He nodded.
I pulled the information I’d gathered about Phillip Morris from my briefcase and explained it all as I handed each piece of paper to Will. I hesitated, but eventually told him about my meeting Phillip in person and how that had confirmed my suspicions.
“He’s stealing from these clients. I know it,” I added, summarizing my argument.
Will’s serious looking face was still turned downward, perusing the forms I’d presented him with. His salt and pepper eyebrows were bunched together as he read the papers Phillip had given me when I went into his office impersonating the part of the wealthy widow.
“Have you had any contact with Mr. Morris since that meeting?”
I nodded. “He’s called me once to follow up but I haven’t met with him since.”
“Would you be open to meeting with him again?”
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn’t been expecting that one at all. “Uh, well …” I looked to Brenda.
“Will, she can’t do that. Don’t you have your own investigators or whatever?”
Will nodded. “We do. But, Destiny, you’ve already made contact with him. If you were to follow up with a few meetings we could gather information much more quickly, and if he’s doing what these files suggest he’s doing, we can form an actual investigation much more quickly with your help.”
Sitting back in my chair, I stared down at my half-eaten lunch of broiled salmon with steamed vegetables. I used the fork to move the food around the plate as I thought about it.
“What would it entail?”
“A few meetings spread out over a few weeks. Just to get enough information that we could decipher the ins and outs of his business. We won’t need much of your time.”
I turned to Brenda.
“Will, there isn’t another way?”
“There is but it would take longer. And in the meantime, Mr. Morris is meeting with clients everyday who are basically just throwing their money at him.”
I sighed. “Okay. You tell me what we need to do. I’m in.”
“Destiny, are you sure? You don’t have to do this. You’ve done enough.”
“I know, Bren. But you know me. Once I start something I have to see it through. If Will and the SEC need more information, then that’s what I’ll get for them.”
“Stubborn,” Brenda tutted, causing me to smile.
I was glad when she didn’t try to talk me out of it. Now all I had to do was not tell Tyler about my decision. Out of everyone, he would be the least pleased with it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Destiny
“I seriously need my own assistant,” I groaned as I slumped against the leather chair in my office. After my lunch with Brenda and Will, I’d had three back-to-back meetings with clients, and a potential client who’d dropped in, fifteen minutes before five o’clock. I’d just finished up with that meeting and noticed it was getting close to six p.m. I didn’t even dare to look at my phone, knowing I’d see messages and likely a missed call or two from Tyler asking where the hell I was.
“Long day?”
I startled and sat up in my chair, turning toward the deep voice that’d asked the question. My stomach dropped when I saw my ex-husband’s tall form taking up space in my doorway.
“What’re you doing here?” I demanded.
“You’re not that hard to find, Destiny,” he answered, moving into my office as if he were invited. “Especially, when you have men fighting over you.”
I shook my head. “Nope. This conversation is over before it even started. Please, leave.”
Darryl’s head jutted back as if he were appalled. “You can stop by my office but I can’t return the favor?”
