Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Or someone who would confess. He had to have had help. Still it’s okay if I never get to the bottom of that. Everything crashing down around his ears will be revenge enough for me.”
“And I, for one, will be glad when it happens. Things were so much better when you were around. I can’t wait to see the back of him.”
He stood and began to put his jacket on, then nodded towards the folder. “That’s yours to keep by the way. If anything else pops up I’ll pass it on.”
“Sure thing. Thanks again.”
“No problem.”
I walked him to the lift through the empty offices, and waited until the doors swished shut. Then I got back to my seat, picked up the folder and carefully went through it. So the bastard had wised up and hired experts to figure it out for him. Whether this was the work of one person or a group, they were good. Very good, but little did Robert know that I’d been waiting for this moment when his people would crack the code built into the bait. Now I had to change my strategy, and, as Gerald had advised, fast. My brain was already beginning to turn at a mile a minute and I soon had my notepad filled with a new code of glitches and errors to keep them busy for weeks. I smiled. Nothing I enjoyed more than a stimulating challenge from professionals on my level. Perhaps when this was over I would hunt them down and hire them.
I put my pen down and picked up my phone. This would be the next bait I set for Savannah. Maybe this time I’ll give her enough time to take a photo.
“Hello, Max?”
“Do you have plans for this evening?”
She paused. “Well, I was supposed to hang out with Tracey, but it’s not set in stone or anything.”
“Take a rain check?”
“Okay.”
“I’m still in the office. Meet me at Friction?”
“Sure. What time?”
“Eight-thirty?”
“Okay.”
“See you then.” I disconnected the call, a ball of anger in my gut. She was willing to give up a night with Tracey for Robert. How fucking wrong I’d been about her.
My eyes went to the papers I was working on. I would have to find a creative way to leave this whole folder lying around and make sure to give it an incriminating title.
I sat in my usual spot at the counter and ordered another drink. I checked my watch again. Savannah was a stickler for keeping time, but it was now past eight-thirty. A sudden fear pierced through me. What if something bad had happened to her? I calmed myself down. I shouldn’t care this much about her.
She was just someone I was fucking and using. A means to get my revenge on Robert.
Nevertheless, I felt restless and uneasy. My stomach churned and my mind filled with images of her caught up in a traffic accident somewhere. I had just picked up my phone to call her when I saw him approaching. The raw rage that welled up inside me made me tighten my fists until my knuckles whitened.
“I’ll have what he’s drinking,” he called to the bartender as he took the stool next to me. I smelled the liquor on his breath and could tell he’d already had a few.
I kept my gaze on the row of bottles. Was this the reason Savannah was late? To give him a chance to gloat? He always did count his chickens before they were laid, and he must be feeling he’d won ever since his people figured out the code. He had no idea the last part was the cracker.
“Isn’t this like old times, Maxxie boy?”
“Go to hell, Robert,” I said without looking at him.
“Max! Is that any way to greet your old friend and partner?” he said in a fake jolly voice.
I turned to look at him, and there he was puffed up with hairspray and confidence. He could barely contain his narcissism and swagger. “You were neither a friend or partner if you could even think of doing what you did to me.”
His eyes widened dramatically. He was really enjoying this. “What I did to you? All I was trying to do was protect my company.”
“Cut the bullshit, Robert. You have no audience here. You’re talking to the guy you framed.”
“Are you still harping on about that? You’ve got no proof I did anything of the sort. Money was going missing and the trail led to you.”
“You know, I’ve always been curious. How did you do it?”
He laughed strangely, victoriously, knowing that he was beyond the law. I turned to find him staring at me evilly. He leaned in closer. “Signatures, my boy. You were too involved in your numbers and codes to notice all the checks going out with your name on it.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. Robert was finally admitting that he had indeed framed me. At that moment, in my peripheral vision, I saw Savannah approaching. She had a small smile on her lips which slipped the instant she saw Robert. I saw something akin to panic as her steps faltered. She took a brief moment to school her features before coming to stop behind Robert. He turned to look at her, then he laughed, and looked back at me.