Page 44 of The Merger
“You mean give her money,” I interrupted.
“Yeah. Colt tried to make up for her parents’ shortcomings by giving her things. Unfortunately, she’s too much like her mother. When she could tell Colt was disappointed in her she tried to spin things. I had my reservations about her story, but he believed it wholeheartedly.”
I was getting impatient and wanted him to get to the point. “This story must be really bad if you are so hesitant to tell it.”
He inhaled deeply. “She told Colt that he had blackmailed her into a sexual relationship with him. When Colt asked what he had on her, she told him it didn’t matter because the guy she moved on with had paid him off.”
“My brother doesn’t have the strongest moral compass, but he doesn’t need to blackmail a woman into his bed. He’s too lazy for that anyway,” I commented.
“That was what I thought at the time as well. I wonder what her excuse is going to be this time. It’ll have to be a good one to convince her brother why she went back to someone who supposedly took advantage of her,” Beck replied.
I looked around realizing most of the people were already gone. “This place is dead. Where is everyone?”
“Some are working remotely, others like to come in early. If you’re looking for Jana she’s out to a late lunch.”
“I’m actually looking for my wife, but I needed to go over some stuff with Jana too.”
I coughed and changed the subject. It was one thing to be open with Sabrina, but not with a virtual stranger. “I’d heard you were something of a hard ass. I expected all of your employees to be at least trying to look like they were working hard to kiss your ass.”
He chuckled. “I was, but that was pre-Evie. She convinced me that happy employees work harder. Ever since I eased off and stopped yelling at the staff productivity has gone up.”
I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “I might have to try that. I can’t get my secretary to stop hiding in the supply closet.”
This time he laughed hard. “Mine used to hide in the bathroom.”
“That’s probably them now,” he said as the elevator dinged. “I was actually out here waiting for Evie to get back. It’s funny, I used to work late every night, and now I can’t wait to run out of here to hold my little girl.”
Jealousy speared me in the chest. I wasn’t envious of his money, but I did long for the contentment I could see in him. Then Sabrina stepped off the elevator and the envy disappeared. We might not be where they were yet, but I had hope that someday we’d be the ones cutting out of work early to snuggle our kid.
Sabrina was startled when she saw me standing with Beck. Evie took her arm and all but dragged her out of the elevator.
I nodded for Sabrina to step aside and talk to me. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight me. “I’m sorry for earlier. I didn’t see you.” She opened her mouth, but I held up a hand to stop her. “I know, that’s no excuse for how I acted. I can be an asshole. It’s not my best quality. I had found a report I was trying to make sense of.”
Jana had wandered over and didn’t seem at all embarrassed when I caught her listening. “What report?”
“It shows that several of the departments at Easton Corporation were operating at a loss. What I can’t figure out is why. There is money going in, but certain expenditures seem a bit high,” I explained.
Beck and Colter exchanged a look, and I could tell both of them were thinking the same thing I was. When expenditures for services were higher than goods, there was a higher chance those numbers were manipulated for less than honest reasons.
Colter took a step closer. “Let me guess, those are for contractors, outside marketing, and event planning?”
I nodded. “Nothing that can be counted, and I’m sure there are coordinating invoices to provide a paper trail.”
“Being stupid isn’t a crime. At least, that is what the person who orchestrated this was probably banking on. When did these transactions begin?” Colter pressed.
“I can help with that,” a man’s voice spoke from one of the nearby cubicles. “I’m sorry, I was leaving a note for my intern and couldn’t help overhearing your conversation. I prepared the report, so I can answer what I can now, and I’ll dig deeper into this now that I know it isn’t only suspicious to me.”
Holding out my hand, I greeted him. “You must be Aaron. This was a good find.”
I expected some kind of greeting or platitude, but I’d lost his attention completely. He was staring at Sabrina in a way that reminded me of a golden retriever when it’s owner returned home. Letting my own gaze travel to my wife, I realized she was pointedly trying not to notice him back. To make it worse, Evie and Jana were watching her wide-eyed.
Of course, they knew each other. Up until a few days ago Sabrina worked here. Aaron and I couldn’t be more opposite. He was the poster boy for preppy business chic, wearing a pale pink button down and a powder blue tie. His blond hair was on the darker side and heavily styled in a way that was supposed to look carefree.
I wore a black-on-black business suit. Black shirt paired with black pants under a black jacket. I always skipped wearing a tie. My job was unconventional, I didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be the same. My hair was longer on top, and often flopped into my eyes, but the sides were shorn close to my head. I looked more like a biker going to the bank for a loan than a businessman.
Aaron blushed as he looked at Sabrina. “It’s been a while since I’ve run into you,” he stumbled.
She looked at me quickly, before she returned her attention to him. “Yeah, I’ve been busy moving to this new role. And you were working at the office in Portland.”