by Cass Sellars
“Nope. I do have work to do, though. Better make some money up, huh?”
“Ninety-seven thousand. That’s one hell of a payday, huh?”
“No way it was that much! I mean, um, that seems impossible.” Brett checked himself, and the sweating began again.
“Right? And we aren’t even done looking.”
“Wow.” He braced the heels of his hands on the edge of the table and pushed back. “Can I go now?”
Marley reached for a file. “Just one last thing, Mr. Lincoln. I just need you to ID Ms. Landry from the bank surveillance. Can you do that for me?”
Jess saw Brett pull his open-collared shirt farther from his throat as if it were choking him. His fingers stroked at the skin inside the fabric.
“I already saw all the pictures, Brett. All that’s left is for you to tell him what you see.”
The energy was electric, and Brett’s eyes darted between Jess, Marley, and the picture he was sliding across the table.
“Please tell me who the people are in this picture, Mr. Lincoln.”
Brett stared at Marley as if it would somehow forestall the inevitable.
Marley picked up the photo and held it in front of Brett. “This is Pam Landry.” He tapped the image before moving his wide fingers from the rest of the picture. “And this is…huh…isn’t this you? And this is Whitney Fields, correct?”
“Yeah. Um, I think so. Must have been out for lunch and ran into Whitney or something?”
“Do you often run into your boss’s girlfriend with your mouth?” Marley scoffed and dropped all pretense of being the congenial investigator when he shoved the final damning photo across the table.
Brett turned to Jess with a panicked look. “Jess, it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t know about you two. I think she might have just been using me to get—”
“Shut. Up. Brett.” Jess managed the staccato response in a low, measured tone.
“You have to listen to me. It’s not what you think.” He laid his hands on the photo as if the glaring evidence would be less real.
“I will fight you. I will help prosecute you. I will sue you. You are my next big project as far as I’m concerned. I can’t believe you betrayed my father. You are despicable.”
“This had nothing to do with your father. I respected him.”
“And you and Whitney should be very happy together. I might give Liz Manning a call, though. She might want a full-body disinfectant like I do.”
Detective Marley stood and placed a cuff on Brett’s right wrist as he read him his Miranda rights.
“By the way, a judge signed an order to freeze all your accounts until we get all the funds you stole identified. You might look into that ‘one will be appointed for you’ thing. Between me and Skylar working to get back everything you stole, you’re going to have a hard time buying a pack of gum.”
His visage changed to that of a bitter, angry man. “You would have inherited nothing if it weren’t for me. I was owed everything I got and then some. I should be running a booming business, but instead you turned my hard work into some charity house for the lost and pathetic. Billy Ivan would be ashamed.”
“Actually, he would be. Ashamed that he trusted someone like you. I hope it was worth it, Brett.”
Marley pulled his left arm behind him and ratcheted the remaining cuff onto his wrist. Jess watched, knowing the satisfaction would be short-lived. Marley had warned her that low level white-collar stuff would be unlikely to draw any time behind bars, but she was happy for the brief moment in front of her. She slid her fingers through Skylar’s and walked by Brett without another look.
“Screwing your flunky, I see? No wonder all this happened. Getting me out makes it easier for her to manipulate you.” He spat the words and pointed at Skylar with cuffed hands.
Jess held her head up as she led Skylar from the room. There was nothing left to say.
Chapter Twenty
Jess held ridiculously large scissors to the ribbon across the walkway to Navigation House, Skylar had refused to stand next to her today, saying that this was a moment she wanted to watch as a proud employee, not the boss’s girlfriend. They argued about the dismissive term, but Skylar could convince her of anything. As long as she was near to celebrate with her, she’d respect her decision.
The media loved the concept and the feel-good story that they could sandwich between reports of murders and mayhem in the city’s Mission District. Mike Durham stood at the periphery taking notes and gesturing to his cameraman. If he felt the least bit guilty for their last encounter, he certainly didn’t show it. Jess made a point to ignore him, but she certainly wasn’t going to let this spoil her day. She thought about what was happening at the office while they were all here.
It had been a long couple of months, but it was certainly better to be celebrating an Ivan Associates win than a monument to her failure. No matter what Yolanda or Skylar told her, it was her failure. She’d move past it eventually, but it was going to hurt for a while.
By the time the open house was finished and the last of the media and curious neighbors were wandering away, a gray light was dusting over the city Jess loved. She stood by her car looking over the top at Skylar.
“How about I take you to dinner, Jess. My treat. To celebrate.” Skylar looked peaceful and happy and beautiful.
“I have something else in mind, if you’re willing to trust me?”
“Well, I think the question of us trusting each other at this point has been laid to rest, don’t you?”
“I’m glad you think so. I plan on spending a lot of time reassuring you, just in case.” She slipped behind the wheel and pulled from the curb, just like they had on their first trip to Navigation House together. This time, Skylar had left her demons behind. Jess slipped her hand into Skylar’s.
* * *
Skylar reclined on the balcony and looked over the railing at a large ship maneuvering across the water.
“Best view in the city, I think.”
“We could be staring over the ocean instead of the chaos of the city.”
“I’m sure it’s amazingly relaxing, but this is you. And now a piece of me, I think.”
“I’m happy you think so, Sky. Thank you for making me realize what I was missing.” Jess didn’t wait for a response and turned toward the house. “Wait here.”
Skylar watched Jess disappear into the kitchen and return with a gift bag, a bottle of wine, and a large bowl. Skylar started to stand, and Jess gestured for her to stay seated.
“What have you got?”
“Well, as you know, it’s Thursday.” Jess handed over the bottle of wine, and Skylar placed it behind her on a small end table.
Skylar squinted and shrugged. “And?”
“And I wanted to continue your tradition.”
Jess handed her the large white bowl, and Skylar bit at her bottom lip instead of giving into the tears that immediately threatened to escape when she saw the bright yellow contents.
Skylar took a long breath before she felt she could speak. “And Thursdays are mac and cheese nights.” The tears won as she held the bowl. “Is this the blue…”
“It’s the cheap, powdery, no-relation-to-actual-dairy kind. Just like you like. Is that okay?”
“It’s about the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while.” Skylar brushed the moisture from her cheeks with back of her hand and took a deep breath.
“Good. Now, you have to share with me. I couldn’t bring myself to make my own bowl.” She wrinkled her nose as she examined Sky’s dinner.
“You’re going to l-o-v-e it, Jess.” She managed a smile when she pushed away the sad memories in favor of making new ones.
“If you say so. But before we dive in,” Jess announced theatrically and presented the gift bag to Skylar, “I have one more thing for you.”
“I don’t need anything.” She took the gift bag and set the bowl on the ground. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt nervous and awk
ward.
Jess straddled the lounge chair and sat close to Skylar as she removed the tissue to reveal a heavy black tactical flashlight.
She turned to look curiously at Jess.
“You asked me if I was ready to shine a light on my dark places, remember?” Jess shifted and plucked at the seat cushion before locking eyes with Skylar. “I was kind of hoping you’d agree to do it with me.”
Skylar smiled and felt a serenity that she couldn’t recall since she was a child. She pressed her mouth lightly over Jess’s for a few extra seconds. She thought her heart might break from the overwhelming sense of peace.
“Very corny, Jess.” She snapped the light on and off and smiled into her eyes. “How about every Thursday, you meet me right here and we do just that?”
“So, I have to eat that stuff every week?” Jess pulled back with an expression of dread and disgust.
Skylar picked up the bowl and stirred a heaping bite onto the spoon. She held it to Jess’s mouth “You’re gonna love it. Trust me.”
About the Author
Cass Sellars (www.casssellarsauthor.com) is a certified fraud examiner and criminal justice professional. She has led white-collar criminal, corporate and financial fraud, and theft investigations. Formerly an editor of a small magazine, a creative journalist, and a public speaker, she’s always been a writer at heart.
She loves writing about powerful women, their adventures, and searches for justice.
Sellars grew up in the Midwest and in Great Britain but spent much of her adult life on the East Coast. She dabbles in interior design, event planning, singing, travel, and women’s music and works at being a vital part of the lesbian and creative communities.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
30 Dates in 30 Days by Elle Spencer. In this sophisticated contemporary romance, Veronica Welch is a busy lawyer who tries to find love the fast way—thirty dates in thirty days. (978-1-63555-498-4)
Finding Sky by Cass Sellars. Skylar Addison’s search for a career intersects with her new boss’s search for butterflies, but Skylar can’t forgive Jess’s intrusion into her life. Romance is the last thing they expect. (978-1-63555-521-9)
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Leading the Witness by Carsen Taite. When defense attorney Catherine Landauer reluctantly becomes the key witness in prosecutor Starr Rio’s latest criminal trial, their hearts, careers, and lives may be at risk. (978-1-63555-512-7)
No Experience Required by Kimberly Cooper Griffin. Izzy Treadway has resigned herself to a life without romance because of her bipolar illness but wonders what she’s gotten herself into when she agrees to write a book about love. (978-1-63555-561-5)
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Before Now by Joy Argento. The instant Delaney Peyton and Jade Taylor meet, they sense a connection neither can explain. Can they overcome a betrayal that spans the centuries to reignite a love that can’t be broken? (978-1-63555-525-7)
Breathe by Cari Hunter. Paramedic Jemima Pardon’s chronic bad luck seems to be improving when she meets police officer Rosie Jones. But they face a battle to survive before they can find love. (978-1-63555-523-3)
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