“Any idea why?” Riley asked.
“My only guess is that he’s started to panic, started to worry that someone—investors or the SEC—is going to figure out what’s going on. Although that hasn’t stopped him from acting like a cocky asshole.”
“Any idea where he’s keeping the most recent data?”
Kay shook her head. “I don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say his house.”
“You know what I don’t get?”
“What?”
“I work in Finance. How did I not know any of this shit was going on?”
Kay pursed her lips while she decided how to respond. “For a few reasons,” she said finally, and took one of Riley’s hands in her own. “First, and don’t take this the wrong way, you’re a General Manager, not super high up the totem pole yet. People above you have been doing a masterful job of covering it all up. I mean, think about it. They’ve fooled a lot of people on Wall Street. And, second, your specialty is analyzing agreements we enter into with other airlines. You don’t work on the financial reporting side of things.”
“Maybe you’re right. I just find it hard to believe that this is all going on right under my nose.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it. My guess is most people at Logan have no idea the airline is scheming investors and passengers.”
Riley slumped in her chair. “It’s just so depressing.” She looked up at Kay. “So, where do we go from here?”
Kay nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t know.” She was quiet for a minute. She had another question on her mind. She looked Riley straight in the eye. “Can I ask you something?”
Riley twirled a pen in her fingers. “Of course.”
“Have you thought about the fact that Gabe Suarez is probably caught up in all of this?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I know it’s possible.”
“I’d say it’s highly probable, Riley. He’s the VP of Finance and the corruption has to reach to the top. There’s no other way—”
“My brain knows that, but my heart isn’t ready to accept it quite yet. He’s been such a mentor to me.”
Just then, another thought occurred to Kay. She felt the blood drain from her face. Maybe some of the other airlines in Concordia were tweaking their finances too. What if Zephyr was one of them. That could mean…her friend Jessica in London might be up to her eyeballs in this mess. Hadn’t she mentioned working on something related to Zephyr’s co-branded credit card? The thought made her shiver.
Chapter Twenty-One
Riley’s coworker gave her the evil eye for at least the third time, but who could blame him? She’d been obsessively tapping her pen on the table for practically the entire thirty-minute meeting. She couldn’t help it; she was nervous. The next meeting on her calendar was her monthly one-on-one with Gabe. They’d met loads of times over the years, but this time was different. Now, Riley had this nagging doubt about him. Was Gabe the hardworking and honest man she’d always thought he was, or was he a corrupt bastard like Greg Brandywine? The thought made her wince. She tucked the pen in her bag, clasped her clammy hands in her lap and tried to focus on the PowerPoint presentation her colleague was giving.
Ten minutes later she was standing outside Gabe’s door, waiting for him to finish talking to some guy Riley had never seen before. He had fire-red hair and looked like he belonged on a rugby field. When Gabe finally waved her in, he said, “Morning, Riley. How was your weekend?”
The hairs on Riley’s arms stood up. Normally this would be an innocuous question, but not today. Not after Riley had spent the entire weekend reading sham financial documents. Gabe didn’t look any different to her. He hadn’t grown fangs or anything. She held on to the glimmer of hope that by some miracle, his hands were clean. “Hi, Gabe. My weekend was, uh, good, I went to New York and—”
“I heard,” he replied.
She was caught off guard. “Oh?”
Gabe pointed in the general direction of the cubicles clustered outside his office. “Wayne said he saw you on the flight to New York.”
Fucking Wayne. “Oh, um, yeah.”
Gabe leaned back in his chair and tucked his hands behind his head. “I didn’t realize you and Kay Corbett were seeing each other.”
Riley bit down hard on her lower lip. Her mind raced. Something about Gabe’s demeanor and his tone made her squirm in her chair… Was this just small talk? They didn’t typically discuss her personal life, although she was pretty sure he knew she was gay—or was he insinuating something? She tried to read his expression. He didn’t look angry or uneasy. Was he worried about her consorting with the VP of Pricing? Did he have reason to worry she’d been able to connect the dots? She tried to smile. “Um, we’ve been spending time together, yes.”
“I see,” he said and then abruptly shifted gears. “Are you ready to go over the numbers we discussed last week?”
Riley nodded. “I sent you an email this morning. If you open the attachment, I can show you what I’ve come up with so far.”
As they walked through her spreadsheet, Riley edged toward full freak out mode. What ifs swirled through her mind. What if Gabe was involved? What if he had discovered she’d been poking around in the CNCRDIA folder on the shared drive? What if he got notifications when the files were opened? I’m an idiot, I should have been more careful. She nodded in response to something Gabe was saying, but she wasn’t really paying attention. When the meeting was over, she practically bolted from his office. She pulled out her phone and hammered off a message to Kay. Meet me outside in five. It’s important.
She dropped her laptop on her desk, yanked her coat off the door and darted down the stairs.
Kay stepped off the elevator a few minutes later. “What’s going on?”
Riley pointed toward the front door. “Not here. Let’s walk the perimeter,” she said, referring to the gravel walking path that circled the Logan campus.
As soon as they got outside, Riley started talking a mile a minute. “I just met with Gabe. I think you’re right; he’s involved. He asked me about you, about us. It was weird. He was acting weird. Kay, I’m flipping out. I think this whole thing is about to explode.”
Kay linked her arm through Riley’s. “Breathe baby, breathe. I don’t blame you for being paranoid. This whole thing is a bigger shit show every day, but we’ve got to do our best to stay calm.”
“I can’t. What if Gabe knows? What if he knows I downloaded the files—”
“Shhh, calm down. I’m sure he doesn’t know, and remember, you accessed them on a shared drive. A drive everyone in your department has access to.”
Riley yanked her arm free and glared at Kay. “I can’t calm down. We need to do something. We need to tell someone, now!”
Kay gently touched Riley’s arm, but her voice was stern. “Not yet. You need to trust me. I’ve been entangled in the whole Concordia mess for a lot longer than you have.”
Riley jammed her hands in her pockets and stomped ahead.
“Please, baby,” Kay pleaded. “Please trust me.”
Riley plopped down on one of the benches along the path. “I do trust you, with my whole heart, but what are we waiting for?”
Kay sat down next to her and reached for her hand. “I just don’t want to pull the trigger before we’re ready. The accusations we’re making… We need to be damn sure we can back them up.”
Riley shook her head. “Think about it, Kay. You’ve recorded Concordia meetings, taken copious notes, compiled months of pricing data, created fancy Excel charts. And now, on top of all that, we’ve uncovered the financial irregularities.”
Kay leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes. After a long moment, she opened them and said, “Maybe you’re right, but it’s just such a big step.”
Riley wrapped her hands around Kay’s. “I’m just scared. Scared that this thing is going to blow up and take you down with it.”
“I’m scared too. I just don’t know what to do.”
Kay looked down at her watch. “Shit, I have to go. As luck would have it, I have to meet Greg for a Concordia call in ten minutes.”
“Are you taking the call from the parking garage at the airport?”
“Yeah. Same drill as always.”
“Well, be careful.”
“I will.”
Greg grunted a hello when Kay climbed in his Porsche. “Did you bring the reports I asked for?” he asked as he threw the car into reverse and peeled out of the Logan parking lot.
Kay looked at him and nodded. He looked like shit and his upper lip had this weird twitch. She’d never seen him like this. He’d even been sneaking outside for an occasional cigarette, a habit he’d kicked years before. Maybe he was about to crack. Kay went out on a limb. “Maybe we should hit the pause button on all this?” she asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Kay.”
“I’m serious. How can you sleep at night?”
Greg gave her a sad smile. “There’s nothing to worry about unless…”
“Unless what?” she asked.
“Someone opens their big mouth.” Greg gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and wound the car up to the top level of the parking garage.
Kay watched the planes take off on a nearby runway as Greg dialed into the Concordia conference call. Right now, she’d kill to be on a plane heading as far away from Greg as possible.
Greg put his phone on speaker. “Hey, gang. “How’s everyone doing today?”
A few responses echoed over the phone line.
“Good old Kay thinks we should hit the pause button on the price increases? She’s worried someone is going to figure out what we’re up to. Anyone else on the call agree with her?”
No one uttered a word. Greg’s question was greeted with complete silence.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kay felt especially out of sorts that night. The Concordia call that afternoon had only gotten worse as it went on. Greg goaded her repeatedly for being a coward, and each time the other participants had snickered. Riley was working late, trying to finish a report that was due the next day. Kay mindlessly puttered around her house while she waited for her to get home from the office.
Maybe Riley was right. Maybe it was time to take what they had and go to HR? She was about to call Ethan to get his two cents on the matter when she heard a knock at the door. She wandered out toward her front foyer. “Rye, is that you?” She stuffed her phone in her pocket and opened the door. “Did you forget your—”
“Hi, Kay.”
Kay took a step backward. Her friend Jessica from London was standing on her front stoop and she looked pissed, really pissed. “Um, hi,” she stammered. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were in town. I…”
Jessica pushed her way into the house. “Surprise,” she said, her expression devoid of emotion. “I’m in town.”
Kay backed away from the door, nearly tripping over a pair of running shoes she’d carelessly left on the floor.
“It was a last-minute trip,” Jessica said. She didn’t elaborate. She glared at Kay. “You aren’t about to do something stupid, are you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on Kay, you’re a bright woman. I think you can figure it out.”
Kay took a deep breath and tried not to flinch under Jessica’s stare. “Maybe you should spell it out for me.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “I’m talking about Concordia. Ring a bell?”
“Concordia?”
“Oh, spare me the act, Kay.”
Kay dropped the guise. Apparently, her suspicions about Jessica had been right. “How the hell do you know about Concordia?”
“I work for Zephyr. Did you forget?”
“No, of course not. I just didn’t know… I thought you worked in marketing. I didn’t realize you knew about…”
“I do work in marketing.”
“But, then…”
Jessica stepped into Kay’s space. “You remember when Nicholas threatened to pull Zephyr out of Concordia?”
Kay didn’t say anything.
“And you called him and begged him to reconsider?”
She remembered the day as clearly as if it had been yesterday. Greg Brandywine had put her up to the task and she’d only called Nicholas in an effort to gain Greg’s trust, prove to him she was all-in as far as Concordia was concerned. “I, um…”
“Imagine that. I’ve rendered the wonderful Kay Corbett speechless. Someone get me an award.” Jessica laughed at her own joke. “Well, guess what? Nicholas and I have been having an affair for months. I was at his house the night you called. I heard it all.” A wicked grin crossed her face. “Better yet, I recorded it.”
Kay gasped audibly.
“I thought that might get your attention. It’s going to be pretty hard to deny your role in the group with evidence like that, huh?”
“Are you threatening me?”
Jessica lurched toward her. “Damn right I am,” she yelled. “You go babbling about Concordia, I’ll sink you. Drag your fucking name through the mud.”
“I’m shivering in my shoes.”
“You always were a little too arrogant for your own good. People will be waiting in line to get a piece of you. I’d watch your back if I were—”
“What the hell is going on in here?” Riley asked as she stepped into the house.
Both Kay and Jessica turned to her.
Jessica cackled. “Oh, let me guess. You’re Riley. The young little cupcake Kay fucked in Tokyo.” Jessica looked Riley up and down. “Pretty, very pretty. Kay always knew how to pick ’em.”
Kay put her hand on Jessica’s chest. “I think you should leave right now.”
“Or what, Kay?
“Or I’m going to kick your ass,” Kay said. Jessica was bigger than she was, but Kay was in much better shape. From the looks of it, Jessica hadn’t seen the inside of a gym in a very long time.
Riley walked over next to Kay. “We’re both going to kick your ass.”
Jessica grabbed her purse off the floor and stormed out of the house. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “You’re in way too deep, Kay. There’s no way out. Trust me, I know.”
Kay was too stunned to move. She watched Jessica march down her driveway and climb into the backseat of a big black Mercedes sedan.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Riley asked after she’d closed the door behind them.
Kay explained who Jessica was and gave her a quick synopsis of what had happened.
“She just showed up here?”
Kay nodded.
“Jesus Christ, are you okay?” Riley grabbed her hand. “Shit, Kay. You’re shaking.”
“I’m fine.” But she wasn’t fine at all, she just didn’t want to admit how much Jessica’s visit had shaken her. “She’s more bark than bite. I bet Greg put her up to it.”
“I can’t believe she heard you on the phone with Nicholas?”
“I know. That’s a game changer.”
“We’ve got to tell someone. We’ve got to blow the whistle before someone else does. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise, I might go down with the ship. They’ll think I’m just as guilty as everyone else.”
“Exactly,” Riley said.
Kay let out a long sigh. “But blowing the whistle is a very big step.”
Riley rubbed her back. “A step we’ve been working toward.”
“I know, Rye, but it is not a step to take lightly. All hell could break loose. Greg, and everyone else who’s caught up in the mess, won’t stand by idly. They’ll come after us. There’s no telling what they’ll do to keep the truth from getting out.”
“You’re scaring me, Kay.”
Kay wrapped her arms around Riley. “You should be scared. We should both be scared.”
Riley stepped back. “This is getting out of control.”
Kay stifled a laugh. “Getting out of control? It’s been out of control for a very long tim
e.”
Riley took her hand and pulled her down on the couch. “We don’t have a choice. We have to tell someone. And remember, this isn’t just about us. We’ve got to remember what drove us to swim in the shark-infested waters.”
An image of Greg’s smirking face popped into Kay’s head. “To stop the fraud. To get the cheating fucking bastards.”
“That, but also to bring it all to light. To let people know, people like our passengers who are paying higher fares because of Concordia, and people like Logan’s investors who are being fed a pile of bullshit about the airline’s financials.”
Kay leaned back against a plush cushion and put her feet up on the coffee table. “In my heart I know blowing the whistle is the right thing to do. It’s just… I don’t know. We’d be taking such a huge risk. That, and I think about people like my dad who worked for Logan for his entire career. The airline is everything to him and when he finds out about all this, it’s going to kill him. He may never forgive me.”
“I’ve never met your dad,” Riley said, “but from what you’ve told me, he’s a good honest person. I find it hard to believe he won’t support what we’re doing. It will be a blow to him, for sure, but he’s got to see we don’t have a choice.”
“But we do have a choice.”
“Do we? You’re trying to tell me you’ll be okay stuffing all the evidence we have into a box and just forgetting about it. You’re willing to continue being a key player in Concordia?”
“No, I’m not saying that.”
“I can’t believe, after all we’ve been through, that you’re getting cold feet. I mean, why the hell have we been wasting our time gathering all this evidence if we aren’t going to do anything with it?”
“I’m not getting cold feet. This is a big deal.”
“No shit, it’s a big deal,” Riley sat on the edge of the couch, “but if we don’t speak up, someone else will.”
“I know, we’ve been through that.”
“Well it’s settled then,” Riley said. “We need to go to HR. First thing Monday. We’ll take the next few days to get our ducks in a row.”
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