She stood there for two minutes before saying a word. “What more proof do you need?” she asked shakily.
“Do you remember telling me how your father would always say to you that things aren’t always the way they seem?” She nodded. “I learned the same thing in accounting. You can add up different combinations of numbers to get the same result. Unless you see all the work, you can’t tell which figures played what parts. Two plus two is four but so is one plus three. What you see at a glance may not be what it actually is. Let’s find all the facts before we act,” he told her.
Mason could see how shaken she was by the news. “You’re right,” she replied, her mind working in overdrive. “But I think I can push him to take a leave of absence until all is resolved.”
Could it really be that the man she felt such a strong aversion to was actually stealing from her company? Score one for the gut. She could not believe how close she came to feeling compassion for him. She had found out it was his grandmother who had been taken to the hospital that night. Was he stealing the money to take care of her? So many questions played in her mind.
“Have you checked his bank accounts?”
Mason smiled as he saw Zoe’s thinking shift into the analytical mode he recognized as belonging to the girl he knew from college. He had been worried that she might act irrationally about Aiden since their relationship had gotten off to a tumultuous start. But when it came to the big stuff, she had her head screwed on right. “No, not yet. It’s hard to get that information without getting the authorities involved. Embezzlers usually hide the money in offshore accounts so we need to figure out if he has any connections overseas.”
Pacing the room, she thought for a moment then asked, “What do you propose we do?”
“Let’s find out about him first. Can you get his file from personnel?”
“Do we need a background check?” she asked.
“Wouldn’t that be included in the HR file?” Mason asked.
“Yes, it should. I’m just upset. I can’t wrap my mind around it. You should see this guy’s house. It needs extensive repairs, the lawn needs mowing – it’s pretty run down. He even drives a company car! What does he do with all that money?”
“You’ve been to his house? When? You just met him last week,” Mason asked, puzzled.
She flushed and looked away but told him about the night she’d driven around and ended up in front of Aiden’s house. He chuckled. Of course she left out the part about briefly finding Aiden attractive.
“Let’s figure out what’s going on before we jump to conclusions,” Mason said.
“Say this guy is the thief, why would he deprive himself of a good suit? You should see his shoes and clothes!”
“You seem to think he’s innocent,” Mason observed.
“No, I think he is guilty,” she assured Mason. “But I need to know what he did with my father’s money. If he hasn’t spent it, why not? And if he hasn’t spent it, maybe we can get it back.” Mason wasn’t convinced. He knew somewhere in the back of her mind she doubted his guilt but was too stubborn to admit it.
“What are you going to do about Aiden?” Mason queried.
“I’m going to give him time off and let him know he the subject of an internal investigation. What do you think?” she asked.
“That’s a good idea but be careful not to let anyone else know what’s happening lest we run into problems. This could backfire if he genuinely thought these charities were real or if a terrible mistake was made. You’ve got to cover that pretty little ass of yours.” Mason always gave good advice and Zoe was grateful for his presence.
She went into his muscular arms and felt them wrap around her. She felt secure and comfortable. She also liked the smell of him and the way his chest vibrated when he spoke.
“Mason?”
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t we get married?”
He chuckled. “Are you making fun of me now?”
“No, I’m serious,” she raised her head and looked into his hazel eyes. He was undeniably handsome with black, curly hair and an amazing smile.
“What happens when you fall in love with someone else?” he posited.
“We could learn to love each other,” was her response.
“Zoe, are you attracted to someone?” Mason was suspicious of her behavior.
“What are you talking about?” she pulled away.
“You seem scared of something…or someone.”
Zoe wasn’t sure what it was but Mason was right-- she was scared. “I’m scared to do this on my own.”
“No, you wouldn’t be scared of that. You could take on ten companies like this and wouldn’t break a sweat. It’s something else,” he observed. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Who, Lucas? Don’t be silly. That ship has sailed,” she replied confidently.
“Not Lucas. Aiden.”
There was a pause before she answered. There was no way she liked Aiden, especially now that she thought he was stealing from her family’s company. “Are you crazy? I’m going to bed.”
She stormed out of the study while Mason smiled to himself. He’d come to know her pretty well over the last four years. She wouldn’t stay angry for long and sooner or later she would figure out the source of her confusion. She always resisted being confronted with the truth; she had to find it on her own.
“Idiot!” she muttered as she changed into her favorite T-shirt, the one she slept in. “How could he even suggest…? It’s so absurd.” She was worried about confronting Aiden in the morning and what she would say. What she really wanted to do was fire him outright but she knew Mason was right to advise against it.
It wasn’t a good night for her, as she spent most of it tossing and turning. It was close to three when she finally dozed off.
Chapter 4
There was a light drizzle on the windowpane. She woke with a headache and barely got out of bed. It was close to five thirty and Zoe wanted to get to the office early to get things straightened out as soon as possible. She had no idea what to think about Aiden and her conviction that he had stolen from the company was waning in the predawn light, but she had to at least buy time to figure it all out.
Gathering all her strength, Zoe sat upright and placed her feet on the carpeted floor. Staring at the lavender wall ahead, she willed herself to ignore her throbbing temples and start her day. She thought about asking Mason to accompany her to the office but thought better of it. She didn’t want people suspecting anything and bringing a complete stranger into the office was the surest way to do just that. It was her duty to make sure everything was done in a discreet manner.
Taking a quick, cool shower, Zoe brushed her teeth and dressed in a dark skirt and matching jacket; her three-inch heels matched her black briefcase. Her father had given it to her as a graduation present and it was proving very handy. The files Mason had put together for her the evening before were neatly stashed inside.
She was the first one in the building except for the security guards. Before she got her coffee, she made the call to Aiden for a meeting first thing. That loathsome chore completed, she went to the human resources archives to retrieve his employment file. She found something interesting. Based on the report from HR, Aiden was never interviewed. It’s true he was Uncle David’ personal assistant, so he didn’t necessarily have to go through the regular channels to get the job. However after further scrutiny Zoe found he was hired upon the recommendation of the Company’s President, Steve Dunmore.
“What in heaven’s name is going on?” she asked herself. Unsure how to take in the new information she considered confronting her father with the matter, then thought better of it. Something wasn’t adding up. She would ask Aiden why her father hired him without the standard application and interviews.
Aiden had been hired by Steve twenty months earlier. Eighteen months ago, Globex Corporation started receiving money from Dunmore Corp. She needed
more information and it dawned on her that she had no idea when Globex was founded. She searched the file from Mason but he hadn’t progressed that far in his search. He was still trying to find information on the man whose name peppered the staffing lists for Globex’s various charities. As she pondered her next move, a knock sounded on the door.
Her office was on the fourth floor and overlooked the city. The rain had started to come down in torrents and the water trickled on the glass panels overlooking the busy streets. It was a nice view that she wished she could enjoy, but her first week at work had not afforded her the time to do so. Zoe looked at the rain on the glass and wished with all her heart the situation would be resolved soon.
“Come in,” she called.
“Good morning, Miss Dunmore. You wanted to see me?” It was Aiden. He was punctual today, if nothing else. She noticed he’d gotten a haircut and his suit looked like it had been properly ironed for a change.
“Have a seat, Mr. Butler.” He sat in the armchair across from her mahogany desk. “I’m giving you some time off,” she informed him, getting straight to the matter at hand. She’d always been a rip-the-bandage-off kind of person but the irritation she felt when thinking about Aiden further encouraged her harsh abruptness.
“I’m not due vacation yet,” Aiden informed her, puzzled.
“You don’t have a choice in the matter, Mr. Butler. As far as I see, this is the best way to resolve the issue at hand without causing a larger disturbance within the company. You may choose to resign if you like, but as of today you will be placed on suspension… Indefinitely.” She thought she did well not to show how shaky she actually was.
“I don’t understand… What is this about?” Aiden’s tone started to rise in indignation but Zoe cut in.
“How do you know my father?”
He cleared his throat and his face creased as if in deep thought. “Through my grandmother. I have known Steve – Mr. Dunmore – since I was a child,” he informed her. This was news to Zoe and added more mystery to the whole issue. “She told me they knew each other a long time.”
“So you’ve known my father for how long…ten…twelve…fifteen years?”
“Something like that,” he added. “Miss Dunmore, I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Let me be blunt, Aiden – can I call you Aiden?” she asked and he nodded. “We have a little problem with the figures in our accounts and we need to sort it out before we can have you come back to work.”
Zoe observed the confusion on Aiden’s face and wondered if he was faking. The expression looked genuine and for a moment her early morning doubts returned. “I don’t understand,” he repeated.
“Have you ever heard of Globex Corporation?” Zoe asked the question in order to gauge his response.
Aiden knitted his brow in concentration the same way she often did, then he looked her straight in the eye and replied, “No, I haven’t.”
She looked at him closely for a long time. His gaze was steady and he gave nothing away. Zoe was more curious than ever to know if Aiden was that good at lying or if he was being set up. If he was innocent, then that left several other people in the accounts department as suspects. Mrs. Henry was a senior accountant who worked closely with Uncle David and she was the only other person Zoe could think of who would actually do such a thing. She thought of the auxiliary staff and wondered how much access any of them had to the company accounts.
Mrs. Henry was smart and stone-faced, so she had to tread carefully. She couldn’t let her know she suspected her. “You can’t let anyone from the department know about this meeting or the reason you are on leave of absence.” She sighed,”If you are being framed, we need to catch the culprit. If you are guilty we will uncover more definitive evidence and hand you over to the proper authorities.”
“Miss Dunmore, you haven’t told me what I’m supposed to have done or given me the chance to explain—…”
“Embezzlement of funds from Dunmore Corp.” It was a simple statement but it carried much weight.
Aiden’s face distorted in puzzlement, then disbelief; finally he burst out laughing. “That’s a good one, Miss Dunmore. I get it… This is payback for me hitting your car.”
Zoe’s temper broke. “Do I look like someone who has time for silly jokes?” Her voice had risen a pitch and Aiden could sense the seriousness in it. A blank expression crossed his face before he went ashen. Aiden had never fainted before but he came pretty close to passing out then. This couldn’t be. His work was always checked and approved by his supervisors.
“There must be some mistake, Miss Dunmore… I promise… It’s a mistake!”
“Listen, Aiden. Are you seriously telling me you didn’t notice millions of dollars in contributions to Globex Corporation with your name and signature all over them? What kind of accountant are you? If it were up to me alone, I would let you go and have the fraud squad in here ASAP; but I have a friend who seems to think otherwise so be thankful. Until we get all the information that we need to file a lawsuit, or for the police to draw up criminal charges, you will not be allowed access to any documents pertaining to this company.”
As she spoke Aiden sat transfixed. Zoe had no idea what he was thinking but he looked like he might be in shock. She continued in her normal even tone. “I don’t have the authority to forbid you from leaving whatever jurisdiction we’re in, but given the unfortunate condition of your grandmother, I’m guessing that won’t be a problem.” She felt mild disgust for herself as she conjured the image of the ill woman on the gurney and the same look of fear and helplessness he wore that night crossed Aiden’s face again. Maybe that was a step too far, she thought. She had only meant to impress upon him the severity of the situation. “You can tell everyone that you’re taking the time to be with her while she recovers…if you like. It will be less…messy.”
She pushed the authorization form across the desk and asked him to sign it. With shaking hands he signed the paper and walked out the office in a daze. As he passed the Accounts department his supervisor called to him but he didn’t hear. Without a backward glance or going back for his things, he entered the elevator and took it to the parking at the base of the building.
There was no love lost between Aiden and Zoe but she could not help feeling he must be mixed up in something beyond his control. Was there someone else involved? She needed answers and she needed them fast. She also knew she had more than enough to call in the authorities but she wanted to dig deeper on her own first, and Mason agreed with her. She also wanted to know the connection between her father and Aiden’s family.
****
When Aiden was hired he knew he would be working closely with Steve’s daughter. The old man had told him she would need his help when she got back but he was not prepared for this. Steve had said, “Son, it’s going to be a tough battle and I want you to look out for my daughter.” It wasn’t supposed to be like this, he thought.
How was he to do what Steve asked if he couldn’t even enter the building? Aiden worried he’d let the man down. He tried to call him but there was no answer so he left a voice message, hoping the old man would return his call. At least he would still be getting paid for the time off he was given. Under the circumstances she could have fired him and gotten him thrown in jail so in a weird way he was thankful. Didn’t mean he had to like it, though.
****
The rain came in torrents the next day as well. Rainy days were usually her favorite but on this particular Thursday, Zoe fell into a sour mood. She spent all day waiting for her father to call or come into the office but he was AWOL. To make matters worse, Mason had to leave for a few days in the middle of their investigation. He promised to return on Monday and resume what he had started.
By the time she left the office it was after five thirty and her stomach ached from missing lunch. She set out in search of food but found herself headed towards Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. It wasn’t that she liked
Aiden; her motives were purely selfish. She wanted to meet the woman Aiden said introduced him to her father. As far as she could tell, Aiden’s grandmother must be old enough to be her father’s mother so the idea that she might be a past lover was ridiculous to her. Did her father have an affair with the woman’s daughter?
On the way, she stopped to grab a bouquet and some juice; she couldn’t very well go empty-handed. She’d half expected Aiden to be at the hospital but seeing him in person made her feel self-conscious. Zoe knew how to conduct herself professionally, for though she quivered inside, she projected an air of confidence.
“Miss Dunmore!” Aiden was surprised to see her.
“Is your grandmother doing better?” she asked.
Aiden was moved by her compassion and quickly took the gifts from her. “Yes. She’s awake right now. Would you like to meet her?”
Self-loathing rose in her throat as she considered the situation. How could he be so polite to her after being dumped by her company? Or maybe he had no reason to feel betrayed because he was guilty? The thought made her angry and she gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.
“This is not really a social call. I came to learn about the connection between my father and your family. Are you my father’s illegitimate child?” She could not help asking the question that had taken root in the back of her mind on the drive over, though she knew it sounded absurd even as she said it.
“No. I assure you, I had two parents who loved each other. Would you like to ask her yourself?” Aiden responded.
“Is she up to it?”
They entered the stereotypical hospital room. The woman on the bed appeared to be sleeping but as they entered she opened her eyes and smiled. Her white hair, which was neatly combed, fell to her shoulders and it appeared she wore a little make-up. The woman’s face lit up as she saw them and she stretched a hand out which Aiden hurried to take.
Promised Box Set Page 11