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“He’s in his office,” Andrew informs me as soon as I sit down. My desk looks eerily empty today now—no piles of folders to distract me from my problems.
“What are you waiting for then? Bring him here.”
Andrew chuckles and after ten long minutes comes back with the unsuspecting man. I can’t wait for that smug expression to be wiped off his face. “Good morning, Arthur.” I gesture at the seat.
Arthur sneers and looks at this watch before sitting. “Good afternoon is more appropriate for this time of day. But of course, work can wait. Right, Brian?”
“Mr. Reeds to you.” I lean in, bracing both arms on my desk, ready to launch at him. “And yes, I’ve had more important matters to take care of these last few days. Especially this morning.”
Arthur snorts and starts tapping his hand on the wooden surface making an outline of it with his sweat. Maybe he’s more nervous than I thought.
“Mr. Reeds, I’m extremely disappointed in you. When you took over after your father stepped down, I expected that the company would flourish. Robert kept raving about your potential. But…” he lowers his gaze before he continues, “I think you are not cut out for this role. Maybe it’s too much for you.”
Loud laughter bursts out of me, shaking my whole body. His audacity is outrageous.
“Making the company worth billions was just not good enough for you, Arthur? Would you have done a better job?”
Arthur may be a lot of things but he’s definitely not stupid enough to almost destroy the company. Jealousy can’t be his only motivation.
“Mr. Bracken to you,” he replies, finally losing his composure. His dark hair hangs right above his brows and no matter how many times he passes his hand through it, it falls right back. “Don’t forget that I’m the CFO of this company. I didn’t get where I am because of favors or a birthright. Just pure, hard work. And to answer your question, yes, I would have done much more. Even before you started working here, I’d already made crucial improvements. There’s no denying that I’m an invaluable asset to the company.”
Whether he made “crucial improvements” as a newly hired accountant is a statement I’m tempted to argue about, but my father did see something in him to let him climb up the ranks so fast. Maybe when he calms down a bit, I’ll ask him what that was. Now, though, I just want to know why.
“Not to mention a longstanding thief and…” I pinch my chin as if deep in thought, “a sleazy, ungrateful traitor.”
“How dare you?” he barks and stands up, pupils dilated, making his light gray eyes look almost white.
I slide the report across the table. Arthur glances at it and turns his attention back to me, his features red and swollen.
“What’s this supposed to be?”
“You tell me. After all, it’s your own sweat and labor, Mr. Bracken.”
The blood drains from his face and his mouth starts to twitch uncontrollably, but he remains still and silent, unsure of how much proof I have.
“Perhaps this will help with your sudden lack of words, Mr. Bracken.” I slide over the original paperwork and then an article about programs like the one he used.
Seeing Arthur’s whirlwind of emotions as he realizes what the papers in front of him represent, I’m certain that he had help—a lot of help—from other staff.
“Don’t bother with the how. I already have all the proof I need. And you know what, don’t even tell me who was helping you.” The police will be here any minute now and I want an answer before he leaves. “Just: why? Why did you do it? This position would never have been yours. Even in the event that it was, I’d still be the owner. So why? Jealousy?”
“Jealous of you?” Arthur sneers. “No, your position is expected. Everywhere I look, it’s the same story. A spoilt and entitled brat takes over his father’s business, leaving it to his own useless offspring when the time comes. And on and on it goes. People like me have made their peace with that. We’ve even adjusted to it.”
“Adjusted how?”
“Hard work, always. Being the backbone of the company, running things behind the scenes while somebody else takes the credit.”
Fear and anger are a bad combination for keeping his composure, but his lack of remorse is perfectly clear. I’m not getting any real answers from him today.
Having regained some of his composure, Arthur straightens up, preparing himself for a tirade, his finger already pointing at me but a knock on the door halts his actions. Abby walks inside, so pale that I’m afraid she’s about to faint.
“Mr. Reeds, there are…” Her voice trails off when she sees Arthur’s state. “Two policemen want to talk to you.”
Not you too, Abby. Other than Andrew, she has access to almost everything in the company but…wouldn’t she have noticed that Andrew and I were looking into this? As careful as we were, she may have seen something. Maybe she did. Maybe Arthur wanted this to be seen, to have me struggling for answers. Maybe he just didn’t think it would be connected to him.
“Let them in, Abby.” With a slow nod, she motions the officers to come in. Two men, six feet tall and dressed in civilian clothes, make their way to the center of the room and position themselves on either side of Arthur.
“Mr. Bracken, I’m afraid our meeting is over. I’d have loved to go over the report with you before this—” I wave my hand toward the officers. “But I’m sure your conversations with the police and the prosecutor will be far more enlightening.”
