“My condolences.”
“Thanks.”
“Have you taken out any loans in the past three years?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t see how that’s any of your business?”
Chris smiles tightly. “You’re in charge of orders for the company, correct?”
“For a part.”
“A part?”
“Well… I handle the majority of orders based on numbers from the stores and my own order form. And then Jimmy is the one who gets final say.”
Chris scribbles something down in such a scrawl that I can’t decipher it, not while it’s upside down. “How long have you been doing the bulk ordering?”
“I don’t know… a couple of years, maybe? I’m sorry, what is this about? If I’ve made a mistake, then I’m sure I’d be able to fix it.”
Chris sighs. “We suspect someone has been stealing from the company by means of ordering beyond their means and selling out of the company.”
My heart stalls in my chest. “I would never.”
“You, and a select few others, are being routinely questioned while we search for any discrepancies before this is passed on to the police.”
“The police?” I screech, catching myself a moment later. “Sorry.”
“If this holds weight, someone is defrauding the company, Miss Locke. Money and stock going missing and not being reported? Over orders that never make it to the warehouse?”
“That’s not, I mean I would never! You can check all of my orders for as far back as you need! And the deliveries!”
“We’re already doing that, thank you.” Chris smiles politely.
“Right. Of course. I… who even worked out that something was wrong?”
“Elijah Baird, of course,” Chris replies. “Did you think someone like that would make a deal without looking in-depth at the books?”
Elijah?
Suddenly, the light in the room is far too bright and the walls feel much too close. I swallow dryly, but the growing itch in my throat doesn’t shift. I swallow again.
Elijah’s been investigating the company for fraud. Did he know I was a suspect? Did he know when I invited him to come ice skating? Did he know when he slipped into my bed andfuckedme?
When we had breakfast with Nick and me, was he looking at me with the knowledge that I was about to be thrown into the spotlight as a thief?
The rest of Chris’s questions pass me in a daze. He questions my finances, and time and time again, he offers me a deal, leniency if there’s anything I want to admit. He talks like he’s already convinced I’m the culprit.
By the time it’s over, it’s dark outside and every part of me hurts. My head throbs, my heart aches, and anger collides with betrayal in my chest, creating a tight storm that’s painful to breathe through.
I need to speak to Elijah and this time, I won’t let him ignore me.
As I stand in front of the elevator, scrolling through to his name in my contact list, a call suddenly rings through and his name flashes on the screen.
Oh, so now he wants to talk.
“Hello?” I answer flatly.
“Calliope, thank God. I didn’t know who else to call. It’s a little awkward but do you think you could pick me up from jail?”
