Chapter 2
DARBY
Numb and exhausted to my bones, I barely have the energy to lift my head when the conference door opens. If it’s the police again…
Tears fill my eyes and my lips quiver as my best friend, Kirstin, slips through the door. She peers through the cracked door, watching outside for a few moments before she turns to me. Keeping her voice low, she asks, “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay. How’s Tim? Did they arrest him?”
Tall and athletic, she gives me a crushing hug that nearly breaks the dam blocking all the anxiety tears I’m holding back by the skin of my teeth. “They took him away hours ago.”
Clinging to her, I will some of her steady strength to leach into me. Right now, I feel like a wet noodle. “Then what’s happening? Are we all getting arrested too? Or fired? Both?”
“They’ve got a whole crew tearing apart Tim’s office while the rest of the cops interview the team. What did they say to you?”
“Not much. They kept asking me the same questions, over and over and over. What did he say to me? Has he been acting any differently lately? How well did I know him? Why did I come in the back today? Why didn’t I call 911 myself?
I’ve answered their questions so many times I don’t even remember my own name. ”
“It’s Darby Wilkins,” she says solemnly.
Which makes me laugh, as she knew it would. Wilkins was my married name. The day I finally got my divorce decree so I could take my own name back, we went out for drinks and called in sick the next day because we were both too hungover to even think about working.
I only have this job because of her. She gave me a safe place to land when I needed to start over.
Senseless guilt washes over me. “You’re not in trouble because of me, are you?”
She scoffs. “Why would we be in trouble? We didn’t do anything illegal.”
“He was our boss.”
“So? We’re not guilty by association.”
“But what if he had me doing illegal things and I didn’t even know? I’ve barely been here a full year.”
She drops her voice, glancing over at the door to be sure no one’s coming.
“Rumor has it that he was falsifying loan documents after clients signed the disclosures, increasing the fee amounts to line his own pockets. Unless you were making copies and using White-Out to change the numbers around, you’re good. ”
My shoulders droop with relief. “I’ve never even seen the final disclosures. All my work goes into creating their balance sheet of assets and liabilities before the application goes to underwriting.”
“See? Nothing to worry about. Besides, I know you, girl. Even if Tim ordered you to switch numbers around on a client’s file, you would have asked questions. That’s not something you’d do blindly.”
True. I don’t really know much about mortgages, but I understand financial documents and disclosures after running my own business. If I ever noticed something not balancing to the penny, I’d have been asking questions.
The door opens and Melissa, my boss’s boss, enters the conference room along with two cops.
Everyone in the office is a little scared of Melissa.
No one else knows even a fraction of the business as her.
Whip-smart and quick to call out bullshit, she may be intimidating but has always been fair to me, though granted, I’ve not worked with her directly very often.
Both cops glare at Kirstin for coming inside the conference room without their permission. She manages to grin while still looking innocent.
“Thank you for cooperating with the police today, Darby,” Melissa says. “The company owes you our gratitude for helping apprehend Tim before all of the evidence could be destroyed. Do you have any questions for me?”’
“Is he okay? I mean, I know he’s in trouble, but he seemed to be having a breakdown.”
“The consequences of his own actions came crashing down on him. I’m sure he was a mess, but his health was not in danger.
” Her tart tone implies his health might have been in danger from her if she’d managed to get her hands on him before the police arrived.
“You may not know the history of this company since you’ve only been with us a year, but my grandfather started Sunshine Financial.
We’ve always taken great pride in providing excellent customer service and rock-solid financials for our customers.
Tim’s managed to irreparably damage our reputation with his schemes, and with financial companies, our reputation is everything.
We will prosecute him to the full extent of the law. ”
I shiver at her cold, unwavering tone, grateful her wrath isn’t turned on me. Kirstin drops a hand on my shoulder, a touch of warmth reminding me I’m not alone, giving me the courage to ask the hard question. “Am I fired?”
Melissa’s eyes widen. “Absolutely not. As I said, we owe you a debt of gratitude for helping us build a solid case. Granted, our business is going to take a hit while we deal with the fallout of Tim’s actions and attempt to rebuild the faith of our customers, but that’s not your fault.”
I nod though I’m surprised that I’m not relieved to still have a job. Sunshine Financial isn’t a bad place to work and the benefits are decent. I certainly put in fewer hours than I used to at the bakery.
But the bakery was mine. My heart and soul and—
I clench my jaws, fighting back another wave of raw emotion that has nothing to do with a burning dumpster.
“Hey, when’s the last time you had a break?” Kirstin asks.
“I don’t know. What time is it?”
“Two PM.”
I huff out a humorless laugh. “I didn’t realize it was already after lunch. I haven’t left this room since this morning.”
Melissa narrows a hard look on the cops. Evidently they aren’t immune to her dragon-like personality, and they shift their feet nervously. “You’ve already taken her statement. Do you need anything else from Ms. Barclay at this time?”
“No, ma’am,” the male cop answers. “We’ve got everyone’s contact information if any other questions arise.”
She turns to me. “Go home and rest. Take a few days off at least.”
“I don’t have any PTO,” I stammer.
“I insist. Don’t worry about the PTO. I’ll talk to HR and make sure it’s covered. Do something fun, completely unrelated to work. Go somewhere warm and get some sun.”
Maybe I’m suffering from shock because I can’t really comprehend what she’s saying.
A warm, sunny vacation sounds like heaven, but that’s not a day or two off.
That’s a week, at least, especially if I drive.
And what will I do with Skadi? It’s too short of notice to find a doggie daycare with an opening, and certainly too expensive.
I make decent, stable money now, but I’d rather not drop several hundred dollars on dog boarding on top of hotels and airfare and food…
But the idea of getting out of Colorado entirely has taken root in my head. Lying in the sun, baking in pure light and warmth. No more snow and ice.
I could go out to Vegas and surprise my parents. I haven’t seen them in years. I could stay with them for a day or two to avoid hotel expenses. If I drive, I can take Skadi with me, though she would hate the warmer climate.
My brain leaps ahead to filling out a monumental to-do list. It won’t be an easy trip in December, and I’m not that great of a winter driver.
I didn’t grow up driving in snow. I’ll have to get chains put on my tires and make sure I have emergency supplies just in case.
Food for Skadi, of course. My clothes. Warm driving clothes, but something light for Vegas.
Maybe even a pair of shorts and a couple of tees—I could wear them inside even if the outdoor temperatures don’t justify summer clothes.
Bliss.
“I might drive out to Vegas and visit my parents,” I say, testing the idea out loud.
Melissa nods. “I think the time away will be good for you. Today was a shock, so I approve of having plenty of support around you. Take your laptop if you want and stay out there an extra week or two. There’s no reason you can’t work remotely until things quiet down here.”
“Really?” My eyes tear up and I sniffle, fighting the urge to sob out loud. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Softening her voice, Melissa pats my shoulder.
“Workplace confrontations can be extremely stressful. Today was nonviolent but we all know things could have been very different with someone who’s trapped and desperate.
Take all the time you need. Kirstin will be stepping in as team lead for now, so keep her updated on your situation. ”
“Okay. Thank you.” Everyone leaves except for Kirstin. “Wow. That’s a lot.”
“Yeah.” She heaves a sigh and gives me a wry grin. “An unexpected promotion for me and vacation for you. Let’s get you packed up and out of here before she changes her mind.”