One Little Bit

by Tey Holden

  “Oh, we had breakfast, played here at home for a little while and in the afternoon went to the stables to see the horses and then came back. Then it was bath and naptime and after that, we read and then Ms. Alex played in her playpen while I was making dinner, we were very busy.” Addy smiled and opened her eyes in her customary way. Karen smiled as she enjoyed her dinner.

  When she finished, she placed her dish and cup in the dishwasher and took Addy by the arm. Addy had a cup of coffee in hand. “Here’s your latte.”

  “Thanks, baby. Come, sit with me.” Karen sat on the love seat and pulled Addy to her.

  “You should be reclining on me and not me on you. You had a long day with that commute. You must be tired.”

  Karen looked at her. “I’m tired, but you feel good. You have no idea how good it is to be here with you.” She gave her a loud sounding kiss. Addy was sprawled over her. Their legs intertwined. “There is nothing like home.” All the time, Alex was trying to get their attention calling them from her playpen. “Mamamama, mamamama!” Addy finally got up and placed her on Karen’s lap. Overjoyed, Alex curled to her mom, Karen melted the moment she felt the small arm around her neck and kissed her.

  When Alex settled down there was finally a chance to talk. “So, how was your day? How’s Phillip doing?”

  “Phillip is worried, and scared. As for the day, there is so much to look at that I don’t even know where to start. This is going to take time.”

  Addy looked at her seriously. “You found something already, I can tell because you have that urge to look at everything.”

  Karen smiled. “I don’t know how you do it. Well, it’s not so much that I’ve found something, it’s just that things are not adding up and that is indicative that something is not right.”

  “Like what?”

  “I found promissory notes to hedge funds, and I need to follow up on that.”

  “How much money are we talking about here?”

  “Millions.”

  Addy, who was still reclining on Karen, sat up in astonishment.

  “Addy this is huge. If there is fraud involved, Phillip will have no alternative but to blow the whistle, Sparrow and Finch goes down, and everyone loses their jobs. Plus, if the partners committed fraud, there might be jail time.”

  “Wow! And Phillip?”

  “He is a partner. He’s got to blow the whistle to come out clean. It’ll be a mess. He’ll lose everything he had in there.”

  “Who’s involved?

  “Smith, Cronner and Stanton.”

  “Shit! The biggies.”

  “Yep.”

  “Ker, what happens if Phillip doesn’t want to blow the whistle? Will you have to?”

  “I’m not an employee of the firm. I have a contract as a financial advisor to Phillip on the account he has assigned to me for auditing. Anything I find elsewhere is out of contract and strictly confidential between he and I and you. What he decides to do or not, it’s only incumbent upon him.”

  Addy leaned into her again. “How are you going to handle the work?”

  “Since I have to go there to look at the documents, I guess we’ll have more days like this. Sorry, babe, I just don’t want to bring any of that here. Any ideas? Suggestions?” Karen always asked because she knew that Addy always had good ideas.

  Addy smiled. Karen raised her eyebrows, knowing that something was coming. “Oh, oh! Why do I suspect a bright idea coming?”

  “Because you know one is coming. First, you need to do this to help Phillip, and that’s that. So, you need to focus on what you need to do. You can’t focus if you don’t have peace of mind because of us. Today you called me seven times and spent hours in traffic. That can’t be the norm. I worry also when I see you so restless. So, the solution is simple, for our peace of mind and your safety, Alex and I will move to the flat in the city until you finish this project, however long it takes. We will be closer and you will feel more reachable and your commute will be practically none. So, it’s a no-brainer.”

  Karen looked at her in awe. “You’d do that?”

  “Ker, I’m surprised that you have any doubt! In fact, I don’t know why you just didn’t ask me.”

  “Baby, because I don’t want to inconvenience you, and disrupt the baby’s routine.”

  “Honey, what I do here, I can do there, except going to see the horses, but what are you talking about disrupting my life and the Little Bit’s? You are my life, our lives! I go where you go and Little Bit doesn’t go to school yet, so we are pretty mobile. I can’t help Phillip directly, but I can help you help him. Your commute in the city will take ten minutes, and you might even be able to come home for lunch sometimes.”

  “I love you, Adriana. I even love the sound of your name.” She kissed her nose, cheeks, and lips. “Having the two of you closer will definitely give me peace of mind. I was restless today thinking that you guys were so far away. The thought of you needing me made me anxious. You are right about that. I need you close to me.” She pulled Addy closer and they kissed again. Addy combed Karen’s hair back and smiled.

  With all the kissing, Alex became excited and began to crawl and jump all over her moms’ laps. “Let me take our Mexican jumping bean here upstairs and put her to sleep. If you do it, it will take longer because she loves your singing and your bedtime games. Besides, I’ll get to spend some quiet time with her. I missed her today. After, we can have our time.”

  “Okay. I’ll lock up and finish my Sudoku, and then I’ll come up.” Addy was delighted with Karen’s comments. She loved to see how she had come to love her daughter. Karen warmed up a bottle of milk and went upstairs with Alex. An hour later, Addy came up to find mother and daughter sleeping on Alex’s mattress.

  Addy knelt and whispered in Karen’s ear. She didn’t want to risk waking up the little one. “Ker, baby, get up.”

  “Umm, ah, yeah, is she?”

  “Sssh, yes, come on.”

  They tucked the little one in, kissed her and went to their bedroom.

  “I’m going to shower.”

  “Want company?”

  “Always.”

  After a long shower, where other activities developed, Addy got out and picked up a towel and handed another one to Karen. As she dried herself, Addy was already planning their move to the city. “I think it’s best to move during the week and spend the weekend setting up the place.”

  “Okay, whatever you think is best. That shower really relaxed me.” Karen teased. When Addy gave her the raised eyebrow look, Karen grinned and kissed her. Addy smacked her on the butt as they rolled into bed.

  “Hey, we’ll have to tell JP and James about the temporary move. I also have to go to the stables and square things away there.” Karen listened to Addy’s plans but was slowly falling asleep. “Love you, baby.”

  A sleepy Karen mumbled. “Me too.”

  ***

  Following Addy’s suggestion, that same week they packed, made arrangements for the flat to be cleaned and moved. Since the flat was furnished the move was easy, they only took Alex’s baby necessities and their luggage. Once in the flat, they went grocery shopping and by the end of the weekend they were already settled in, and on Monday Karen was ready to go off to work. Having Addy and Alex in town made things easier. Knowing that she was close, if needed, made a great difference.

  Monday morning, Karen was treated to what Addy called “a complimentary wake-up call.” Addy was prone to make pronouncements of that nature, and Karen loved the things she’d come up with.

  “I’m beginning to love this flat. It has so many perks. I’m already thinking of the possibility of mid-day treats.” Karen whispered in her ear.

  Addy chuckled. “Not today. Today you have a job to do, so there will be no fooling around in the middle of the day.”

  “But you’ll think about it?”

  “Yes, but not today. There’s been enough of that already. Go shower!” Karen frowned and headed for the shower. Addy took care of Alex w
ho was already calling.

  “Maaammaaaa, Maaammaaaaa!”

  When Karen came out of the bedroom she was already dressed for work. She went to the kitchen got her coffee and bagel and ate while Addy fed the little one. “You look great in that suit, baby. You got your figure back already.”

  “Took time and plenty of work.” After she had recovered from Alex’s birth Karen had slowly began to walk and exercise at home.

  Alex was in her playpen, and Addy was in her robe in the kitchen putting away their breakfast dishes and cleaning up. “You look sexy in your robe.”

  Addy smiled. “Don’t start, woman. You have to go, or you’ll be late. I don’t even want to look at you. If I do, I might have to tear that suit off and have you right here. You look too awesome, I need you out of here, now!”

  Karen grinned and as she came close to her and undid the belt on her robe and wrapped her arms around a very naked Addy. She kissed her and whispered, “I want to take your scent with me.”

  “Out!” Addy pushed her, still smiling and closing her robe. “Out!” Karen walked out grinning and throwing kisses with her hand.

  “For God’s sake woman, just go! Why is it so hard for you to leave this place?”

  “Because this place is heaven and everyone wants to be in heaven!” Karen chuckled, kissed her and walked out the door.

  “I’ll call you when I get there. Bye Alex.”

  “Mama, mama.” Alex mumbled from her playpen while drooling all over its edge.

  “Whenever, baby. We’ll be here.”

  She called ten minutes later when she arrived at the office.

  ***

  It took eleven weeks for Karen to uncover all the proof needed regarding the fraudulent activities. Phillip was satisfied and ready to make a move. The problem was how to go about it.

  That night when Karen came home, she told Addy that she was finished with the audit. “Addypooh, I need your input on how to proceed now that we have gathered all this evidence.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “How do we report this to the appropriate authorities?”

  “Oh that! I thought about it already. Leave it to me.”

  Karen chuckled, intrigued by Addy’s response. She and Phillip had talked for hours on how to proceed without reaching any specific conclusion, however, for Addy this appeared to be an insignificant matter. “Care to share?” Karen kissed Alex, who was in her playpen and readied herself for another Addy spin. Karen poured some red wine and opened a Gouda cheese. She cut the cheese into little pieces and nibbled on a piece while offering Alex a bite with her other hand.

  Addy, who had been making dinner when Karen arrived, stood in the kitchen with a wooden mixing spoon in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. “I need to give you a little history before I proceed.” She waved the wooden spoon in the air as she spoke, making Karen smile.

  Karen sat on a stool behind the kitchen counter munching on the Gouda cheese and sipping her wine. She raised her wine cup in the air giving the go ahead. “By all means! Proceed, my lady.”

  Addy smiled. She could tell that Karen was amused and was expecting a crazy idea and not a real plan. “Well, you know how sometimes you’ve questioned my charitable contributions to the Battered Women Fund Society?”

  Karen raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but how is that related to my question and our current matter with Phillip?”

  Addy came around the kitchen counter and sat next to Karen placing her elbow on the counter to hold her face on her hand very close to Karen’s face. “Your dear college friend, Stephanie Sinclair is Chairman of the Board of the Society.”

  “And? My God, I haven’t heard from her in ages, well since the last meetings at the Inn. So, what does she have to do with Phillip’s situation?”

  “Stephanie happens to be the head prosecutor in the financial crimes division for the city of Edinburgh.” Addy paused for effect and wiggled her eyebrows. Karen’s eyes widened, as a bit of an amused smile was already trying to break lose. “Thanks to my involvement with the charity we are on a first name basis. Do you remember the society meetings at the Inn?”

  Karen smiled and nodded, unbelieving what she was hearing from the lips of the woman she adored. Not only had Addy helped put together several fundraisers at the Inn for the group, but as her contribution, she had not billed for the events. Karen had labeled that decision as a loss of good income to the Inn. As a result of Addy’s consistent cooperation, Stephanie Sinclair thought the world of her, and had more than once offered her help, if ever needed.

  “All I need to do is make a phone call, schedule a meeting, lay out the situation and ask for terms. She will acquiesce to any terms because she is ambitious and looking for that case which will put her in the public eye. Bringing down Sparrow and Finch on fraud charges is that case. So, all you need to do is ask Phillip for his terms. What does he want out of the deal? Then I’ll call Stephanie and schedule a meeting. You, dear one, may be the financial whiz, but I’m the people whiz.” She stressed the ‘people’ word opening her mouth and moving her tongue inside her mouth left and right several times in a gloating mode.

  Karen chuckled. “I cannot believe the things you work out sometimes!”

  Addy got closer and kissed her. Karen held on to her and spoke in a husky voice. “How about you and I holding a very private meeting in the bedroom now to discuss honoraria for your great networking job.”

  Addy grinned, and in the same seductive tone, asked, “and what are we to do with our bundle of joy while I’m compensated for my many billable hours?” As she spoke, she got off the stool and walked back into the kitchen. “Go play with your daughter. We can discuss payment methods later tonight.” Addy smiled when she heard Karen’s grunt and the immediate joyful talk that followed between mother and daughter.

  ***

  “Stephanie, I’m glad you could meet me for lunch.”

  “Addy, it’s always a pleasure to see you. It’s been a long time. I guess life gets busy after a while. So, what brings you to the city? Are you still in Altee? I heard you guys sold the Inns and then started a distillery. Is there something I can do for you?”

  “Too many questions! Let me answer them. Yes, we are still in Altee, sold the inns, started the distillery, and yes there’s something I need to ask you.”

  Having dealt with Addy before, Stephanie grinned. “Oh, oh! Why do I smell trouble here?”

  Addy smiled. “Do not fear, my friend, I think you stand to benefit a great deal more from this meeting than I am. Which goes to show that, sometimes, it’s good to have friends who bring some trouble.”

  That preamble immediately caught Stephanie’s interest. “Spill, woman, you have me biting my nails already.”

  Addy laughed as the waiter took their order. Once the waiter left, they began to talk, first about events in their respective lives, and the shelter for battered women. When the topics of conversation never seemed to end, it was Stephanie who cut to the chase. “So, Addy, what was this that you said you had for me?”

  “Stephanie, I am going to dump a hot potato on your lap, which I think will bring your name to the front page of all the newspapers in this town.”

  Stephanie straightened up on her chair, readying herself for the blow to come. Addy explained the situation without mentioning names.

  “So, what’s the deal here?”

  “The whistleblower comes out clean. The investigator remains anonymous.”

  “Why wouldn’t the investigator want credit for uncovering the fraud?”

  “Because the investigator is not in the business of investigation and is doing this as a favor to a friend in trouble.”

  “Good enough. You have a deal. Spill. Who are we talking about?

  “The biggest law firm in the country, Sparrow and Finch.”

  Stephanie leaned back on her chair in shock. “For God’s sake, speak! Who is the whistleblower?”

  “Phillip Tidwell”

  “Bloody shit!�
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  “And the investigator?”

  “Karen.”

  A wide-eyed Stephanie asked. “Your Karen?”

  “Yes, my Karen.”

  At the mention of Karen’s name, Stephanie knew that this was no bullshit. She knew Karen from her Oxford days and knew that Karen’s financial expertise was well known by those in the financial world. Karen had arranged innumerable IPOs, consolidated business conglomerates and prepared bankruptcy plans for billionaire companies. Karen had also been on advisory boards to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve. Stephanie knew for certain that if Karen found fraud, it was a fact and that the proof was good.

  “Interested, or is this too much to tackle?”

  “Very interested. I want to hear everything. Phillip Tidwell is nobility and a top financial figure in the country, and with Karen as fact finder this has to be huge. Yes, I want this case. I need to talk to Phillip and I need to see the evidence.”

  “Tell me when. Phillip and Karen will be there with the evidence.”

  “Alright.”

  All was done. Phillip spoke to Stephanie and Karen handed the evidence to the government experts. The evidence was totally damning and well defined once exposed. Stephanie prosecuted the case, which went on for several months and was able to prove the accusations in court. As soon as the trial started, the partners’ assets were immediately frozen. They were indicted and later found guilty of several felonies, which resulted in fines and jail terms. The firm filed for bankruptcy because it had insufficient assets to cover restoration and fines, and ultimately closed.

  Phillip lost a lot of money with the firm going bankrupt, but at least he did not lose his reputation and did not have to serve any jail time. After the debacle was over, he withdrew to his family’s estate in Scotland. The entire credit for the investigation went to the justice department and mainly to Stephanie, who became famous overnight. A year later she was up for a judgeship position in Glasgow.

  After the trial was over, they met with Stephanie. “It seems like everyone gained something out of this matter except the two of you. You didn’t even get paid for your investigation and all the inconveniences you went through, why?”