here alone. After lunch, I’ll bring my files down here and work from the table in the employee room. That way, I can keep an eye on you, and we can both get some work accomplished.”


  “Thank you. I think that sounds like an amazing idea.” I had been nervous all morning. And with someone looking for an opportunity to kill me, I wasn’t keen on spending any time unattended.

  As soon as we grabbed lunch, I accompanied him to his office while he collected his files. Together we returned to my floor and as soon as I unlocked the department door, he began spreading documents out on the table and setting up his laptop.

  “My computer … it’s on.”

  “No, we came back and turned it off.” His eyes darted toward my office, peering through the glass. “See, it’s not on.”

  “No, my old computer.” I pointed to my prior desk. “I never even hooked it back up from when the police took it. And even so, it wasn’t on this morning. Why is it on now?”

  “Someone must’ve hooked it up yesterday and it’s been on all along. The sun has shifted against the windows as the day has worn on. You probably didn’t notice the tower light being on when you came in this morning. My guess would be that the cleaning crew simply bumped it when they were in here, causing the monitor to come alive. It just hasn’t had time to go back into sleep mode.”

  I frowned. “I don’t know Paul. I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “Well, don’t panic. Let’s find the janitorial service and see if they were recently in here.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, following him out the door and down the hallway.

  “I’ll check this corridor, if you’ll handle those offices,” he instructed, pointing me in the direction of the Acquisition Division.

  While he headed off to the other side of the company, I began checking nearby doors, searching for the cleaning crew. Methodically, I worked my way down one side of the hallway, finding each door locked, presumably having already been cleaned. After rattling the knob on the last door on the right, I turned around to make my way up the other side. Right when I did, a figure darted across the opposite end of the hall and disappeared down another passageway.