His Captive Lover (The Thorpe Brothers Series) (13 page)

Once in his car, he dialed Mark who had gone over to Jeff’s school to interview the victim’s co-workers and subordinates.  “What have you got?” Ash asked as he backed up and started driving back to the office.

“Interesting stuff,” Mark replied, sounding confused and more than a little frustrated. 

Ash knew the feeling.  “All I’ve got over here are about thirty women who are ready to bake cakes with a steel saw inside and three or four men who are ready to marry Mia.  Or at least worship at her feet.”  He didn’t laugh at that though.  It really pissed him off that those men were so devoted to Mia.  Two of them were even married and the other was old enough to be her grandfather!  Each one might argue that they were just concerned co-workers, but Ash knew the signs since he was suffering the same fate. 

Mark’s next comment broke through Ash’s irritation with Mia’s male co-workers.  “I’ve discovered some interesting comments and opinions here.  Meet me at the front of the school and I’ll walk you to where I am.  You can listen in on what I’m hearing and form your own opinion.  I think there’s more to the issue here, although I’m just not sure what it is.”

This didn’t sound good.  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Ash replied and swung his steering wheel around so he could change directions. 

He was at the school ten minutes later, not nearly as impressed with this school as he was with Mia’s workplace.  Even the outside wasn’t as neat and tidy, but perhaps that was because this was a high school where the kids were a bit more rambunctious and harder to discipline than the elementary school kids. 

The bell rang indicating that the students should change classes but many simply lingered in the hallways, not appearing to be in any hurry to move on to their next class.  Administrators walked down the halls, ordering people to class, but as Ash watched, the kids only waited until the administrator was past them before they leaned right back against their lockers and continued their conversations. 

Even one staff member was standing outside the doors to the building smoking a cigarette.  Ash had no way of telling if the staff member was a teacher or administrator, but either way, he knew that smoking in and around school buildings was not permitted.  

He saw Mark coming down the hallway towards him and headed in that direction.  “What’s up?” he asked when he was close enough. 

Mark looked down at his notes.  “Apparently, Mia borrowed several pieces of equipment from the physical education department for an event at her school and they haven’t been returned.  She also got Jeff to order some audio/visual equipment that was shipped directly to her.”

None of that made any sense.  Especially since he’d been in her house and her school and there wasn’t any audio visual equipment anywhere to be seen.  “Why would she order A/V equipment?”

Mark shrugged his shoulders in response.  “That’s the big question everyone here is asking.  They want their stuff back.”

His eyes narrowed on Mark’s comments.  “What do you mean, everyone?” he asked. 

Mark scratched his head.  “According to several other people, Jeff ordered equipment for the classrooms and gymnasium but Mia convinced him to send it through her so she could be a second accounting system.  No one understands the new process, but apparently it started over a year ago and has been ongoing until Jeff disappeared last week.”

Ash raised his eyebrows with this news.  Mia hadn’t said anything about doing any sort of accounting work for her ex-fiance, nor had she ever mentioned being particularly interested in numbers.  “I guarantee that she doesn’t have any A/V equipment at her house,” Ash confirmed but he was looking down at his own notes so he didn’t see Mark’s surprised reaction to the news that his boss was familiar enough with the interior of their client’s house to know about its contents.  “So Jeff was ordering school supplies and pushing everything through Mia.  How was she paying for the equipment to the vendors?  More specifically, why weren’t the supplies being ordered through the school board?  I would think those things were done by the county’s accounting department.  I can’t even imagine how Jeff had the ability to order supplies, much less dictate his own accounting procedures.  Do you have an estimate on the total cost of all that was ordered this way?” Ash asked.

Mark went through his notes, calculating in his mind.  “I would estimate about three hundred thousand, but that’s just the stuff I’ve been able to find so far.  I’m pretty sure there are more items purchased through Ms. Paulson for the school that haven’t arrived yet.” 

Ash thought about that for a long moment, considering options.  “This doesn’t really look good for her,” he said on a sigh.

Mark nodded his head.  “I don’t think the police have discovered this information yet.  But when they do, it might actually revoke her bail.”

Ash’s jaw was tense.  “I agree.  So we have to figure out this latest twist before the police find out.”

Mark crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in agreement.  “And before the press.  They were pretty brutal about her yesterday.”

That caught his attention.  “What do you mean?”  He hadn’t seen anything on the news, but then he hadn’t watched the news last night either.  Nor had he been into his office to get any information from his assistant. 

Mark looked up, surprised.  “Didn’t you read the papers this morning?”

Ash shook his head.  “No.  I went directly over to Mia’s school and started interviewing her co-workers.”  He looked around once again, seeing the school administrators in their office joking around about something.  Not a very efficient work place, he thought with irritation.  “What did the papers say?” he asked, still watching the administrators lounging around, drinking coffee and not appearing to be doing the business of the school in any way. 

“The papers were talking about her relationship with Jeff.  Apparently someone sent them information that she wanted to get back together with him but he wouldn’t even talk to her.  She became pretty angry with him and started hanging out in front of his school in an effort to get his attention.”

Ash’s eyebrows rose with that news.  “What was the source?” he demanded, thinking of Mia and how soft she’d been earlier this morning.  He completely discarded the idea that Mia was stalking her ex-fiancé.  He’d heard too many stories about how Jeff was driving Mia crazy with his crazy antics for him to put any credibility towards the newspaper story.  That was just another piece to the puzzle. 

“The reporter claimed a confidential source so we don’t have a name.  But the story was pretty derogatory towards someone who teaches kindergarteners.” 

“Find out the name of that source,” he practically snarled.  He didn’t like anyone maligning Mia’s name any further and his mind was already heading towards filing a lawsuit against the reporter for unsubstantiated claims.  He then headed into the office and spoke to the high school office staff, charming the ladies as best he could.  Within thirty minutes, he had Mark’s notes copied and was sitting with several other staff members in the teachers’ lounge, talking to teachers on their breaks as well as the administrators who were just taking yet another break from their office responsibilities.  “So what can you tell me about Jeff?” he asked, smiling despite his repugnance for their work ethic.  He knew that teachers weren’t paid nearly what they were worth, but the lack of energy in this group, the sense that none of them really cared about their jobs, made him angry on behalf of the students and parents who were entrusting their children to their care.  It was yet another clue into the character of the victim.  Jeff didn’t appear to be a very motivating leader unlike Mia who inspired almost embarrassing levels of devotion from her supervisors and co-workers. 

There was a long silence as each of the occupants looked at one another.  No one wanted to speak up and say anything. 

“Anyone know Mia Paulson personally?” he asked, taking a different approach. 

People seemed more open to discussing his client.  “I thought she was very sweet,” one man said.  “I didn’t know she was such a good accountant until Jeff said all purchases should go through her.  But I fixed it when I was ordering a new copier for the teacher’s work room and made sure the order went through her.  Jeff was pretty angry about that mix-up. I hope she’s not angry with me as well,” he said, leaning forward.

The man seemed almost fearful of his supervisor.  And he didn’t appear to be holding any ill will towards Mia.  Ash continued to discuss the various items that had been purchased, supposedly through Mia so she could ensure that things were accounted for properly.  But as the items that had been ordered through her, or sent to her house, or even the school property she’d borrowed from this school for whatever function and hadn’t been returned, added up to a very large amount.  Mark had found about three hundred thousand dollars but with all the additional items Ash was hearing about now, he suspected that the amount was closer to seven figures. 

At the end of two hours and speaking with several other teachers who rotated through the teachers’ lounge, he thought he had a good idea of what was happening.   He just had to prove it now.  Embezzlement was always a tough crime to prove, but he’d won harder cases than this. 

“Mia, I need you over at my office,” he said as soon as she picked up the phone.  “We have a problem and need your help.”

As soon as he walked into his office, he called a meeting to reveal the latest.  He caught Mia’s eye and wished she didn’t look so nervous.  But he couldn’t stop to reassure her now.  There was too much to do and he was racing against the clock as it was.  As soon as the teachers realized that the press and the police didn’t have this information, they would notify them.  And he’d bet the police were going to show up here to arrest Mia.  He had to get her out of this mess before that happened.  And that meant he needed to get things figured out. 

What a mess, he thought. 

Mia looked across the busy office at Ash, wishing he would slow down and tell her what was going on.  He had left her house early this morning before she’d woken.  After the previous night, she’d wanted to wake up in his arms and feel that wonderful heat.  But looking at him now, he looked so grim!  Had she made a mistake?  Why hadn’t she gone with her intelligence last night instead of just letting her body rule her decisions?  Over and over again, she’d told herself that Ash didn’t believe in her.  He thought she was a murderer but the last few days and especially last night, he’d been different.  He’d been kind and gentle. 

She thought about that night he’d followed her when she’d snuck out to get ice cream.  He’d probably thought she was going to rob the convenience store!  She’d disproved him that night and all the evidence the prosecuting attorney had against her was circumstantial.  Ash had told her last night that he thought the charges would be dropped, so what was wrong now?

Why was he looking so angry?

She curled her arms around her, feeling scared and cold.  He barely even looked at her.  It was almost as if he couldn’t bear to look at her, embarrassed that he’d slept with her last night. 

Damn him!  Why wouldn’t he talk to her?  He’d interrogated her over and over again during the past several days, why was he not talking to her now?  If he’d discovered something new, something horrible, she should be the first one to hear it, shouldn’t she? 

She watched him walk across the room, talk something over with Mark and nod his head.  He was so painfully handsome and strong.  She sighed to herself, wishing she hadn’t made such a fool of herself over him last night.  She should have been more reserved.  She should have stayed away from him. 

So what if he’d been a sweetheart about her yard?  She suspected he’d been the one to order all those pizzas for everyone.  It suddenly occurred to her that a large truck had been pulling away from the curb when she’d come around from the backyard.  That must have been where the mulch had come from!  Had Ash ordered that as well? 

If he had, she’d pay him back for every penny!  She wasn’t going to be beholden to a man who didn’t believe in her innocence.  This was ridiculous!  The man was her lawyer.  She should just maintain professional distance from him.

But even as she told herself that, her eyes hungrily watched him. He handed papers to one of the other lawyers, both of them discussing whatever information was on that paper. 

She pulled her wallet out of her purse and wrote a check.  When she was finished, she stormed over to him, her body shaking with her hurt and anger.  “Here!” she snapped to him, holding out the check. 

Ash looked down at her, seeing the vulnerability in her eyes.  As much as he wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her, he couldn’t slow down.  Jean had gotten a message from the district attorney, but he hadn’t called back.  It could only be bad news at this point.  Good news would be the charges being dropped and that would most likely come in a formal notice as well as a call.  Since it was only a phone call, he was fighting against the clock.

“What’s this?” he asked, trying to focus on her, but he stopped to shout an order over to one of the investigators, “Get me a list of all the equipment.”  And then something else occurred to him so he put a hand on her shoulder, wincing when she stepped out of his reach.  “Mark, look into storage units.  And do another check on bank accounts.  You know what we’re looking for.  We need to find it before the police to have better control over the information.”

When Mark hurried off to his computers, his efficient fingers already flying over the keyboard, Ash turned back to Mia, looking down at her once again.  “Sorry.  What’s this about?” he asked, waving the check in his hand.

“That’s for the pizza and mulch yesterday.  If that doesn’t cover the expenses, please ask Jean to give me a revised amount.  I’ll pay it.”

Someone handed him something else and he looked at it quickly.  “This is good.  Hand this to Mark.  He’s looking into stuff like this.”

He sighed and looked back down at her.  “Mia, why would you think I wanted a check for anything?  And why do you think I paid for the pizza?”