“Just being through,” the agent explained.
“We’ll be in the lounge if you need anything,” Tal said.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Kayla turned to him. “You know since we’re going to be here for awhile, we may as well get some work done.”
Tal sighed. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll get the files. Are they still in your office where I left them?”
“Yes. I’ve gone over all of them, so all you really need to do is review my notes. Afterward we can set up the personal interviews for next week. I wasn’t sure how many positions you’ve got available at the other banks or at headquarters, so I couldn’t make recommendations as to possible replacement jobs.”
“That’s fine. I’ll use your computer to get my email and pull up some information about the openings we have. We’re not going to be able to relocate everyone, but we do have some openings. I’ll have you take a look at my list while I review your notes.” There were two small tables in the empty lounge. Kayla took a seat at one of the tables and Tal bent down to kiss her before he left. “Be right back.”
After Tal left, Kayla had to shake herself. The man completely befuddled her senses. It would be a wonder if they could get any work done. But it would also be a good test to see how well they could work together. And Kayla was praying it would all work out.
In a very short period of time she was coming to care very much for this man. He was like no one she’d ever known. He made her feel things she didn’t even know existed, other than in some writer’s warped imagination. The sound of soulful guitar strains started coming from her purse. She opened it and found her cell phone. “Hello,” Kayla said. “Oh, hi Nessa.” She hadn’t recognized the number. Before she could ask about it she glanced up to see Tal coming back with the employee files. She moved her purse off the table to make room for them to work.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I forgot to call to let you know I wasn’t going to be home last night,” Kayla told her sister. “How come you’re just getting round to calling me, anyway? Did you just get up and notice I wasn’t home? What? Okay, we’ll talk later.”
Tal grinned. “Don’t tell me, lil’ sis didn’t make it home either?”
Kayla frowned. “Looks that way. But she didn’t say who she was with, and she hasn’t been seeing anyone lately. She’s busy with some big case. But I know she didn’t spend the night at work. So I have no idea who she was with.”
“Hmm, I can guess.”
Kayla raised her eyes to his as he took the seat in front of hers. She knew her eyes grew huge as things began to click into place. “Nah,” she said shaking her head in disbelief. “Ya, think?”
“Yeah, I think,” was Tal’s smiling reply.
“Zach?” she said in disbelief. “So fast?”
“Yeah, Zach. And let’s not talk about fast.”
“I just don’t see it,” she said. “He’s gorgeous and all.” She grinned when she saw the frown on his face. “No need to be jealous, you’re more gorgeous.”
“Oh, fine then.”
“I just think they’re so different,” she continued. “He’s a tech head. Her nose is always in a law book or a brief.”
“Seems to me they both have their heads in front of a computer, besides…” he leaned over and kissed her, “…we could be wrong, and she’s just busy with business.”
Kayla took a deep breath. “Okay, you’re right. Let’s get to work.”
For the next hour they worked diligently through the personnel files. Then Agent Patrosky stopped by to tell them she was done, but she hadn’t found anything and was leaving. Zach had arrived and was in Sally’s office going through her computer files. Tal and Kayla took the opportunity to return to her office to finish working. But they stopped and said hello to Zach, whose attention as usual was focused on the computer screen, all they got for their effort was a grunt.
Kayla glanced at the clock on her computer. She and Tal had been in her office for over an hour. They had gotten a lot of work done. She was the first to look up and notice Zach in the doorway. “He emerges,” she joked. “Have you found anything?”
“I think so. Some old checks made out a few years ago to Stewart Newington on Sally’s account. If it’s the same Stewart Newington, looks like they’ve known each other for quite some time, before he even started working here. And a credit card charge two days ago for a flight to Oregon. I copied the information and emailed it to Margo. But that’s all that was in her computer, no hidden files.”
“I don’t believe this,” Kayla said placing her hands flat on the table. “I was still hoping there was some sort of explanation. This shows they’ve known each other for years, and Sally may have helped him plan this all along. She set me up, and I thought we were friends.”
Tal reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “There was no way for you to have known any of this. She fooled you, so did he.”
“Yeah,” Zach agreed. “Listen, I’m gonna cut out now. That’s all I can do. I’ve got your people monitoring the account in the Caymans and the feds are on the look out if any of the cashiers’ checks surface.”
“Did Agent Patrosky tell you they may have found Sally?” Kayla asked.
“Yes, she said something about that, but she hadn’t heard from her people when she left.” Zach yawned. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”
Tal grinned. “I’ll bet.”
It was on the tip of Kayla’s tongue to ask him if he was with her sister last night. But it was none of her business, and he didn’t have to answer her. Her sister, on the other hand, would have no choice.
“So, does this mean you’re done here?” Tal asked.
“Yes. Pretty much,” Zach said. “I’ve turned everything over to your IT people as well as the FBI.”
“When are you heading back to Seattle?” Tal continued.
“Ah, I’m due a little vacation. Since I’ve never been to our nation’s capitol, I thought I’d stay a few days and do some sightseeing.”
“Oh,” Kayla said raising her eyebrows. “Do you know anyone in town?”
“Ah, a few people,” Zach replied.
Before she could ask him the question standing on the tip of her tongue—if her sister was one of them-- his cell phone went off. He wore one of those Bluetooth receivers on his ear and answered his call by tapping it. He only spoke three words, “On my way.” When he disconnected, it was clear he was anxious to go. “Listen I’m going to be around for the next few days, so if anything else comes up, just give me a call. Maybe we can all have dinner together sometime before I leave?”
“Sure. I’ll call you. Bring a date,” Tal said. “We can make it a foursome.”
Zach quickly glanced in Kayla’s direction before his attention returned to Tal. “I will.” He shook Tal’s hand and came around the desk to give Kayla a brief hug. “I’ll see you guys soon then,” he said then left.
“Well!” Kayla said. “That’s interesting.”
“If we have dinner together and he shows up with Nessa, then we’ll know for sure something’s going on between him and your sister.”
“I’m not gonna wait that long. I’ll find out exactly what’s going on when I see her tonight.”
Tal was reading Kayla’s notes but his head snapped up at her comment. “Oh, no. You won’t be home tonight. In fact, you may not be sleeping at home for a long time.”
The blood rushed from Kayla’s head. “And where will I be sleeping?”
Tal’s slim nostrils flared. “With me.” They stared at each other for a full minute, and by some nonverbal agreement returned to reading the files in front of them.
They spent the next hour reviewing the rest of the files and coming to similar conclusions. Kayla was glad when he listened to her suggestions regarding two of the employees she fought to keep. He even agreed to let her keep Mrs. Metcalf on as her secretary/executive assistant. Now, next week all they had to do was conduct the personal interviews, which should only last two or three d
ays. After the interviews, if they were both satisfied, they’d make offers, as well as hand out pink slips. Even though eighty percent of her employees would have a comparable job, the rest would have to be let go. But they’d get a month to two months severance, on top of their remaining personal leave for the year, sixty days of insurance and would be eligible for unemployment. Plus Kayla was going to write each and every one let go a letter of recommendation.
“Well that’s the last file,” Tal said pushing away from the desk. “We work well together.”
Kayla smiled. “Yes we do.”
“Let’s go ahead and close up then get out of here. We can go get something to eat.”
“I need to go home first, Tal,” she said looking down at her sweater. “I’ve been in this outfit now for over twenty-four hours.”
Tal flashed his killer grin again. “Yeah, in and out of it. But don’t worry, it still looks good on you. Tell you what; we’ll swing by your place so you can pack a bag for a week. No wait, pack for two weeks. One with work stuff and then one for our vacation--tropical wear. I haven’t forgotten you agreed to go on vacation with me.”
“I’m not sure about this, Tal.”
“What’s there not to be sure about? I want you with me. All the time. I want the rasp of your breathing to be the last sound I hear at night, and your naked body in slumber the first sight I wake up to in the morning.”
He robbed her of all speech, all common sense. All she could do was nod.
Chapter Twelve
So much had happened in a short period of time, the week was almost over. The bank was closing for good tomorrow, and Kayla was sad to see it happen. At least she could be glad quite a few jobs had been saved.
The other thing the week showed was her ability to work with Tal. They quickly got into a rhythm. She’d been staying at his place all week, and they’d drive in together and leave together. At first she thought they’d drive each other nuts, but so far it worked for them. And Friday night after they closed the doors of the bank, they were catching a plane. He still wouldn’t tell her exactly where they were going. Her only clue was it was some place warm. She smiled. Tal loved to surprise her, and his surprises were always worth it.
The smile on Kayla’s face turned into a frown after she hung up her phone. The only dark spot on the horizon was Newington and Sally. The FBI still hadn’t caught them. Sally was able to get away from the agents before they could arrest her. At least the remainder of the money in the Caymans hadn’t been touched, but they still got away with two million of the bank’s funds.
She and Tal were going home to pack tonight. Well he was, she was already good to go. She packed two bags when Tal had taken her home on Saturday. Unfortunately, she didn’t get a chance to see her sister before she left. Nessa was gone by the time she got home. She’d left a note she had to go out of town on an unexpected trip.
Something just didn’t seem right about the trip to Kayla, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what. Maybe the suddenness of it. While Nessa sometimes had to travel, she usually had more than a day’s notice. Nessa finally called her Sunday night to make sure she got her note. That was almost a week ago and she hadn’t heard from her since. And the call was short, just to let her know she’d be out of town and when she was getting back. Nessa had done all of the talking and she couldn’t get a word into the conversation.
“Penny for your thoughts.” Tal’s voice came from in front of her. She was so lost in her mind she hadn’t noticed he was in the room. That wasn’t like her. She’d notice this man a hundred paces away from her in a room packed with basketball players.
She smiled. “Make it a ten and you might have a deal.”
He came around her desk and kissed her before sitting on the edge of her desk. “You were a million miles away. Still worried about your sister?” She had told him of her feelings a few days ago, right after she had spoken to Nessa. It wasn’t that she felt anything was wrong, just off. “Yes. It’s just not like her to be so tightlipped. Usually, she loves to talk about her work. But I get the feeling this really isn’t about work.” She shut off her computer and stood.
Tal pulled her into his arms. “I’m sure everything is fine. Are you ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.” She checked her watch.
“Oh, forgot to tell you,” he said, “I got a call from Zach a little while ago.”
“So he finally returned your call huh? Is he still in town or is he back in Seattle?”
“He’s not in town. He was just calling to let me know. I’m assuming he’s back in Seattle, but he didn’t say and I had to take another call. I told him I’d give him a call tomorrow.”
The phone rang just as they stepped out of Kayla’s office. “I better get that.”
It was her mother. She and Tal had dinner with her a couple of nights ago, and her mother liked him immediately. What’s not to like? When Kayla raised her concerns about Nessa, her mother didn’t seem worried at all. She turned the subject toward Tal. It was her mother who got Tal to talk about his mother.
“Do you have any sisters or brothers, Talbert?” Her mother had asked. Telling him at the outset she liked his given name and that’s what she would be using.
“No, ma’am, unfortunately I’m an only child.”
“I’m sure you must’ve been a handful for your mama. I bet your parents are very proud of you.”
“Yes, they were.”
“Oh I’m sorry, have they both passed on?”
Kayla thought he found it easier to speak to her mother about it, she hadn’t known both of his parents were dead. His mother had died shortly after his father, who was much older than his mother. Kayla remembered how he had smiled ruefully and said, “She was a wonderful mother, very beautiful, but she’d never worked a day in her life. I didn’t really understand it wasn’t necessarily by choice. As I grew older I came to understand she was also completely dependent on my father.” He had taken a deep breath before he could continue. “She fought against severe depression most of her life and finally gave up, committing suicide. After my father died, she went into a depression she never came out of.”
Both she and her mother had gasped at that bit of news. They couldn’t help themselves. Her mother hugged him and told him how sorry she was. But Tal looked at Kayla saying, “Which is why I am attracted to strong independent types.” Then he smiled at her.
Her mother smiled in response. “Yes, I can see where that could happen.”
They’d left her mother’s house shortly after, and returned to his house, where she’d been ever since.
Kayla returned her attention to the present and her mother’s voice. They spoke for a few minutes more, and Kayla promised to call her after they got back. Her mother knew where they were going; Tal had told her. But she wouldn’t say a thing, not even a little hint.
Hours later she found herself stepping off a plane with the feel of Tal’s hand on the small of her back as he guided her down the stairs. They were in Cabo San Lucas. Tal had made arrangements with a friend to loan him his villa, not far from Playa del Amor, Lover’s Beach. In fact, like Lover’s Beach they’d have to reach his friend’s place by water taxi. He finally told her at the airport where they were going, but he waited until they were on the plane to tell her about where they were staying, and why.
“The house has a private beach,” he said. “I want you all to myself. Not many boats pass on the house side of the island because of the jagged reefs. We don’t even have to wear clothes when we bath.” Then he proceeded to whisper to her, while nibbling on her ear, all the things he would do to her on the private beach.
Kayla was uncomfortable for the entire flight, but she took satisfaction in the fact that so was he.
They made it through customs without any problems. Kayla’s head was finally out of the sensual fog Tal had created with his words, for the moment. At least enough for her to take in her surroundings. The airport wasn’t very large. She glanced up when a flash o
f a bright orange hat caught her eye. She thought the color worked against the bright sun and brilliant and colorful foliage of this part of Mexico, when something about the woman wearing it caused her eyes to narrow.
“Oh, my God!” At her exclamation, Tal walking slightly ahead of her stopped and turned toward her. “Something wrong?” he asked perplexed.
She grabbed his bicep with one hand while pointing with the other. “Look! That woman! It’s Sally! Sally Henderson!”
Tal began scanning the taxis lined up out front, but there were several women and he wasn’t sure which one could be Sally Henderson. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. That’s her. The woman in the orange hat.”
They came through the doors just as the taxi carrying the woman pulled away from the curb. “Should we follow them? Call the local police?” Kayla asked.
“Too late to try to follow her, there’s a lot of traffic around here. We’ll take a cab over to the nearest police station and have them contact the FBI. I memorized the name of the taxi company and the license plate.”
Tal spoke fluent Spanish and they got a taxi to the Cabo San Lucas police station. It took awhile, but finally they got to see the captain. After they told him their story, he wasted no time contacting the FBI. A couple hours later they were finally pulling into the private boat dock of Tal’s friend’s villa. It was early afternoon and the sun sat mid-way in the sky, creating a rainbow of colors dancing off the calm clear waters.
As they rounded a bend in the island, Kayla spied a dock. A speedboat and a slightly larger motorboat were already moored there, and what looked like an empty space for a much larger sea craft. Whoever Tal’s friend was, he had great taste in seafaring vessels. Both boats there appeared well kept and expensive.
A man stood at the only other remaining open dock space waving to them. As they got nearer she could see the gray in his hair and the lines around his eyes. He wore worn cut offs to his knees, and an oversized button shirt covered in a pattern of red and purple flowers.
“That’s Manuel Mendosa,” Tal told Kayla. “My friend Sam’s caretaker. Hola, Manuel. Que pasa?”
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