Chapter Twenty-Two #2
Evers shuffled through files on his desk before pulling one out and opening it.
“I’ve been looking into Violet Westbrook.
Accounting major at University of Tennessee, graduated with honors.
Applied to a few master’s programs before taking a job at a family friend’s accounting firm.
Worked there for a little over two years before she was fired under questionable circumstances.
Parents, Suzanne and Henry Westbrook. Henry is a financial advisor, Suzanne a homemaker.
“As far as we can tell they haven’t had any contact with their daughter since she was fired from the accounting firm.
I haven’t tracked down her birth certificate yet.
Info on the brother is thin. He went by Chase Westbrook until he dropped out of college to found his first company based off a data mining algorithm he developed while he was in school.
“He’s gone by Chase Brooks for the last few years, but he didn’t formally change his name.
Sold the first company for a mint, spent a few years developing the algorithms he’d use as the foundation for CD4 Analytics.
And while it looks like the two of you scammed him out of his company, I’m assuming my research missed something, or are you taking the term ‘corporate raider’ to heart these days? ”
“We all got scammed by Harrison, the guy who sold us CD4 Analytics. Violet was at Winters, Inc. trying to figure out a way to get her brother’s company back,” I said.
Gage shook his head and studied his coffee before raising his eyes to share a sympathetic glance with Evers. They thought Violet was playing me. Thought I was so wrapped up in her body that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.
They were wrong. I knew Violet. She’d done something stupid because she thought she was helping her brother. No one understood dedication to family more than I did.
“What makes you so sure you can trust Violet Westbrook?” Evers asked. “My research so far doesn’t raise any warning flags, aside from the situation at her first job, but that doesn’t mean she’s innocent. This could be a scam.”
“I know I can trust her because I know Violet,” I said, ignoring the disbelieving glance Gage threw my way. “And I know what happened with the family friend and the accounting firm. It’s Violet’s story, I’m not telling either of you. She wasn’t at fault. That’s all you need to know.”
“Aiden—” Gage started. I cut him off.
“I get how this looks from where you’re sitting, but you need to back off.
Violet doesn’t have a key to the house. She doesn’t have my bank account numbers or my credit card.
Violet is not the issue right now. The DNA test is the issue.
Let’s get that done, and then we can figure out everything else. ”
Evers held up a finger, then picked up his phone. A quick conversation later he had us a guarantee for a quick turn on the DNA. I didn’t even wince at the cost. I needed to know if my gut was right.
“I’m going to send a guy with the sample. He’ll stay until the results are in and personally bring them back. I don’t want any leaks. Everything coded by number, not by name.”
“How long?” I asked.
“They can’t guarantee twenty-four hours, but they’re bumping other rush orders to work you in. My guess is by lunch tomorrow you’ll know one way or the other. Does your girl have any idea about this?”
“No. Not what I suspect, not that we’re looking for Anna’s son.”
“Good, keep it that way,” Evers said. “I’ll do some more digging and—”
“Forget about Violet,” I said. “Look into her brother. I want to know everything we can about Chase Westbrook. He and Violet are tight. Her parents kicked her out and cut all contact after she refused to marry a man who tried to assault her. Chase drove across two states in the middle of the night to get her. Gave her a home, found her a job—I thought he was going to deck me when he walked in and found us together.”
“If he’s so protective, what the hell was he doing letting her try to infiltrate Winters, Inc.?” Gage asked.
“Apparently, he was working a consulting job out of town and had no idea what she was up to. Violet said he was furious when he found out.”
“Well, that’s something,” Gage muttered under his breath. Like me, Gage was no stranger to being an overprotective older brother. He might be suspicious of Violet and Chase, but he could respect Chase looking out for his little sister.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep your distance from the sister until we know what we’re dealing with,” Evers said.
Gage barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Good luck with that. I’ve been trying to get this moron to stay away from her for weeks. One whiff of her perfume and all he can think about is—”
“Don’t say another fucking word,” I said. “I’m taking Violet out for dinner tonight. I am not keeping my distance. You’re both wrong about her. I don’t care. Violet doesn’t have to prove anything to you. The only person she needs to worry about is me.”
“Shit, man, does this girl have a golden pussy? I’ve never seen you so stupid over a woman. You’re in deep with her after one weekend in Vegas. I heard all about that from Axel. For what it’s worth, he likes her.”
I leaned forward and pinned Evers with my eyes. “We’ve been friends since you were in diapers, and because of that, I’m going to cut you some slack. But if you ever talk about Violet like that again, I will beat you down until you can’t walk for a week. Are we clear?”
Evers went still for a long moment as he studied my face. He nodded once and said, “We’re clear. And just so you know, if she’s fucking with you, if they turn this around on you, none of us will rest until we end them both.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “But that’s not going to happen.”
Gage interrupted. “Axel liked her?”
“Axel and Dylan both liked her,” Evers said shooting me a cautious look. “Axel said she looked a little shy. A little overwhelmed. But all about Aiden.”
“She reminds me of Elizabeth,” Gage said. “When I get close all I see is ice.”
“Maybe that’s because every time you’ve talked to her you’ve been a complete asshole,” I put in.
“Not a complete asshole,” Gage murmured.
“Close enough,” I said.
Evers shoved his chair back from his desk and stood.
“As much fun as it is to watch the two of you bicker, I have a rescheduled meeting to get to. Don’t sign the family silver away to your girlfriend or her brother until we get the tests back.
The second we have them, I’ll call. For now, all you can do is wait. ”
Twenty-four hours had never seemed so long. By this time tomorrow, we’d know if we’d found Anna’s missing child.
We thought we wanted answers.
We thought we needed the truth.
We should have learned by now, when you went digging for the truth, in the end sometimes all you wanted was the comfort of familiar lies.