by Petrova, Em
“Yes. Each IP address is unique, just like a phone number, to each computer,” Tom repeated.
“If I have the little icons at the bottom of my screen of the files I have on my computer and someone pulls them up, they can access my files?”
“If they have click on it before the screen times out and demands a password access again or if they input your computer password, sure.” Tom frowned as he pulled out a long sheet. “But no one leaves icons open on an unattended computer.”
Could I feel any more stupid?
“This tracking report shows all transactions from your computer, times, dates, and locations. I highlighted the Hawaii ones.”
“There are dozens of them.” Christine sighed as she took the sheets. “Some weeks we had to change the orders four or five times. This could take hours. I’ll need to check the dates and times against my appointment book so I can account for exactly where I was, at what time, and if I really did send it or not.”
“I hope you don’t mind but since I have the ability, I went ahead and accessed the orders the corporation heads say are forged.” Tom pulled out a second sheet. “Take it, compare, and call me if you need anything else.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” Christine handed him a gift card. “There’s enough for forty cups. A month’s worth?”
Tom grinned and stood. “Almost. Glad I could help. I better get going.”
“Christine, Tom, fancy meeting you here.”
Christine almost choked on her water. She swallowed fast and tried to smile. “Hello Jim. Tom and I ran into each other and are just saying hello.”
Jim glanced from one to the other. “I see.”
“I need to get to the office. See you later, Jim. Take care, Christine.” Tom dashed away.
Jim took his vacated chair. “So, Christine, imagine my surprise seeing you here when I first came in. I bought you a coffee. You drink mocha, right?” He handed her a cup. “How have you been? All recovered from the attack?”
He knew about the attack? How? It hadn’t been made public, had it? Christine took the cup and let it sit on the table. “I’m getting there. The sling comes off soon.”
“Good to hear. Do the police have any leads on who attacked you?” Jim leaned on the table.
“No. At least not any they’ve shared with me.” Christine mentally kicked herself for thinking this early no one from the office would be around. She shoved the papers deeper into her purse. “How are you?’
“Doing well.” Jim lifted his cup and took a deep sip, his gaze lingering on hers. “Interesting you’d just run into Tom here.”
“Well, this is a second home to most of us.” She laughed and felt the sudden urge to run. Something didn’t feel right, something in the way Jim treated her. She’d never felt uncomfortable around him; why did she now? “I probably should get going.”
Jim gestured. “You haven’t touched your coffee.”
“I’ve had my limit for the day, but I’ll take it with me for later.” Christine went to rise. Jim put a hand on her arm and stopped her.
“You have a few minutes to catch up with your boss, although since the board is meeting today about your embezzlement case I guess I won’t be your boss much longer.” Jim’s fingers moved up and down her arm.
“They’re meeting today?” Christine sank back down. Did Charlie know? Is that why he rejected her? Would Charlie be fired because he’d come to help her? She had to get home.
“Yes. I’m real sorry we won’t see your face around the office any longer. It’s a true loss to the corporation.” Jim’s fingers dug into her forearm and caused her to wince.
He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded smug. Christine took a deep breath and smelled cigars, the same stench as when—oh my God.
“I’m real sorry you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.” Jim watched her so closely she almost squirmed. “But Charlie is more than making it all up to you, isn’t he, all comfy in your house, your bed?”
Christine felt her head spin. How did he know Charlie stayed with me? No, not Jim. He couldn’t have attacked me—but the smell—do not panic. Oh holy God. “Charlie’s my friend.”
Jim laughed an unpleasant sound. “Nice to have ‘friends’ like him, isn’t it? You do realize, of course, his high placed corporate friends won’t protect him forever either.”
“Charlie didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did I.” I’m not going to be afraid of you. I’m not.
Jim shrugged. “The evidence says different. All those duplicated invoices changed and on your own computer. I’ll have some clean up to do, being it happened right in my own office. But it will all work itself out, I’m certain. Drink your coffee, Christine.”
She stared at the cup. What had he put in there? Would he be so bold? A group of laughing women took chairs at the table next to theirs, blocking Jim between them and the wall. Christine took the opportunity to stand and slip away. She raced to her car, her heart pounding.
***
Charlie placed the empty mug in the sink and resisted the temptation to throw it. Where the hell could Christine be? It had been hours. He walked back to his laptop where he’d been staring at facts and figures with a few breaks for coffee. Someone used Christine’s work computer to change and send those orders, but concealing the stolen money didn’t happen in the office. He’d contacted the bank of the new routing account numbers but hadn’t learned much. The account had been closed a few weeks ago. So where did the money disappear to? If he could find the funds, he’d find who had done this.
From his visits and friendly luaus, he knew most of the larger corporate offices were fairly open, ‘cube style’ set ups. The smaller offices, like Christine’s and his, were a bit more private with small box style offices. Managers and supervisors had assistants with free access to files, computers, etc. Charlie smiled a bit thinking of his administrative assistant who would happily fry anyone who touched his computer. But Christine, as a representative, didn’t have an assistant; reps shared the services of the office manager.
He stared at his laptop. Could someone have used a wireless device like a laptop, smart phone, or tablet, broken into the accounts, and accessed Christine’s desktop using the same network? He walked into her office where her computer quietly buzzed and using the corporation web site accessed his own accounts. So, it could be done from a computer not in the office which he already knew since he could always access his accounts when traveling. Since Charlie had Christine’s password, once she returned he’d try to access her corporate email from his laptop, a test to see if it could be done. Once she returned. He glanced at the clock, not sure whether to be worried, angry, or nonchalant. Maybe she simply went for breakfast with her son, Adam, or some friends.
As if on cue, the front door opened and Christine rushed in as he walked out of the office. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’m positive.”
“Christine.”
She shook her head as she spoke into her cell phone. “No, I’m home now. I’m locking up. Charlie’s here too. I will. Thanks, Marsha.”
She dropped the cell into the sling she wore. “Is the kitchen door locked and all the windows?”
Charlie followed as she ran to the front door to check the lock and bolt. “What’s going on?”
She rushed down the hall. “I’ll explain in a minute, just help me secure the house.”
Charlie went through, checking, securing, and wondering before they met back in the kitchen. “What is it?”
“I found out who attacked me.” Christine gazed up at him, her face so sad and confused he wanted to hold her. “Jim.”
Charlie blinked. “Your boss attacked you? Are you sure?”
“I saw him at the coffee shop, I smelled cigars, and he implied, he said,” She gripped his arm. “He said the board is meeting today. You have to leave, find somewhere safe, or maybe even go, and tell them.”
“I’m not leaving you.” He stroked her hair. “Tell me what happe
ned.” As Christine told him about her morning, it all clicked into place. Jim had Christine’s passwords and free access to her computer. No one would suspect him if he went in her office without her.
“I just don’t understand why. Marsha and Ben are going to question him, but unless he outright confesses, it will be my word against his. It won’t be enough that he made me think he did something to my coffee and grabbed my arm.”
“He hurt you again?” Charlie pushed up her sleeve, feeling rage at the deepening bruises in the shape of fingers on her pale skin. “May God damn his black soul? I’ll kill him.”
“No you won’t.” Christine grabbed his hand with hers. “Let Ben and Marsha do their jobs. If they can get him to confess, you’ll be cleared. We both will.”
“I should have been with you.” It had been his fault, yet again, she’d gotten hurt. She’d never have departed without him if he hadn’t pushed her away.
“You didn’t want me.” She dropped his hand. “I’m sorry you’re trapped here with me. There’s a patrol car doing drive-bys. You could probably catch a ride and go to a hotel with good security. Even find a flight back home.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Charlie touched his lips to the firm line of hers. “Not now, not ever.”
“You pushed me away.” Christine leaned away. “When I tried to make love with you, you said no and pushed me away. It’s okay if you don’t want me. You don’t have to pretend because you think I’m upset.”
“I’m not pretending anything, not any longer.” He laid his forehead on hers. “This is the worst possible time or maybe it’s not. There’s something I have to show you.” He held out a chair for her to sit at the table in front of his laptop.
Christine shook her head. “I don’t understand what this is or what you’re trying to prove but this isn’t the way.”
“Just listen. Please.” Charlie waited until she huffed out a breath and sat before he knelt beside her to click and open the file filled with photos. “It would be better if I had this in my hand.” He watched her face. “This ring belonged to my mother before she died. It’s a hibiscus flower made out of sapphires.”
“It’s Hawaii’s state flower.” She glanced from the screen to him and back again. “It’s beautiful.”
Charlie muttered a quick prayer and took a deep breath. “I want it to be yours. I want you to marry me.”
***
Christine stared at the ring then at him. “M...marry you?”
“Marry me, Ku`u Lei, as soon as we can arrange it.” Charlie’s gaze remained steady on hers, never wavering and holding such earnestness she could never doubt his sincerity.
Had she ever been speechless in her entire life? The silence stretched out as she tried to think of what to say. Finally, she whispered, “What does it mean? The word you said?”
“It means ‘my beloved’. And you are, Ku’uipo, Ku’u ‘I’ini.” He kissed her hand. “My mother left her engagement and wedding rings for me to give the woman I choose to join my life with. My grandmother wore it before my mother and her mother before her. I want you in my family history. I need you, my Gem.”
“You deserve a sapphire, not a diamond.” Christine murmured, recalling his words right after she awoke in the hospital. “Your mother’s ring...her mother’s...your history. You want me to marry you?”
“It’s too soon. I should have waited.” Charlie jerked to his feet and shoved a hand through his hair then into his pockets so his jeans stretched taut across his lower body. “I’m making a mess of this when it should be special.” His gaze narrowed. “Is it because you think Monica wore the ring? She didn’t. It never felt right to give it to her. But you, my Christine, it feels right.”
“You pushed me away.” Christine swallowed, wanting to believe, yet not daring to take a chance.
“I wanted so much to feel you wrap around me and come hard with those little moans you make, but I thought you’d blame me for not protecting you.” Charlie’s hands moved, pulling the denim tighter.
Her mouth watered. She wanted, oh how she wanted and needed him. “I don’t blame you. How could I when it wasn’t your fault?”
“Then it is me. What do I know about marriage anyway?” Charlie paced. “I screwed up mine. And yours didn’t go so great, either, so no wonder you don’t want to take a chance on me, on marriage again. I rushed it. I should have waited. But when you left and I had no idea when or if you were coming back, I knew I couldn’t let you go. I couldn’t just walk away.”
She watched in fascination as he paced. Nerves from Charlie were as rare as snow at the beach. She couldn’t remember a time she’d seen him anxious or even agitated. So this mattered. It mattered. His mother, his grandmother, his great grandmother’s ring. Oh yes, this mattered.
“You’re still young. You could even have more children if you wanted. Not saying you do, I’m just saying if you wanted, you could. I mean, the kids you have are wonderful, a true credit to you, and you love them. I love them because they’re yours and part of you so of course I’m not asking for us to have more kids. I just meant you still could if you wanted. With someone else, I mean, someone better than me, if you wanted.”
Christine marveled, Charlie rambled like she did when nervous. She fell a bit more in love with him. He said he loved her children. He called her ‘my beloved’. Oh God.
“I let Monica down, and I let you down. I didn’t protect either of you, and I’m sorry.” Charlie spun, his back ram rod straight. “I failed you. No wonder you don’t want to marry me. I wouldn’t either.”
“Charlie.”
“No, it’s all right. I understand.” He paced over to slam the lid of the laptop. “So, um, Marsha and Ben said they would go talk to Jim?”
Christine held out her hand as she stumbled to her feet. “I need to tell you something.”
“Yeah, Peg said the board would meet later today, so Jim actually didn’t lie. I’ll call Marsha, add credit to what you’ve already said, and see if they can speed up Jim’s interrogation a bit. I’ll call Peg and tell her too.” Charlie raced away.
“Charlie!” Christine shouted, but he didn’t stop. “Damn, damn, damn.” It was her own fault really, for waiting so long, for taking a second to savor seeing him so out of his element, showing how much her answer—how much she—mattered to him. He wouldn’t hear her now, needing a bit of time and space.
She retrieved the sheets Tom gave her. She’d clear them both, add weight to the evidence against Jim, and then tell Charlie yes. Yes, yes, yes. She began the tedious process of checking each transaction against her date book and calendar.
Charlie walked back into the dining room a while later, cell phone in hand, his face blank. He didn’t speak, simply raised a brow at all the sheets spread across the table.
“This is a printout of all the orders in question. None were done from any other IP address than the ones at my office computer.” Christine gestured. “So they were changed at my office, from my computer, which completely clears you and is the reason Mrs. Bensen and the corporation realized you couldn’t be at fault. I guess it’s also why I got suspended and you didn’t.”
Surprise entered his face as he looked at the sheets. “Where did you get these?”
Christine shifted, not wanting to reveal Tom’s involvement, but Charlie well understood obtaining these documents would be beyond her technological capabilities. “A contact in the office gave them to me.”
“Show me what you’ve found.”
“Here.” Christine pointed. “See this one? I checked my appointment book. I had to attend a teleconference with Chicago, but two of the switched orders were sent during the same time. This proves there’s no way I sent them.”
One of Charlie’s brows rose. “Almost. You didn’t set the orders to remotely send at a certain time?”
Christine felt her jaw drop. “I can do that?”
Charlie laughed and the tension between them seemed to break a bit. “Yes. But since you asked, it
means you didn’t. Who else from your office attended the teleconference?”
“Tom, Bill, and Jim.” Christine tried to recall. “But since Jim attended too, he couldn’t have sent them I guess.” She tapped her forehead. “Unless he remote sent, right?”
“Possibly.” Charlie pointed to a second transaction. “And this one?”
Christine checked it against her appointment book. “I had rotation for inventory, had to enter needed supplies into the computer database, so there should be a time and date stamp for every item I entered which would prove I couldn’t have sent these. Hey, wait. Remote sent would leave a trace too. So all I have to do is ask To—my contact to trace those as well.”
“Excellent. You’re getting this technical stuff.” Charlie nodded. “And this?” They went down the list. Christine could account for being away from her computer in all but one instance. She wrote notes beside each, adding exact details at Charlie’s urging.
Once they finished, Charlie dialed his cell. “Peg? Yeah, you’re busy and have some things hitting the fan. Did you investigate anyone besides Christine and Jim? Because he didn’t do this alone.” Charlie glanced at Christine and winked. “Oh hell no, I’m not telling you how to do your job. I have proof, and I’ll fax it over. But humor me, what name is on the new account where the corporation funds ended? Don’t play games, you have it because I almost had it, and if I could trace it, it would be kid’s play for you.”
Christine mouthed the word ‘what’ when Charlie’s gaze widened and darted to hers. He shook his head and held up his index finger.
“Interesting, a stupid mistake then. How? I’m going to fax some papers and you can take things from there. I need your private fax number, and you standing at the machine so no one else gets this. Five minutes. Yeah, I’m aware, but trust me, Peggy, and call me back when you get it. I’ll take dinner for two as a reward. Ha ha, no, not with you. Faxing now.” Charlie gathered up the papers as he disconnected. “I need to use your fax.”