“Well he should have been back by now.”
The phone on his desk rang, angry, Tal picked it up barking into the receiver, “Yes, Ivy. Okay, send him in.” He hung up and looked at the agent sitting in front of him. “I believe your warrant is here.”
The door opened and a man walked in. He could have been Patrosky’s twin, only taller; they were even dressed alike. The man nodded to him, greeted Agent Patrosky before handing her the brown envelope in his hand. She took it and introduced him to Tal as Agent Karter, before offering Tal the envelope.
Tal waved the man to the seat next to Patrosky. “Please sit down.” He hesitated before he reached across his desk to touch the proffered offering. But eventually, he grabbed it out of her hand and opened it. He read it quickly and placed it on his desk. Picking up his phone again, he called Philip Grant, his general counsel, to join them in his office. He hung up, gazing at the agents seated in front of him. “I hope you don’t mind if we wait a moment to have my attorney join us.”
“Not at all.” Agent Patrosky’s cell phone went off. She pulled it off her belt and checked the caller ID. “It’s Zach,” she said before opening her phone. “Zach, did you get my message?” She paused. “How soon can you be here? Okay…We’re in Mr. Reynolds’ office.” She shut her phone and looked at Tal. “He’s going to join us. He said he can be here in fifteen minutes.”
Just then there was a knock on his door before it opened and a six-foot-five giant of a man with deep ebony-colored skin stood blocking the exit.
“Did you need me, Tal?” the giant asked in a deep baritone.
“Phil, yes, thanks for coming so quickly.” Tal gestured to the agents in his office. “This is Agent Patrosky and Agent Karter. This is Philip Grant, my general counsel. They have a search warrant to look at Kayla Michaels’ salary, bonuses, as well as all her bank accounts and transactions.”
Phil walked over and shook both agents’ hands. “The branch manager?” Phil asked.
“Yes.” Tal replied as he offered him the warrant. Phil walked to the side of his desk and took it from Tal’s hand. He read it and after a few minutes said, “It all seems to be in order.” He placed it on the desk. “Go ahead and pull up the account. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Tal turned toward his computer monitor sitting on the side of his desk top near Phil, so they both had a clear view. He entered his pass code and pulled up Kayla’s name and accessed all of her accounts with the bank. He frowned, checking the information again. What appeared on his screen caused the muscles in his stomach to clench. There had to be an explanation for what he was seeing. He didn’t say a word but something in his expression must have given him away.
“Mind if I have a look,” Agent Patrosky said. It wasn’t a question, and she didn’t give him a chance to say no. She came around the table to stand by his side so she could see the screen. “I’d say there’s my evidence. There’s enough there for me to bring her in for further questioning.” Tal pushed his chair away from his desk and looked at his general counsel, who nodded in the affirmative to him.
Patrosky reached past Tal and scrolled down the account. “Her salary certainly doesn’t justify her having this kind of money in her checking account. It seems up until twenty-four hours ago everything added up, then a big electronic deposit. Once Zach gets here we can confirm the trace. Meanwhile, I’m going to have to go and have another chat with Ms. Michaels in a more formal setting. This and Ms. Henderson’s statement warrants more investigation.”
“Can you print out the transactions for the last month for us? I’d like to take that now. Tell Zach we couldn’t wait for him. When he gets here, he can copy all of the information for us to examine more closely later.” There was no need for him to respond.
He just kept staring at the screen then pushed the print screen button. He couldn’t take his eyes off the balance in Kayla’s checking account: $506,268.98. He grabbed the single damning piece of paper from his printer behind him and handed it to the agent.
“I’ll call you after I’ve spoken to her,” she said. “After Zach gets here and confirms the trace, have him give me a call.” Tal still hadn’t said a word. Not even when the agents got up.
Phil walked the agents to the door, closed it behind them then returned to sit in one of the guest chairs.
“What’s going on, Tal?” he asked. “I know this is a shock to merge with a new company and within the first week of the change over to find out we’ve been robbed by an employee, well maybe two of them. But you seem…I don’t know, off your game.”
Tal sighed and closed his eyes, laying his head against the back of his chair. Phil was a close friend. They had known each other since their college days when Phil majored in banking and pre-law, and he majored in banking and economics at UVA. And he’d known Laura. He was one of the friends most vocal in his dislike and mistrust of her. Their friendship had been strained back then. “I like her Phil. I mean I really like her.”
“She’s the one you were going to bring on board as the regional vice-president?”
“Yes,” Tal said.
“Sorry about that. Well we all make mistakes, even you, Mr. Midas,” Phil said jokingly.
Tal opened his eyes and sat up. “That’s just it; I don’t make the same mistake twice. And I never make mistakes in business. There has to be some kind of explanation. Newington is a genius; moving money into Kayla’s account would have been child’s play for him.” He stared at the information on his screen again, looking for any kind of clue. Then his phone rang. It was his secretary letting him know Zach had arrived.
When Zach walked in to the room Phil stood up and he introduced the two men. Phil sat down again while Zach remained standing.
“Agent Patrosky had to leave,” Tal told Zach.
“Yes I know,” Zach said. “I just heard from her, she told me what she found. But I don’t believe Kayla had anything to do with this.”
Tal looked at Zach. “I’m not sure either, but can you prove it?”
“Let me go to my temporary office downstairs and see what I can find out.”
Tal stood up and said, “Go ahead and use this computer. Kayla’s account is already up on the screen.” He walked around his desk and sat on the couch, rubbing his hand across his face.
Phil looked back and forth between the two men as Zach sat in Tal’s chair. “Is something going on I don’t know about? What makes both of you think this Ms. Michaels isn’t involved in some way?”
“Have you ever met her, Phil?” Tal asked.
“No. But I take it she’s a looker.” He said it as a statement and not a question.
Tal grinned, acknowledging Phil knew his taste in women. “Is she ever. No, I’m not thinking with my second brain.”
Philip raised one bushy eyebrow at him.
“You know I don’t do business that way.”
“Still, until we’re sure otherwise, you should proceed with caution, and that’s advice as both your attorney and your friend.”
Tal nodded. “Sound advice, but she’s no thief. And I’m counting on you, Zach, to prove it,” he said with a meaningful glance in Zach’s direction before returning his attention back to his general counsel. “As a matter of fact, Phil, I should have thought of this sooner. I’d like you to go down to the FBI office where they would have taken Kayla for questioning. I’ll stay here with Zach and try to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“Are you sure, Tal?” Phil asked skeptically.
“Yes,” he sighed. “I’m sure. If for no other reason than to protect the bank’s interest.”
“So am I representing Ms. Michaels or the bank?”
Tal hesitated, his mind and his heart torn. “The bank, but make sure Ms. Michaels is being fairly treated. Call me if there are any problems.”
“Do you have Patrosky’s number so I can find out which office they’re going to take her to?” Phil asked.
“Here,” Zach said pushing a piece of paper toward
Phil who had turned at the sound of Zach’s voice.
“Okay thanks. I’m on it,” he said getting up and leaving the office.
Zach met Tal’s look across the room. “This may take awhile for me to unravel,” Zach said, “but Kayla didn’t have anything to do with this theft.”
“Maybe I can’t be completely objective in this. I’m not sure if either of us can. I saw the way you were checking out her sister.”
The other man grinned. “Like you, I don’t allow my other head to get in the way of business either.” Zach’s fingers began to fly over the keyboard and without breaking stride he asked, “Can I get some chips around here and a bottle of water?”
Tal smiled and went to the door to call his secretary. Zach told her what he wanted and she left to get something from the snack machines in the employee lounge.
Crossing over to the couch again, Tal lay down and stretched out on it. “What I just can’t figure out though, is why Newington would deliberately place the money in her account? That just makes no sense.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and contemplated calling Kayla and asking her himself about the money. The account be damned, he trusted his instincts about this woman.
She was an intelligent, independent woman, who cared about the people she worked with; she was no thief. He would not feel this strongly about someone he couldn’t have faith in. Pulling up her cell number the phone rang once then went into voicemail. He wasn’t sure if Patrosky had picked her up already and she was unable to answer his call, so he left her a message. He hung up, glad he had sent Phil to be present at her questioning. Just in case Agent Patrosky became overzealous in her pursuit of the bad guys and tried to include Kayla in that camp.
“I can’t reach her,” he said but got no response from Zach. He was in another world and oblivious to everything else.
Tal put his head down and waited. They were missing something. But what?
Chapter Eight
Kayla had just gotten home when the doorbell rang. She was in her bedroom about to change when she re-buttoned her blouse and returned downstairs. Thinking it might be Tal a little early for their date, she had a smile on her face as she looked thorough the small window on her door. When she saw Agent Patrosky and another man on her doorstep, she frowned as she opened the door.
“Hello, Agent Patrosky, right? Is something wrong at the bank?” a confused Kayla asked.
“Ms. Michaels, we’d like to ask you a few more questions.”
“Certainly,” she said stepping aside. “Won’t you please come in?”
Patrosky introduced her partner as they stood in the entryway. “Not here ma’am,” the female agent said. “We’d like you to come downtown with us to the FBI office.”
“I…I don’t understand. Why would I have to go downtown to answer your questions?”
“Some information has come to our attention that we’d like to discuss with you in a more formal setting,” the agent replied.
“Formal! Am I under arrest?” an incredulous Kayla asked.
“Not at this time.” Something about the way the agent said it and looked at Kayla made her think at some point she would like her to be.
“In that case, you won’t mind if I get my purse and call my sister who’s an attorney to meet us wherever we’re going. Oh, and she will also be with me before I answer any of your questions.” Kayla was no fool.
“This is strictly informal, ma’am,” the second agent said. “But you can certainly have counsel present.” He gave her the address where they were taking her.
Kayla called her sister’s office, but her secretary told her she was in a meeting. She gave the secretary the information, making sure she understood it was an emergency. She ended the call, and remembered Tal was probably on his way over to pick her up. She didn’t bother to ask; she just raised the phone again and dialed his number. When it kicked directly into his voicemail, she left him a message she had to cancel and she would call him later to explain. At least she hoped she’d be able to call him later.
“Do I take my car and follow you?” she asked.
“No, we’ll drive you. Someone will bring you back…afterwards,” Agent Patrosky said. Almost as if she wouldn’t be coming back.
Kayla followed them to the nondescript black car, and the agent opened the back seat for her to get in. She glanced at the door and was relieved to see this was a regular car with locks on the door, and a handle to be able to open the door from the inside. Unlike her visions of a police car with a wire cage separating the front seat from the back and no way to get out of the car unless someone opened the door for you. She got in and Patrosky shut the door. She almost pulled out her phone try to call Tal again, but decided against it. Hopefully, he’d get her message before he drove all the way over to her place. There wasn’t anything he could do anyway. Her sister would get her message and be there if she needed her.
The ride to the FBI building downtown seemed to take forever. And even though she asked the agents again what this was about, the second agent answered, calmly putting her off. They entered the building and took the elevator up to the seventh floor. They walked past a reception area, then down a long hallway lined with closed doors. Agent Patrosky walked in front of her and the other agent walked beside her. He didn’t touch her but it was clear if she attempted to go in any direction other than the one they set, he was prepared to prevent it.
Oh please, Kayla rolled her eyes at the idiocy of it all. Like she was going anywhere.
Agent Patrosky stopped at a door at the end of the hallway and opened it, indicating Kayla should step into the room. Kayla glanced around; it was just like she’d seen in the movies. Gray tiled floor, light beige walls, no windows, and a metal table dominated the room. The room had a sweet odor to it, like it covered up the scent of fear. There were two uncomfortable looking chairs on one side of the table and one on the other. This was the only furniture in the room. She stopped beside the table and looked at Agent Patrosky.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. “What the hell is going on?”
“Ms. Michaels, please have a seat and we’ll see that everything is made clear to you.” The other agent, Karter she thought his name was, whispered something to Agent Patrosky Kayla didn’t catch.
“We’ll be right back,” Agent Patrosky said. “Would you like a cup of coffee or water?”
“No, nothing.” She bit her tongue from tacking on an automatic thank you. She wouldn’t give the woman the satisfaction of thanking her for anything.
“Have a seat then, make yourself comfortable.” Then she and her partner left.
Kayla had no choice; she sat heavily in one of the two chairs closest to her. She gave a nervous laugh. She was probably supposed to sit in the lone chair on the other side of the table. She’d be damned if she complied with them for anything more than she had to. She’d done nothing wrong.
She held her bag tighter against her stomach and was thankful they hadn’t taken away her cell phone. She pulled it out and noticed she had a voicemail; it was probably from Tal but she had to ignore it. She thought it was more important to try her sister’s cell first. Unfortunately, the call went straight into voicemail. She tried Nessa’s office and was told she was on her way there. Breathing a big sigh of relief, she ended the call and pulled up Tal’s number to call him, but when the door began to open she disconnected the call and turned to face the door.
Agent Patrosky entered by herself this time and she had a thin green file folder in her hand. She sat in the chair across from Kayla and rested the file on the table, keeping her hands on top of it.
Patience almost at an end, Kayla waited for Patrosky to finally, she hoped, tell her what this was about.
“Well Ms. Michaels, you certainly have quite a few people concerned for your welfare.”
It wasn’t a question nor was it deserving of a response, so Kayla remained silent.
“Tell me about the first time you met Mr. Newington.”
“I believe I already gave you that information. I also told you I won’t be answering anymore questions without my lawyer present.”
“Do you feel you need a lawyer?”
“You tell me,” Kayla replied.
“Which one?”
Kayla shook her head. “Huh? What do you mean, which one?”
Agent Patrosky tilted her head as if she was surprised by the question. “There are two attorneys out at the reception area who insist they be present while you’re questioned,” she said.
“One should be my sister, but who’s the other one?”
“I believe he’s the general counsel for Reynolds Bank. Mr. Reynolds may have sent him down here to protect the interests of the bank.”
“What?” A completely confused Kayla looked at the agent and frowned. “You know I have no idea what’s going on here, so I suggest you let them both in and let’s get this over with.”
Agent Patrosky stared at her for a minute before getting up and opening the door. She stepped into the hall for a moment. Either the other agent stood in the hall or someone else, but Kayla could hear her tell someone to bring them up. She returned to the seat across from Kayla.
A few minutes of silence later, the door opened again and in walked her sister. Kayla stood up and hugged, Nessa.
“Hey sweetie,” Nessa said. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Do you know what’s going on?”
Patrosky cut in before Nessa could respond. “Ms. Michaels, would you please have a seat.” Kayla glanced past her sister’s shoulder and saw another man enter behind her.
A bald rather large dark skinned individual, and dressed too well to be able to afford the expensive wool suit on a government salary. This had to be the attorney Tal sent. She felt a tug in the center of her stomach that he’d feel the need to send an attorney. But was he there on behalf of the bank or for her? Maybe both. But if he thought this warranted an attorney, then where was he?
The man introduced himself as Philip Grant and then Patrosky’s partner closed the door, leaning against it like he was making it clear no one left the room unless he let them.
Chances Are Page 9