SEATTLE CINDERELLA: FOUR-IN-ONE COLLECTION Read online

  Behind them Luke cleared his throat.

  Brent’s hands fell to his sides, so she turned and reached to the desktop for her flash drive, but it was gone. Her breath caught at the sight of coffee splashes on the desk beside her cup.

  “No…,” she muttered. Her stomach dropped into her shoes as she picked up a pen and poked into the coffee. Sure enough, she felt the lump of her now-ruined flash drive at the bottom.

  “Have you got anything on there that doesn’t have another backup?”

  She shook her head. “No, but this was brand new.”

  Brent checked his wristwatch. “The office supply store at the mall won’t open for two more hours.”

  She reached for her purse. “It’s okay, I still have my old flash drive. It doesn’t have as much memory, but it’s fine for what we need.”

  His head tilted to one side. “You need two flash drives?”

  “I have lots of photos,” she mumbled then inserted her old flash drive into Walter’s computer. “I’ll recopy the file I need and we’ll be fine. I just have to find what folder it’s in. When I saved it a few days ago I did it as I shut the program down and saved it to the E drive, but there has to be a folder for backups here somewhere. I’ll just do a search on the same document type.”

  The results netted a few obvious backups with varying dates, but a large file caught her attention. “I think I found it, but there’s another one named with a number that has a file creation date of just a few days ago. The file is huge. I’m going to see if this is better.”

  After copying and transferring both files, she opened the larger one and immediately found Brent’s invoice. “Here it is. Everything is fine.”

  “No, that’s the wrong amount.” Brent leaned closer. “It’s the right date and customer, but the amount is wrong.”

  “Let me check the other file.” She closed the numbered file, opened the properly named one, and pulled up the invoice in question. “Here it is. The amount is different.”

  Luke stepped closer and also leaned down for a better look. “How can that be?”

  Her mind ran a million miles an hour in circles, as she hoped what she thought wasn’t true.

  She opened the main file on Walter’s computer then opened a summary from a few months ago from the numbered backup. “The two profit-and-loss summaries for the same month are different in these versions. The difference is over a thousand dollars.” After pointing to the differences, she opened the previous month on both versions and found the same discrepancies.

  Her stomach began to churn. “I need to do some more checking.”

  While both men watched, she pulled up files from the previous tax year. As she saw more discrepancies, the tension in the room grew palpable. As if he were reading her mind, Brent laid his hands on her shoulders and pressed his thumbs into the knots in her back.

  Whenever a customer came in, Brent left to look after them, leaving Luke to watch her.

  After more checking, when Brent had once again returned, she sucked in a deep breath to say what she had to say. She didn’t want to, but she had no choice. “It’s the same thing. The profits are lower in the numbered file. In both versions the money going in is the same, but in the file that was hidden, more came out.”

  Brent pulled his chair closer and sank into it. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, then this is…” His voice trailed off.

  Behind them Luke remained silent.

  “Embezzlement, “Annie choked out. “The version here”—she pointed to the backup she’d opened on her mother’s computer—“is the working version that everyone would see. The one with the number, the hidden one”—she pointed to Walter’s computer—“looks like this is the one submitted to the government.” She hit a few more buttons. “This one shows a lot of money being paid to a holding company.” She didn’t have to look hard to confirm that the holding company had a fictitious address and contact information and was paid in cash. “It’s all untraceable, but the debits and credits are all done so it looks legitimate on the surface.”

  “How much money is gone?”

  “From what I’ve seen, it’s approximately the same every month, which would make it look like a recurring expense. It looks like twelve to fifteen thousand dollars a year.”

  Luke shook his head. “Embezzlement means jail. While that’s a tidy sum, it doesn’t seem enough to justify taking the risk of being caught.”

  “Maybe it is,” Brent said. “What if he’s doing the same to every place he works at? He’s here only half a day, twice a week. He does work for over a dozen businesses regularly, plus he wraps monthly for more. If he’s getting away with the same thing everywhere, that’s potentially”—he paused while he did the mental math—“a quarter of a million dollars a year that he could be skimming. Plus the car. But that doesn’t make sense. The car is so traceable, and the police look for a stolen car.”

  Annie straightened in her chair. “I think that’s exactly why he stole it. Neither of you suspected anything was wrong. But an outsider who’s an accountant would look at things differently and see inconsistencies. What happened until now when things didn’t balance?”

  Luke sighed. “Walter always fixed it.”

  “Yeah,” Brent muttered. “Did he ever fix it. We trusted him. Every time, he kept right on without missing a beat, and we were none the wiser.”

  Annie glanced at the monitor as the screen saver came on. “But when I started making corrections and adjustments, he knew it wouldn’t be long before I figured it out. I think he stole the car and put it in my garage to get me out of the way.”

  One corner of Brent’s mouth twisted. “But it was found the same day, and we didn’t have you arrested. That’s got to be hitting the panic button for him right now.”

  Both men stood then nodded at each other.

  Annie stood as well. “What are you going to do?”

  Brent rested one hand on her arm. “We have to call the police and go talk to him.” He turned to Luke. “Who’s going to stay to take care of things here? We’ve got a business to run.”

  Luke ran his fingers through his already messy hair. “I’ll go. He was a friend of my uncle before he died. I’m the one who should confront him.”

  Using the business line, Luke called the police. At the same time Brent used his cell phone to call the bank to freeze their account, even though Annie suspected that Walter probably had never forged a check. It was cleaner to dip into the cash and change invoices and expenses to make everything balance.

  Before Luke left, he approached her. He rammed his hands into his pockets and made direct eye contact while he spoke. “I don’t know what to say. I’m really sorry. I should have believed Cindy and trusted you. I have to go. The police are going to meet me at Walter’s office in ten minutes.”

  She could tell his regret was sincere—there was no question about forgiving him. As he left, Annie wondered if Cindy’s trust had slipped a bit as well. Annie wouldn’t blame her if it had.

  The only one who had trusted her while her life was turning upside down was Brent, who clearly had a thing for her, but she couldn’t return his affections because to do so would have cast doubt on him as well. But now she could.

  She turned to face him.

  He smiled down at her with stars in his eyes.

  It made her feel like a giddy teenager.

  She raised her arms and slid her hands around his back. “Thanks for being the only one who supported me.”

  Brent’s smile grew, and he rested his hands on her hips. “I knew you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Her heart fluttered, knowing he was going to kiss her.

  His eyes closed and his head began to lower.

  The buzzer signaled a customer walking in.

  Brent released her, stepped back, and cleared his throat. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”

  She did indeed hold that thought, trying not to grow impatient while Brent dealt with his custome
r.

  The second the man left Brent returned, wasting no time putting his arms around her.

  “Where were we?” he asked, grinning.

  She shuffled closer to him. “I think you were going to—”

  The phone rang.

  Brent raised one finger in the air and ran to answer it. After his initial greeting, he only listened and nodded a few times then hung up.

  “That was Luke. When he got to Walter’s office with the police, his boss said Walter had e-mailed this morning to say he was sick and wouldn’t be in. They’re on their way to Walter’s house. Now where were we?”

  Annie smiled. “We were—”

  The buzzer signaled another person coming in the door.

  Brent literally groaned. “I’ll be quick. I promise.”

  This time Annie made a fresh pot of coffee and poured herself a cup since she’d only had one sip of the first one.

  She’d drunk half before Brent’s customer left with his rental car.

  Again, Brent wasted no time in putting his arms around her, only this time he pulled her close, pressing them together from nose to knees. “I think—”

  Brent’s cell phone buzzed inside his pocket.

  It was odd feeling someone else’s phone.

  She backed up so Brent could pull the phone out of his pocket. Again he listened, nodding to a one-sided conversation, then flipped his phone closed.

  “That was Luke. Walter’s gone. Looking through the windows, it appears he left in a hurry. The police say he probably left the country. They’re getting a warrant now to search the house, and Luke said they’re going to check Walter’s bank records. If he’s left the country, there’s nothing we can do but count our losses and go forward.”

  All thoughts of romance dissolved. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing to say. Even though this is going to be a mess, at least we’ve put a stop to it. Now, where were we?”

  He extended his hands forward, but Annie raised her palms and backed up a step. “Forget it. I see someone coming.”

  Sure enough, the buzzer sounded, and this time two people walked in.

  “Let’s take a rain check until later,” she said.

  Brent grumbled, and he certainly wasn’t his cheery self until Luke returned.

  “Excuse us,” he said to Luke as he wrapped one arm around her, “we’re taking a rain check.” Not giving her time to protest, he led her into the private office and shut the door.

  Before she could say anything, Brent wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so hard and fast she was sure her toes curled. His lips left hers only long enough to whisper “I love you,” and he kissed her again.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered back with all the love in her heart.

  “Will you marry me?”

  Annie froze. “What did you—”

  A knock echoed through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, Brent,” Luke called through the door, “but you’ve got to come out. The police are here. We’ve also got a lineup of people waiting.” In addition to muffled voices came the echo of the ringing phone.

  Brent sighed. “I don’t believe this.”

  “Don’t worry. I know you’re busy.” Without giving him a chance to respond, Annie dashed out the door and ran to Cindy’s shop.

  Numbly, she turned on her computer and got to work, but she couldn’t concentrate on the numbers. Only Brent.

  She loved him from the depths of her soul, but in the short time she’d known him, she didn’t know if it was enough. It had taken her three years to decide on her career—was it possible to decide on the lifelong relationship of marriage in a few weeks?

  Instead of working, she walked to the window and stood to watch him. She ran through a mental list of all his qualities, and even though she was sure he had a few bad ones, she loved him anyway.

  Which gave her the answer she needed.

  When the police had gone and there were no more customers in their office, at least for the next few minutes, Annie jogged across the parking lot to Brent and Luke’s office.

  Luke pointed to the back lot, where she found Brent inspecting a scratch on a returned car.

  She approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Now where were we?” she asked.

  He spun around so fast one of the papers flew off his clipboard.

  She grinned. “Because I was about to say yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He embraced her, holding her snugly to his chest. “I’m glad you said that, because I was ready to pitch my tent in your front yard again.”

  Annie squeezed him and sighed. “Please don’t do that. My neighbors already think you’re crazy.”

  “But I am crazy. Crazy about you.”

  She sighed. Annie always thought happily-ever-afters were only for fairy tales, but for her, it had really happened.

  Even though Brent only had a tent and not a castle, he was her prince, and he always would be.

  TILL DEATH DO US PART

  Dedication

  Dedicated to my son Justin, who may or may not be related to the “real” T. J. Zereth.

  Chapter 1

  Zella, dear, now that your sister and stepsister are married, when can I start planning your wedding?”

  Zella Wilson gritted her teeth at her mother’s question. Between her height—she was always the tallest girl in every class—and a name that began with Z, she’d always been chosen last for everything except the basketball team. She’d always resented that, but she was more than happy to be the last to get married.

  “You can start when I set a date.”

  “But you can’t set a date until you’re engaged.”

  “And I can’t be engaged until I have a boyfriend.”

  Her mother raised one finger in the air. “Exactly! Which is why I’ve arranged for you to meet Judy’s son Ryan at the Seattle Aquarium on Friday.”

  Zella spun to face her mother. “For your information, I already have plans for Friday night.”

  Her mother crossed her arms. “What plans?”

  “Uh…” Her thoughts stalled along with her voice. She didn’t have any plans except to relax after a busy week, but she sure didn’t want to get fixed up with the dorky son of her mother’s best friend.

  Ever since Annie’s wedding, her mother had also been hounding Zella to find a man and get married. But not because she wished for her daughter’s eternal joy and happiness.

  No.

  Melissa and Judy had so much fun doing Annie’s wedding, they’d decided to start their own business as wedding planners. Zella overheard them plotting a showcase wedding for her. It was a marketing extravaganza to attract the attention of all the upscale couples in the city. The fact that Zella didn’t have a fiancé didn’t seem to matter.

  Zella refused to be a part of such a sham, and if Judy’s son was willing, then that was even more reason that she didn’t want to meet him, much less spend an evening with him. When she finally did find her Mr. Right, she would not rush to the altar. She refused to have her marriage end in divorce as her mother’s first marriage had, a result of getting married too fast for the sake of getting married.

  Her mother didn’t care if Zella was divorced a year later, as long as she made the wedding an elaborate social media blitz. But Zella cared. Now that Zella had been going to church with Cindy and Luke, she’d learned so much about the right kind of love between both people and God. She now had a different viewpoint on what she wanted her marriage to be—and she intended to take her time finding it.

  Zella stiffened, taking full advantage of being four inches taller than her mother. Even if she didn’t have plans, she would not go out with Judy’s son or on any blind date her mother set up. The last time she’d weakened she’d gone to Folklife with some guy her mother had recommended—where they’d enjoyed some Thai takeout from a food vendor then found out the hard way that he had a seafood allergy. Zella had spent all night with him at the hospital, trying to
explain to the guy’s overbearing mother why she’d allowed her son to eat something that was made by someone they didn’t know without asking for an ingredient list.

  Melissa glared at her, her arms crossed. “If you have plans, where are you going?”

  Zella glared down at her mother. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation. Ever since the night of Luke and Brent’s company banquet when she’d discovered her mother’s true colors, these confrontations had been flaring up with increasing frequency. “I’m going to…” Her mind raced as she scrambled to think of something on short notice. Glancing around the room, she spotted the community newspaper on the kitchen table, open to a page for local clubs and events she’d just been reading. She blurted out the only thing she could remember. “My book club meeting.”

  “Book club? What book club?”

  “This book club.” She stepped to the table and put her finger on it and read the first sentence. “At the library. We meet…every Friday night.”

  “Don’t you have anything better to do on Friday night than sit with a bunch of people and read? How boring.”

  “I like to read. And we do more than just read at the book club. We also…” She tried to imagine what a book club would be like. When she bought books she often checked out reviews online, and many times people commented on the reviews. “We discuss the books we’re reading. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some reading to do to get ready for our meeting.”

  As Zella walked into the library, a bad case of the jitters poked at her.

  After her mother had left the kitchen a few nights ago she’d gone back to read the article on the book club for more information, but the newspaper was gone. She’d checked the library’s website, but all they had on the book club was the time and name of the meeting room.

  She didn’t know what book they were reading, the size of the group, what genre the group focused on, or if they focused on any genre.