“Unfortunately, we don’t have enough chairs for everyone,” Agent Patrosky stated. “We weren’t expecting such a crowd. As we’ve explained, this is just routine questioning.”
Philip Grant moved to stand behind the two women and placed his briefcase on the floor at his feet. “Then you don’t mind if we listen in?”
Nessa turned her head up to look at him, but didn’t comment.
“Not at all,” Patrosky replied. “I was just asking Ms. Michaels, Ms. Kayla Michaels here about the first time she met Mr. Newington.”
“I told you that already the day you called me and we spoke on the phone.”
“Please, tell me again.”
“The first time I ever laid eyes on the man was Tuesday when he walked into the bank and fired me.”
“And you’d never seen him before that morning?” Patrosky asked.
“No.”
“How about at any kind of management seminar or company get-togethers?”
“The seminars are usually job specific. I’ve only attended seminars on branch management. As far as get-togethers, not that I can recall. I suppose he could have been at a company picnic, but there are hundreds of people there. Friends as well as family, so it’s conceivable he was present at one I attended, but I don’t recall ever meeting him.”
“They play games at those picnics don’t they? Like football or softball?” Patrosky asked.
“Softball, sometimes.”
“Well he could have been on one of the teams, even yours?”
“Agent Patrosky, I fail to see how this is relevant,” Nessa interjected. “My sister has already stated she can’t recall if she’d ever seen him at one of these picnics.”
Patrosky didn’t appear to want to drop the line of questioning and persisted. “But it’s possible she did, and knew the man before he showed up at the bank on Tuesday?”
“It’s possible I saw him but I did not know him,” Kayla replied, trying to keep her irritation at the agent out of her voice. “If I had ever spoken to him before Tuesday, I would have remembered.”
“Why is that?” the agent asked.
“He’s a little weasel.”
Kayla didn’t have to look at her sister to know she smiled at her response, and Philip standing behind her chair coughed.
But Agent Patrosky didn’t appear amused. Her face never broke a crinkle.
“How long have you known Sally Henderson?” Patrosky asked.
“Sally?” Kayla blinked surprised at the question. “I’ve worked with her now for two years.”
“Would you say she’s a good worker, honest?”
“Yes, very.”
“Have you ever had lunch together, or went out after work hours? Would you say you’re friends?”
“Yes, we’re friends,” Kayla agreed. “I like and respect her and enjoy working with her, and we’ve had lunch or a drink or dinner after work a few times.”
The agent leaned forward and opened the file as though to check something before she continued. “How long have you worked at the bank?”
“I’ve been at the bank for fifteen years, the last three as branch manager.”
“Who else knows your access code for your bank computer?”
“Up until Tuesday, no one. I gave it to Mr. Newington on Tuesday so he would be able to get on.”
“Not even Ms. Henderson?” Patrosky asked.
“No. And I didn’t know hers.”
Patrosky raised her eyebrows as though in disbelief. “What about your personal accounts? Did anyone other than you have access to those account numbers or access codes?”
“Absolutely not,” Kayla stated indignantly. “All employee accounts have general blocks.”
“As a branch manager or assistant manager, could you access each other’s bank accounts?”
“It can be done if we know the account numbers or other cross referenced information, like social security numbers. But we’d still only have access through our security codes and every time those are used there’s a record of it, and the transaction if any are performed.”
“Ms. Michaels, didn’t you find it odd Mr. Newington required your code to access your computer?”
“No. Not at all. Once the computer is turned on, the only way to get on-line or into the banks network is to enter an access code.”
“But it could have been overridden by a call to your technical staff, and they could have invalidated your codes or he could have entered his own,” Patrosky insisted.
“I didn’t think about it at the time. I was fired. The man asked me for my access codes so he could change them, and I gave them to him, end of story.”
“As I understand it, you’re no longer fired, is that correct?”
Before Kayla could respond, Philip spoke up. “Mr. Newington had no authority to make that decision. At the time, he was no longer an employee with Reynolds Bank. Therefore, Ms. Michaels was never fired in the first place.”
The agent shifted her glance to above Kayla’s head. “But she has been promoted?”
“That is correct,” Philip replied.
“So after the theft took place, Ms. Michaels received her promotion?” Patrosky asked.
“As far as I know, the subject of Ms. Michaels’ promotion was established weeks before the theft,” Philip said.
Kayla spoke up then. “Mr. Reynolds had a meeting scheduled with me the morning I was fired to discuss my promotion with the new bank.”
Patrosky returned her attention to Kayla. “I see. And were you aware of this at the time Mr. Newington fired you?”
“Of course not!” Kayla answered angrily. “I hadn’t the chance to meet with Mr. Reynolds before Mr. Newington fired me.”
“So you were unaware of the promotion at that time?”
Nessa placed a hand on her sister’s arm to indicate she didn’t want her to respond, instead she did. “I believe she’s already answered that question.”
“Yes,” Patrosky agreed. “When did you become aware of the promotion?”
“Later that evening, Mr. Reynolds informed me.”
“Was that the first time you’d spoken to him?”
Kayla hesitated before answering. “…Ah no.”
The agent raised one eyebrow. “When was the first time you saw Mr. Reynolds?”
“The morning I was fired.”
“But I thought you didn’t have a chance to meet with him that morning,” the agent said frowning.
“I didn’t meet him. I saw him in front of the bank but didn’t know it was Mr. Reynolds.” Kayla knew what she was thinking. One day she didn’t know the man; the next day they’re dueling tongues in her office. She would groan if she could, but tried to continue to keep her face expressionless.
“You didn’t know your boss?” Agent Patrosky asked skeptically.
“This has gone on long enough,” Nessa finally spoke up. “Unless you tell us exactly what’s going on here, we are leaving.”
“I really only need to clear up one last thing.” Agent Patrosky pushed the file folder on the desk toward Kayla, turned it around and opened it up. “Ms. Michaels do you recognize the account number on this statement?”
Three pair of eyes bent over to look at the document. After a few moments of scanning the document, Kayla spoke up. “I can’t be sure. I haven’t memorized my account number, but my name is on the top of the statement indicating it’s my account. But either it’s not or there’s a mistake.”
“Why would you say that?” Agent Patrosky asked.
“It can’t be my account. I do not have that much money in either my checking or savings accounts.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Kayla insisted. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Ms. Michael, are you aware this money was transferred to your account on the same day a brokerage account was opened with money traced back to funds electronically stolen from Reynolds Bank?”
“I already told you that is not my accoun
t, and if it is there’s a mistake.”
Nessa held up her hands at the same time Philip said, “I believe we’re through here.”
Nessa shook her head. “I agree. I believe Ms. Michaels has already explained she is unsure if that is her account number, and if it is, there is a mistake made in the balance. Now, unless there is anything further we are leaving.”
“That’s all, for now. We still have a few things to check out. But I’m sure I’ll be in touch.” Patrosky made it sound like a threat, as though she didn’t believe a word Kayla said.
On sturdy legs, Kayla pushed back from the table and her sister took her hand. Together they stood. Agent Karter opened the door and they walked through with Philip trailing behind them. Once they left the building, the three stood on the sidewalk. The area around the building was well lighted but there were very few people walking around at the late hour. Nessa turned to Philip and asked, “Do you know what the hell that was all about?”
Kayla looked at her sister confused. “Why would he know?” she asked gesturing at Philip.
Nessa looked at her sister with an amazed look on her face. “You’re kidding right? Why else do you think he’s here? Listen honey, was that your account?”
“I think so. All the deposits, except that last one, I recognized. But I don’t have that kind of money.” She turned to Philip. “Why did Tal send you? Did he think I had something to do with this crap? Is that why you’re here?” Suddenly she wasn’t feeling so good.
All through the interrogation she was nervous, but she felt no fear because she’d done nothing wrong. But the sour taste of acid churned in her stomach at the thought that Tal thought she was involved.
“We haven’t formally been introduced.” He shook both women’s hands. “I’m Philip Grant, Tal’s corporate general counsel. Please call me Phil. Agent Patrosky traced the stolen funds to a brokerage account. She was able to get a court order to access the account. It showed half of the money was transferred to an account number for Reynolds Bank. When she checked the account number it was registered to you, Kayla, and the account showed the completed transfer of funds. It doesn’t show anyone from the bank tampered with the transaction.”
“She also has a picture taken from a video from one of the bank machines showing a woman wearing large glasses and a scarf around her head, clearly someone who didn’t want to be recognized, withdrawing some of the funds from this account. But the person could have been you.”
“What?” Both Kayla and Nessa cried in unison.
“That’s outrageous!” Kayla exclaimed.
“Damn right it is,” Nessa agreed.
“It’s why I’m here. Tal wants to get to the bottom of this.”
The fire of disappointment flowing through her veins was staggering, if he thought she had something to do with this. “Does he, does he think I had something to do with this?”
Philip hesitated, though it was slight. Kayla told herself he had a bank to protect; it wasn’t personal. But her heart clenched painfully in her chest just the same. “He’s back at his office with Zach,” Phil said, “trying to figure out what’s really going on.”
Just then Phil’s cell went off. He checked the caller ID. “Scuse me, ladies, it’s my boss.” He spoke briefly on the phone with Tal, bringing him up to date then he offered the phone to Kayla. “He wants to talk to you.”
Kayla took the phone and stepped a little away from her sister and Phil for privacy. She didn’t wait for him to ask. She told him first thing. “I had nothing to do with the theft or Newington, and I hope you can believe me.”
“I know. Are you all right, baby?” Tal asked.
“Yes…I’m fine. My sister was with me too.”
“I didn’t know if you’d have representation. I tried to call you and got your voice mail. I wanted to make sure you had legal counsel with you. Agent Patrosky was going down the road that you had something to do with the theft.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
“Do you have any idea how the funds ended up in your account?”
“Not a clue.”
“I’m here at my office with Zach trying to figure things out. But I want to see you. I don’t want to wait, and I can’t leave yet. Can you come meet me here now?”
“I don’t have my car, but I’ll take a cab over.”
“Phil should be headed back to the office. Why don’t you catch a ride with him?”
“Okay, I’ll ask,” she said. “And, thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for this. I can think of other things I’d rather have you thanking me for. I’ll see you soon.”
Kayla returned to Nessa’s side and held Philip’s phone out to him. “Thanks Phil. If you’re headed back to your office, do you think you can give me a ride? If not, it’s okay, I can take a cab.”
“Sure, no problem,” Phil said with a grin.
“What’s going on? What did Tal say?” Nessa asked.
“That bitch thinks I had something to do with the theft,” Kayla said still fuming.
“Yes she does. What does Tal think?” Nessa asked.
“I think he believes I had nothing to do with it, and he’s working with Zach to find out what really happened.” At least she hoped he did. She wouldn’t know for sure until she saw him. But she needed him to believe in her, regardless of the stupid evidence. The way she was beginning to trust her feelings for him, she needed to know he’d trust his for her.
“Then you have nothing to worry about. Zach’s brilliant.”
Kayla frowned at her sister’s remark, but before she could comment, Nessa’s cell phone went off. Phones sure were going off a lot. Nessa checked the caller ID. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this,” she said stepping away from them for a little privacy.
“I’m ready if you are,” Kayla said to Philip.
“Sure, my car’s parked across the street.”
Kayla waved to her sister to get her attention. Nessa moved the phone from her ear. “What’s up?”
“I’m going to Tal’s office with Philip and see if I can help in any way. I’ll see you at home later tonight. Do you want us to walk you to your car?”
“Ah, it’s right there,” she said, pointing to the silver Lexus parked in the lot across the street. Nessa cocked her ear toward the phone again as if she were listening to someone on the other end. “I’ll cross over with you guys, and I might be late getting home.”
Kayla frowned again, thinking her sister had been acting a little strange since lunch. “It’s already late.”
Nessa just smiled and said, “Yeah, then I’ll be very late.”
Chapter Nine
Philip left Kayla at the door to Tal’s office. She walked in and found Zach seated at a large black lacquered, contemporary style desk in front of a row of windows. His head buried before a computer screen. He grunted when she said hi.
Tal was seated on an avocado green leather couch, but worked from a laptop on the low glass table in front of him. It didn’t even begin to look the way she thought a bank president’s office would, all dark woods and somber airs. Instead, it was open, bright and bold. It suited the man.
As soon as he saw her in the doorway, he got up and came to her. “Hi baby,” he said, holding his arms out to her. She took a couple of steps toward him, and he folded her into him. Lowering his head, he covered her mouth. “Mmm, I needed that more than you know.”
She opened her eyes to find him staring into them, trying to read her thoughts. He squeezed her, bringing her body even closer to his as he continued to search her face. “Are you okay?” Raising his hands, he smoothed her brow.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kayla said as she tightened her arms around Tal’s waist. And she was, as long as she was in his arms and he believed in her.
The sound of Zach’s voice took their concentration off each other. Tal whipped his head in the direction of his desk. “What is it?”
“I found something,” Zach cried.
Tal went over t
o the desk but held Kayla’s hand, pulling her with him. They stopped and flanked Zach, each looking over a shoulder at the screen.
He looked over Zach’s head at Kayla. “Can you understand what the hell we’re looking at?”
Kayla smiled and shook her head. “What did you find Zach?” she asked.
“Another transfer,” Zach said. “The first one to your account was just a distraction.”
“That’s what all those numbers and dashes mean on the screen?” Tal asked.
“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Zach hit a few keys and the screen changed. Now they appeared to be looking at a bank statement. “This is the account Newington set up in the Caymans.”
“Who’s Thomas Hardy?” Tal asked. That was the name of the account holder. The account had a starting balance of twenty million dollars, as of ten minutes ago it was down to ten.
“Maybe an alias,” Zach said.
“But I thought only one million was transferred into the New York brokerage account?” Tal said.
“Yes it was. It was his way of giving us something to track. From there he had half of it transferred again, into Kayla’s account. Again, all to give us something to follow, knowing we would. Cause if we’re following the money being transferred around we might not be paying too close attention to what remained in the bank.”
“So while you guys are busy watching the electronic transfers and interrogating me, he arranged to move more.”
“Exactly,” Zach stated.
“Not physically,” Tal said frowning. “The feds have people down there watching the bank.”
“No, same way he did it the first time, by wire transfer, actually a series of them. Each one piggy backing on the next. I’m running a program now to try to keep track of what he’s doing. He hasn’t stopped yet. My guess would be he’ll invest the money in various accounts or make investment purchases he can immediately turn around and sell. In either case, we would no longer be able to track the money.”
“Ingenious,” Kayla said.
“Shit!” Tal said.
“I’m going to call Margo now and tell her what I’ve found. I think she needs to go back and talk to Ms. Henderson.”
Chances Are Page 10