I’m sure they were good detectives and I knew I was letting my bias show, but I did have a job to get back to.
“Okay then. I think we can get onto why we are here.” Hardy opened a manila folder in front of her.
“A friend of yours, Angel Hernandez, contacted us about a missing person.” Mackeson’s pearly whites gleamed at me.
I nodded my head. He mentioned he would have to contact the police if he found anything suspicious. I guess he had.
“Yes, I’m friends with Angel. Since he used to be with the CPD, I knew he would reach out to you. An employee with the company hasn’t been here in a few weeks so I asked Angel to see if he could help me track him down. That’s all.”
They both nodded, but Hardy sat forward while Mackeson relaxed back in the black leather chair.
“I see. Did Mr. Ashton Graham mention anything to you about being worried?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so, but I didn’t work with him on a regular basis. You would have to ask the people in the IT department. I only grew concerned when his manager, Edgar Mimir, came to me because he hadn’t been at work for two weeks. At first, I thought he forgot to fill out the vacation sheet and that Ashton was most likely on a vacation we didn’t know about. But by the third week we still couldn’t reach him, so I contacted Angel to find out more. Now it’s been a month, and no one at Mimir has heard from Ashton.”
The door to the conference room opened behind me. I turned to find Edgar standing there. His eyes scanned the two detectives before landing on me.
“Mr. Edgar Mimir?” Hardy said.
“Yes. I can wait outside for my turn.” Edgar stepped back and started to close the door.
“No, Mr. Mimir, please have a seat. What we are discussing with Ms. Bechmann pertains to you too.” Hardy pointed to the chair beside me.
As he entered the room and closed the door behind him, I brought my attention forward to the two detectives. I tried my best to ignore the prickling sensation running up my arm and neck. Perhaps I was imagining it, but I swear as Edgar sat I could feel the heat from his body move across me.
Ever since his lips touched mine in the elevator last week I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. I knew it was because of the crowded elevator, but I liked to imagine he was tempted to kiss me.
It’s silly to think he would feel that way, but it’s not like I have anything else going on in my life to fantasize over.
“Now that you are here, Mr. Mimir, I can ask you about Ashton Graham. What can you tell us about him?” Mackeson asked while scratching at his stubble.
Edgar gave them the typical response to any good employee. Telling them Ashton never had tardy or absentee issues. That the two years he had been working here he was social and appeared to enjoy his job. I agreed with Edgar on the areas I knew about.
“Would you have any reason to be concerned about Ashton Graham’s private life?” Hardy lifted her head from the notes she took on her white pad of paper and stared at Edgar.
“What? No. I knew he didn’t have any family. He was raised by elderly parents who died about a year before he began working here. I never really asked him about his personal life because I never saw anything that would cause me concern,” Edgar said.
Tardy turned her head to me. “How about you, Ms. Bechmann? Did you find Mr. Graham’s actions cause you concern about his personal life?”
What on Earth was this about? Did they think Ashton was some terrorist wanting to take over the government?
“I don’t ask anyone about their personal life, even my friends. It’s none of my business. Why would I ask an employee I rarely saw?”
Detective Hardy’s eyes widened before she turned her head to her partner. They both nodded at each other. Mackeson sat forward, clasping his hands on the table.
“Okay then. Maybe there was something else going on? Did you think he might have had a relationship, a personal one if you know what I mean, with someone here.” His eyebrows wiggled just before he winked at me.
Anger and bile rose in my throat and I couldn’t bring myself to answer his ridiculous question.
“I don’t mean to imply anything, Ms. Bechmann—”
“Then don’t. I take this job very seriously. I respect where I work too much to jeopardize myself or anyone else who works here by some silly infatuation. If there were any emotions involved they were very one sided, and I knew nothing about them. Office romances only cause trouble.”
I felt I made my point. When people followed their heart so many mistakes could happen. That’s why I only used my brain to make decisions.
“Obviously. Yes, Ms. Bechmann.” Detective Mackeson nodded as Hardy reached for her coffee and took a sip. Her shoulders began to shake.
I also noticed Mackeson glanced down at the folder before his shoulders started to shake too.
They were laughing at me. Apparently hard work and dedication to an employer was funny to them.
I lifted my finger and pointed at them. “Look, if you two think this is so fun—”
Heat traveled up my arm as Edgar’s hand clasped mine, lowering it back down. “What I think Evaleen is trying to say is we are just as perplexed as you two as to why a good employee would just disappear. We would like to help you anyway we can to get to the bottom of it. Evaleen and I really hope he is okay.”
The detectives composed themselves. As they were sifting through their paperwork, I realized Edgar was still holding my hand.
Normally I would quickly remove my hand from his because it just made me want to touch him even more. But it was soothing. The accusations from the cops didn’t seem so upsetting anymore. I even smiled realizing how much I overreacted to them.
Edgar caught my grin and removed his hand.
I frowned. I guess he couldn’t have dowdy Evaleen have feelings for him.
“Would you both take a look at this photograph? Tell us what it may mean to you.”
It was an image of Edgar smiling at the camera.
I straightened in my seat and glanced over at Edgar. The look on his face was one I would never forget. Disgust, maybe even humiliation, but definitely the complete opposite of his appearance in the image.
“Was this a recent photograph?” Mackeson’s deep voice echoed in my ear as I stared at Edgar. He didn’t look at me, focused solely on the picture. He was probably trying to remember when it was taken. Wondering which sexy woman he had fooled around with had taken it.
It wasn’t a sexy woman, it was just me.
My eyes began to burn and I knew tears weren’t far behind so I turned my attention back to the detectives. As much as I willed my voice to return, I knew if it did the tears would give way.
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, but it was Edgar who answered their question.
“No. I remember it was a Friday night in July, about four years ago.”
Closing my eyes, I prayed he wouldn’t continue. It took until that moment, in front of the detectives, to realize maybe it was best if I remained invisible to Edgar.
“Who took the picture, Mr. Mimir?” Hardy asked.
“It was Evaleen. Ms. Bechmann.”
TWELVE
Edgar
Just the thought of Evaleen next to me in bed and I was half hard.
That picture brought back all the memories. The good ones. When she laughed at my jokes. It was the next best thing to heaven when Evaleen’s head fell back and her sapphire eyes sparkled with delight.
I closed my eyes recreating that moment in my head. We were drunk and went back to my place from happy hour.
She wasn’t manager yet, but Jacob had taken notice of her hard work. I noticed too, but what I also took note of was how good her ideas were when she attended meetings. How the other employees gravitated to her for advice and help.
What I observed, maybe more felt, was that my heart seemed to tighten whenever I was around her. Choking me.
I thought it best to stay away from her but that nig
ht, after a few drinks, I touched her and that tightness bloomed into something wonderful.
I knew I was attracted to Evaleen but that night I realized it was so much more. I was addicted to her.
How do you cure addiction? You stay away from whatever you were addicted to. So, after that night I avoided Evaleen as best I could.
“You two had an intimate relationship and worked together?” Hardy said as the corner of her mouth ticked up. Both detectives were staring at Evaleen.
“No,” Evaleen said at the same time I said, “Yeah, you could say that.”
Evaleen’s head spun toward me where she couldn’t decide whether to narrow or widen her eyes. She finally compromised which appeared painful. I wondered if her head might explode.
“So, which is it? You did or didn’t have an intimate relation? Let’s call it an office romance that might cause trouble. You know, some silly infatuation that may jeopardize your careers.” Hardy smiled at Evaleen, and I knew without even turning that Evaleen was glaring at her.
“There was no office romance. Was there, Edgar?” I could hear her teeth grind as Evaleen used my name.
I knew Evaleen was embarrassed about that time. One of those mistakes only liberal amounts of alcohol and a Friday night could create. I wasn’t surprised when the morning came and she wasn’t there. Or that she avoided me after that.
“No, there wasn’t. Just that one night. Not that much happened that night anyway. Nothing that could be labeled an office romance.” I half laughed and half blew air out of my lips trying to give the appearance that it was no big deal. Back up Evaleen. Make the detectives think I didn’t have feelings for her.
Obviously, I was lying.
“Okay, so nothing happened after that night? Nothing that would involve a jealous lover or someone at your job to take notice?” Mackeson finally broke his gaze from us to glance back at his paperwork.
“Yes. Nothing happened.” Evaleen practically pleaded as if her life depended on it.
I turned to gaze at the buildings across Michigan Avenue to distract myself. She regretted that night, I got it. But there wasn’t any need to act like being mistaken for having a fling with me was the worst thing since sardine pie.
I’m not that much of a man-whore. In fact, I haven’t been with a woman in a long while.
“So, you want us to believe that you aren’t attracted to each other?” I turned back to see Hardy moving her finger, pointing at us.
“Oh, why is that so hard to believe, detectives? You may hump like rabbits down at the station, but at Mimir we expect our employees to be focused on work and not each other.” Evaleen pointed back.
The way everyone was pointing at each other I wondered if a pointing battle would begin. Sort of like a break dance battle, but with fingers instead of dance moves.
“Hey.” Mackeson wrinkled his brow and pointed at Evaleen.
Yup, a good ol’ fashioned pointing fight.
Evaleen raised her hands in surrender, losing the battle. “I’m sorry, detectives. I am sure you are professional. It is just hard to be accused of something that isn’t true.”
The detectives glanced at each other and nodded before turning to me.
“And you aren’t attracted to Ms. Bechmann, is that right?”
I couldn’t open my mouth. The detectives leaned forward waiting for my answer, but I wouldn’t give it to them.
Swallowing, I glanced over at Evaleen who focused on her hands. Twisting her fingers around each other. Her body was shaking.
Was she afraid of my answer?
I knew I was.
“Whatever do you mean?” I stalled.
I might as well have been on trial for my life because I was sweating profusely.
Should I tell them the truth? Yes, I am so attracted to this woman that I can’t be in the same room as her without walking out with a hard-on. Yes, she’s physically beautiful, but it wasn’t about that. It was her fearlessness, her strength, and how she refused to be nothing less than herself to the world.
I knew Henrik didn’t like her. He thought she had a chip so large on her shoulder it could be a boulder. But he didn’t know her, not like I did.
“I think you know what we mean, Mr. Mimir.” Hardy leaned closer across the table.
It felt hot in the room, stifling. I wasn’t about to admit something that would alienate Evaleen from me even more.
“Why is our personal life relevant to a missing coworker? When this picture was taken, Ashton Graham wouldn’t have even started to work for Mimir for another two years.”
I had to ask. This meeting needed to end. There were several reasons I avoided Evaleen. Yes, I was attracted to her. Yes, she hated me. It wasn’t fun to be reminded of that. This meeting was like a hot poker to my heart, painfully teasing me with what I could never have.
“Yes. Why are you asking us such personal questions, which I might add, are none of your business?” Evaleen pointed toward the detectives.
“We searched Ashton Graham’s apartment a few days ago and found this image on his laptop. We don’t know why he would have that picture of Mr. Mimir, and when our IT people traced the image it appeared to come from your computer, Ms. Bechmann.” Mackeson pointed to the picture in front of us.
I struggled to hide my smile. Evaleen had that picture. It almost made all these ridiculous questions and Evaleen’s sharp denial that we had feelings for each other worth it.
I leaned forward on the table. “What? Why would Ashton have this picture?”
“That’s what we are trying to figure out. We still can’t seem to find him. Since he was in IT, do you know why he might have hacked into the Mimir system to take anything?”
My heart began to race as fear caused my skin to become slick. Mimir had been hacked? That was my worst nightmare as an IT exec. The press would go wild if this got out.
Mimir would no longer be the third largest Internet retailer in the world. It would be lucky to get any business. Who would feel safe giving us their credit card information or shipping address?
Here I was worried about some lust filled night years ago when millions of people’s information was out there for anyone to get.
“So you think he hacked our system?” I was standing now, my fingers turning white from the pressure of leaning on them as I got as close to the detectives as possible.
“We don’t know, Mr. Mimir. Once we got the—”
“Wait a minute.” I waved my hands in the air cutting Hardy off. “This could cost the company millions, maybe even billions. I can’t even imagine how much information could have been hacked. This is the stuff that brings down companies, and you were joking around with our HR manager because she is a good employee? Is that where your priorities lie?”
Mackeson got up and held his hands in front of himself. “Look, Mr. Mimir, we don’t have reason to believe that he hacked your entire system, just a few of the employee’s computers.”
“Who? I need to know as I am the CIO.”
I felt Evaleen’s warm hand on my arm and as if she held some magical power, I breathed. The tension in my body eased. I found she wasn’t glaring nor grinding her teeth, but I was greeted with a hint of a soft smile.
She glowed. I swear there was an aura around her that made me realize that this wasn’t the end of the world.
“This is just a job, Edgar. A job you are great at. If anything happened, I know you will work hard to correct it,” Evaleen said as she gave a quick squeeze to my arm before lowering her hand.
I needed to hear that. She was right. This was a job, and if there was a breach, I knew enough to fix it. Sure, there may be some damage after, but I have dealt with worse in my life.
“He had files that originated from Ms. Bechmann’s computer, your computer Mr. Mimir, and Henrik Payne’s too.”
THIRTEEN
Evaleen
“Tea time, Jensen?” I strolled into the small kitchen and shifted around the small table where Grace Jensen sat.
> She lifted her delicate wrist and stared at her big metal watch. “No, technically tea time doesn’t start for another four hours, Ms. Bechmann.”
Grace giggled and shook her head.
“Oh, good to know. It’s just, you are drinking tea out of a tea cup. So, what’s in the cup then? Molasses?” I slanted my eyes to her yellow cup before turning to the coffee pot.
My mom went on a date last night, and I stayed up until she got home. She was trying Internet dating and I was worried. Men trolling the Internet looking for women couldn’t be trusted.
I was on my third cup of coffee and needed to be awake for the meeting I had with Jacob Mimir in a half hour. Don’t think it would look good if I fell asleep in front of the president of the company.
“No, it’s tea. That is how you properly drink tea. In a tea cup,” Grace said covering her mouth with her fingers as she laughed. “Oh, Ms. Bechmann, you are so funny. I thought Ms. Drake was the funny one around here, but I like your humor too.”
Grace was so easily amused. Sometimes I thought Grace wasn’t some crazy stalker that Payne had painted her out to be. Maybe Grace just had a simpler way of looking at things.
“I’ll be performing here all week, Jensen, so stop on by,” I said as I poured the last of the coffee into my white and blue Mimir mug.
“What? Performing?” Grace asked behind me.
“Another joke, Jensen. Never mind.”
Taking a sip, I realized it was the backwash of the coffee.
I poured it out into the sink and reached up into the cabinet above me for another coffee packet. It was on the third shelf, which was a ridiculous location for the extra coffee.
As the tips of my fingers reached the packet, another hand came up beside me. I turned my head to find Edgar gazing at me.
“Here let me.”
The deep vibrations from his voice caused me to shiver, and I shirked back to give him room. As he handed over the coffee, our fingers touched and that shiver from a moment ago turned into a lightning bolt up my arm.
“Thank you,” I said and felt the giggle bubbling to the surface.
The Attraction File (Cake Love Book 2) Page 6