The Slot (Rochester Riot #1)(44)
Eloise kept the video quiet for a day while considering her alternatives on what to do. Bribing a city official would not only get Sheehan in deep trouble, but also Mr. Taylor. As much as Sheehan deserved a reckoning, it would hurt both the team and the city if this info ever got out. A no win situation if ever one existed.
The players had returned to Rochester for game five of their series, having dropped one game on the road but still leading three games to one. A win at home on Friday would send them off to the next round and bring them one step closer to the Cup. Eloise also worried about the situation at Blues & Brews and whether Cole and Trey had decided to patch things up.
She had no idea the coffee house was struggling and had a feeling Cole didn’t either. On her lunch hour, she decided to stop by Blues and discovered Cole already there enjoying one of his signature coffee creations. He was glad to see her, but Trey took one look at her and disappeared into the back.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” she asked.
“I think he’s just embarrassed. After talking to him, I truly believe he was so wasted that night he has no idea what really happened. No excuse, but I had to let you know for what it’s worth. I don’t expect you to forget and I never will either. But I had some ideas on how to help him with this place. Trey didn’t seem to want to talk about it.”
Eloise nodded, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. Forgive and forget. She’d have to work on the forgive part, but she’d never, ever forget. Trey’s actions had changed her life and changed her as a woman.
Cole smiled and led her to the stool next to him. “What brings you here?”
“I need some advice. I’ve come across some information. Something bad that could either hurt or help the team, and I’m not sure what to do with it.”
“Sounds like you need a little caffeinated courage,” he said. “What can I fix you?”
Eloise cocked her head from side to side. “How about that Ki – Kigali…whatchamacallit.”
Cole smiled and bounced eagerly behind the bar. “One Kigali Kong coming up.”
***
After spending most of the afternoon at Blues, Eloise called Kylie and told her she wouldn’t be back to the office until the morning, then turned off her phone. She went home to her condo and her green oasis, adding distilled water and the appropriate amounts of liquid plant food to the tank. She drew a bath and relaxed for at least an hour before crawling into her pajamas and then into bed. What would come tomorrow needed all the strength she could muster, hoping to hell she was doing the right thing.
Arriving at work the next day, she made a beeline for Sheehan’s office. His assistant had not yet arrived. It occurred to Eloise she hadn’t seen Barbara at all in the last week. Perhaps she had up and quit, and Eloise couldn’t say she blamed her. It must be a near impossible task even tolerating a megalomaniac like Murphy. She grasped her phone and again activated the video app, but slipped it in her pocket to record audio only. Even though covert audio/video wasn’t admissible in court, she’d felt better with concrete proof of any illicit conversations. She took a deep breath and approached the closed door to the inner office with deliberate steps.
She knocked twice but didn’t wait for a response. She swung the door open before her bravado deserted her. She saw Sheehan sitting at his desk in an awkward position, his head bowed down toward his lap. “Mr. Murphy,” she said briskly. “I’ve heard rumors that you’re planning to dismiss me, but before you do, you should know–”
Murphy’s head snapped up. “Get out!” he screamed, his face rosier than one of Kylie’s outfits. Movement beneath Murphy’s desk caught Eloise’s eye, and she cocked her head sideways to get a better look.
“Oh my God, who’s under there?” she asked, taking a few steps farther into the room.
“Get out!” Murphy yelled again. “Don’t you ever f*cking barge into my office, you stupid bitch!”
Eloise felt her stomach lurch at the realization his pants were undone. Someone was giving him a blowjob from under his desk. Was it Barbara? That would explain a lot. Sheehan grabbed at his pants to pull himself back together.
“Are you deaf as well as stupid?” he yelled, sweat beading on his forehead. “Get the f*ck out!”
“No!” Eloise shouted, no longer giving two shits about her job. There were others all across the country. Ones that wouldn’t force her to compromise her integrity by becoming an unwilling accomplice in white-collar crime. Determined to find out who lurked under the polished, exotic wood desktop, Eloise pushed forward into the plush office. If Barbara had been forced to perform fellatio on her boss, she might need help and legal protection. She stepped around the side of the desk and peered underneath. Eloise hissed in a breath so deep and hard she reeled back and stumbled into a leather guest chair.
Kristoff Helios crouched beneath the desktop, his head in Sheehan’s lap. Eloise stumbled to her feet, her legs barely supporting her weight, covering her mouth with her hands. “Oh my God,” she moaned, her voice muffled behind the web of her fingers. Kristoff crawled out and stood up but kept his eyes on the floor as he bolted into the hallway.
Sheehan hitched up his pants and rose from his chair, stabbing a finger in Eloise’s direction. “You will forget what you saw, or you’re out on your ass without a pot to piss in, understand?” he said, his voice full of venomous intent. “And I will make sure you never work in professional sports again, even as the night janitor in the arena.”