“There’s been other issues that are similar, but that’s not what I found that you really need to know about.” Sy pulled out his phone and pulled up an image. Then he handed it over to Angelica.
She took the phone curiously. “What’s this?”
“Just read it.”
Angelica skimmed the headline. Her stomach dropped. A cold clammy sweat came over her body. “When was this?”
“Five years ago,” Sy answered.
She breathed slowly, that panic setting in. “Is he here today?”
“Not yet.”
Angelica handed the phone back. “Send that to me.”
Without another word, she stood up and walked behind the desk and turned the computer on. She needed way more information than that small news article was going to give her. When was he hired, what kind of background check had been done, what had been ignored and avoided, and did they know? The questions rambled through her brain in a flash of a second, and she needed answers immediately.
Sy left the room at some point, but he did exactly as she’d asked and sent her the information. Within an hour, Angelica had everything she needed. She snagged her phone, Hope’s name lighting up the screen. This was something they both needed to be in on. Well, they didn’t, but having backup would be so helpful in this situation.
She hit the button and lifted the phone to her ear as she waited for Hope to answer.
“Yeah?” Hope said.
“Are you busy right now?” Angelica asked, glancing at the time on the computer. She actually had no idea where Hope was filming today. All that pertinent information had slipped from her brain the moment Sy had dropped the bomb in her lap.
“Yes.”
Angelica clenched her jaw. She wasn’t used to Hope being so short with her. “I could really use you to back me up with the owners in a few minutes.”
“Minutes? Not going to happen.” The sounds of the kitchen echoed through the phone.
Angelica furrowed her brow. Hope had actually never told her no like that before. Never a flat-out denial with no give at all. No alternative time or option. Angelica clenched her cell phone a little tighter in her hand.
“Please, Hope, this is important.”
“Is it about management or the kitchen?”
“Management, although depending on how deep it goes when I get proper time to research, it might involve the kitchen.” Angelica glanced at the computer screen with the news article pulled up.
“Then I think you can handle it.”
Angelica’s heart pattered rampantly again, only this time it wasn’t because of Sy. It was because of whatever wall Hope had just put up between them. This wasn’t the Hope that Angelica knew and understood. Hope was easygoing, flirtatious, and always willing to lend a helping hand. What was so different now?
“Hope…” Angelica trailed her name off, not entirely sure how to ask what was wrong or what she’d done or if she even had the bandwidth to deal with whatever it was right now.
“Where were you yesterday?” Hope asked, something sizzling in the background.
“I can’t talk about that,” Angelica murmured. Her trip to Los Angeles had been impromptu and unexpectedly sudden. But it had also been necessary. She wasn’t sure if she’d been successful or not, but at least she’d done what she could.
“Can’t or won’t?” Hope charged back at her.
“Can’t,” Angelica reiterated. “I had a work trip that I needed to make back to Los Angeles, and I did that. I can’t tell you any more than that.”
“You didn’t tell me you were leaving.”
No, Angelica hadn’t. Because the thought of talking to Hope that night had wrecked her. After the conversation with Rachel, the realization of how in love she was with Hope, and the deep-rooted understanding that they’d never have more than this, were still sitting heavily on her heart. And she didn’t have the ability to sort it all out right now.
“It wasn’t planned,” Angelica answered, her voice quiet. “I could really use your help for this meeting.”
