Chapter 7
Sophie
The next morning, I make my way into the office bright and early, after all, I have a case to blow wide open.
I head into the kitchen and boil the kettle while I wait for my computer to power up. I reach for the coffee and think better of it before grabbing a tea bag instead. I know I’ll need the caffeine today but this little guy inside me apparently won’t appreciate it.
I go back to my office and close the door behind me. I don’t need any distractions today. I place my tea down on my desk and move absolutely every piece of paper that has nothing to do with the CEO’s onto the floor.
Next, I make my way over to my cork board and take down everything from my previous investigation, making sure to put it all away in a folder, just in case any of my information is needed in court, though, it shouldn’t be, I always hand over all my evidence at the end of a case specifically to keep me out of court.
So, first things first. I pull my phone out of my bag and attach it to the USB cable connected to my computer before selecting all the images I wish to transfer over. Seeing as there are so many, I start printing off images of all the people involved so far and attach them to my cork board, making sure to put a big red cross over the faces of the deceased because… well, that’s what they do in the movies.
Ten minutes later, once I’ve finished my cork board, my computer beeps to notify me that the transfer is complete, so I make myself comfy and get started.
A few hours and a headache later, I finally stumble upon something interesting. It seems that Mr. Baxter anonymously bought shares in all his competitor's companies, all with hidden clauses within the contracts stating that if the owner should pass, his or her remaining shares would go to Christian Baxter
Hmm…. I wonder if the other guy knew the kind of contract he was signing.
I keep digging into this whole shares thing and realise that now with these CEO’s dead, Christian is now the anonymous major shareholder of each of these companies and making a shit-load of money off it too.
He also has the power to shut down these companies which would drive all potential clients his way or he could buy them out… Really, as the major shareholder he could do whatever he wants with it.
Holy shit. I just found motive.
My brain swirls with information and I know in my gut that he had something to do with these deaths… well, I guess deaths is the wrong word. They were murders, covered to look like natural causes.
I print off the contracts and pin them to my cork board, making sure to highlight the evidence. I can’t find it in me to sit back down and I start pacing my office. How the hell am I going to prove that he did this or that he had something to do with it?
Hmmm, I start wondering how I’m going to work out if he had an alibi for those days when I remember his PA’s planner that sat on her desk. She would have every tiny detail of Christian’s whereabouts in that thing… though how the hell am I going to get my hands on it?
I start working on my plan, knowing this means another trip out of the office that Tank isn’t going to approve of but seriously, I need that planner.
My phone ringing on my desk startles me out of my thoughts and I grin at the caller ID. Shit, he must know I’m planning something. I hit answer and hold the phone up to my ear.
“Hey, Big Guy,” I smile.
“Hey, babe. How’s your day going?” he asks. “Still at the office?”
I roll my eyes, knowing that would have been his first thought. “Yes, I’m still at the office,” tell him. “My day’s been huge. I found motive.”
“Seriously?” he questions. “What kind of motive?”
I go through everything I have found today and even though I know Tank hates that I do this, he also won’t stop me from doing my part in putting someone behind bars, especially if that’s where they need to be.
“That’s some pretty damning evidence but it’s not enough to get him convicted of anything. It just proves he owns the majority of their companies,” he says.
“I know,” I cringe. “Which is why I need to go back to his office.”
“No, babe. I don’t want you going there,” he says. “Who knows what could happen if he finds out you’re digging. You don’t have a good enough reason to be there.”
“Actually,” I say. “I think I might.”
“Babe,” he warns.
“It’s fine,” I promise. “I won’t even need to see him. I just need to hand something to his PA.”
“You sure?”
“Promise,” I say. “I’ll be in and out in no time. I won’t even need to escape down the fire stairs.”
He lets out a huff and I know he has finally given in.
“How’s your day going?” I ask, hoping to change topics.
“Good,” he says with excitement lacing that deep voice.
“Spill it, buster,” I demand.
I can practically hear the smile in his voice. “Coach Larsden has called a meeting for tomorrow, he has a few announcements.”
“And you think this is when he will appoint you captain?”
“Well, yeah, I’m kind of hoping,” he says a little bashfully.
There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to get that position and I know he feels that too, he just doesn’t want to get his hopes up. “You’ll be fine,” I tell him.
“I know,” he replies, softly. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing, I was just thinking about getting lunch before I head out to Baxter Corporations,” I tell him.
“Could you hold off for half an hour? I’ll swing by and take you out.”
“Ooh, are you asking me out,” I tease.
“Shut up,” he grunts. “I’ll be there soon.”
“K, love you.”
“Love you, too,” he murmurs before hanging up.
I grin as I put my phone back down on my desk and get busy. With Tank arriving in half an hour, that gives me just enough time to put together a mock article that I can use to weasel my way towards Aimee’s desk.
As usual, with my writing, I get carried away so I practically jump right out of my seat when a knock sounds at my door.
I look up to find the world’s largest man looming in my doorway, looking at sexy as ever. “You ready to go?” he asks with a smirk.
I hit print on the article and rush around my office collecting all my crap. “Sure am,” I say as I pick up the paper from the printer.
Tank makes his way inside and quickly looks over my cork board. “He’s a real fucking scum-bag,” he comments before taking my hand and leading me out the door.
“Sure is,” I agree.
“How was training?” I ask, pressing the button for the carpark as we step into the lift.
“Good,” he says before pressing me into the wall of the lift and kissing me deeply. His hands travel down my body and cup me between my legs. “I love it when you dress for the office,” he murmurs.
“There’s cameras in here,” I remind him with a gasp, as honestly, it’s not the first time we’ve been sprung in this lift.
“Damn,” he grunts as he pulls away, leaving me desperate for more.
The lift opens and he takes me by the hand as he leads me towards his truck. He helps me up into his truck like a gentleman, kisses my temple while his hand caresses my stomach and closes the door.
Fuck, I love this man.
He takes me on our lunch date and all too soon, the bill is paid and we’re getting back in his truck.
“You heading back to the office?” he asks
“Um… I don’t really need to. I have everything with me if you wanted to take me to Baxter Corporations. I’ll be like five minutes then we can go home,” I explain.
“You don’t need your car?” he questions.
“Nah, I’ll work from home tomorrow.”
“Ok, I was going to hit the gym but I can use the one at home,” he tells me.
Oh geez, just the thought of him getting all hot and sweaty seems to do the same thing to me. “Hmmm, can I watch?”
He rolls his eyes but I see the enjoyment in his satisfied smirk. He pulls up outside Baxter Corporation and I start hopping out of his truck. “If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m coming to get you,” he warns.
I give him a salute, “Yes, sir,” I grin before disappearing into the building.
I head straight for the lift, ignoring the disgruntled receptionist in the lobby and hit the up button. Once again, I’m in awe of this incredible building and realise how much money must have been thrown into it. The lift arrives and I hit number 38.
It takes no time for the lift to shoot through the sky and before I know it, I’m pushing through the glass door and facing a smiling Aimee.
“Sophie, right?” she questions as she raises from her desk.
“Yes, that’s right,” I smile. “Sorry to just drop in like this, my husband surprised me with lunch in the area so I thought I’d just pop in.”
“Oh, no problem. How can I help you?”
I reach into my bag and pull out the mock article on Christian Baxter’s sexiest bachelor nomination and hand it over. “I’ve finished the draft article. I was hoping Mr. Baxter could give it the ‘Okay’ so I can send it to print.”
“Oh, sure,” she says. “I’ll get him to check it over now. Would you care for a seat?” she says, indicating to the one I had faked my baby pain on yesterday.
“Thank you,” I say with a polite smile.
The moment she turns her back, I make my move. Just as I had thought, the planner sits right on her messy desk and I quickly slip it into my bag before taking a seat on the lounge.
Moments later, Aimee returns and hands me the draft article. “He was pleasantly surprised. You are quite the writer.”
“Thank you. I’ll send it off to my editor and be sure to send you a copy of the magazine with his article in print.”
“Excellent.”
With that, I duck out of the office and make my way back out to Tanks truck. “All good?” he asks as I climb in.
“All good.”
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The next morning, I send Tank on his way with a sultry ‘good luck’ kiss and hole up in my study with Aimee’s planner until I have practically memorised every last detail of Christian Baxter’s whereabouts for those days.
Which honestly, I should have known better. It’s not like ‘Kill Marco Cincinnati in a brothel’ is going to be scheduled in a planner.
Though, I do find out that at the time of each ‘death’, Christian Baxter has no alibi, well at least according to this planner he didn’t. I’ve also worked out, that the appointments surrounding the times of deaths have all had him smack bang in the centre of the city. Giving him plenty of time to do away with his competition and return to his office or home without anyone noticing his absence.
Damn, if I didn’t love writing so much, I should have been a detective. I’d be nailing bastards all over the country and putting their scum asses in prison.
At precisely eleven in the morning, my stomach starts grumbling. I look down at my swollen stomach. “Dude, I just ate like an hour ago and you’re already hungry?”
I know he can’t respond, well, actually he will in his own way. He’ll probably start kicking me in the ribs the moment I start eating, letting me know just how much he appreciates the yummy goodness I’m filling my body with.
I’ve always found it strange when woman talk to their unborn children. Like, can they even hear you in there? Not-to-mention, you literally look like you’ve gone bat-shit-crazy and trust me, I let Dani know it every time she did it. Now though, it feels right, like communication with my baby is the most natural thing in the world.
I guess that’s just one more thing Dani gets to say ‘told you so’ about.
I get up and head into the kitchen to start making myself a salad sandwich when I begin wondering about Tank’s meeting today. I wonder if he has had it already. Though he would have called me right after to tell me the good news and no doubt, there will be good news otherwise I’m going to have to go down there and bang some heads together.
I place my sandwich delicately on a plate as if I’m about to deliver the bastard to the queen and make my way back into my study. I sit down and start annihilating it while I start Facebook stalking Baxter, hoping to find something that could actually tie him to any of it.
After all, the planner is great and shows he doesn’t have an alibi but it still doesn’t prove he actually did it.
Before I know it, my sandwich is finished and I let out a sigh. I really should have made two of them, maybe three. I consider getting back up when my phone starts ringing.
I grin at the caller ID.
“Hey, bitch, what’s up?” I say into the phone.
“Don’t call me that. You’re on speaker and Mia is listening. I don’t want her growing up with a potty mouth like yours,” Dani says.
“Oh please,” I scoff. “Mia would be lucky to have a mouth like mine, besides it’s a cut-throat world out there, maybe a little cuss word here and there would do her good.”
I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Whatever,” she groans. “Can we head over? Mia really needs out of the house.”
“Yeah, but can you give me a few hours. I’m in the middle of some research. I can just feel it, I’m going to crack this one soon.”
“Ok, sure. I’ll head out and do the groceries first then come your way,” she tells me.
“Excellent,” I say and am about to hang up when a thought occurs to me. “Have you heard from Miller? Have they had their meeting yet?”
“No,” she says. “It’s at one so they’re still training. Don’t stress, he’ll get it.”
“I know he will,” I say as confident as ever. “I’m just excited.”
“Ok,” she laughs. “We’ll see you soon.”
“K, bye.”
I hang up and instantly head back into the kitchen. I know Dani will want to have lunch when she comes over but that’s another few hours away. I’m definitely going to need another sandwich if I’m going to survive that long.