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She mumbled something I couldn’t understand before I heard paper crinkle. “If I wanted to get into these accounts, how would I go about it?”
“I’ll email you the info. No use telling you while you’re driving.”
“You’re going to email me the password to the company bank accounts?”
I swung back a little, the ropes creaking against the wood. I planted my foot so I didn’t end up on my ass.
“No, only the login. The password isheartbreaker, all lower case.”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
“Why would I lie about that?” I asked, voice rising. “I wanted it to be something you could remember.”
“Since you’ve got my login details, why don’t you just do it yourself?”
I scowled. Leave it to Mulaney to make me feel about two feet tall and stupid. I couldn’t even think of a worthy comeback so I sat there, silent.
“Good grief, Easton. You’re so damn sensitive. It was just a suggestion. You sound like you want answers now, and I’m still a good three hours from Burdett.”
“Great. Thanks.” If I had any chance of fixing anything I’d broken, I had to get my head right. Clearly, it wasn’t.
“Why can’t you look at the accounts?” Her tone softened, throwing me further off-kilter.
“Apparently, I’ve lost my access and when I asked Dad about it, he changed the subject.”
“That’s not like him. And shouldn’t the CFO have access to the financials?”
“Is that what I am? I’m not sure anymore.”
“Do you have any idea what happened? Where did we go wrong? We closed on that big tract of land in Upton County last week. Did that push us over the cliff?”
“We were more than secure for that deal. From what I’ve seen, that barely knocked a dent in our reserves. I’ve looked at every single balance sheet in EXODUS and can’t find any discrepancies or liabilities that were beyond our reach. Net income and free cash flow has increased in the last two quarters. Working capital was looking good. So, I’m at a loss.” I glimpsed at the old farmhouse, my grandmother in the kitchen window, cooking. “Do you think my father has something to do with this?”
“Jesus. Are you trying to make me wreck?”
“Take a step back. Think about it. He casually throws out merging with another company what, two, three months ago tops? Next thing we know he’s talking about it more often, and then he goes in a completely different direction and sells Carter Energy because there was no other way out. In what universe that we operate under does that make sense?” I prayed she had some answers.
“This is Mr. Carter we’re talking about. He lives and breathes the company.”
“Tell me something else, anything, to point the finger in another direction. It kills me to even suggest he’s done something nefarious, but he’s not helping his cause with his behavior.” Blindsided. That’s how I’d felt yesterday. I hadn’t fully recovered yet, but for the first time I could ever recall, I didn’t completely trust my father. I hated that feeling.
Yet, I was confiding in Mulaney like she’d given me a reason to trust her, when she hadn’t either. Her feelings toward me had been made abundantly clear quite some time ago and still, I couldn’t give up.
“Don’t be foolish.” She didn’t sound nearly as confident as she had a second ago.
“That’s the only way you’ve ever seen me, isn’t it? A damned fool.”
“You know better than that,” she said.Sharply.
“I thought I did,” I said bitterly. I took a deep breath to calm my anger. “Look, we’re both heading to New York blind. We need to work together. Can we do that?”
Chapter Nine
Mulaney
Damn Easton Carter.
Damn him.
