“I can do it better,” he whispered.
“You owe me a Plan B,” I murmured under my breath.
“I’ll buy the whole pharmacy if that’s what you want,” he whispered in my ear making me weak in the knees. I tried my hardest not to laugh, instead I walked away from him and back towards the gym. The moment I stepped through the front door reality hit me all over again. The place was wrecked and it desperately needed to be cleaned. I pulled my phone from my pocket to call the cleaners, but they were walking through the door a few seconds after me.
I heard Zumo’s voice tell meyou think if you stop moving for five minutes, the whole building is going to fall apart.I wanted to tell him to shut up and get out of my head, but I didn’t want to be in the corner talking to myself looking like a crazy person. Music blasted through the speakers while trainers shouted encouragement over clanking weights. Three days after reopening, memberships had skyrocketed. Our social media followers had nearly doubled. Personal training consultations were booked solid for almost three weeks. The gym was thriving.
“Hey Boss Lady,” I turned to find Cozart walking toward me carrying a towel around his neck.
“You still mad at me?” he questioned as he took the sweaty towel from his neck and put it on my face. I snatched it away quickly and rolled my eyes at him.
“Absolutely not, but we are famous for the wrong reasons. Keep your personal life out of the gym little brother,” I scolded. He saluted me like he was a soldier in the military and I laughed. He looked around the gym proudly, members laughed together, people encouraged strangers through workouts, someone rang the personal-record bell near the weight room, and applause echoed through the building. It felt like home.
“Daddy would be proud to see it thriving like this, you are an amazing businesswoman,” my brother complimented.
“Who are you and what have you done with my little brother?” I groaned as I walked towards my desk. Cozart laughed loudly and hit me again with the sweaty towel before walking away. I walked to my office as my phone began to buzz inside my pocket. I pulled it out and stared at the screen. The caller ID read Unknown Number. I ignored it, but a few seconds later it rang again.
Unknown Number.
“If it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail,” I said to myself as the ringing stopped. Then, five seconds later, it started again. I groaned, hoping it wasn’t another extended warranty call. I had never known telemarketers to be this persistent, so I answered timidly.
“Hello?”
“May I speak with Brichelle Walker?”
“This is she.”
“My name is Special Agent Harris.”
“Special Agent?”
“Yes, Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the deep voice replied.
I laughed loudly and rolled my eyes.
“It’s too late to be playing on people phone. Who the hell is this and how did you get my number? Did Zumo put you up to this shit? Are you one of his little minions?” I laughed. I found It adorable that we hadn’t talked in an hour and he was playing on my phone like a high school boy who had lost his first girlfriend.
“Ma’am this is Special Agent Harris from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This is not a prank call. We’re investigating multiple reports of financial fraud connected to your business Brick & Co. Fitness.”
“Are you serious? What do you mean financial fraud?” I questioned as my eyes went wide and the smile fell from my face. This wasn’t Zumo and I didn’t give my number out easily, so whoever had it, had it for a reason.
“I need to meet with you immediately. There have been numerous complaints involving fraudulent bank accounts, unauthorized credit activity, and identity theft.”
“What does that have to do with me? You have the wrong business. I don’t have any issues with my members and fraud!” I spat.
“I assure you we do not have the wrong business. Your name is Brichelle Walker you and your brother co-own Brick & Co fitness a gym located in downtown Marietta Georgia created by your father Bernard Walker in 1993. I reached out to you first because your name is all over the business documentation. From pulling your brother’s criminal history, I can see why you decided to take control of the business.”
My stomach tightened because this didn’t feel like a prank call this was real and I knew it.
“We’d appreciate your cooperation. We are aware that the gym closes at 1am, we would like to meet with you at 1:30am at the federal building downtown. This is not a prank or a scam. 2457 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta Ga 30310, The justice building downtown, third floor, room 308. See you shortly. You can bring a lawyer if you wish, but we just want to ask a few questions,” the agent said before ending the call.
My spine straightened as I snapped upright. The gym around me suddenly muffled. This was impossible. They had to have had the wrong business. We weren’t in any type of fraud. I made sure that everything in my business was one hundred percent legal. My mind wandered over to Cozart. Had my little brother done something illegal behind my back and included the gym in his shenanigans? I had more questions than answers as I tried to keep myself calm. This was what happened when I let my guard down.
Shit fell apart.
I stayed in my office until it was time to close. Trallis peeked her head inside and told me that Shelly had to leave a little early, but she had performed all the closing duties and wasabout to head out. I nodded my head at her and smiled even though I was a nervous wreck inside. I wanted to confide in someone, but I didn’t know who I could call. I dialed my lawyer’s number and explained the situation to her. She assured me that she would meet me at the federal building downtown. It didn’t matter the time, if I called, she would be there.
Forty-five minutes later I pulled into the federal building with my palms sweating against the steering wheel. Every scenario imaginable raced through my mind. I replayed every security decision I’d made over the last year and none of it made sense. A few seconds later my lawyer pulled up beside me in her white-on-white Audi coupe.
