by Jane Henry
"And this," he placed the second paper to the right of the first, "is the monthly sheet we just received. From Dom's office."
Heidi compared the two pages and tried to ignore the emphasis Paul had placed on the last two words.
"It looks like… the carryover balance is too high? The opening numbers on the monthly report should match the ending numbers from the quarterly report, and they don't."
She glanced up at Paul, who nodded.
"So… someone made an error," she concluded with a shrug, gathering the sheets together. "Honestly, Paul. We'll just ask them to check the numbers and…"
"I've done that," Paul said flatly, folding his arms across his chest. "Louisa sent me copies, I followed up with her a second time. The numbers on this monthly report are the same numbers in the official quarterly report file on the school's server… the only discrepancy is in our copy of the quarterly reports."
"Okaaay…" Heidi rubbed her temple, the beginnings of a headache forming. "How could that happen?"
"It shouldn't happen at all. The finance department prepares the quarterly numbers and presents them to the headmaster for approval. Once the file is marked approved, it can't be changed… at least in theory. Hard copies are sent to the headmaster, the finance department, and the head of the Board of Directors… and, in this case, to us," he added. "But the electronic record is stored on the school's server. Authorized people can access it, print it, copy it… but they can't change it. It's encrypted and password protected."
Heidi nodded. "Right, that makes sense. Then how was it changed?"
"One administrator has access, Heids," Paul said gently. And the answer settled like an anvil in her stomach.
Dom. As headmaster, of course Dom would be the one with access to the file.
"You're saying that—possibly for a very good and logical reason that we haven't discovered yet—Dom may have updated the file?"
"I also confirmed with the finance department that the money indicated on the monthly report is an accurate reflection of the amount currently in the bank account. The finance department couldn't… or wouldn't… tell me more without authorization from the board, but money was transferred into the alumni donation account a week ago, and the file was updated at the same time."
"Someone deposited money?" Heidi asked.
Paul nodded.
‘Looks like someone was trying to put some money in there, and then cover their tracks by going back and updating the quarterlies. And it was a pretty thorough cover-up, too. The hard copies of the quarterlies that should be on file in the finance department, the headmaster's office, and with the board have all gone missing. We may have the only remaining copies of the original quarterly reports."
"But… why? Why would someone do that?"
He shrugged. "They could have been trying to buy some time, or maybe hoping the board would stop us from poking around if they could make up part of the budget shortfall? I don't know. But, Heidi… The person I spoke to in finance let it slip that the name on the transfer request was Dominic Angelico."
She closed her eyes briefly and then spoke as clearly and confidently as she could.
"They're wrong. Or you're missing something."
"The Internal Review Board for Admissions," he continued mercilessly, "has exactly three members—the teacher with the most seniority, a seventy-year-old English Lit teacher who doesn't understand how to work email; the head of the finance department, Jay Divris, who happens to be the son of the board's most senior member; and the headmaster of the school. It had to be one of those people involved in the bribery scam in the first place. And honey, my money is not on the English teacher."
"What you're suggesting… it's not possible, Paul."
"No, honey," he said in that same gentle voice, dropping his hands to the desk and leaning forward in his chair. "It's the only possibility. And I'm so sorry—I can't tell you how sorry I am—but you've got to see that it's the truth."
Objectively speaking, he made a damn good point—what were the chances that all these signs would point to an innocent man? What were the chances that she'd start dating her neighbor the same week she started investigating his school? But every cell of her body—every single one, even the cells that wondered if this was all too good to be true, and the ones that worried that she was too curvy or too demanding or not submissive enough to please Dom—rejected what Paul had said. That simply wasn't Dom. It wasn't in him to be… sneaky.
"Paul, a month ago I would have believed you. Heck, I would have come to that conclusion even before you did. But you know, you know, that you can't be with someone the way I've been with Dom and not know that it's… real."
Paul huffed impatiently, a teacher with a recalcitrant student who refused to see the answer.
"Then tell me how it happened, Heidi. Because, I swear, I have looked at this every way I know how, and I can't see how anyone else could have done it."
Heidi leaned forward and placed her hands on the desk.
"Couldn't someone else have the password?" she asked.
Paul shook his head.
"Dom's not stupid," he argued. "I'm guessing he doesn't go around giving out his password. And before you suggest it," he held up a hand to stop her from interrupting, "I'm also sure he's smart enough to have changed his password from 1-2-3-4."
Heidi had been about to say that. Drat.
"Okay, well, maybe he told someone he trusted? Maybe he told Louisa… or Jay!" she suggested. And once she had said his name, then a possible scenario formed in her mind.
Paul shook his head again and started to stand, but Heidi grabbed his hand and stopped him.
"Wait, Paul, wait!" she cried. "Listen. Jay was in Dom's office the other day! Dom and I showed up at the school—uh, unexpectedly—on a Saturday… and he was coming out of the headmaster's office! I mean, for all I know, he does that every Saturday, but… what if he used Dom's computer and Dom… I dunno… had the password saved on there?"
Paul sighed.
"You're clutching at straws, Heids."
"Paul, why don't we just ask Dom?"
Paul frowned, then shook his head.
"I don't think it would look very good for us to tip off someone who may be involved before the board has a chance to investigate. I want to believe he's innocent, Heidi, for your sake and because I genuinely like the guy. But things are kind of stacked against him. It's out of our hands now."
"You're going to turn this over to the board and you're asking me to keep it from him? His job is at stake, his professional reputation. I can't do that, Paul," she argued.
"I'm asking you to do just what you intended when you handed me the files, honey," he said, and his tone was gentle but brooked no argument. "To eliminate any conflict of interest, trust me to handle the audit and prepare the information for the board."
She shook her head stubbornly.
"I need to know you're going to keep looking into this, Paul. I need to know you're not going to turn over this incriminating stuff without digging just a little bit deeper."
Paul looked at her with narrowed eyes for a moment.
"This is the real deal for you," he said. "Isn't it? With Dom."
Heidi bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah," she said.
After a moment, Paul nodded too.
"All right. Fine. I guess maybe this is just a little too neatly packaged. I'll give Dom the benefit of the doubt and keep digging. But in the meantime, don't do anything…"
Heidi's phone rang shrilly, interrupting the conversation, and her eyes flew automatically to the clock. Five-fifteen. Shit. She grabbed the phone and accepted the call.
"Hi, honey," she said automatically, her eyes still pleading with Paul. "I'm running—"
"Heidi? Heidi, it's me, Mom."
"Mom?"
God, of all the times to forget to check the display before accepting the call.
"Listen, Mom, it's not a good time right now, can I—"
"Heidi, it's your sis
ter! I don't know what to do! She's been kidnapped by some-some… predator who wants to keep her as his sex slave!"
Her mother was screaming loud enough for Paul to hear, judging by the way he straightened, instantly on alert.
"Mom, calm down," Heidi said, as Paul leaned over the desk to better hear the conversation. "What happened to Hillary?"
"She's disappeared! Kidnapped!"
Only years of experience with her mother's overreactions made it possible for Heidi to stay calm. More than likely, Hillary had spent the night with a boyfriend and forgotten to tell their mother… more likely still, Hillary had told her, and their mother had forgotten as she jetted off to save the emus, or some-such.
"What makes you think she's been kidnapped, Mom? Have you called the police?"
"Oh, the police," her mother scoffed. "Useless! Just like when I tried to tell them about that factory with the toxic waste and they—"
"Mom, you've got to focus," Heidi instructed. "What did the police say about Hillary?"
"They said she's over eighteen, and it seems like it was consensual, and they're not going to do a damn thing. But I know my daughters, Heidi, and I know it could not possibly have been consensual!"
Paul looked at her with wide eyes and shook his head. Is this for real?
Heidi looked at him helplessly and grimaced. I have no idea! She took a deep breath, trying to rein in her patience.
"What was consensual, Mom?" Heidi demanded.
"I called Hillary yesterday, and her roommate, Daphne, said that she was out on a date. And Hillary hadn't mentioned any men to me!"
Because she's smarter than that, Heidi thought. Nothing like getting grilled about your guy's stance on feminism and global warming before you've had your first date.
"So, I told Daphne to have her call me when she came home, and she didn't call, not last night or this morning!"
"She has classes, Mom. She's a senior in college, and she—"
"I'm aware of that, Heidi," her mother said impatiently. "But this morning Daphne called me because Hillary hadn't come home last night, and she wasn't answering her cell phone. And Daphne was worried!"
Heidi exchanged an anxious glance with Paul. If Daphne was worried, the situation had just become more serious.
"Daphne said that Hillary met a man on the Internet," her mother continued. "He was a total stranger. And his name is Marauder. Who calls themselves Marauder, Heidi? Who?"
Paul's eyes widened. Marauder?
"Oh, God. Doesn't she know how many rapes and murders there are every day?" her mother moaned.
"I'm sure she does, Mom. She's a smart girl," Heidi said, even as she felt herself starting to panic. Didn't Hillary know how stupid that was? God.
"Daphne said Hillary left her computer on, so she checked the messages and…" her mother inhaled deeply, then sobbed. "According to her last email, she was planning to take the train to Boston to meet him at some club… Black Box. It's a sex club! And the things he said… Oh! He was going to hurt her, Heidi! And I just know Hillie would never agree to that!"
Paul sat up straight in his chair and motioned for Heidi to cover the phone.
"Hold on just one second, Mom," she said.
Paul wasted no time in relaying his bad news.
"Heidi, I've been to Black Box. Once. And that was enough. That is not a place for a newbies or even girls who like to be spanked once in a while, it's…" he hesitated, as if gauging how much to tell her. "It's serious kink. Deviant stuff. Was your sister into the scene?"
"Not that I know of!" Heidi exclaimed. "Hillie is all into hearts and romance and destiny and forever love! I can't even process this, Paul! What do I do?"
She tried to breathe normally, but the air kept catching in her throat. Despite her best efforts, she was gripped by panic. If the police couldn't do anything, how could they find Hillary?
Paul's eyes raked over her face. He narrowed his own eyes, then seemed to come to a decision. He grabbed his phone and began hitting buttons.
"Heidi? Heidi!" her mother screeched.
"I'm here, Mom," Heidi said. "Okay, you need to call Daphne and… have her forward all the messages to me. I'll-I'll see if anyone knows anything about this club or a guy called Marauder, okay? Can you do that, Mom?"
"I… yes, I can do that," her mother agreed, sniffling.
Before Heidi could hang-up, Paul motioned for her to hand him her phone.
She heard him soothing her mother with, "Hi, Frances? This is Paul," even as he passed his own phone to Heidi with a firm nod.
"Uh... Hello?" Heidi said.
"Baby?"
Dom. Oh, thank God.
"Heidi, honey, tell me what's going on. Paul said your sister is in trouble."
Heidi drew a shuddering breath.
"Dom, Hillie went off with someone, to some club. I have no idea whether she knew what she was getting herself into or not, but she's way too young to be going to sex clubs anyway, and what the hell was she thinking, meeting guys online? What the hell was she thinking, Dom? She's my baby sister and she's been missing since last night, and no one has seen her or knows a single thing about this guy who took her, and she won't answer her phone, and the police won't help! What do you do when the police won't help you??"
By the end, her voice was shrill enough to do her mother proud.
"All right, baby, here's what we're going to do. Are you listening?"
His deep voice was melodic and instantly soothing.
"I'm listening," she whispered.
"Paul is going to drive you home, okay? I'm going to make some calls, and I'm going to get this under control. Do you understand?"
"I… Dom, we need to do something. We can't just sit around making phone calls! My mom knows the name of the club Hillie went to—Black Box—I need to go over there, see if they've seen—"
"Heidi," his voice was firmer this time. Insistent. Warning. It was enough to break through the icy wall of terror that gripped her. "Under no circumstances are you to go near that place. Do you hear me? I will take care of this. You will not find your sister by putting yourself in danger. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes. Yes, I understand," Heidi said, hanging on to his voice like a lifeline.
"Come home to me, Heidi, and I will take care of everything," he vowed.
"O-okay," she agreed, with a nod he couldn't see.
"Tell me what I just said, my good girl," he said softly.
"Come home to you, and you'll take care of Hillie," she repeated.
"That's right, baby. I'll take care of Hillie, and I'll take care of you, too."
Chapter 14
Dom paced the small area in front of his desk, where he could look out the window and see the cars coming and going in the small parking lot outside his apartment. Maybe it had been a mistake, having Paul bring her to him. He should've gotten his ass in his own car and gotten her. But no, that made no sense. The club was closer to their apartments than her office, and he had phone calls to make. His phone buzzed. Paul was on his way.
Club Fucking Black Box. Her sister!
Dom and Matteo had ventured into the dark recesses of that club just once, on a cold night when Matteo had broken it off with a high-strung, completely plastered submissive who made returning to their usual club a momentary impossibility. Matteo hadn't wanted to go home, and had heard of Black Box from one of his cronies. Dom had gone reluctantly, curiosity pushing him past his initial reticence.
It was a dark place, secret and hidden, accessed only by invitation, which Matteo had secured via text shortly before their arrival. All members wore masks, per club regulations, and there was a heavier feel of secrecy than at the D/s hotspot Matteo and Dom preferred, an institution so well-known and well-respected that it was known simply as The Club. The Club maintained privacy and discretion. Consent and legality prevailed. It was a completely different story at Black Box.
Dom was not at all surprised when Black Box had been given a hefty fine and temporary shut-dow
n orders a few months prior when an undercover agent had revealed the club's insidious allowance of underage activity. But they brought in ample profit, had a top-notch legal team, and had reopened their doors after a mere slap-on-the-wrist.
His phone rang. Matteo. He breathed a sigh of relief, vowing to himself he'd never again tell Matteo he was a pain in the ass if he could pull through this one night.
"Dom. What the hell is going on?" There was none of his usual teasing. Dom's text had been straightforward and urgent.
"Don't know much yet," he continued, pacing quickly before he glanced out the window again. He needed to get the hell out and walk off his nervous energy. He grabbed the spare set of keys Heidi had given him, and decided he'd take Princess for her walk and give her dinner, so Heidi could have the evening free. As he made his way over to her apartment, he filled Matteo in. "Heidi's sister Hillary, younger sister, still in college. Wrapped up with some asshole from Black Box. She's gone in as of last night and no one's seen or heard from her since. Police won't get involved. She's of age and apparently consented."
Matteo swore. "You got a name on the guy?"
"Marauder. You familiar?"
"No, but it'll help when I make some calls."
Dom pushed the door to Heidi's apartment open, snapped his fingers as Princess reared back to greet him with a flying leap, and quickly snapped the leash on her. He patted her head obligingly, and took her back out to the front yard, his stern look commanding her to do her business and be quick about it. She got the message.
"Good," Dom said. "You've got an in there, right?"
"Yeah, there's a guy I went through basic training with who's a bouncer there now. Goes by Slay. He's not into that shit but stays on the outskirts. He owes me a favor. I'll reach out. If that doesn't work, I've got a few more people I can try to connect with."
After a quick walk around the lot, filling Matteo in with all he knew, he brought Princess back to the apartment, made sure her food and water was filled, and walked into Heidi's room.
"Much appreciated, man."
"Yeah, I've got this. I'm on my way over there now. You've got Heidi?"
Dom was just finishing putting her clean clothes in an overnight bag. He didn't want her running back to her place, not tonight.