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He offers a small smile. “Just stay put. I’ll honk the horn if it’s clear for you to leave.”
His voice is steady, calm, but I can read the tension in his eyes. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to follow his advice, to take slow sips of my coffee instead of bolting out the door. My heart is pounding so loud in my ears that I’m sure someone must hear it.
I watch as he walks out of the diner. He casually walks around the car and then gets inside. He honks the horn once.
I leave a tip on the table before slipping out of the booth and making my way towards the exit. I can feel Travis's gaze on me as I walk towards the car. As soon as I'm outside, I rush over to his car parked nearby.
I glance around to see if there is anyone watching. I spot a man standing on the corner. He’s staring at me. At first, I think nothing of it. But there’s something familiar about him. I stare back, wondering if he’s my whistleblower. But before I can do anything, he walks away.
“Get in,” Travis says out the window.
I dismiss the man and get in the car. “Now what?” I ask.
"We drive," he says, swiftly starting the engine. The tires screech as we jerk forward, leaving the diner further behind.
He’s quiet as he drives back towards his place. Everything feels so surreal. This isn’t my life. I don’t know how to manage this. My life is regimented. I work out, I go to work and then I go home to my quiet apartment. I don’t have to fear for my life.
“I don’t know if we should go home,” he murmurs.
“What?”
“I can’t tell if we’re being followed, but my logical side says that’s what I would do.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say again. “I don’t know what is happening. This is a nightmare.”
“It’s cool. We’ll get a hotel.”
There’s nothing cool about this. I sit quietly, lost in my own thoughts. I think back to the minute I heard about the case. I refused to believe Jeff was setting me up.
And suddenly, it hits me like a bolt of lightning. I knew the man on the corner. Everything started to click into place. He's a lawyer that worked at my firm, someone who had a motive for revenge.
I turn to Travis, my breath catching in my throat. “I know who it is,” I whisper.
“What?”
“He was here. The man. I think he’s the whistleblower. This whole thing was all a bunch of crap. He wants revenge.”
“Who?” Travis asks.
“Take me to the firm," I say, my voice steely with determination. "I'm walking in there, and I'm letting everyone know that I'm not dead, and I'm not going to play dead."
Travis hesitates. “That’s not a good idea. You don’t know who is after you.”
“That’s just the thing,” I say in a tight voice. “I know exactly who it is. And I know what his game is.”
“What?” Travis gasps. “Who?”
“He’s a former lawyer at the firm,” I say, even as the pieces start to fall into place. “I figured out he was embezzling from the firm. He was fired and charged. I had to testify against him. I thought he went to prison for thirteen months or something. And maybe he did. I never really thought about him again.”
“So, it’s personal,” Travis sighs.
“I’m afraid so. Unless Jeff, my boss, can tell me otherwise. That’s why I need to talk to him. I need to know if this whistleblower case is real.”
“Okay,” he shrugs. “Let’s do it.”
My heart pounds in my chest as we stride through the doors of the law firm, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I don't even spare a second thought to the fact that I'm wearing jeans instead of one of my usual power suits - right now, nothing matters except getting to the bottom of this. I see the looks and hear the gasps of shock. As we walk through the office, a wave of whispers follows us. I know they all thought I was dead. They are seeing a ghost.
With determined strides, I march into Jeff's office, my jaw set and my eyes blazing with intensity. Travis is right on my heels, never leaving me unguarded. Jeff looks up from his desk, his expression one of shock and disbelief as he takes in the sight of me standing before him.
