Chapter 27
She’d been right about the reaction to her plan.
Everyone—especially Peter—had tried to tell her it was a bad idea to come here.
And they were probably right. She couldn’t deny that fact, especially after yesterday.
But between Alessandro Luque’s demands and her suspicions that the attacks on her life were somehow related to Eukaria’s accounts, she didn’t feel like she had much choice.
She needed to get to the bottom of things.
She just hoped this approach wouldn’t turn out to be a grave mistake.
But she had done everything she could to minimize the risks.
She’d managed to arrange an after-hours meeting to avoid crossing paths with any of her coworkers and to ensure Peter would be the guard on duty.
Regardless of whether any of the other guards were trustworthy, she knew he was.
Peter’s friend Miguel had been available, and he’d stationed himself in the side parking lot.
When she was ready to leave, he would accompany her back to her parents’ house.
The local police also knew she was here and were supposed to be increasing patrols in the area.
Eric had offered to provide her a police escort to and from town, but that had too much potential for attracting undue attention.
She’d decided flying under the radar with Miguel as her sole escort was probably safer.
To that end, she’d borrowed her mom’s car, a nondescript sedan, and worn a baggy shirt and jeans along with a ball cap and sunglasses.
Not the greatest disguise, but it was different enough from her normal attire to avoid calling attention to herself.
She’d changed into professional clothes after arriving safely at the office.
Before she left, she’d change back. Hopefully, her efforts to conceal her identity would be enough.
This time, Alessandro Luque arrived right on schedule, his guards in tow.
After they exchanged pleasantries and were alone in the conference room, he fixed a penetrating gaze on her. “How did you receive your injuries?”
She blinked at the forward question. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Come now, Mrs. Nieland, don’t play dumb.” He gestured toward her. “I noticed your black eye at our previous meeting. Now your hands are covered in scratches.”
She forced herself not to hide her hands under the table. She’d hoped he wouldn’t notice them, but the damage was already done. Hiding them now would only broadcast how uncomfortable he was making her.
“I’ve done my homework,” he continued. “I looked into you and your background. Seen recent photos. You don’t normally wear heavy makeup. If I had to guess, I would say you’re covering up more than a black eye.”
The man was perceptive. It was unnerving.
Again, she deliberated how much to tell him.
She couldn’t deny his observations, but she hadn’t wanted to lead with that subject.
But if her suspicions were correct and these incidents were somehow related to whatever was going on at Eukaria, they were relevant to this meeting.
She took a deep breath. “There have been multiple attempts on my life over the last few days.” The trunk incident counted since she very well could have died there.
He cocked his head to the side, and she thought she caught a glimmer of surprise in his eyes.
What had he been expecting her to say? Had he thought she was a victim of domestic violence or something?
If he’d checked her background as thoroughly as he’d indicated, he knew she was widowed and probably gathered that she hadn’t waded back into the dating game.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you know who is behind these attacks or what their motive is?”
“Unfortunately, no. However, there is a very real possibility that someone discovered my questions about certain findings in Eukaria’s accounts and doesn’t want me to reveal what I know.”
He leaned back. “And what do you know?”
She hit a few keys on her laptop, and a set of spreadsheets appeared on the large wall monitor.
Beginning with the clearly misappropriated funds, she presented her findings to him.
His expression didn’t change as she went through the evidence, but when she paused for a breath, he turned his gaze on her. Anger simmered there.
But his voice was surprisingly calm when he said, “Thank you, Mrs. Nieland. I will begin an inquiry at once. I will track down the individual stealing money from our firm.”
She nodded. “I hope you identify them quickly. But that’s not all I’ve found.
I think the problem goes much deeper.” She opened a new spreadsheet—one detailing the suspicious payments.
“As I worked through the accounts, I came across a large number of red flags. I realize some of these may be legitimate business expenses, but coupled with the missing funds, they strongly indicate a more serious issue.”
Mr. Luque remained quiet as she explained her concerns. When she finished, he stared at the screen for several moments. Electricity, and not the good kind, seemed to pulse through the room, weighting the air with tension.
Finally, he turned back to her. The anger she’d observed ten minutes earlier had been replaced with cool calculation. “Good work, Mrs. Nieland. I appreciate your attention to detail.”
“That is my job.”
A rakish grin split his face, but his eyes remained hard. “I was also very pleased with your colleague’s work. Mr. Pierce knew how to handle the intricacies of our accounts.”
She tried not to let her puzzlement show. She’d just shown him evidence that Frank hadn’t handled their accounts well at all.
Without giving her a chance to protest, he continued. “But Frank and I had an agreement that, it would seem, left him with some confusion about what needed to be brought to my attention.”
Her brain started to buzz. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
“I appreciate your concerns—and the fact you came directly to me to voice them. Someone has clearly embezzled funds from Eukaria, and as I said, I will take care of that issue. However, these other things . . .” He fluttered a hand at the screen.
“They aren’t anything to be perturbed about.
If I had been informed sooner about Frank’s death and your assuming of his responsibilities, I would have let you know that before you went to so much trouble. ”
“So you’re telling me all these subscriptions, purchases, and payments are legitimate?
” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
Deep down, she knew there was no way that was true.
Something fishy was going on at Eukaria Investments.
If the CFO couldn’t see that, he was either incompetent . . . or he was complicit.
Dread filled her at the thought. She’d really, really hoped this man would be an ally in her quest to find answers and bring the guilty parties to justice.
She didn’t think she’d given any indication of where her thoughts were going, but Mr. Luque seemed to sense her realization. He held her gaze with an intensity that made her skin crawl. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t move, could hardly think.
The CFO leaned toward her. “Let’s not pretend we don’t understand each other.
Eukaria Investments does what it claims to do.
My uncle’s firm employs quite a few people, pays plenty in taxes, and satisfies its clients with record-breaking returns.
If some of its methods are unconventional—that is of no concern to you.
You will, of course, inform me immediately if there is direct evidence of theft or an inconsistency that needs to be corrected to avoid attracting attention in an audit, but otherwise, you should assume everything else is as it should be.
In return, I will see to it that you are rewarded privately for your services.
And I will provide you with protection against any further attacks on your person. ”
Hailey could hardly believe what she was hearing. She shook her head slowly, then faster. “I can’t be involved in this.”
His hard gaze turned glacier cold. “Forgive me if I did not make myself clear. This isn’t a request. You will be ‘involved,’ as you put it. It’s too late to back out now.”
She jutted her chin, anger starting to rise. Who did this man think he was? “I don’t think you understand. I’m not going to break the law for you or Eukaria Investments or anyone else.”
A muscle ticced in his jaw, but instead of responding directly to her refusal, he pulled a small photograph from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Studied it. Ran his finger over it.
Though she hadn’t yet seen the subject of the photo, Hailey’s nerves tingled. She wanted to snatch it from his hands and see what he was about to bait her with, but she restrained herself. He’d show her when he was ready. She refused to let him know how much of an effect he was having on her.
After several more tension-filled seconds, he placed it face up on the table between them.
An image of herself holding Jenna in their front yard, both of them looking off to the side and smiling as if it were the happiest moment of their lives.
She caught her breath. Had she seen that photo before?
Had she even been aware it was being taken? She couldn’t remember.
“You clearly love your little girl. I think you’ll realize how important your cooperation is to your family’s well-being.
” He returned the photo to his pocket and stood, his frame towering over her.
“Think about it. I’ll give you until Monday.
” He strode toward the door. Just before he reached it, he paused, not bothering to look back at her.
“One more thing, keep this little conversation to yourself. Getting the police involved would be a very bad idea. I have resources in place. I’ll know if you contact them, and there will be grave consequences. ” With that, he was gone.
Hailey stared after him. For a moment, she could hardly think or breathe. The man had threatened her as casually as a 1950s mobster.
She couldn’t—wouldn’t—cover for a money laundering operation.
She also couldn’t let Jenna be harmed. And he’d mentioned her family almost as if he was referring to more than just the two of them.
Would he put a hit out on her parents too?
Her cousins? At least her siblings lived out of the region, but she didn’t know how far his influence reached.
And was it just him? His uncle was Eukaria’s CEO.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume this was a family operation.
What was she supposed to do? Was this the kind of pressure Wesley had felt? A twinge of sympathy for her late husband tried to wriggle its way in, but she pushed it aside. Wesley had gotten himself into that mess. She’d done nothing wrong.
Did Mr. Luque know about Wesley? It was quite possible. In fact, if he’d looked her up online, last year’s news articles would have come up on the first page of search results. Was that why he’d decided to pull her in—because he thought she shared her late husband’s tendencies?
Almost on autopilot, she shut down her computer and gathered her things.
But even after changing back into her disguise, she couldn’t make herself leave just yet.
She wanted to give Alessandro Luque enough of a head start that their paths wouldn’t cross on her way out.
After waiting another ten agonizingly long minutes, she headed out.
When the elevator doors opened on the first floor, she glanced around.
Once again, the darkened businesses loomed like specters.
The main bathroom door was propped open with an industrial mop bucket, indicating the janitor was doing his rounds.
No one else was in sight, and she hoped that meant she’d given Alessandro Luque and his men enough time to be on their way.
He didn’t seem to be the type to slink around in the shadows.
But then again, she hadn’t pegged him for a money launderer either.
Her eyes landed on the security office, and her steps slowed.
She had an overwhelming desire to tell Peter what was going on.
He already knew part of it, but this was so much bigger than she’d dreamed.
Would Eukaria’s CFO consider that an act of defiance against his order not to tell the police?
Peter wasn’t a cop, but he was almost law enforcement.
She couldn’t risk it. Not here where she could be seen or overheard.
Even if Mr. Luque was gone, she wouldn’t put it past him to have slipped the janitor money to keep his ears open.
She frowned. That seemed far-fetched. Was she just being paranoid now?
As she continued across the lobby, the door to the security office opened. Peter stepped out, a hopeful look on his face. But when he saw her expression, it faded. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and glanced toward the mop bucket. “Nothing.”
He drew closer to her and lowered his voice. “You’re white as a sheet. Did something else happen?”
“Everything’s fine.” She spoke at a normal volume and tried to infuse cheeriness into her tone. “Just worked a bit late and kind of in a hurry now. Miguel is waiting for me.”
He didn’t look convinced, and she couldn’t blame him. A flicker of movement drew her eyes back toward the bathrooms. The janitor emerged, appearing focused on his duties as he backed into the lobby. But was he?
An idea struck her. Before she could talk herself out of it, she blurted, “I’m sorry for forgetting those suits you were interested in. You sure you don’t mind swinging by my parents’ house to pick them up in the morning?” Just play along, she begged him silently.
Peter’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, but he said, “Of course. No worries at all.”
“Oh good. Well, I’d better be going.” She stepped around him and hurried out the door without looking back.
Once in her borrowed car, she lowered her head to the steering wheel and took several deep breaths.
Had she done the right thing? Peter was already planning to show back up at her parents’ house tomorrow, but she hoped she’d gotten the message across that she needed to talk to him, just not right now.
But could she tell him what happened? Would she be putting him in danger?
Putting Jenna or her parents in danger? She could hardly bear the thought.
Maybe she shouldn’t tell him. She could still change her mind before tomorrow morning.
Tell him . . . something. But then what?
She was in way past her depth—had been for days.
She needed someone to help her figure out what to do before she had to choose between her integrity and her daughter’s life.
“God, I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.