A Deadly Promotion

by Melanie Jones Brownrigg

  “Kind of childish,” Lisa groaned. “I want to do something to really get Paige going.”

  “Like what?” Angela asked curiously.

  “I don’t know, but I’ll come up with something,” Lisa said with a conniving smile.

  Chapter Forty-One

  “It was real,” I argued to Paul after recounting the balloon incident the next day at my office.

  “I want to believe you, Paige,” Paul responded in a soft, but guarded tone. “But it seems … impossible.”

  “Look, I know the doors and windows were still locked and the alarm didn’t go off … but I saw a balloon … a bright yellow one.”

  “It might have been a hallucination. The doctor said you might—”

  “It was NOT a hallucination,” I roared, cutting him off in a raised voice.

  “Don’t get upset with me, Paige. What if it was a dream? Could it have been a dream?”

  I shrugged, admitting to myself how crazy it sounded. “You’re right. It was probably a dream.”

  After dropping the balloon incident, Paul resumed his preparation for tomorrow’s trial while I went to my office and began working on reentering the expenses for the day of Julie’s murder.

  Around noon, Paul hovered in my doorway. “Would you like to grab something from the deli downstairs?”

  “I’d love to,” I said, rising from my chair and locking my door.

  Over two club sandwiches, each with baked chips, we enjoyed a long, leisurely lunch before forcing ourselves back upstairs to continue working on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon. When we returned to the office, I seated myself in front of my computer to pick up where I left off.

  “Holy shit,” I screeched.

  “What is it?” Paul called from the other room.

  “Everything I entered this morning is gone.”

  He came to the door and peered inside. “Doesn’t it automatically save?”

  “Yes, but look at it.” He crossed the room and hovered over my shoulder. “The last entry is from the day before the stairwell incident. Everything else is gone.”

  “It seems impossible for it to have just disappeared. Are you sure you entered everything? Maybe you only thought you did.”

  My face couldn’t have pinched any tighter. “What are you saying, Paul? Are you insinuating I don’t know how to do my job … or maybe you think I’m completely off my rocker and only hallucinated about entering the data?”

  “No, Paige. That didn’t come out right. I’m sorry. Do you think it might have something to do with not logging it in from your old PC? Is this the first time you’ve made entries from this machine?”

  “It is the first time on this computer … but the company has a mainframe which I can now access. So, it shouldn’t make any difference.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just trying to reason why it would be gone.”

  It was beyond irritating to have spent the entire morning working, and all for nothing. “I’ll use my old computer and redo my work.” I moved out to my prior desk, powered up the unit and started over.

  “Do you think it might have been a power surge or something?” Paul asked in an effort at coming up with a reasonable explanation.

  “No, if there had been a power surge, my computer would’ve needed to reboot.”

  “That’s true,” Paul agreed. “Shit, I don’t what happened then. But I’m sorry you’re having to start over.”

  “Do you think whoever came in here yesterday and turned on my computer might’ve come back and messed with it today?”

  Paul shook his head. “How could they? Your office was locked. Aren’t you the only one with a key?”

  “Yes, you’re right. My computer must have simply glitched.” In the back of my mind, I wondered if Lidia had turned in her key when Julie was promoted. I’d ask Mr. Harrington about changing the locks.

  * * *

  “This is so much fun,” Lisa said to Angela.

  Angela frowned. “I don’t know. Bimbo looks suspicious, what if she has security pull video and they find we’ve been in here … two days in a row?”

  “The only cameras are in the lobby area. Plus, I don’t even think she’ll be smart enough to ask. But if she does, I’ll say I removed my pocketbook from my purse last Friday and failed to put it back in, but didn’t realize it until we had lunch yesterday. I’ll say we came up here to get it, but since Paige was in a meeting with that detective and we didn’t want to disturb them, we came back today to get it. And remember, I don’t have a key to her office. How in the world could I have gained entry?”

  Angela followed the logic, her face turning into a shifty smile. “Well then, you’re right, this is fun.”

  * * *

  After spending a great deal of time reentering – for the third time – the expenses I had paid on the day of Julie’s murder, it was nearing five o’clock.

  “I’ve completed my opening statements and list of questions for the first few witnesses,” Paul happily announced. “If you’re at a stopping point, let’s go grab some dinner.”

  Over burgers, we rehashed the day’s events. “Paige, I really don’t know what to think about that balloon, but at the same time, I can’t explain what happened to those entries on your computer. And with everything else going on, until we figure this out, to be on the safe side, either I’m camping out at your place or you’re crashing at your friend’s house. Or your parents. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay by yourself anymore.”

  I nodded. “I’ll stay with Amy. I haven’t spent much time with her lately anyway.” It would’ve been my preference for Paul to have stayed with me. But since I hadn’t been with a man in a long, long, long time, I knew I’d probably fall all over him. He was trying to be professional and I needed to keep my desirous yearnings in check.

  I gave Amy a call about staying with her for a few days. “Yippie,” she squeaked. “It’ll be like a giant slumber party. I’m so excited.”

  “What about Jeff?” I asked, referring to her live-in boyfriend. “I don’t want to impose.”

  “Well he’s here tonight, but he’s flying out in the morning for a business meeting in Tulsa. He won’t be back for three days. We’ll have the place all to ourselves.”

  “Great. Hopefully, we’ll have figured out who’s after me before he returns. If not, I’ll probably transfer over to my parents’ house.”

  She laughed. “You must be desperate if staying with your mother is on the table.”

  “Well, better to stay alive,” I told her.

  “Sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Yes, we do. I’ll be over later this afternoon. Thanks for having me.”

  “I can’t wait,” she said in closing.

  As soon as we finished eating, we swung by my apartment to pack a bag. It was upsetting to leave Callie behind, but I promised to come back tomorrow and check on her. Though I told Paul I was fine, he insisted on following me to Amy’s house to make sure I arrived safely.

  Amy lived in a small 1920s, single story, red-brick home in the cultural district. The interior was far outdated, and the HVAC system ran constantly, either working overtime to cool the place, or alternatively to heat it. But it was hers and she loved it. So much so, she had me considering the purchase of my own home. And with my recent increase in salary, I felt inclined to begin searching.

  Coming to a stop alongside the curb, Paul pulled up behind me. He carried my bag inside and after introductions went around, Amy wiggled her brows behind her black-rimmed glasses and gave me an approving smile, meaning latch on to Paul, sink my claws in to him, and don’t let go. A smile stretched across my face at the thought of becoming an item with him. When I nodded in agreement, she urged him to stay and play spades, a card game Amy loved. Admittedly, we had so much fun. It was wonderful not being a third wheel for a change and, once again, I found myself imagining Paul becoming a lasting part of my life.

  When I walked him to
the porch, he moved in close to me. “Are you going to be okay here?”

  “I’ll be fine. It’ll give me some girl-time.”

  “I’ll be in trial all day tomorrow. But whenever the judge recesses for the day, I’ll touch base with you.” His dark brown eyes swept over me, landing on my lips. I met his gaze, experiencing an inexplicable pull of mutual desired emotion. We awkwardly stood by each other, both wanting to kiss. “I better go,” he eventually said. “I’m sure Jeff needs to get some rest before his early-morning flight.”

  My mouth puckered into a disappointed frown. “Goodnight Paul,” I said, wanting nothing more than to throw my arms around him and pull his lips to mine.

  “Goodnight Paige. You be safe.”

  Back inside, Jeff was already going through a checklist and organizing his suitcase. Amy was helping him and since it felt like an intrusion, after saying goodnight, I disappeared into the spare bedroom. It was a small room, overpowered by a combination of office furniture, a twin bed and a catch-all for things not having any other place.

  While I lay in the narrow bed and stared at the ceiling, in a home that wasn’t mine, I wondered how in the world my life had come to this point.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Noises woke me early the next morning as Jeff prepared to leave for his trip. It was still dark outside, but once I heard the front door open and close, I swung my legs to the side of the bed and made my way into the kitchen where I found Amy nursing a cup of coffee at a small dinette table.

  “Good morning,” she chirped. Amy was a morning person. I was not and had to refrain from growling at her.

  “Good morning,” I forced myself to reciprocate.

  “Catch me up,” she prompted. “We haven’t talked since the hospital.”

  For the next hour, I told her about getting the CFO position, Penny’s death, and everything in between, ending with the mysterious balloon and disappearance of my computer data.

  “I meant catch me up on Paul,” she said when I had spilled my entire guts.

  “Oh, well, he’s dreamy … isn’t he?” I sensed myself smiling and felt a glow in my heart.

  After a detailed girl-talk about boys, I excused myself to get ready for the day. Telling her goodbye and driving into work, I rode the elevator straight up to Mr. Harrington’s office. Since my arrival was early, I had to wait around for him to show up. He invited me into his office and following a few pleasantries and updating him on my disappearing numbers, I asked him if Lidia still had a key to my office.

  “No, I don’t see how it’s possible. I had the locks changed after Julie’s death. You have the only key.” He paused. “Do you want it changed again?” he kindly offered.

  “No, if I’m the only one with access, something else must have happened with the data entries.”

  He ran a hand through his thin, graying hair. “Do you think the computer is glitching out?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t figure out what happened.”

  “Well, if you need a new computer … or you simply need to move your old one into your office … just do it. I can’t have you running in circles with the financial inputs.”

  I spent a few minutes updating him on everything else going on in the office. “I’ve reached the point where I can begin the audit.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it,” he praised. “Just keep me informed.”

  “Yes, sir,” I promised. Thinking we had wrapped up our conversation, I scooted to the edge of my chair and began to push my feet to the floor.

  “How’s my birthday party coming along?” he inquired.

  Oh, holy cow!

  When Mr. Harrington had turned fifty, I had planned a big shebang in his honor. When it became a huge hit, the yearly affair fell on my shoulders. While our corporate department generally hosted events, somehow, Mr. Harrington’s birthday bashes became my yearly job. It took a mountain of planning and the invitations should have already been sent. I had really dropped the ball … and at a time when he had such faith in my abilities, he had promoted me to CFO.

  This year, Mr. Harrington was turning sixty and since it was another milestone, he more than likely expected me to pull out all the stops. But ever since my skull had been bashed in, honestly, I hadn’t thought about it a single time. In my head, I quickly calculated the remaining time before the big day. Two weeks. Jesus. I had to get busy.

  “It’s coming along wonderfully,” I said with a straight face and a calm voice, while my stomach was already forming a massive ulcer. “You’ll love it.”

  “You throw such amazing shindigs. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for me this year.”

  “Oh, it’ll be one for the record books,” I assured him, thinking I needed to get to my desk right this second. “I’ll let you know if I have any more computer problems.”

  As if a minute made a difference in the bigger scheme of things, I casually strolled from his office, picked up my pace through his secretary’s area, and then ran my freaking legs off to get to the elevator and down one floor to my office.

  “Holy crap,” I muttered to myself as I swept past the employees, unlocked my office and flew to my computer. While the damned thing slowly booted up, I had a mental meltdown. My throat felt tight, my stomach churned, and my hands were trembling. How could this have escaped my mind? It was simply not explainable.

  Unable to tolerate the snail’s pace of my computer, I used my phone to begin searching for the number of the caterer I had used for the last five years. Thank God I had already called them before the stairwell incident. At least most of the food selections had already been made.

  “Hello, my name is Paige Davis. Could I please speak to someone about a catering event booked with Harrington Oil & Gas? I’d like to make sure everything is going smoothly.”

  “Yes, yes. We have you on our calendar. We just need to go over some of the dessert selections.” To my relief, we were able to work out the finer details on the dinner plan, including a giant birthday cake.

  From there, I arranged for the same beverage crew I used last year, making sure they added extra champagne for a big 60th toast. The next big thing was to organize a live band. This year I wanted to go with the classics made famous by the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Thankfully, genre from this era wasn’t in high-demand and I was able to book a group on short notice.

  From there, I made calls to event planners who handled the table, chair and linen rentals. Next came banners, flowers and other decorations. The theme would be art deco mixed with Hollywood glam in keeping with the old crooner music. The chosen color pallet was comprised of gold, black and creams to create an elegant art deco effect.

  Going down my previous year’s checklist, I came to ice sculptures. This year, I ordered a six-foot-tall oil derrick to be placed on a pedestal to add an even more dramatic appearance. Hopefully, this would create something spectacular.

  After what seemed like a thousand phone calls and a million selections, I had set numerous wheels in motion. I then turned my attention to the invitations. Pulling up last year’s invite, I left the venue the same since it would remain in the corporate meeting room, one floor up, but I edited the date, switched the colors and added a picture from the Internet of an old-styled movie projector lighting up the invitation details.

  Luckily, three years ago, I had dispensed with formal mailouts and had instead used the company’s employee contact list. With a few adjustments – like removing Julie and Penny – I hit a button and sent an electronic notice to everyone.

  This was the fastest I had ever planned a party. Of course, I’d have to check, double check and triple check as the eventful day approached. But for now, it felt like I was gaining control. Then it hit me … entertainment. Each year I planned something different. One year it was an employee talent contest. Another year it was a comedian. Once we did Karaoke. Last year, I had booked a fortune teller. She had been a great success, but there was something creepy abo
ut her. Maybe she reminded me of a witch with her long nose and dark clothing. When she read my fortune – looking into a crystal ball – she told me my life would be in danger. At the time, I thought she was a fraud. But in hindsight, she had hit the nail right on the head. For a moment, consideration was given to rebooking her to see if she could give me any insight into who was trying to kill me. Then I remembered her foretelling David that his life was in danger too. She probably predicted the same for half the people who attended. It certainly applied to Julie and Penny. She was probably a crock, and anyway I wanted to do something I hadn’t already done so I googled party entertainment options.

  I came across a local hypnotist. After watching several of his online videos, it looked like he would be fun entertainment. After giving him a call, arrangements were made for him to be available during the last portion of the party after the meal had been served.

  Having wolfed down a sandwich between phone calls, I realized there was only a fraction of the day left. I spent it auditing David Ross’s entries. Just as I suspected, his job wasn’t demanding, and it didn’t take much time to carefully inspect his entries. David worked in reimbursements. Whenever someone incurred company expenses and used their own funds for gas, hotels, mileage, etc., they would present the invoices and be paid back. The volume of requests was relatively low, yet David always appeared to be hard at work, even staying late most days. It was hard to comprehend what he was doing with his time. I peered out the glass wall at the employees, zeroing in on David.

  His desk was at the end of the row. My empty desk was next to his and then Penny’s empty spot was next to mine. The closest person to David was James. Even so, David had his monitor turned away from everyone.

  I squinted, trying to see the details on his screen. Suddenly, James stood up from his desk, probably heading for the restroom. Immediately, David minimized the top window and quickly brought up a second application. And there, just for the briefest of moments, I swear, he had been looking at a picture of me.