“Your name is on these accounts.”
“What? No, that’s preposterous. An outright lie. I did no such thing.”
Amanda continued as if he’d said nothing. “You started putting money back into the company by forging billables in the last six months. Six months,” she reiterated. “That was rightaround the same time that Dominique Sharp came around interested in buying the firm.”
Finch remained silent.
“Come on, Mr. Finch. You would have known that Dominique Sharp would see your books, arrange for her own forensic accountant to comb through all of it,” Trent said.
“You wanted to keep your embezzlement from coming out,” Amanda added.
“No, no, none of what you’re saying is true.”
“Then how do you explain your name being attached to these fake accounts?” Amanda wasn’t letting his repeated denial sway her. People would say anything to avoid prison.
“I’ve been set up? I don’t know.”
Amanda was disappointed in Finch’s weak defense. “You can’t just toss that out there on its own. Who and why?”
“Maybe I should get that lawyer because I swear to you, I didn’t do any of this.” The lawyer’s posture shrank, but Amanda still wasn’t convinced of his innocence.
“Not even order a hit on Dominique Sharp?” She laid the bomb and watched confusion sweep across his face, causing his forehead to become rows of wrinkles.
“I know nothing about that.”
“The embezzlement is seen as a motive, Mr. Finch. It’s only so long before we get into your bank accounts and confirm that you hired someone to kill Ms. Sharp.” She spoke with a definitiveness the evidence had yet to support. He looked good for embezzlement. Conspiracy to commit murder was another thing altogether.
“You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m in on any of this.”
“Did you know two people were murdered by this hit person just within the week? Christine Lane was a successful real estate agent and a mother. Joel Blackburn was a successful lawyer and left behind his parents and a brother.” The latter was something she had looked up along the way.
“Listen, I’m sorry those people are dead, but I don’t even know them.”
“Collateral damage, caught in the crossfire, take your pick,” Trent said.
Flinch rubbed his forehead. “Crossfire? Listen, we got off on the wrong foot here, but trust me, I’m as confused as you are.”
“I’m not confused. Are you confused?” She faced Trent.
“Nope.”
“We’re going to need to ask you to come with us back to Woodbridge, Virginia,” she told Finch.
Trent got up and started walking around the table.
Finch raised his hands in front of him, palms flat toward Trent, holding him off. “Please, just hear me out. I swear to you I never stole a penny from this company or ordered anyone’s murder. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Does one go to a sketchy part of town…?”
“In this case, we suspect the dark web,” Amanda said.
“The dark web,” Finch parroted. “How the hell does one even get on the dark web, let alone know where to look for a killer?”
“You could tell us,” she countered.
“No, I can’t. That’s my point.” Finch raised his voice, and color infused his cheeks. “You think I have motive because of the embezzlement. Well, I didn’t do that, as I’ve already told you, and I’ll do anything to prove it. As I’ve said, I must have been framed.”
And we’re back to that…“You still haven’t told us who would want to frame you.”
“Beats me, but all partners have the authority to request the accounting department open vendor and client accounts. As for which one would do this to me, I can’t even imagine except for one person. And it pains me to say their name aloud.” He paused there, but Amanda wasn’t going to encourage him. Hewas a grown-ass man. Finch eventually spat out, “Howard Gabay.”
