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She’d just gotten the safe open when he stepped into the office. Carole yelped and jumped away from the safe. When she saw the gun in his hand, she swallowed hard and took a shuddery breath.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the security guard hired to watch this place at night.” He gestured toward the partially open safe. “What are you doing here? How did you get the combination for Julia Stewart’s safe?”
“Security guard?” She stared at him, wary and tense. “When were you hired?”
“When Julia found out someone was stealing from her,” Spence answered, holding Carole’s gaze. He took a step closer. Tightened his grip on his gun. “Once again, why are you here and how did you get the safe combination?”
“Julia gave it to me,” Carole said, lifting her chin. Spence knew she was lying. “She wanted me to get something and bring it to her.”
“And what would that have been?” Spence asked.
“Her… her ledger. It’s in her safe.”
Holding the gun steadily on Carole, never taking his eyes off her, Spence pulled out his phone. Touched Nico’s contact number. When Nico answered, Spence said, “Carole’s in the office. She has the safe open. What do you want me to do?”
Nico swore into the phone. “You have a gun on her?”
“I do,” Spence said.
“I’ll call the police. Hold her until they get there. Julia and I will drive over, but I won’t come inside until the police have Carole in their control. Don’t want to break my cover.”
“Got it,” Spence said, disconnecting. He silently studied Carole as she began to fidget.
“Look,” she finally said, raising her hands as if placating him. “I don’t like guns. Julia can come in and get the ledger herself.” She edged toward the door, and Spence tracked her with his gun.
“Stop, Carole,” he said softly. “Don’t move another inch.” He aimed the gun squarely at her chest. “Put the piece of paper on the desk. Then put your hands on your head. Now.”
Carole didn’t move. Neither did Spence. His gaze never left the woman, his hand steady on the gun.
After what felt like a minute but was probably just several seconds, Spence took off the gun’s safety. The click echoed loudly in the small room. “I never take the safety off a gun unless I’m willing to pull the trigger,” he told Carole. “So set that paper on the desk and put your hands on your head now.”
Holding his gaze, Carole extended her hand toward Julia’s desk. Dropped the piece of paper, then slowly flattened her hands atop her head.
She stared at Spence, and he stared right back. Carole swallowed a couple of times. Took a deep breath. “Look,” she said. “I didn’t take anything. I didn’t even get the safe all the way open. Cut me a break, okay? Just let me go. I’ll leave the key with you and that’ll be the end of it.”
Spence frowned. “Now why would I want to do that?”
“Because I can make it worth your while.” Her gaze dropped to his crotch. “I’ll shut the safe, leave the combination, and we’ll have a little fun before I walk out the door.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Spence tightened his grip on the gun. “I’m a professional. I don’t take blow jobs to let people off the hook.”
“Look, I just came in to retrieve my belongings,” Carole said, her voice too high. Shrill. She was nervous. “She fired me for no reason. I think I’m entitled to my things.”
Spence barely resisted rolling his eyes. “A, you were fired for cause,” he said, keeping his gaze on Carole. “B, which is it -- are you fetching Julia’s ledger for her, or retrieving your belongings? And C, why would any of your belongings be in Julia’s safe?” He shook his head. “I know exactly what you did, Carole. How you stole money from Julia. So why would Julia contact a woman she’d just fired for theft and ask her to open her safe?” He shook his head slowly. “I’m not buying a word of what you just said. The police can sort out your lies.”
“Look,” Carole said. “I was angry Julia fired me. I acted impulsively. Rashly. I’m really sorry. Please let me go.”
“You’re sorry because you were caught,” Spence said. “Julia’s on her way over, along with the police. I suspect she’ll let them deal with you.”
“Please,” Carole begged. “I was angry, and stupid with it. It won’t happen again.”
“How much money did you steal from Madeline’s?” he asked.
Carole studied him, as if trying to figure out what she could get away with. Finally she said, “Not very much. A few hundred dollars.”
Spence snorted. “Last night alone you stole over three hundred dollars. I’m guessing each of you got away with thousands of dollars. Maybe tens of thousands, depending on how long this was going on. The police can and will subpoena your bank accounts. Find out how much you deposited every week. A forensic accountant will be able to figure out how much of that money belongs to Madeline’s. So we’re gonna wait here for the cops.”
