He snorted. “Well alrighty.” He tugged his dog away from her shoe and carried on down the hallway, eventually entering a condo a few doors down.
Fishing her phone out, she pulled up the video thread to see if Paul was still in his office with that troublemaker. Finding the chairs empty, she backed up the video to the prior events. At one point, Paige stood to leave. But Paul quickly worked his way around his desk and right the hell up next to her. After a chat, which Angela couldn’t hear, because this was only video, he escorted Paige – hand on her elbow – to the door.
“What!” she yipped at seeing him touch another woman. Then, realizing he was only showing her the way out, she deduced he was probably on his way home.
Luckily, Angela was a highly intelligent person and had the foresight to attach a tracking device to his vehicle. Using her phone, she accessed the GPS app to see where he was. When the coordinates showed his SUV was still parked in his designated working slot, she felt a bit confused. Where the hell could he be?!
Quite possibly he was working out in the gym located in the basement of his building, something he commonly did at least twice weekly. Once again, she patted herself on the back for being ultra-clever and pulled up another camera system she had secured in the workout room. She managed this feat by borrowing Lisa Harris’ pass card, a requirement to gain entry to the gym. Not only was she Lisa’s hairdresser, they were close friends. Ironically, Lisa worked for the same company as that bothersome meddler did. Small world.
Anyway, she used her card and planted a few cameras around the room … in a fake plant, one on a picture frame and three at the edge of varying TV’s. After pulling up the feed, she searched everywhere, but Paul was not anywhere to be found. Her frustration abounded.
After considering all the places he might have gone, only one began to nag at her thoughts. He was with that unwanted agitator. They were somewhere together. A low growl began in her tummy, worked its way through her system, and then erupted from her mouth. “You bitch.”
Instinctively she knew they had walked somewhere together. It suddenly dawned on her exactly where they would be. There was a little steak place a few blocks away from Paul’s work and he absolutely loved this place.
Unable to curb her curiosity, she trotted to her car and then exceeded the speed limit getting to the downtown area. After finding a parking space along Main Street, she waited in her vehicle with her eyes peeled on the hole-in-the-wall doorway. It took a mountain of patience to refrain from sending Paul a text, or two … or fifty.
Each time the door opened, she zeroed in on the leaving customers. It took over an hour, then, just as she suspected, Paul emitted with that conniving inciter. His hand was placed gently across her back as he guided her out. What the hell! She wanted to know what he was thinking. Paige was not the girl for him. She was.
Clearly the temptress was after her man. Then it dawned on her. She didn’t need to be convincing her poor brainwashed Paul of making a huge mistake. The answer was simple. All she needed to do was get rid of Paige Davis, once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Employee James Pierce
James Pierce pulled into the driveway of his modest one-story ranch home and sat in his car. He didn’t want to go inside. He didn’t want to hear it. His wife would be so disappointed. But then again, there was nothing new there.
He pushed open the car door, slid his feet to the cracked paved driveway, and slowly headed for the entrance. His six-year-old son met him on the other side and grabbed him around his waist in a fierce hug. “Daddy,” he cried out.
James reached down and tussled his son’s dark black hair. “How’s my boy,” he said enthusiastically.
“I got a B on my math today,” Joe proudly informed his dad. “My teacher says I’m getting good at arithmetic.”
“I’m so proud of you,” James hugged his son and then made his way to the kitchen, his nose picking up the scent of garlic bread. Must be spaghetti again tonight. Sue, his wife, cooked spaghetti at least twice a week, sometimes more because she thought it was James’ favorite meal. Truth be told, it wasn’t. It most definitely wasn’t. But there was a lot Sue didn’t know about James.
“Oh hi, honey. I thought I heard the front door.” Sue gave the pasta a good stir and then went to kiss James on the cheek. “Any good news,” she immediately asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Sue wanted to know if James was promoted to CFO today. She wanted it so badly she could taste it. The job paid very well. Molly, their three-year old daughter, suffered from a rare blood disease and many of her medical expenses weren’t covered under the company’s insurance plan. But if James were promoted to CFO, they could afford to get Molly a highly specialized treatment.
“No, no good news.” He wanted desperately to leave his answer open-ended, like the position hadn’t been filled. But doing so was only buying time. He might as well rip off the band aid and get it over with. “Not for us anyway,” he continued. “Mr. Harrington advanced Paige Davis. I’m sorry honey, I didn’t get the position.” He hung his head, his complete failure showing in every slumped feature.
“No,” his wife gasped in disbelief, disappointment showing all over her face.
James hadn’t told any of his coworkers that he had turned in his application for consideration. He was the quiet guy in the group, always going with the flow and never causing any waves. After Ethel’s car accident, when Lidia stepped into her mother’s position, everyone assumed it was a done deal. It came as a giant shock when Mr. Harrington announced he would be taking applications for the position. James knew he didn’t stand a chance. He was the nonassertive type. He’d never be able to pull off a leadership role. In fact, it was the reason why he hadn’t told anyone he’d even applied. They would all laugh at him. What a joke he was. But Sue had no idea what a Casper Milquetoast her husband was. She looked up to her husband and thought he could rule the world.
“Paige Davis,” his wife repeated the name in a disgusting tone. “What’s she got that you don’t … besides breasts?” She sucked in a disparaging breath. “This is discrimination … hire the female over the more qualified male. You need to take this up with HR, or whoever in your company handles this sort of thing.”
“Honey, Mr. Harrington owns the company. He can hire whomever he pleases.”
Sue placed a hand on her hip, her face turning into a deep scorn. “Then there’s only one thing left to do … just like Julie Mitchell, all you need to do is get rid of Paige Davis, once and for all.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Employee Penny Mathis
Penny Mathis watched from the parking lot as Lisa left the building with Carter. Carter walked Lisa to the passenger side, kissing her before tucking her into his black muscle car. Carter was an attractive man who had the women lining up. He considered himself God’s gift to women because he was.
Once Carter had made a pass at Penny, she had felt so special. She was completely awestruck. As soon as their relationship began, she knew it was a match made in heaven. She even heard wedding bells ringing. But their connection was short-lived when Lisa became jealous of Penny’s good luck and Lisa herself began vying for Carter’s interest. Ultimately Penny had lost. She’d never hated Lisa before, but she did now.
Penny was a tall, thin blonde, attractive by any person’s account. Lisa was only moderately attractive and a bit overweight. Why had Carter chosen Lisa over her? It didn’t make any sense.
But lately, nothing made sense. When Mr. Harrington openly announced the CFO position was available for anyone to apply, he insinuated Lidia, the shoo-in, might not be his ultimate choice. Lidia assumed it was only a formality and she, of course, would ultimately be promoted. When word spread that Julie Mitchell and Paige Davis had both applied for the job, Lidia didn’t take the news well. She made no bones about it, openly griping and complaining, and letting everyone know they were jeopardizing their job if anyone else so much as even thought of adding t
heir application to the pile.
Because of Lidia’s big mouth and pushy ways, Penny had discretely turned in her application. This way, if Lidia did receive the promotion, Lidia would never be the wiser and Penny could carry on like she had never even tried.
Penny’s phone trilled from within her purse. Her father. “Hi Dad,” she answered.
“Hello sweetheart. I could hardly wait until you got off work to find out if Mr. Harrington announced the new CFO.”
Penny choked and fought back tears. “Sorry, Dad, Mr. Harrington picked Paige Davis.”
He sighed through the phoneline. “Well, honey, we knew it was a longshot for you anyway. At least you tried. You keep trying. You’ll get your break one day.”
“Thanks Dad, I will.”
While they continued to talk, Penny watched Carter pull out of the parking lot with Lisa seated beside him. A knot began growing within her gut. She had already been trying. Both in her relationships and at her profession. But nothing was paying off. Maybe it was time to take the bull by the horns. Maybe she needed to make things happen. Just like Julie Mitchell, all she needed to do was get rid of Paige Davis, once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Employee Carter Hughes
Carter Hughes walked Lisa Harris, his new girlfriend, to the passenger side of his vehicle. She was on the chunky side and he preferred blondes. He’d recently been attracted to Penny Mathis, but the girl started hinting at marriage. He laughed inwardly at the very idea. He wasn’t the marrying type. And even if he were, he’d cheat on his spouse because, after all, he was God’s gift to women, and he wanted to keep up the image.
After giving her a brief kiss and stuffing her inside, he swaggered to the driver’s side and eased his long legs and broad shoulders behind the wheel.
“Can you believe old man Harrington gave Paige Davis the CFO job?” Lisa inquired as soon as he turned the key and revved the engine.
He shook his head. “What I can’t believe is the bitch had the nerve to call me out on being late. I’m going to have to get her under control.”
Lisa giggled. “How do you think you’re going to accomplish that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll seduce her. After all, I have a way with women.” He turned his gaze to Lisa and grinned.
“You wouldn’t cheat on me? Would you?” Lisa asked with a startled expression on her face.
“Not you, baby,” he assured her. Hell, he cheated on every woman. What made her think she was any different? Of course, he was going to cheat on her. How naïve could you get? He was only with Lisa because it was the quickest way to get Penny off his back. As soon as Penny hinted at marriage, he wanted to drop her like a hot potato. And it had worked like a charm. The second Penny picked up on anything going on between him and Lisa, she told him to f-asterick-asterick-asterick off. And that’s exactly the way that goody two-shoes had put it. But hey, she had been an amazing roll in the hay.
But now Lisa was getting on his nerves. He generally never dated anyone within the company’s workforce, not even in other sectors. But maybe he’d give Paige a whirl. She was built like a brick shithouse and he imagined her being a hellcat in bed. Then again, he’d tire of her quickly and when he moved on, she’d make sure old man Harrington fired him. And too, Paige was smart. She knew better than to exploit her superior position over an employee. It would get her fired in a heartbeat as soon as he filed a sexual harassment complaint against her, one in which he would make sure he had the video to back up his claim.
He didn’t want to risk his job though, so, just like Julie Mitchell, he simply needed to get rid of Paige Davis, once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Employee Lisa Harris
Lisa Harris couldn’t believe her good luck. She was seated next to the hottest guy in the whole company … which meant a lot when you took in the other divisions. Carter was such a catch. Yes, she knew he was a womanizer. Most men were … until they decided to settle down. Carter was hitting his mid-thirties. She’d bet anything he was close to topping out and would soon want to find his forever woman. Carter normally went for the super gorgeous girls, all oozing nothing but sex. Anyone could see how shallow those relationships were. Lisa was the complete opposite. She wasn’t flashy or attractive, and she had a weight problem. And because of her plain-Jane appearance, she felt like Carter was looking for a lasting relationship. She saw herself as the woman he could make a home with and start a family. And he’d just told her he’d never cheat on her.
“I was hoping to get the CFO job,” Lisa confessed. “Just think, you could’ve come in late every day and I wouldn’t have said a word.”
Carter gave her the eye. “You applied?”
“Yes, under the table … I didn’t want the wrath from Lidia. You know how she is. I wanted to be considered without her knowing.”
“That’s funny as hell ... I applied to,” Carter responded with deep chuckle. “I’m like you, I thought it was a bullshit gesture on Harrington’s part and Lidia was simply going to be appointed. But in the offhand chance, I secretly threw my name in the pot.”
Lisa laughed. “Oh wow, I had no idea.” She waited a beat. “It’s hard to believe Mr. Harrington picked Paige Davis … especially after Julie. You’d think he would’ve fired her after she was charged with murder.”
Carter shrugged. “Maybe she’s got some goods on Harrington and whatever it was he felt like his balls were to the wall.”
“Hmm,” she muttered. “If she does, it must be something big.”
Lisa wondered if this were true. Did Paige blackmail her way into being CFO? Was she privy to something giving her an advantage? Lisa wanted to know. Maybe she could use it. And another thing, Lisa worked in payroll. She knew Paige’s current salary was nominal when compared to what she would be paid as the Chief Financial Officer. The increase in salary was mind blowing. The staggering increase in pay was why Lisa had wanted the promotion for herself. She wanted another opportunity to be chosen. The answer was clear, Paige Davis needed to be eliminated, just like Julie Mitchell was.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Employee Lidia Gentry
“Mom, you’re not going to believe the bullshit that happened at work today.” Lidia Gentry entered her mother’s house, slamming the front door behind her and making her way into the living room.
Her mother, Ethel Johnson, was propped up in a lounge chair next to the bay window. A crocheted afghan covered her legs and a book was folded over her chest.
“What, what happened?” her mother asked, giving her a hopeful look. “Did you get the job?”
“No, mother!” Lidia screamed, falling into the cushions of a well-worn, flowered-patterned couch. “I said what bullshit happened at work today. Does that sound like good news?”
“No,” her mother moaned. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. The old codger promoted Paige Davis.”
“What!” her mother screeched. “The woman who pushed Julie Mitchell down a flight of stairs and to her death? How can that be? Why the hell would that idiot choose her?”
“I don’t know,” Lidia cried. “But first I was passed over in favor of Julie … and now Paige. I’m the laughingstock of the whole office. Something has to be done.” She fidgeted with the fringe on a throw pillow. “Go talk to Walter Harrington. You have a long history with him. He’ll listen to you.” She paused. “At least find out why I was passed over,” Lidia begged her mother.
Her mother growled. “No, I’m not fighting your battles for you. Just figure out a way for Paige to lose her job, hopefully in some utterly embarrassing way. That ought to spark your morale.”
Lidia smirked. “How do you suggest I go about doing something like that?”
Ethel gazed at her daughter. “Wait, I have a better idea. If you, Julie and Paige were the only three who applied for the position, and Julie’s dead, all you need to do is get Paige Davis out of the picture, permanently, and take over
as the CFO.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Employee David Ross
David Ross couldn’t believe it when he found out Mr. Harrington promoted Paige. He was so proud for her, but at the same time, a piece of his heart broke into tortured pieces. Paige’s desk was right next to his. Now she would be working from her own corner office. Good for her. But oh, how he would miss her being close to him. There was nothing like the sweet smell of her citrus flavored shampoo, her coconut scented body lotion, and her lavender aromatic perfume. She was like a wonderful scented bouquet, one he sniffed whenever he had the opportunity. But now it seemed Mr. Harrington was taking her away from him.
As soon as David arrived home, he prepared his mother’s dinner. “Here you go, Mom,” he said, seating himself across the table from her and slicing into his meatloaf.
“This is delicious,” his mother crooned after taking a bite. “You’re going to make someone an excellent husband one day.”
“Thank you, Mom.” David beamed a smile. He hoped the woman would be Paige. He loved her with all his heart. She was his everything. In the mornings, he couldn’t wait to get to work to see her. In the evenings, he always gave Paige and Julie time to descend the stairs and then he would rush to the elevator and make his way to the parking garage so he could watch her from a distance to make sure she safely made it to her car.
“How was work today?” Mom asked.
“It was great,” he replied in an upbeat tone. “Paige got the CFO position.”
“She’s your girlfriend, right?” his mom inquired.
“Yes,” he readily agreed. “I’m so proud of her.”
On the other hand, he was so disappointed in himself when he had failed her on that faithful day when she was injured, and Julie ended up dead. It should never have happened.
A Deadly Promotion Page 11