Shuffling through, there was a lot of junk mail and flyers, including one for lawn care. One of these years, she’d pay someone to cut the grass. Zoe would be old enough in four years. If Amanda didn’t want to wait, she could pass a few bucks to her teenage niece and nephew. Maybe she’d do that before this summer was out.
She tossed the unsolicited mail to the cushion next to her and was left holding a large pink envelope. The perfect size for a card. There were heart stickers next to the address label that noted Amanda’s and Zoe’s names. Amanda smiled because she knew then what this was and who had sent it.
She slipped her finger under the seal and took out the contents. Not a card, but an invitation.
It was printed on cream recycled paper with a gold border, and the image of a large rose in the top righthand corner.
Libby DeWinter and Penny Anderson request the honor of your company as they make their vows on September 21 at 4 PM.
The location provided was a small banquet hall in town. Elegant but not extravagant. Something that Amanda saw fitting the couple. And with that her thoughts daisy-chained to how she even came to know Libby and Penny.
It was four years ago, after Zoe’s biological parents were killed. She and Zoe had an inexplicable bond from the start. Libby, technically Zoe’s godmother, couldn’t take her in, and Amanda listened to her heart. She needed Zoe as badly as the girl needed her. The adoption progressed at a fast pace, and Zoe became hers.
Libby and Penny had been together for as long as Amanda knew them, and they became engaged two months ago. They hadn’t wasted any time setting a date.
Good for them!
There was a small card and an envelope for the RSVP, which Amanda would check off right now if she had a pen handy. But she also noticed there was another envelope addressed to her. She opened it and found a note.
Hi Amanda!
We want Zoe to be our flower girl! But we didn’t want to presume, or put anyone in an awkward position. If you are okay with this, could you let me know? We’d love to ask her in person. There’s also something we’d like to ask you face-to-face.
Love,
Libby XO
Libby wrote her phone number beneath the sign-off. Not that Amanda needed it. Libby was listed under Amanda’s favorite contacts in her phone. She must have been trying to encourage a fast response.
Amanda was about to select her name when the oven timer beeped. In response, her stomach rumbled.
She jumped up to get her pizza and returned with the plan to pick the first home show that hit the screen. When she finished eating, she’d call Libby. Amanda was fine with Zoe being their flower girl, and Zoe would absolutely love it. But Amanda could hardly wait to find out what they wanted to ask her.
FORTY
As Amanda walked toward her desk at Central, she was still flying from Libby’s question last night. She wanted Amanda to be her maid of honor. It was silly how excited she was by the prospect. But Libby sounded about as thrilled about Amanda’s answer. This wasn’t going to be Amanda’s first time standing up in a wedding party, but it had been a while since the last time. It had been for her sister Kristen, nearing two decades ago.Where does time go?
She arranged a tentative date for them to get together with Zoe a week from this Saturday so that Libby and Penny could ask Zoe in person. Amanda just requested she be present because she wanted to see the bright smile on that kid’s face. But for now, just thinking about Zoe’s response would carry Amanda through the day. After all, who knew where it would take her?
Amanda set her Hannah’s Diner coffee cup on her desk and eyed Dominique’s laptop. She could take another look, this time at her browsing history. Maybe she’d find something there to point them in someone’s direction. She was getting ready to do that when her phone rang.
Unknownshowed for the caller ID, but she didn’t have the luxury of disregarding such calls. She handed her card out to lots of people. “Detective Steele,” she answered.
Trent walked past and waved. He must have seen she was on the phone.
Her caller wasted no time getting to the point of the call. “It’s Detective Lola Lopez from Financial Crimes. I’m calling about the financial reports you sent over pertaining to Sharp & Associates and Gabay, Finch & Earnest, as well as the acquisition.”
“One second, please.” She motioned for Trent to come over to her cubicle. “I’m just going to put you on speaker. My partner, Detective Stenson, is here now. It’s Detective Lopez,” she added for Trent’s benefit.
Lopez went on. “On the surface, Gabay, Finch & Earnest looks quite profitable. The income statements show a profit increase of twenty-five to fifty-five percent year over year for the last seven years. The anomaly that caught my attention happened in the current fiscal year. Gabay is set to make a seventy percent billable increase over last year. This got me digging into the customer and vendor accounts. Both showed an increase in numbered companies, which got me digging deeper again. Now, I have only gotten through so many but I’ve already uncovered twenty accounts, ten customer and ten vendor, that are shell companies. I suspect there are many more.”
“Please lay it out like I have no idea what that means,” Amanda requested.
“The short answer is someone is embezzling from Gabay, Finch & Earnest. False vendors are being paid money while counterfeit clients are being billed. The person doing this is siphoning the cash back into the business,” Lopez clarified.
Amanda could see the flow in her head. Money out, money back. “So where was it going and coming from?”
“I can’t tell you that, but Gabay paid out $1,175,100 tothese companies, and only a third of that has cycled back. Now all this started going out seven years ago, but it just started returning within the last six months.”
