The drive back over the seventeen-mile bridge was beginning to become commonplace as Katelyn looked over the water and Gareth fiddled with the radio.

“I used to only go to Virginia Beach a couple of times a year,” she confessed, “and now, it feels like we go all the time.”

Nodding, he agreed, “Some cases take me over here a lot but, other times, weeks will go by without me having to leave the Eastern Shore.”

“So, what’s the game plan today?”

“We need to get back into Berry and Associates Accounting and do some serious digging. We need to know about Carrie’s relationship with Walter, why he was paying for her education, did he spend money on anyone else, all of that.”

“We’ve got this,” she replied, smiling as her fingers trailed over the hair at the back of his head.

“Speaking of going over the bridge, when does your class start?” he asked.

“Next month. I’ll be in Virginia Beach every weekday for two weeks, so I won’t be able to be in the office on those days.” She sighed as she added, “Or the pub!”

“I haven’t even asked how you’re doing with both jobs,” he confessed. “I honestly thought that you’d just handle the office work…things were so much slower before you came on board!”

“Hey! Are you accusing me of bringing in the business…and not in a good way?” she joked.

“No accusation, but if the work is coming in, that’s a good thing.”

“Aiden and Brogan have done fine with me not there as much. The pub runs smoothly and I still have plenty of time to do the books and keep up with the bar’s local gossip.”

A few more miles passed in silence before he added, “When you are gone those two weeks, it’ll seem strange. The office will be so lonely.”

She looked over at his somber expression and laughed as her fingers continued to trail along his neck. “Well, if the days are lonely, we’ll just have to make sure the nights are more exciting!”

* * *

Entering the accounting firm once more, their eyes settled on Carrie at the reception desk. She stood as they walked toward her and gushed, “Oh, it’s nice to see you. Do you have any word on poor Walter’s death?”

“It’s a police matter now,” Gareth replied smoothly, his warm smile in place, “but we are assisting. We’d like to talk to you for a few minutes before we go see the others, if that’s all right.”

Mentally rolling her eyes, Katelyn watched as Carrie preened under Gareth’s charm.

“Of course. Anything I can do to help,” the young woman insisted, motioning to two chairs in the reception area.

Once settled, Gareth cut to the chase. “Ms. Reynolds, we have found that Mr. Berry was paying you money for your college education. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” she replied, her eyes jumping between the two. “Is that a problem? Will the money stop now?”

“That’s not for us to say,” Gareth continued, “but you did not mention this when we interviewed you before. Nor did you mention it to the police.”

Eyes wide, Carrie said, “But lots of businesses help employees with college expenses. I…well, I didn’t mention it because,” she shrugged slightly, “it didn’t seem important.” Scrunching her nose, she said, “I do hope it doesn’t stop now that he’s gone.”

“May I ask who accompanied you to the funeral?” Katelyn asked.

Her face brightening, Carrie answered, “Oh, that was my mom and dad.”

“Did they know Mr. Berry?”

With a slight shoulder shrug, she replied “I think my mom might have met him once when she came to see where I worked, but Walter never met my dad. They came to the funeral because they knew how upset I’d be.”

Katelyn eyed Carrie, noting the professional dress and manner belying her young age, but after having seen her mother so classily dressed at the funeral, it made sense.

Carrie took them back to Beth’s office next and Katelyn felt the chill rolling off Beth. As soon as Carrie left the room to go back to the front, Beth turned her smile to Katelyn and Gareth.

“We’d like to check on a few financial facts and you are certainly the one to ask,” Gareth said, and once more, Katelyn observed as Beth sat up straighter at Gareth’s attentiveness. “To begin with, can you tell me about the different accounts this firm uses for its purchases and employees?” If Beth were surprised at his question, he noted that she did not hesitate in her answering.

“There is a major checking account that receives all of the paid invoices and is the account from which I make purchases, pay employees, things like that. The firm also has a few investment accounts that I make deposits to, based on what Walt…” sighing heavily, she continued, “Walter or William would tell me to do.”

“And Sandra?”

“Oh, no, the two senior accountants made those decisions…not a junior accountant,” she replied, with a sniff. “I, of course, handled the transactions, overseen by either Walter or William.”

“And what about miscellaneous payments to employees?” Gareth pushed.

Knitting her brow, Beth said, “I…I don’t understand.”

“Well, like the business account that Walter used to pay for Carrie’s college education—”

“I assure you that no matter what she may have led you to believe, Walter did not pay for her college!” Pinching her lips, she continued, “I have no idea why she insists on trying to appear as though she and Walter were closer than what is appropriate!”

Katelyn, confused, kept quiet, allowing Gareth to continue leading the discussion.

“We have found that he was paying for her college expenses,” Gareth replied, watching as purple fury crossed Beth’s face. “And it was a firm account—”

“That snake!” she bit out, her lips no longer pinched but in a full-blown snarl. “I asked him a year ago about helping me take some accounting classes and he said there was no company policy that allowed that type of expenditure and yet he pays for that…that…aughhh!”

Thick silence blanketed the trio but before either Gareth or Katelyn could break it, Beth jumped up and said, “Let’s go to William’s office,” and she moved toward the door.

Katelyn and Gareth hustled to follow the irate woman down the carpeted hall. He looked up, a smile of greeting on his face, which quickly fell as Beth immediately launched into a tirade.

“I’ve just been informed that Walter paid for Carrie’s college classes, but when I asked him a year ago for some college tuition assistance, I was turned down! On top of that, he paid from an account of which I know nothing about! So, am I the bookkeeper or not? Am I trusted to do this job or not? And do I need to pursue legal representation about the different treatment of employees?”

Her last question, ending on a shout, had William throwing his hands up to placate her. “Now, now, this is the first I’m hearing about any of this.” As Beth sat down heavily in one of the chairs, he continued, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I assure you, I will find out.” His ruddy cheeks puffed with exertion and he leaned back in his chair, the creaky leather sounding loudly in the room. Shaking his head, he looked over at Gareth, breathing, “My Lord. I hardly know what to say.”

Turning to Beth, Gareth smiled in sympathy and said, “Would you allow us to talk alone with William? We appreciate your candor and honesty and will certainly have more questions, at a later time.”

Standing while smoothing her skirt with her palms, she offered Gareth a tight smile. “Of course.” Looking back at William, she inclined her head politely before adding, “I will be expecting to discuss this later, when you’ve had a chance to figure out what has been going on in this office!” With that, she turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

William turned his beleaguered face to Gareth and Katelyn, his mouth opening and closing several times. “I don’t know what to say…I had no idea Walter was acting surreptitiously.” His hound dog jowls shaking as he hung his head, he added, “Secret accounts, treating one employee differently from another...oh, lordy. Now I need to sort this mess out and make sure the integrity of the firm isn’t compromised.”

Katelyn spoke softly, “So, from what you’re saying, you knew none of this?”

“No, no. Well, I do remember, a year ago, Walter told me that Beth had asked if there were any business funds for helping her out with some college classes. We decided that wasn’t something we wanted to take on, at least not for a new employee. What if she took the money for tuition and then left the firm? So, we decided together to deny her request. Now…to find out that he was doing it for Carrie?” Sighing heavily, he said again, “Oh, lordy. What a mess.”

With a slight nod from Gareth, Katelyn prompted, “And the money coming from an unknown business account?”

At that reminder, William’s eyes focused as his lips became a grim line. “I have no idea what that is about…but I will find out.”

Like air slipping out of a balloon, William slumped back into his chair. “I thought I knew him. I thought I could trust him.”

Thanking William, Gareth and Katelyn stood and moved out into the hall. “Let’s find Sandra—”

Just then Ed walked by, his eyes widening as he said, “Are you the investigators Carrie told me about?”

“Yes. I’m Gareth Harrison and this is Katelyn MacFarlane. And you are?” Gareth asked. He recognized Ed from the funeral, but since they had not been formally introduced, he feigned ignorance.

Sticking his hand out, Ed said, “Oh, sorry. I’m Ed Rogers. I’m an accounting intern here...well, at least for another couple of months, until the end of the semester.”

“Can we talk to you for a few minutes?” Katelyn asked, her smile focused brightly on the eager young man.

His eyes lighted as he raked his gaze over her beauty. “Sure…come to the workroom and we can talk.”

As they followed him, Katelyn felt Gareth’s possessive hand on her back and stifled a grin at his growl. Sparing him a quick glance, she turned her attention back to Ed as they settled into chairs.

Katelyn was beginning to feel overwhelmed, as they had bounced from person to person, but found the information they were pulling in to be fascinating. So much better to see everyone's faces as they are questioned. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ed jumped in first, eyes alight.

“This place is becoming quite the talk of my classes. I go back and tell my professors what’s going on in this office. And I come in today and Beth is in her office fuming about something to do with Walter and now she’s not speaking to Carrie.” Looking eagerly at Katelyn, he said, “So what’s going on now?”

“Were you aware that Mr. Berry was paying some of Carrie’s college tuition?”

His forehead scrunched as Ed replied, “Is that really a big deal? Lots of businesses help their employees.” He thought for a moment, then grinned. “Oh, is that what’s got Beth in such a snit?”

Not answering him, Gareth asked, “What did you think of Mr. Berry? We didn’t have a chance to talk when we were here the week before last, so I’d be very interested in your opinion.”

Chuckling, Ed said, “He was a good accountant, but I kind of thought he had a particular eye for the ladies, if you know what I mean.” Glancing at the open door, he quickly rectified, “I never saw anything inappropriate but, well, let’s face it, he’s got three gorgeous women working here and I got the feeling it wasn’t William who hired them.”

“Besides their looks, what else is your opinion of the office employees?” Katelyn quipped, inwardly wincing as Gareth shot her a look.

“Sandra’s got a very high opinion of herself, being so young and already considered for a partner—which she’ll undoubtedly get now that Walter’s out of the picture. I used to think that she had the hots for him, but I’ve seen she and William holed up in his office a lot lately.”

Surprised at Ed’s easily presented rendition of the office, Katelyn smiled encouragingly, but it appeared Ed needed little prodding to keep talking.

“And Beth…she’s strict on the money here and likes to think she runs the place. She flaunted that she and Walter were close friends. Of course, I’ve only been here for three months, but I could tell from day one that she hated Carrie.” Leaning back, he grinned. “Hell, how could anyone hate her? She alone is worth walking through the front door of this place! It’s not hard to see why Walter hired her!”

“Did Mr. Berry seem infatuated with Carrie?”

“Sure…who wouldn’t be?” Ed replied, his smile still firmly in place. “Have you looked at her?”

Katelyn bristled, but Gareth’s hand on her knee under the table stilled her.

“I suppose by infatuated, I mean anything inappropriate?” Katelyn probed.

Ed thought for a moment and said, “Not really. Although, the first time he saw us going out together after work, I could have sworn he acted jealous.”

“So you and Carrie are seeing each other?”

“Not seriously, if that’s what you mean. But yeah, we hang out. She’s certainly closer to my age than he was. And, I can tell you, she was never interested in him in that way!”

Thanking Ed, Gareth rose and escorted Katelyn into the hall. Looking at her upturned face, he said, “Sandra next?”

Leaning in to whisper, she admitted, “My head is spinning!”

Grinning, Gareth nodded as they approached Sandra’s office. Knocking on the doorframe, they were invited in. Settling once more into chairs, they looked at the pale face of the younger accountant.

“I didn’t realize you were coming in today,” she began, glancing down at a few files on her desk. “We closed the office for a few days and now, I’m afraid, it’s catch-up time.”

“We won’t take up too much of your time,” Gareth said, his smile firmly in place once more. “We’ve come across some information that we are checking into. First, is that Walter was covering some of Carrie’s tuition and it appears to be from an account that neither Beth, nor William, knew about,”

Sandra’s expression did not change, but Katelyn could see the wheels turning.

“I see,” Sandra replied smoothly. “I did not know about that, but as a junior member of the firm, it’s not surprising for me to be left out of that sort of business. Beth, while office manager, is certainly not the boss around here, although she would like you to believe she is. So, if Walter was executing things the way he saw fit, then it’s hardly her place to complain.”

Nodding politely, Gareth noted Sandra did not seem upset and was sure in her defense of Walter. “Did you ever see anything that caused you concern about the way Mr. Berry conducted himself in the office…or out of it?”

“Not at all! He was a gentleman, through and through,” she defended. Barking out an unladylike snort, she added, “Carrie? Really, the idea is too absurd. She’s a child. He had no interest in her other than a very solicitous concern.”

“Did you know Carrie and Ed are in a relationship, of sorts? “

“It’s none of my business, but this is a small firm so, yes, I am aware that they spend time together. Everyone is aware—they don’t exactly hide it.”

“Do you think that bothered Walter?”

“Oh, please…Walter had more important things to deal with than a college office romance between those two!”

“And the secret account—”

“Mr. Harrison, I don’t know what the others have implied, but Mr. Berry ran a respectable accounting business. But the bottom line was it was his business, so if he had various accounts, there is nothing illegal, nor unethical, about that. Not wanting his busy-body office manager to know about all of them is more of an indication of what he thought of her, not anything to do with him.”

A few minutes later, as Gareth assisted Katelyn up into his vehicle, she turned before he shut the door, and said, “I’m confused. Utterly and completely confused!”

* * *

Sandra entered William’s office and closed the door softly. Turning, her professional face dropped and in its place, a snarl erupted.

“What the hell are we going to do about this mess?”

“Now, now, Sandra, if Eleanor hadn’t hired those two, things would not have gotten this far,” he replied.

She leaned over his desk, her weight resting on her fists, knuckles pressed against the hard wood. “Yes, but she did. And now things are being discovered that you said would be left unfound. So, I repeat. What. The hell. Are we going to do?”

* * *

“Mom, I just found out that with Walter gone, my college money will dry up. What am I going to do?” Carrie cried.

Beth, just around the corner, listened carefully, a grin playing about her lips.