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I nodded. “When you were checking her work, did that ever mean that you had to login to her computer under her username?”
An inkling began to take shape in my mind. Something I needed to be punched in the balls for not thinking about sooner.
“I kept a close eye on her because she had an awful habit of disappearing to the restroom every day,” Linda explained. She reached up and ran her hand through her black pixie-cut. “God only knows what she was doing in there. Maybe that’s where she made her secret calls to Simon.”
“Perhaps,” I said with a smile. “So how are things with you?”
She smiled back at me, suddenly looking relieved that I wasn’t questioning her management techniques anymore. “Oh, you know busy but fine. Nothing new with me.”
“You used to be friends with Simon correct?”
Her cheeks reddened, and she licked her lips. “If you mean work colleagues, then yes we used to be friends, but other than that, no I wouldn’t consider us friends.”
“Have you heard from him recently?” I glanced out the window, trying to keep things feeling casual.
“Not a word.”
“Ah, Okay.” I got up from perching at my desk and walked back to my chair. “I notice you’ve requested some time off next week. Going anywhere nice?”
“Nowhere. After everything that’s happened, I’m taking some time off to regroup. It’s been stressful for everyone.”
“It has, hasn’t it? Thanks, Linda. I won’t keep you any longer.”
She quickly picked up her bag and left without another word.
The second Linda left my office, I picked up my phone. “Ray, lock Linda out of the system. Don’t give her access to anything and call the police. I know exactly who’s behind the missing money and I have a feeling I know why.”
“On it.”
It wasn’t Reese, and it may not have been Simon. All along it’d been Linda.
She may not have admitted it, and I may not have any proof yet, but in my gut, I knew it was her.
I should never have doubted Reese, and now it was probably too late to get her back.
Chapter Thirty
Reese
You look like shit,” Mandy said, concern filling her kind eyes. She and Eileen sat opposite of me in a greasy diner a few blocks away from my apartment.
“Thanks.” I held a coffee mug to my chest but hadn’t taken a sip.
For the past two days, I hadn’t been able to eat or sleep. I hadn’t showered and brushing my teeth took herculean effort. Depression had taken a deep hold on me. I missed Kane so much it physically hurt. I hated that he hated me. I needed to put things right.
“I’ll be honest,” Eileen said, picking up her mug. “We haven’t found out much. Anything really. Whoever’s behind this, knows their shit. I’m sorry we can’t be of any more help.” She glanced at Mandy who nodded in agreement.
“The files you were looking into are all locked down. For the bosses’ eyes only or some shit. We would have to have higher security clearance to access them,” the petite woman said with a frown.
I smiled sadly. “I appreciate you guys trying. I guess I should go on the lam. Disappear before the police come get me. Orange is not my color,” I said, trying and failing to crack a joke. Eileen and Mandy both smiled slightly. “If I could get you into the system, could you do it? Could you find out who did this?” I asked.
Eileen blew out a breath and looked at Mandy. “How are you going to do that?” she asked. “You can’t even get into the building.”
I took a sip of my coffee and resolved myself for my plan of action. “I’m going to go to the dark side and ask my arch enemy for a favor. Sloane will probably tell me to fuck off, but I think beneath her spoiled princess exterior she’s a good person who knows right from wrong. At least I hope she is.”
I’d been mulling over asking Sloane for help. Maybe even thinking about it was a mistake. But what if it wasn’t? What if somewhere beneath her prissy princess exterior was a soul and a beating heart. I had to try. There was no other avenue I could go down.
“Oh Reese,” Mandy frowned deeper. “I’m not even sure that Sloane has high enough clearance to look at the files. She would need access to Ray’s PC or password or…” She swallowed and looked down. “Or she would need Kane’s. I doubt the she would be able to get to either one.”
I leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “Well fuck that for an idea. I guess I’m screwed and should lawyer up. Know anyone.”
“A few.” Eileen started looking through her purse for a business card.
My phone rang, and I fished it from my bag. The number was familiar. Melissa? Why was she calling? To tell me how disappointed she was in my actions. How I’d let her and Kane down? To let me know the police were on their way. No thanks. But as usual my curiosity got the better of me, and I answered.
