A Calculated Seduction(30)
“And if we can get it through those...” Todd continued, but Ethan barely paid attention. He sat behind her desk and began shuffling things around. What did she do today?
“Locked her desk!”
“What?” Todd asked.
“She locked her desk today. Hold on.”
He never remembered her locking her desk before today. Setting the phone on the desk, he grabbed her letter opener and jimmied the door open. Nothing in the first drawer.
He opened her file drawers and his heart dropped. There in the front of her files was a print out of all the current accounts and their balances.
Chapter Nine
Ethan stared at the green and white striped paper filled with columns of numbers. Somewhere in his brain, in his heart, he’d hoped she was innocent. With those big gray eyes, and her cute little nose, and those beautiful breasts...
Jesus, he had to start thinking with the bigger brain.
Todd’s voice buzzed from the phone and Ethan picked it up. “Ethan, what the hell—”
“Quit yelling, Denison. I’ve got proof she might be involved.”
Not might, was. Jesus, it was probably the lynchpin right there to corner her. He knew what he was looking at, but his brain just didn’t seem to want to accept it.
“She’s got a printout of all the accounts that have been tampered with. Any luck on finding where the money is going?”
“No, but I’m still working on it. It’s transferred out using the passwords with no indication to where or by whom.”
“Keep at it and give me a call when you find out. I’m not letting this go.”
“Sure thing, boss. You still going on your date with her tomorrow night?”
“Yeah.” And he was going to make sure Miss Dulcinea Menendez learned a few lessons by the end of the night.
* * * *
After sending Richy off with his momma, Dulcy began the task of getting ready. Just after five that afternoon, the doorbell rang just as she’d stepped out of the shower. She grabbed a robe and headed to the door.
Maude stood on her doorstep, another bag of torture in her hand.
“Time to get beautiful,” she said as she bustled past Dulcy. “Good thing you already had your shower.”
“Don’t you have a date to get ready for?” Dulcy asked.
Maude dumped the bag on the kitchen table and turned to face her. She patted her short curls. “I don’t have much to do to get ready. My makeup’s done. Besides, it’s not really a date. We’re only companions.” Dulcy snorted, but didn’t say a word. “And you have a date with Ethan and you need to look great.”
Her enthusiastic mood made Dulcy suspicious. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Maude folded her arms in a defensive gesture but said nothing. Immediately, her suspicions escalated.
“You are hiding something! What?”
Maude sighed. “Richy told me...he told me Barbie’s going to be there tonight. ”
“Is that all? Jeez, you’d think it was the end of the world,” she said with false bravado.
“Dulcy, I know how you feel about your stepsisters.”
She shrugged, trying to quell the envy she felt for her sisters. Guilt followed swiftly. They were not to blame for her being ordinary. She was born with run of the mill features, a product of genes. It didn’t make it any easier to bring home a date in high school and have them drool over her gorgeous stepsisters. The only one who hadn’t was Jason. Sweet, caring Jason, who’d faded as soon as the terms of her father’s will became public.
“Honey, you don’t need to worry about Ethan.”
She shook free of her thoughts and smiled at the older woman. “Maude, I’m not worried at all about Ethan. He’s not my type and I’m not his. We are going as working partners. Just like I did with Bill a million times before.”
“I think you’ve shut yourself off because of that ex-fiancé of yours. ”
“I have not shut myself off, Maude. Good night! I’m only twenty-four years old. Besides, I have a rule about dating anyone associated with work. You know that. Now, what did you bring?”
Maude sighed but said nothing else about the subject. “Well, I brought some things to do your hair, but I don’t want to scare you. Why don’t you head on in and get your face done and I’ll get my stuff ready for you?”