The cleaning crew was milling around the office when I arrived, but aside from them, everyone had gone home. I was glad for that. I didn’t need anyone else knowing about my suspicions other than Marcus.

I’d called him soon after Tatiana screeched out of the parking lot. He agreed to meet me at the office. If anyone knew about Sergio’s businesses, it was him. He’d been Sergio’s right hand man since the early days and knew things inside and out. He had no formal education, but Sergio was loyal to him and treated him like a son. He managed the books for Sergio’s initial businesses, while I took on the new ventures.

Our styles were very different, and if I was being honest, Marcus really wasn’t up to the task. That’s why I was so enthusiastic when Sergio promised to give me more responsibility. I really thought I could take the operation to the next level. But now I wasn’t sure if I had any future at this company.

I started laying out the files I’d retrieved earlier in the day, preparing to show Marcus the relevant data blips that were so alarming. He strode in and immediately sat in the chair across from my desk, putting up his feet. I was galled by his informality, and frankly I wasn’t used to having anyone else in my office, but I tamped down those feeling in the interest of efficiency. “Marcus, thanks for coming so quickly.”

“I couldn't sit around knowing there was a problem,” he said. “Bring me up on the details.”

Quickly I explained to him the inconsistencies I’d found. I showed him the dummy vendor names, pointing out that LD Petrol was a real vendor while LD Petroleum was just a front. I couldn’t trace where that money had gone, but it wasn’t being used to fuel Sergio’s trucks. I went down the list of other fake vendors I’d found, searching Marcus’s face to make sure he understood the nature of the con. He was grim.

“Marcus, you know the man better than I do. I haven’t picked up any signals that he’s not an ethical businessman, but I’m realizing lately that I may not be picking up every signal that comes my way.” Tatiana. “You’ve been by his side for years. I know he trusts you and you, him. What do you think? Is it possible he’s behind this?”

He was quiet for a long time. It was making me uncomfortable. Had I made a mistake laying out my hunch to Marcus? Would he act like Tatiana, out of loyalty? Or could he be objective and help me crack this puzzle?

Marcus took his feet off my desk and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. He started to laugh bitterly. “Man, I hate to say it, but absolutely. Ever since the old days Sergio hasn’t been afraid to cut corners to turn a profit or outbid a competitor. Can I see him squirreling away money illegally, in secret? Of course I can.”

Relief rushed through me. I wasn’t imagining things. I hadn’t falsely accused Sergio to Tatiana.

I was right.

“But I have to say, Rolland, I never imagined a dick move from you like this. I mean, where’s your loyalty?” His words didn’t match his demeanor. He was speaking to me calmly but he was clearly accusing me of something.

“Dick move? How? We’re responsible for the information we provide to the CPA. If the IRS–”

Marcus cut me off mid-sentence. “I understand going after some sweet ass, believe me, I see what you see. Tatiana is fine. But you’re really planning to betray Sergio just so you can be with her? There are other fish in the sea, Rolland.” On the surface it sounded like friendly advice, but his tone was threatening. And what did he know about Tatiana and me?

I swallowed the uneasy knot stuck in my throat. “You’re mistaken, Marcus. You clearly have the wrong impression.”

“I got a pretty good impression at Tatiana’s graduation party. Your hand up her dress and her tits hanging out. I don’t think I misinterpreted that, Rolland. Seems pretty black and white to me.”

The slamming door that night. Someone did see us.

Sweat pooled down my spine. “What happened with Tatiana has nothing to do with this. It’s two completely separate things,” I started to explain. “Sergio–”

“What would he think if he knew you were fucking his daughter?”

My stomach dropped out.

Marcus sighed as he said, “I think you’d be thrown out on your ass so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you. That's if you're lucky. Might lose a few bones, first. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Are you suggesting you’re going to tell him? Are you trying to blackmail me or something?” I couldn’t understand his angle.

He spread his hands and shrugged. “Rolland, buddy, we’re on the same side. It’s Sergio who’s the problem. He’s putting us at professional risk and he’s standing in the way of you being with Tatiana. Hell, he’s standing in the way of Tatiana doing anything. I was in the house when she begged her father to let her go to South Africa. I’d never heard Sergio raise his voice like that before. It was quite a scene.”

Marcus had gone from menacing to logical. He was right; Sergio was the variable in every problem. His shenanigans with the books put my career in jeopardy. His overprotective nature made Tatiana unhappy. His disapproval kept me apart from a woman I desired.

“So many problems solved if you just pick up the phone,” Marcus said. “Call the IRS. Call the press. All you need to do is tip that first domino and I guarantee it’ll lead to Sergio in a prison cell. He doesn’t deserve your protection.”

It was a bombardment of information, and I was having trouble making sense out of it. When Marcus walked into my office, I had hoped he could straighten this all out by explaining it was an innocent accounting mistake. I’d never expected him to turn on Sergio like this, and to use Tatiana to help bring him down.

I remembered the hurt on her face when I asked if her father could be involved in illegal dealings. She was adamant he wasn’t. If Marcus was right, I needed to call the authorities. So why was I second guessing myself suddenly?

I needed to look at the books again. If I was going to disrupt Tatiana’s life with this accusation, I had to be completely positive it was true. I settled behind my desk and started pulling up the spreadsheets I’d created earlier, opening the graphs showing the expenditures and profits. I was looking for a clue, anything to convince me that Sergio was innocent and Tatiana was right. What was I missing?

“What are you doing, Rolland? You said it, he created these phony companies and siphoned the money overseas. I see what you see. You’re right! Call the feds and get on with it.” Marcus was getting agitated as he spoke. I didn’t respond to him. I kept clicking on my computer, pulling up invoices and trying to find some pattern. Marcus was pacing around now, muttering under his breath, “Just call the fucking police, already.” He was irritating and distracting.

Finally I looked up from my laptop and said, “Why don’t you call the fucking police if you’re so sure? And while I’m at it, how did this happen under your nose for years without you realizing? You’re the one who receives these invoices. I understand the names were intentionally similar to escape detection, but how couldn’t you realize you were getting hit with them twice as often as you should be?”

He was the one who paid the double invoices. These were all Marcus’s accounts.

It was Marcus who wanted to keep these files hidden upstairs.

All at once, the buzzy feeling in my skull vanished. I gaped at Marcus. “It’s not Sergio. It’s you.”

Marcus snatched me by my collar, wrenching me over the desk—I gripped his wrists, fighting back. “Listen smart guy, it’s Sergio. Got it? Stop looking at your files! If you want to keep your reputation and your kneecaps intact, you’ll pick up the phone and call the IRS. If you don’t, I’m going to tell Sergio all about how you had your hands up his virgin daughter’s dress the other night. He won’t take kindly to that. Do not FUCK with me, Rolland!”

Again, I remembered Tatiana’s face. The emotion in her voice when she was defending her father. Sergio wasn’t just some variable in this problem. He was a person and people couldn’t be managed. They weren’t predictable, either. Weeks ago I couldn’t have predicted I’d be fucking my boss’s daughter.

If I could surprise myself, anyone could surprise me.

“No,” I said plainly. “I’m not going along with your plan. There’s too much at risk. People’s lives and emotions. I’m calling Sergio.”

He released me and backed up. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” His face darkened drastically. “You won’t even act in your own best fucking interests, you’re leaving me no choice. One phone call and she’s in the back of a van with a sack over her head. This is bigger than you think. I won’t hesitate to use Tatiana against you.”

The blood was pounding in my ears. My hands were hot and fisted with rage. I should have called Tatiana. Warned Sergio. Picked up the phone to notify the police. Those were reasonable things to do. But all reason had left me when I imagined Tatiana in danger.

Marcus hurried out of my office with me at his heels. He glanced at me, trying to get into the elevator. The sight of the phone in his hands... the vision of Tatiana trussed up in the back of a van going who knew where for who knew what, snapped the last of my control. I sprinted at full speed, taking him out at the knees.

We were wrestling in a mass of limbs; I was fighting for purchase, trying to raise myself high enough to throw a punch. Marcus’s landed across my jaw first, stunning me. I spotted his phone blinking on the floor. I didn’t know if he’d given an order to kidnap Tatiana, but I needed to alert her quickly. The thought gave me a shot of adrenaline; I swung hard, connecting with Marcus’s nose.

A torrent of blood sprayed across my sweatshirt. As he grabbed for his face, I swung again, knocking him backwards. Just then I felt arms around me. I looked and saw the terrified night shift cleaner surrounded by three security guards, one of whom crouched down to Marcus.

“The two of you better come with me,” the lead officer shouted. I didn't argue, I let him half-drag me while I pulled out my phone with my other hand. Quickly I texted Tatiana. The guard yelled at me to stop, but I ignored him. The only thing that mattered was doing everything I could to keep her safe.

Tell your father to come to the office.

Trust me.

And don’t answer your door for anybody.

****

I’d made it almost thirty years without ending up in the back of a police car.

But here I was, outside my office, looking across the parking lot illuminated with flashing red lights. Marcus was in the back of another car parked nearby. Sergio was leaning into the backseat, having an intense conversation with him. I could see them both from where I waited.

Life really was unpredictable. That damn Ace of Swords tarot card popped into my head. What had Tatiana said? To expect a “shift in perception?” I couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling up. I wanted to tell her she was right. Everything had shifted. I didn’t care about what Marcus was telling Sergio. I didn’t worry if I’d have an office to return to the next morning.

Everything seemed secondary to Tatiana’s safety, and I knew she was safe. She’d texted back that she ended up at a movie after our disastrous “date,” and security had already called her father and he was on his way.

Sergio was walking over to me now, and although my perspective had shifted, I was still wary. He looked angrier than I’d ever seen him. “Care to explain to me why I’m here tonight, and not at home in bed watching the evening news?” he asked. “Marcus told me quite a few things already.”

“Sergio, some of what Marcus said may be true, and some may not. I promise you I’m being truthful with you. I found discrepancies in your books; from the new accounts you had me look at. Someone had created phony vendors and they were siphoning money out of the company.” I grimaced. “I thought it was you. Before I confronted you, I wanted Marcus’s opinion, but then I realized he was the one ripping you off. And then he threatened me and he threatened Tatiana.” The memory of that made my blood boil. “You probably trust him more than me because you’ve know him for ages. And in a minute you’re going to trust me even less.” I took a deep breath, bracing for his fury, his fists, his disgust.

“Why am I about to trust you less, Rolland?” he whispered. Sergio stared at me, silent and brooding, but I didn’t have another option. There was just one path.

“Because I’m falling in love with your daughter. With Tatiana. And I’m going to tell her the next time I see her in person.”

Sergio looked at me with the same expression that Tatiana had earlier in the evening. Like I was an alien. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“I’ll admit, this isn’t an ideal situation,” I started. Sergio laughed sourly, but I continued. “I couldn’t continue seeing Tatiana while lying to you, and I can't stop seeing Tatiana. And I realize you may want to break my legs... but you’ll never break my desire to be with your daughter.”

Sergio walked a few paces away. He ran a hand over his face, clearly exasperated. After a few minutes, he approached the security officer. They spoke with their heads together. With interest, I saw the officer approach the police car with Marcus in it. Then it drove off. To take him home? To the hospital? To jail? I didn’t know. This situation was unfolding before me and I couldn’t predict where it was heading.

Sergio returned, his expression grave. What he said next left me speechless. “I trust you, Rolland.” He motioned at the cop. “Unlock this bastard’s handcuffs.” I bent forward and my hands were free. I rubbed at my wrists vigorously to get the blood flowing. “Walk with me, Rolland,” Sergio said, leading me towards his car parked across the lot. Maybe this was the part where he broke my kneecaps.

“You really trust me?” I asked.

“Marcus threw you under the bus. He told me he’d discovered you’d been siphoning off the money to run away with my daughter. It sounded like total bullshit. I expected to come over here and listen to you deny everything. But then you admitted it. Who would be dumb enough to admit to me that they were...” he trailed off, a pained expression crossed his face, “with my little girl.”

I was glad he hadn’t completed that thought. It was enough that he trusted me, trusted my account of events; I didn’t need him to be comfortable about Tatiana and me. Yet.

He jingled his keys, no longer looking at me. “I’ll see you here early tomorrow morning. We have a shitload of things to go through, a whole mess to figure out, and I expect we’ll need to involve the cops. I’ll need you on your A game,” he said, sliding in the driver's seat.

Standing tall, I nodded sharply. “I’ll be here.”

“I know you will.” He paused a second, finally looking up at me. “You really care about Tatiana?”

“Yes,” I said instantly.

“And this whole time, even though you thought I'd break your legs, you were seeing her?”

My heartbeat quickened anxiously. “Yes.”

Sergio crinkled his forehead, chuckling dryly. “Then I guess you can turn off your brain sometimes.” He revved the engine, shutting the door with the window down. “Good luck. She's as stubborn as I am.”

He was right.

But it was part of what I loved about her.