28. Victoria
Chapter 28
Victoria
“ I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. I swear I was just trying to get donations.” I scanned the official-looking conference room, feeling like I’d been brought into the principal’s office.
Parker Gagnon stood at the head of the table. She was a study of contradictions. She was athletic, with her brown hair pulled into a perky ponytail, yet the energy that radiated from her was all business. There was no hiding her background in law enforcement. It was her posture, her stance, and the pen behind her ear. She was not someone to be fucked with.
I smoothed my own hair over my ears.
“You’re not in trouble.” Expression softening, she surveyed the people in the room.
Noah sat next to me. His brother Gus was here too, along with his girlfriend Chloe, who now owned the timber company. I didn’t know them well, but they’d been nice enough.
“We’ve been digging for the better part of a year. We’ve collected all kinds of pieces—random strings and theories and tidbits of information,” she explained. “The connections are tenuous, but most of them lead back to Charles Huxley and his corporate holdings.”
She focused on me again, brows raised in anticipation.
So I dove in. I told them everything I knew, hoping I could help them push the investigation to the finish line so the Hebert family could finally rest. And after months of back and forth, I had plenty to share.
“I approached them the same way I approach any potential corporate partner. Opportunities to donate, to set up recurring giving, that sort of thing. Most people are interested in the tax breaks alone.” I uncapped the bottle of water Gus had set in front of me and took a small sip. “They made it seem like they were on board, which would be a game changer for the food pantry.”
My stomach twisted at the memory of how eager and excited I’d been. How na?ve.
“I usually provide a prospectus with a financial overview, but they wanted more. They requested information and records that should have no effect on their ability to donate or use those donations as write-offs. Then Denis wanted to inspect the premises. I allowed it, since he’s in the construction business.” I shrugged. He’d taken photos and asked a million questions. “We made some significant structural upgrades last year. Owen helped us out.”
“Did they propose anything to you?” Parker asked. “Give you anything?”
“Yes.” That meeting had been disastrous. “Denis gave me a proposal. It mostly involved work on the building. Endless construction projects with massive price tags.” I shuddered at the thought of shutting the whole operation down so the building and the garage could be rewired.
“Construction projects? And there were prices?”
“Price ranges, yes.” I closed my eyes, trying to visualize the proposal I hadn’t looked at in weeks. “And a schedule that lined up with the donations they’d make.”
“So they weren’t offering the work as a donation? Or pro bono?”
I shook my head. “It was strange. He was condescending and offensive, so I got out of there as quickly as I could. Sorry,” I said, already feeling stupid. “I should have asked more questions.”
Noah squeezed my hand. “Don’t apologize.”
I swallowed, the lump in my throat making the task difficult. “The numbers and proposals were off. The whole thing was weird. I’ve been in the nonprofit world for less than two years and still have a lot to learn, but it seemed unorthodox.”
Parker nodded, still taking notes. “Yeah. From what I’ve seen during my investigation, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were attempting to use the food pantry to launder money.”
Heart dropping, I gasped. “Money laundering? Does that actually happen in real life?”
Gus and Chloe nodded, clearly not all that shocked.
My mind spun.
“Thank you,” Parker said, bringing me back to the moment. “This insight is incredibly helpful.”
“Doesn’t this seem far-fetched?” I couldn’t keep the defensiveness out of my tone. I didn’t like the Huxleys either. They flaunted their wealth and rubbed me the wrong way. But Charles Huxley didn’t exactly seem like a crime kingpin.
“We have some insight into their activities and corporate filings,” Parker explained. “It’s not as far-fetched as you think.”
Bile rose in my throat. Had I been courting donations from criminals? Surely I wasn’t that stupid.
“Should Victoria worry that any of this could come back to her?” Chloe asked. The woman was authoritative and businesslike and scared me shitless. But I had the feeling that she was the kind of person I’d really want in my corner.
Parker shook her head. “No. She’s done nothing wrong.”
Thank God. I was just trying to buy diapers and eggs for my clients.
God, I was such an idiot.
“Are you okay?” Noah whispered, reaching out to squeeze my hand.
“I feel so stupid. I was so obsessed with getting a big donation that I handed over vital information that probably helped them without question. No wonder they picked me as a mark. I’m a dumbass.”
“You are not,” Noah said, his tone gruff.
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Parker said again, her tone kinder this time. “And if our theories are correct, a lot of other people have trusted them too. You’re not alone.”
That did nothing to make me feel like less of an idiot. I still couldn’t trust my own judgment. God, I’d worked so hard to make things better, yet I’d inadvertently made them worse.
“Should I speak to the police?” I asked, my heart thumping against my breastbone. “The FBI?”
“We’re still piecing things together. So far, the feds haven’t shown much interest in this lead.”
“Why?” Noah asked, his hand on my knee, imbuing me with his comforting warmth.
“Officially, we only have anecdotal evidence. Records that tell only part of the story.”
“And unofficially?” Noah asked.
Parker sighed. “You know how this world works. This guy is a politician. He knows everyone. He appointed half the judges in the state. He’s friends with powerful people and donates strategically.
“Anything we come up with has got to be rock solid. We have no eyewitnesses or whistleblowers and only one side of some complex business records.”
The bile threatening to make an appearance churned in my stomach.
Story of my fucking life. Yet another shitty man has taken advantage of my excitement and passion to further his own agenda. More manipulation.
I was a tool to be used. Nothing more.
The shame was palpable. Maybe my mother had been right. Graham too.
I wasn’t good enough.
I was reactive and excitable. Not cool and calculated.
I trusted too easily and allowed myself to be led astray.
With my head in my hands, I willed myself not to cry. I could do that when I was alone in my car.
“You’ve done nothing wrong.” This was the third time she’d assured me of that. “And you could be the person to help us.”
I sucked in a breath and looked up. “What do you need? I’ll do anything.” I had to fix this. God, I’d been so stupid.
“You don’t have to.” Noah put his hand on mine and straightened in his chair, his focus fixed on Parker. “You can’t put her in danger.”
“We have no reason to believe they’re dangerous,” she said. “And Vic could be a huge help. Can you play along? Keep taking meetings and learn what you can? Keep them spinning their wheels while I investigate?”
I nodded. Easily. “Denis is all ego. It probably won’t take much encouragement to get him to reveal things.”
“Yes. Go through the proposal. Ask a million questions. Take notes.”
“I can play dumb.”
She nodded and gave me a grateful smile. This woman was whip-smart, but something told me she’d had to play dumb to get ahead a few times herself.
“If you see or hear anything suspicious, call me. Ask him about the construction proposals. Make him walk you through them, line by line.”
The dread receded, and a little spark of excitement ignited. I smirked. “I’ll ask him to mansplain construction to me.”
Parker grinned. “We won’t ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
I barked out a laugh. “Trust me. I have plenty of experience as a people pleaser seeking approval. I can make it work.”
“You should come over to our place for dinner soon,” Chloe said, leaning forward with a smile. “I’ll beat all those pleasing instincts right out of you.”
I had no doubt she would. She was pocket-sized, but I did not want to get on her bad side.
“You don’t have to do anything.” Noah regarded me, his lips turned down and his eyes swimming with concern.
“It’s fine. All I have to do is attend more boring meetings and talk about roofing materials and electrical wiring. It’s hardly international espionage.”
That didn’t lighten his mood. His only response was a long exhale.
“I’m fine. You know me. I like to be useful.” They may not have hard evidence yet, but if the Huxleys were really responsible for hurting this town and putting people in danger? Then I was all in.
No one hurt Lovewell. This place was my home.
And if I could help Noah’s family and take the obnoxious Denis Huxley down a peg or two in the process, how could I resist?