Right?
Not wanting to examine that question any further, she focused on the young woman in front of her. “I’m fine, thanks. You?”
“Pretty good. Who’s your friend?” Becky widened her smile for Lane.
Lane extended a hand. “I’m Lane. Nice to meet you.”
Becky slid her palm into his. “Likewise.”
He gave a little nod then pulled back his hand before placing it at the small of Celine’s back.
The tingles shooting up her spine should have been a warning to step away from his touch. Instead, she melted against him, erasing the distance between them as well as the look of appreciation shining from Becky’s blue eyes.
“I spoke with Bobbi on our way over,” Celine said. “She’s expecting us.”
“I’ll let her know you’re here.” Becky lifted the phone and pressed a few buttons before lifting the receiver to her ear. “Hi Bobbi. Celine and her friend are here to see you. Okay.” She hung up and flicked her wrist behind her. “Go on back.”
Stepping away from Lane’s gentle touch on her spine was harder than she’d expected, but she tore herself away and walked down the familiar hall. She kept her gaze fixed straightahead, not sparing a single glance at the brass plate boasting Kevin’s name by the door across from his boss.
Before she could knock at Bobbi’s office, the door swung open and the older woman with kind eyes and long gray hair stood in the doorway. “Hi, Celine. Please come inside.”
Celine took the seat across desk and waited for Lane to take the chair beside her and for Bobbi to settle in her behind her desk before speaking. “Thank you for seeing us on such notice.”
“Of course. You said it was important, and when you mentioned you had concerns about Kevin, I wanted to do whatever I could to help. So what’s going on?”
“I’m not quite sure how to ask this delicately, so I’m just going to come right out with it. Have there been any discrepancies with the financials coming from Kevin’s clients recently?” She held her breath, hating the way her heart pounded against her breast plate. She didn’t know if it would be better if the answer was yes or no, but either way what Bobbi said next could change everything.
Bobbi’s well-sculpted eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. As you know, that information is confidential. Even if you and Kevin were still married, I couldn’t divulge that type of knowledge.”
“I don’t need details. I guess…” She tossed her hands in the air before letting them fall back to her lap, at a loss as to what to say.
Lane leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tops of his thighs. “Listen, we’re not asking for private information about your clients. We’re only interested in Kevin, and if there’s been anything off as far as he’s concerned. Missing money, upset clients. Anything to indicate he’s misusing resources.”
“This is an accounting firm,” Bobbi said, a patient smile on her face. “We keep a pretty tight tab on those kinds of things, and as much as I like Kevin and respect him as a co-worker,if I sniffed even a hint of mismanagement the police would be notified immediately.”
Celine slumped against the seatback.
“You seem disappointed that I don’t think your ex-husband is a criminal,” Bobbi said.
“Maybe I am.” Celine huffed out a humorless laugh. “Things aren’t adding up and I’m caught in the crosshairs of some dangerous game he might be playing. Or who knows, maybe he’s not and I’m just spinning in circles, trying to catch a tail that isn’t there.” Hysteria tightened her throat and pinched off her words. Tears clung to her lashes. She tried to even out her breathing but failed miserably.
Lane collected her hands in his and squeezed. “Whether Kevin’s involved or not, we’ll figure this out. I promise. I’ve got you.”
She stared into his eyes, believing him. She nodded. “I know.”
The side of his mouth slid up into a half-smile.
“I really am sorry about your troubles,” Bobbi said. “And I wish there was something I could say to help. But the truth is, Kevin has always had a stellar record. I will dig around a bit and see if there’s something I’ve missed. If there is, I’ll make sure to let the police know.”
Lane stood and tugged Celine up along with him. “Thank you. We appreciate your time.”
Celine managed a small wave before following Lane out to the empty hallway. “That was a bust.”
“You can’t look at it that way.”
“What other way is there to look at it?”
He shrugged. “We might have shone a light on an unknown problem.”
