This is another very Anna-centric chapter. She is getting to the bottom of the investigation, so there is much detail about what is going on. Hopefully, you won't find it too tedious... Words12K
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The forest surrounding Highclere stretched out for several kilometers. Her green dress billowed around her and her blonde hair blew in the wind as she kept on her course. She'd already walked and run through most of the green tree expanse, searching for her knight in shining armor. She could see him, but she could never catch up. As soon as he was close enough, she'd blink and he would be out of her reach. "Sir Gallant," she would yell out. "Sir Gallant, why have you left me?"
The fog rolled in around her. She could hear laughing. Where was she and why was she so miserable?
"Anna." The sweet voice called out her name. "Anna." It sounded familiar, but not familiar enough to recognize. It was not Sir Gallant and she felt a pang of disappointment. Lamentably, if she wanted to know who it was, she would have to open her eyes. She did, one eye first, and then the other. Oh, she could hardly see, blinded at first by the light. Her immediate reaction was to close them again, but the voice persisted and she had to know who it was.
"Mrs. Carson, come quick. She's opening her eyes."
"Anna, darling. I'm here." She felt her hand being jostled, and then the immediate warmth of her hand being held. That voice she knew. It was her Godmother.
She opened them again, slowly, adjusting to the light in small increments. A young beautiful nurse stood next to Elsie. Who was that? She recognized the face.
"Anna, I am so happy you are awake. I'll go tell the head sister." Ah…. a faint realization hit her. Mary's little sister? Sybil. She was studying nursing. That was who she saw. My… how she'd grown and how beautiful she was, even with that horrendous uniform.
"My girl. How are you?" Elsie's voice was almost broken and when Anna focused again, she could see tears. Why tears? Where was she?
"Where am I?" Anna asked, although she was certain this must be a hospital if she was in bed and Sybil was looking after her. The headache she had must be the reason. She felt her head throbbing and pain in her eye was also making itself known.
"You're at Ripon Community Hospital. Pops is out in the waiting room. I had to kick him out, as he was so nervous, constantly dropping things and banging into your bed. He's sitting out there with Mary, Matthew, two nice folks from your office and the Detective who is waiting to interview you."
It didn't make sense at all. The last thing she remembered was working on Jimmy Kent's file when the door to the office was opened. Oh God, she had so many things to do for John. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
"But why, Elsie? Why am I here?"
"Oh, Lord… Dr. Clarkson said this might happen, that your concussion might bring about some temporary amnesia."
Amnesia? Her? Elsie was still holding her hand. And Dr. Clarkson? Wasn't that Matthew's step-father? He'd mentioned him before.
"You were at the office and Richard Carlisle attacked you."
The mention of his name sent shivers down her spine. That swine. Attacked? She couldn't breathe. The oxygen was leaving her lungs. She struggled, almost hyperventilating. Why couldn't she remember? What had he done to her? She could feel the pain in her head, and her elbow hurt too, but, she felt fine elsewhere. Had he done the unthinkable? If he had, wouldn't it hurt down there? She felt nothing.
Elsie perceived Anna's emotionality when her girl squeezed their intertwined hands tighter. She could see the unspoken fear in her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her further.
"You are injured, darling. He hurt you, but he did not defile you. Your coworkers, they didn't allow it."
Oh Thank God. Saved. She wanted to know everything that had happened.
"Who saved me? Only Tom was still there." She remembered James leaving, then a shadow. Wait….Richard was there. She could see him in her office.
"Yes, Tom. He tackled the man and kept him restrained until the police arrived."
A flash of jumbled thoughts came to Anna. Having Elsie mention it jogged her memory. She hit him, and then she was running. She yelled for help. Her hair was pulled, and then she took a blow to the face. Her head hit the ground as she fell. Before she lost consciousness, she heard a woman.
"I remember some of it now, Elsie. There was a woman there, but I didn't see her."
"Yes, darling. It was Phyllis. She saved you."
The doors to the room were opened as Sybil returned with several people in tow. The man that Anna supposed was the doctor, pushed in and reached her bedside. Elsie prudently stepped away.
"I'm Dr. Clarkson, Anna. How do you feel?" he asked as he shined her pupils with a flashlight. She wanted to answer, but the suddenness of the light, both blinded her and hurt her. Recoiling instantly, she waited until he turned it off.
"My head hurts," she answered as he continued to pinch and prod her. "My arm hurts too." She realized that the soreness probably came from hitting him. She stretched her arm and felt a sting at her elbow. Wow, she thought to herself. In the adrenaline of the moment, she hadn't even felt the hurt.
"That's to be expected. You hit your head and have a mild concussion. We did a CT scan when you were brought in, and thankfully, you have no swelling, and no lesions." Anna could hear Elsie sigh with relief and it mirrored her own feelings. She had a lot to do and she couldn't be saddled with a real injury.
"Can, I leave then?" She attempted to sit up, but was overcome with dizziness. Grudgingly, she lay back down.
"Not today. We will keep you overnight to monitor your progress. It's late anyway."
He muttered something else about what could be expected and interacted with Elsie regarding the brief amnesia. She tuned them out, as she could only think about the amount of things she still wanted to accomplish. If she couldn't leave here, she'd have to get creative in terms of her work. She just didn't have the time to rest. John's trial was this week. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was 9pm. It had been close to 4pm when James left. She'd been asleep five hours. Five hours that she'd lost, more like it.
"Anna, there is a detective who wants to speak to you. Do you feel well enough to meet with him?" Dr. Clarkson asked with trepidation.
"Yes," she answered with conviction. "I want to get this over with and Richard Carlisle dealt with. Bring him in."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Pops had come in first, and he fussed over her. They'd both shed a tear. He felt responsible for introducing her into this line of work, but she wouldn't have it. This didn't happen because she was a private investigator, it happened because Richard Carlisle was an arse. He went on and on about her no longer working in investigations and she let him get those feeling off his chest. He held his tongue in regards to Mr. Bates, but Anna could tell he had cut himself off from saying anything nasty. When he had finished posturing, she sat up slowly and gave him a big kiss to his temple. That effectively quieted him.
The business with Inspector Vyner had been peculiar, to say the least. Since Matthew was still in the waiting room with Mary, Anna asked for him to be present too. Although he wasn't family, Dr. Clarkson allowed it under the circumstances. The man's line of questioning gave her the impression that he didn't believe how things had happened. Apparently, he'd spoken to Richard first. Being as charming and well-spoken as their ex-Sales Manager was, he'd probably invented that it had been a lover's quarrel gone wrong or that they were playing rough when they were caught. The Inspector didn't say which one. Pops was outraged at his attitude and the Inspector threatened to have him removed if he didn't settle. She'd calmed Pops down with her confidence and kind words and shot down every single ludicrous assumption. She didn't back down, or flinch. She mentioned she had tapes of his sexual harassment and would provide this evidence to prove her side of the story. When the man had asked why she had tapes, Matthew told him that the question was uncalled for and reminded him that she was the victim. Anna didn't want to have to say that she carried her recorder everywhere. Having Matthew there was a godsend.
After the Inspector left, Matthew had successfully petitioned to let his girlfriend in the room. It was the first time Mary had met her Step-Father in Law. Normally, the doctor wouldn't allow it, but with Sybil, his work experience nurse's assistant adding to his stepson's pleas, Mary was allowed a brief visit. He could tell Matthew was obviously besotted with the girl and he didn't want to appear a heartless prick. Not if they could be family in the future, and Anna was in no real danger anyway.
Without much prudence, Mary gasped when she entered the room, and it generated real concern for Anna. She hadn't seen herself yet and judging by Mary's reaction, she must look frightful. She hadn't had time to think about it, but now, she insisted they hand her a mirror. Elsie gave Mary a pointed look and Mary felt horrible for her reaction. It was not what she was intending. With both women at her side, Mary handed over the compact mirror in her cosmetic pouch. Anna sighed at the reflection before her and didn't launch into hysterics. She was too practical. Her right eye socket was deeply bruised, as was the check bone underneath it. His giant fist had obviously been the culprit here. She had a busted lip and her whole mouth seemed swollen. Her neck was bruised as well and Anna couldn't remember why she would have marks there. It looked like his fingers. Had he tried to choke her? Or did it happen as he was pinning her down, tearing at her clothes?
When Anna gave back the mirror, Mary's burden was lessened. She wouldn't have forgiven herself if Anna had broken down with emotion. It wasn't that Anna was hideous, she had just been so worried and seeing her hurt made her gasp. Mary explained how as soon as the ambulance had arrived to A&E, Elsie and Pops had been contacted as Anna's next of kin. Elsie had the foresight to call her, as they rushed to the hospital themselves, and Mary appreciated it. She had spent the last several hours with Tom and Phyllis in the waiting room, meeting them there. They'd realized she was their new owner's daughter when she introduced herself and they'd exchanged details regarding what had happened. Anna would have loved to have thanked them personally, but as soon as they were aware that she had woken, they bowed out. They wouldn't have been allowed in while she was in the A&E observation unit, only staying until they could feel at ease about the whole situation. They left their best regards with Mary and promised discretion, allowing Anna to manage the situation in the office in whatever way she wanted. Anna was pleased that she had a day to think about how she would manage this news at Bates Airlift. Mary also explained that her father would have wanted to be there, but he couldn't have Mary and him leave the pub together on a Saturday night. He gave deference to Mary and promised to contact her on Sunday when she was better. All in all, it was a good visit, and as the minutes progressed, she became increasingly tired. So tired, that she didn't remember how much time passed from when they said their good-byes until she was asleep.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was Sunday at noon and she was finally out of the hospital. She wasn't home, though. Elsie wouldn't hear any of her excuses to be in her own flat, and instead, she was picked up and brought to their flat. The guest bedroom, which used to be her room when she lived with them, was set up to receive her. While she slept, apparently, Mary and Elsie had agreed for Mary to put together a bag with her things and had it delivered in the morning. Thus, when she left, she had fresh clothing to wear. Yesterday's outfit had been taken as evidence. Thankfully, Mary also understood her need to continue working and had put together a bag with all of her documents and her laptop. She could do that quietly from her bed and not exert herself which was Elsie's main concern. She hadn't told Elsie yet, but she was going to go to the office the next day, no matter what. Mary had added several changes and one outfit in particular was decent enough to wear at work. It wasn't her normal choice for office attire, but she wouldn't get picky under the circumstance.
"How are you, doll?" Joe's concerned voice came through the mobile phone and Anna cringed. She was not his doll! Still, she remembered to be nice. No doubt he'd heard about her misfortune and was trying to be helpful. She needed as much help as she could get these days.
"Much better, Joe. Thank You. What do you have for me?"
He started laughing uncontrollably, a sign that he was mighty proud of himself.
"I've done it. I cracked the code. I can pinpoint a couple of IP addresses where your tweeter troll has used the service."
Anna's breath hitched. She hadn't said it out loud to anyone, had only just made the connections yesterday. Please let it be Phyllis, she thought to herself.
"Please Joe, don't keep me in suspense. Who is it?"
"I can't tell you who it is because this person is very smart. Not one tweet has come from a device on a mobile network. I could track that to a phone number and user. ThIs must all be on desktops or tablets on a land based network – something similar to a proxy server network like Thomas', but, I tweeted from their account today. That will get them startled." He snorted, laughing at the stunt he'd pulled.
Anna opened up her twitter account from her laptop. She accessed the page for Seeker of Truth and found what Joe was talking about. The tweet was not directed at her, as most of incongnitohelper's tweets were. It was just on its own timeline, but since the account had no followers, it was bound to not get read.
ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE. I CRACKED YOUR CODE, THE JOKE IS ON YOU.
Oh, Joe. How infantile. She wished she could tell him that. He cracked the code and he was busy toying with the troll? How about giving her something she could use?
"Is there anything I can work with, Joe?" she asked as she rubbed her temple. The headache had not abated, although it had decreased. She'd already taken the Paracetamol the doctor had suggested.
"One of the tweets came from the customer courtesy network at Bates Airlift. You can use that. IF you wanted to know if the tweeter came from the compound, you would be right."
Bingo, thought Anna. "Can we pinpoint that to a specific computer?"
"The source information was wiped out. It could be any computer or tablet, Anna. It doesn't have to be one of the ones in the office."
With much disdain, she asked wearily, "Is there anything else?" She had hoped for more certainty.
"I think I finished mapping out how Thomas created his deception." Anna felt suddenly much better and more excited. "Somebody had to have done this for him. I've looked at all of his credentials and he is a beginner. He doesn't even encrypt his messages and his porn; he views it directly to his home IP address." Anna was impatient and Joe had a propensity to digress.
"How does it work, Joe?" She had to pay attention. When Joe got into the details of his work, it was easy to get lost.
"The log files on his computer show access to two different proxy severs besides his normal internet service. You can change what server you access by going to the LAN settings option on your browser's settings page. These bypass your normal internet servers. The first one, let's call it proxy B, has a tunnel created, from his desk, all the way to Mr. Bates' home computer. This tunnel routes from the UK, to Romania, to Estonia, to Russia, to Spain, then back again to the UK. It's quite elaborate. If he opens the online web portal of the bank, he can make as many changes as he wants and divert the cash and the IP address on the bank's servers will be those belonging to Mr. Bates, not Thomas'."
Anna's brain was having a schizophrenic moment. She wanted to both scream with excitement that Joe was able to track it, and also scream with rage at what Thomas was doing. Her brain didn't know how to react first, so, she just stayed mute.
"Are you still there, Anna?"
"Yes, just digesting it all. The second proxy, what does it do?"
"Oh, something similar, except the tunnel is set up for his office IP address. The route is diverse too, just to throw the average searcher off track. Not me, though. You could never stop me from searching. This one, believe it or not, goes from UK to Iceland, to Panama, to Argentina, and back to the UK."
Anna was thrilled. "And these log files, with the different proxy servers used; I am sure have dates and times?"
"Of, course."
Now that they knew the proxy's tunnel led to Mr. Bates' home and office, all she had to do was to tie each day it was accessed, to the date and time that a movement was made. She had every transaction from the documents Matthew had given her. If they matched, they had all but solved the case.
"You're brilliant Joe."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
She had been crabby until Joe sent over the log files.
She sighed audibly. After her conversation with Joe, she went back to work. She couldn't get definite proof that it was Phyllis¸ but she didn't need it. Why was Phyllis at the compound on a Saturday afternoon? The woman had saved her from Richard, she was thankful for that, but she couldn't find a legitimate reason for her to be there. Not unless she knew something would happen.
She would take a risk and confront Phyllis, but first, she would bait her on twitter. If the troll was as good as Joe said, they would have already erased the account at the first sign of its being compromised. It hadn't been so far, and Joe's tweet was at least 12 hours old.
incognitohelper YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AND I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
The response was almost immediate. Anna was no longer surprised.
eyeinthesky ARE YOU SURE?
The response wasn't too insightful, but she was sure, and come Monday, she would confront her.
incognitohelper I AM SURE AND I ALSO HAVE THE PROOF OF JB INNOCENCE.
There was no more response.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"You aren't well, darling. We shouldn't be doing this." Elsie fussed, as a mother would. Anna hadn't slept all day, not since they'd arrived from the hospital and she worried. Anna was pale and the incessant rubbing of her temples indicated she didn't feel well. It had already been several hours and although she had not gotten up from bed, she had not slowed down. All Elsie could do was humor her, and as such, she was at her girl's side, as was Pops. Matthew was on loudspeaker on her IPhone.
"Are you sure it's fine, Anna? You are not too tired?" Matthew's sheepish voice came across through the phone. "Ask her how she's feeling," she heard in the background. He was with Mary.
"Yes, its fine and yes, I am tired and yes, my head still hurts, but we have less than one week and I am not going to relent on this, so, can we all please focus?" Her tone left no room for appeals and before anybody could say anything further, she continued. "Joe has the log files of Thomas' home computer with the connections he made and the maze of proxy servers he accessed to make the false transactions. I have matched every log file access on Thomas' computer to a corresponding transaction from the bank statements. You wanted proof that Mr. Bates didn't do this crime – there it is." The extra sass in her last words indicated how proud she was of this accomplishment.
"That is amazing Anna. You are on the right track." His voice lacked the emotion Anna was expecting. In fact, he was not excited at all.
Anna's quizzical face prompted Charles to ask what those with Anna were thinking. "Is it not enough?"
"You've obtained the log files illegally by hacking into his computer and putting a filter on his network. This evidence is not admissible and would be thrown out of court, not to mention putting all three of you, and Joe, in serious legal troubles." Matthew could hear what sounded like a strong word rolling from under Anna's breath. She was frustrated, no doubt. "Don't despair. We now know he is guilty and that is a breakthrough. What we need to do is find probable cause for his involvement and then we can bring him down."
Anna seemed to understand. "OK. So, we know he's the culprit, and we know how, but we can't tell the police or we'll all be in trouble, so, we have to find a reason for the coppers to be suspicious about him and when they are…." Everything was falling into place for her.
Matthew finished the sentence. "When they are, they will get a search warrant and they will take all of his equipment and discover everything you just told me."
"It's not very fair," added Elsie. Her girl had worked tirelessly to find the solution and she wouldn't even get credit.
Ever the wise soul, and rebounding quickly from her frustration, Anna commented. "I don't care if it's fair. I'm not looking for credit. I just want him out and if I have to find more evidence of Thomas' collusion, I will find it."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Let me see all of the work files that you found on Thomas' computer," demanded Anna. Through the haze of medicine and files, she remembered that before the attack, she had found the discrepancy in the deposit of the random files she selected.
"What files?" Charles was momentarily speechless. He'd been waiting on Anna hand and foot all day, making sure she had everything she needed. She'd start on several theories, then reach a dead end and request another file. Charles was doing his best to humor her, even if he resented the reason for her anxiety. There she was, battered and bruised, and John Bates was none the wiser. He had half a mind to march down to that prison and give him a piece of his mind.
Anna said something and he didn't hear well.
"Pops, are you listening?" She raised her voice an octave and that caught his attention. "You said, the other day, when we were talking about Switzerland and what you found on his computer, that he had work files. Many of them. Can I see them?"
"Ah. Of course." He had downloaded everything to an external drive and he had it within reach.
There were various file folders on the external drive. She chose one and accessed the contents. Copies of contracts were what she found. Nothing seemed important or out of place, although she wondered why he would have them. She opened the next folder and he had drafts of letters he'd written. The majority was follow-up with delinquent accounts. One or two were apologies for over charging, with credit to an account. The last file folder was interesting. There were copies of invoices, in numerical order. As she opened up the random files, they were from different customers, and they ranged from as recent as two weeks ago, to several years back. There were several hundred of them. That was odd. Thomas did not do invoicing. Phyllis did. Why would he have so many copies?
As Anna tried to connect the dots between the files, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but picked up anyway.
"Hello." A smile crossed her face instantaneously. "Inspector Vyner…" She was listening intently. "….of course. Yes, I'll come down. Thank You. I'll be there tomorrow."
While the conversation was taking place, Elsie came in with a tray laden with different foods for Anna. She immediately picked up on who the other party was. Pops was eager to know what was happening too. As soon as she hung up, they both pounced.
"So?"
"The files I sent, together with Tom and Phyllis' witness testimony, have convinced the police that Richard should be arraigned. Tom, Phyllis and I have to go to the station tomorrow to provide written statements."
Pops and Elsie looked at each other. Anna was incorrigible and very driven, already putting aside that momentous news in lieu of more important tasks. Not a second later, she was reading the files again, forgetting Inspector Vyner. Elsie and Pops though, had something on their mind and they wanted to get answers. Elsie took the lead. In her experience, Pops' line of questioning didn't end up sounding right.
"We didn't ask you yesterday because, well, you fell asleep right after Mary left, and this morning, you've just been such a workhorse, but, since you brought it up, I'm just going to ask."
Anna stopped what she was doing. Elsie's introduction had her curious enough.
"How on earth, is it possible for you to have taped evidence of sexual harassment from that man, and we not know about it?" Elsie's hand was on her hips. Her words were strong, yet motherly. The last thing she wanted was for Anna to feel cornered or attacked again.
Anna realized that she'd spoken liberally, not once, but twice about her files. She gazed at them. Pops was unreadable. Was he offended? Or hurt by the omission? Elsie had the look of a mother who wouldn't back down until she got her response.
She had to look down momentarily, unable to keep her eyes on them. She felt guilty. They'd always trusted each other.
"It… It happened several times. Mr. Bates knew, and Matthew knows. Nobody else did. I didn't tell you because I did not want to worry you."
"Bates knew? And he did nothing to protect you?" Pops elevated his tone and although Elsie put her hand on his chest, as a gesture to make him calm down, he still huffed with anger. "Well, if he was accused of it himself, it's no wonder it's rampant in his office."
Elsie put her hands over her mouth to cover the gaping hole produced from the shock of listening to Pops' comment. She trusted Anna to make the right judgement about John Bates, but, the reality of it all was that it was a good point. Still, it was rude, and out of place to make a comment that would infuriate their ward. The more accusations Charles levied, the probabilities increased that Anna would want to distance herself. Who wants to listen to continuous tirades against the man you love?
Anna rolled her eyes and counted to ten before answering. "On the contrary. He's fostered nothing but an ambiance of respect among colleagues since I arrived. He urged me to report it when he witnessed it firsthand. I refused, as it would hamper the investigation." She looked at Pops coolly. "I won't address the comment regarding the connection between Richard and John's accusations because the parallels are unfounded and… I know you say it out of concern for me. "
Elsie took Anna's hand. She had to admire the young lady. She showed much more restraint than her husband. "Darling, we may not be your parents, but, we love you as if we were. If something had happened to you, more than what already did, we would have never forgiven ourselves for introducing you into this career, and letting the Bates Airlift case go too far."
She reciprocated Elsie's squeeze and gazed adorningly at Pops. His façade melted under her scrutiny. As always, he was putty in her hands.
"I never felt in any real danger until Saturday. It would not have been your fault if something had happened. I'm in no danger, anymore. Nothing else can happen to me."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"He did what?"
Matthew debated whether he should tell John about Anna's attack. He consulted with her, to determine if she wanted to tell him herself. It was a private matter for her, after all, and he didn't want to encroach on her right to manage the situation in a way she preferred. They were together too, and it would have impact on their intimacy. She couldn't make up her mind, initially. While she favored being the one to tell him, the reality was that she would not have time in the coming days to visit him, as busy as she was preparing his defense. He had a right to know and she preferred that he found out from Matthew, rather than from the press.
He explained the details and as he spoke, John's temper began to flare. It was unavoidable and expected. "She's bruised and shocked, but she's fine, John. I'm meeting her in an hour with the Inspector in charge so that she can give her official declaration."
"I'm going to kill that sorry piece of shit when he comes here," John responded. His teeth were clenched, and the barely audible sentence were the indicators of just how much rage he was suppressing.
Matthew took him seriously. The look in his eyes was too primal to be ignored. "I feared that by telling you, you would have that reaction, but, John, you can't do anything to him. Anna has worked so hard, and she's found the evidence that supports your innocence. She spent all day, yesterday, in bed, going through all of the data, when she should have been resting. She's doing it because she loves you. Don't throw it all away."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Their appointment had been set for mid-morning. Anna was grateful for the extra hour lie-in. She had pondered the sense in going to the office for an hour, then heading out. It wouldn't give her enough time to communicate with the team appropriately and this would spur more questions than she wanted. Instead, she opted to stay at home an additional hour. It would appease her godparents too. They had argued the night before concerning her plans, her elders preferring her to spend an additional couple of days in bed. She found no need for it. The bruises would not disappear in that interim, and her headache was under control of the medication. Her overall soreness had diminished under her Sunday bedrest. The extra hour gave her clarity of mind and allowed her to figure out how to camouflage herself best.
She contacted Anthony and explained that she needed Tom and Phyllis for a couple of hours and that she would explain upon arrival. Both had already been advised by Inspector Vyner that they would also be required to give their official testimonies and texts had been exchanged between herself and them. Now, all three sat in the waiting area. Anna hugged her colleagues when she saw them and a tear escaped her eyes as she thanked each of them for their role in her rescue. Tom confirmed he had sisters and a mother, not to mention aunts, cousins and nieces and he would rather burn in hell than allow the unthinkable to happen on his watch. She never even realized that he had been hurt himself. He had a scrape under his chin and his hand was bandaged. Anna assumed that they had been obtained while in service of her defense. Phyllis, again, was an enigma. She could sense real emotion when they hugged, feeling extra pressure from Phyllis' tight grip. She could even sense a slight tremble. Her face reflected dread, the opposite of what her body language suggested. There was no extra sympathy and this confused Anna.
Mathew had arrived and he winked at her, as she knew he had been to the prison to see Mr. Bates. She was desperate to know what words could have been exchanged between them, but this was neither the time, nor the place. Matthew had offered to be present for both Tom and Phyllis' testimony as well, and Anna thought it was the proper thing to do, so, Matthew and Tom disappeared, Tom being the first to be called through. This left Anna with Phyllis. Enigma Phyllis…. The Phyllis that had no cyber footprint and that had just miraculously turned up to be her protector. The Phyllis whose printer had most likely reproduced the warning letters for Mr. Bates. Anna looked around. Although there were people in the vicinity, they were far enough removed that their conversation would be private.
"I know it's you." Anna had no preamble. She said it clearly, shifting her body slightly to gauge Phyllis' reaction.
"Pardon, me?" Phyllis answered with a deadpan face. She seemed to have heard, just not understood.
"I know you are Seeker of Truth. You wanted me to find you. Well, I've found you."
"I do seek for the truth to be upheld, that is why I am here. I don't understand what you mean by finding me, though.…" Her face had taken on a confused look.
Anna thought Phyllis was either a good actress or she was really not her twitter troll. She started to doubt herself.
"Phyllis, give it up. I've discovered you." Her voice took on an additional depth of emotionality, almost pleading, but Phyllis did not budge. There was no change in Phyllis' demeanor that could hint of falsehood. She was nothing if not confused with the line of questioning.
"Anna, are you well? I really have no idea what you are talking about."
Anna sighed and uttered a faint, "Forget it," before facing forward once again. Where had she gone wrong with her conjecture?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
TB ACCOUNT FOUND HSBC BRUNEI WORTH 1.2 MIL QUID. CONSTANT TRANSACTIONS. WILL FWD FILES.
That weasel, was all she could think to say as she stared back at the text message that Joe had just sent her. So, how had Thomas Barrow accumulated such an amount? On the salary they paid him? It must be the invoices, since there were no other proven money leaks from their main operating account.
"I thought you could use some tea," Edith offered from the door as she held on to a steaming mug.
Edith's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. "Oh, bless you. Yes, I could." After today's emotions, she could use something to calm her down. "I'm sorry I wasn't here this morning to teach you the ropes on your first day." She would have wanted to control the situation and introduce her personally.
"Don't worry about that. When Papa brought me in himself, nobody dared to be mean to me. Gwen's been especially kind….She's been very helpful in teaching me."
Of course Gwen would be kind. It was in her nature.
"The only one who's been rude is Vera, but we all expected that." Edith shrugged her shoulders.
Ah…. Vera..… yes, the bad-mannered and callous one. She hadn't made it easy for Anna either when she'd gotten the whole team together after her arrival from the Inspector's office. She had decided on being direct and clear about the circumstances with all of the team. Phyllis and Tom had agreed on this course of action as well. Even with Robert present, Vera had guffawed at the explanation, interrupting Anna on more than one occasion as she tried to provide her side of the story. Vera was perturbed at the notion that her lover could have done what he was accused of. She called Anna a flirt in front of everyone. While Anna tried to compose herself and feign no reaction to her words, Robert asked Vera to leave. She stormed out of the room as Tom clapped. Yes, it had been a very emotionally draining day.
The team had largely tiptoed around her, but when some of the absent pilots heard what had happened, they came to lend their support. Michael and Evelyn did not hesitate to come to her, offering their allegiance. She was gratified with their signs of solidarity.
She wished the day were over, but she still had much to do.
"Can I do anything else for you?" asked Edith when she saw Anna's mind wander.
She did need to get to the bottom of Thomas' deception and it started with figuring out the invoice situation. She had the whole of Thomas' files on a flash drive. She hadn't garnered much last night, except to understand what Thomas' files were comprised of. And…she had those two invoices that she had randomly selected before her attack. They had been sitting on her desk since Saturday. Her intuition told her that the accidental transposing of quantities she had detected was at the heart of the problem. She was going to need more than two random invoices to get to the bottom of this.
"Could you ask Phyllis to give me a random box of invoices from last year and the most recent one too? And could you bring it here?"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The coincidences were astounding. Once Anna realized what she was looking at, everything seemed to fall into place. It had taken her several hours to figure it out, and she had worked well into the middle of the night. Thomas was brilliant.
Each invoice in his personal file matched an invoice that Phyllis had created. Except, the invoice was for a higher amount. Thomas was reproducing the invoices fraudulently; increasing the amount from 5 to 7 percent higher than what Bates Airlift had billed the customer. He had copies of the contract and knew what they were supposed to be billed. Anna guessed that he was somehow intercepting every invoice that Phyllis was sending, and replacing it with his own. Upon further scrutiny, Anna realized that the information provided to the customers for payment was wiring funds to the HSBC bank branch in Brunei, the exact information that Joe had just sent her that afternoon. She tracked several invoices from the most recent box Edith had sourced for her, and then mimicked her process for the random box provided for last year too. The customers would wire the funds, as specified, and they would reach the account. A day or two later, a wire from that HSBC bank in Brunei was made to the main operating account at Bates Airlift, in the exact amount that Phyllis had invoiced. If for some reason the customer inquired about the erroneous billing, Thomas would send a company apology and issue a credit. He even had Royal Mail PO Box listed as the address for any queries. For every customer that complained, he never processed a fraudulent invoice again.
The customers who were being overcharged must have had faulty auditing practices in their companies if he could just inflate the prices and not get any queries. ENERGYBURST and PERENCO, their two biggest current accounts were more often than not, the target. The trend that she noticed was that the smaller the company, the more often the accounting was scrutinized. The larger the company, there was less concern. With the large accounts consuming between them over 100K pounds per month, if he was charging a premium of 7%, he was making a cool 7,000 just from these two companies alone. When the others were added up, it was from 10K to 15K, per month. No wonder he could pay his flat and his car and still have a cool million and a quarter left.
A feeling of alarm invaded Anna. Bates Airlift had been defrauding customers for years. Even if it was just Thomas, if this got out, the negative publicity would finish them. Even if he was a rogue employee and it could be proved in court, they were liable, as a legitimate corporation, to make sure their own accounting practices were safe. How could Anthony not have noticed? She didn't want to be critical of him, as she was not an expert in accounting, but this was his second fail in her mind. She had never wanted to voice her concerns before, but, as the Controller, he should have seen the amount of money that was being transferred out of the main operating account before it accumulated to the millions of pounds that Mr. Bates allegedly stole. That situation should have been easier to detect. This fraud, though, would have been harder for him to track. She couldn't get it out of her mind that he should have had a methodology to reconcile the transposed amount against the invoice to make sure the company received all of the funds it was due.
They might have never known if Thomas had not made an honest transposing mistake. In the end, that invoice, the one that had the deficit of funds, was just an honest mistake. He was very precise in every other transaction that he generated, and this was a one-off, one that just happened to be found by her.
First thing in the morning, she had called PERENCO accounting and asked if they had paid for the invoice in question. Anna invented a story regarding how they were updating their billing system, but the invoices of certain months had been corrupted, including the one in question and they couldn't track it. Just to be sure, would they mind sending a copy of the wire they had sent? Anna encountered a nice young flirty fellow and he emailed her a PDF file with all of the transactions that PERENCO had with Bates Airlift in 2014. It was a goldmine. Every transaction was for a higher amount than what Bates Airlift had invoiced, and matched every fraudulent invoice Thomas had in his file.
When she spoke to Matthew, he concluded that this was enough information to talk to the police about Thomas' fraud of Bates Airlift's customers. Although they had obtained the bank information and files illegally, they did not need to provide that information. She had a transposed invoice and proof of the amount of funds that PERENCO had wired and this was probable cause for the police to suspect him of fraud, since he was the one that was matching the deposits to the invoices. Coincidentally, the same IP report that the police produced, the one that incriminated Mr. Bates, was key. All of the PERENCO transactions came from the same IP address, as did hundreds of others. Only those accounts that Thomas was not defrauding had IP addresses that were different and unique, most likely from their companies. All of the defrauded accounts shared this IP address. Anna knew that, even if they didn't, but they were sure to discover it. This fraud might lead them to believe that he might be responsible for the fraud that John Bates had allegedly committed, but it also might not be enough. For that, she knew exactly what to do. Sarah was key.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Richard Carlisle?" The guard came to the cell where the posh Sale Manager lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He was motionless, except for the steady rise of his chest.
He couldn't believe he hadn't been awarded bail. His mother would be so disappointed.
Receiving no reply, the guard went ahead with his missive.
"Hey, sweetheart. Snap out of it. Your lawyer left a message. Your arraignment will be in three days and afterwards, you'll be transferred to Whetherby prison to await your trial."
Richard didn't move. Even that news couldn't compel him to care anymore.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Matthew was very punctual, a good competency for a lawyer to have. They chatted for a few moments, to determine what their strategy might be and what might happen if they were not successful. Anna also was determined to tape the session and ensured that everything was in working order with her recorder.
"Are you ready to do this, Anna?"
"I am." She picked up her phone and dialed. "Please tell Phyllis to cover the phones for you and come to my office, please."
A minute later, Sarah O'Brien walked into the space. She was taken aback when she saw Matthew there. She tensed.
"Please close the door and take a seat," Anna instructed when she realized Sarah was not moving forward.
Sarah reluctantly closed the door, not before scowling. "I am entitled to a witness if you plan to sack me or council me."
"Why do you feel I am calling you in here to either sack or council you?... Have you done something that requires either?" Anna asked confidently, and this irritated Sarah slightly.
"Well, the lawyer is here. He wouldn't be here if you didn't have that intention." She still refused to sit.
To calm her down, Anna realized it would be necessary to appease her concerns. "This discussion is not about your work. I believe Mr. Bates had that discussion with you days before he was arrested. I have nothing to add to that. Please take a seat."
Sarah breathed in and finally assented. She said nothing else.
"We are here to talk about Mr. Bates and the alleged fraud."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "This again?" she seemed to be talking to Matthew directly now. "I told you everything I know last week. I have nothing to add."
"Sarah, you are going to listen to me before saying anything else." Anna pushed forward Sarah's curriculum vitae and job application from several years ago. "Is this your information?"
Sarah took the documents and read through them quickly. "Yes, they are mine."
"Is everything on the document correct?" Anna asked sweetly.
"Why are we doing this?" Sarah looked bewildered.
"Just review it and tell me if there is anything on the sheet that you may have misrepresented." Anna was firmer this time.
Sarah took the sheet again and looked through it. "Aside from my address, everything else should be correct. I moved to a different flat three years ago."
"Are you aware that lying on a CV is false misrepresentation under the Fraud Act of 2006 and that I am in my right as your employer to pursue legal action against you?
Sarah reacted with an incredulous expression. "Because I moved to a different address?"
"Not because of the address. The form asks you if you have a criminal record and you answered, no."
Sarah was momentarily stunned, but not wanting to give herself away, she rebounded. "I don't have a criminal record."
"I beg to differ." Anna produced a mug shot of Sarah, in her early twenties, and a New York City police file. She pushed them forward. "Are you not the Sarah O'Brien that was married to Frederick Lewis and who served six months at the Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan, New York?"
Sarah turned deadly white and the document slipped through her hands and to the floor. Matthew picked them up and put them in front of her, again.
"I urge you to answer the question, Sarah," Matthew added for dramatic effect.
"This….this…." She stammered, the shock of finding herself in this situation, causing her to not speak properly. "This, it was long ago. It was in the US. I don't have a UK criminal record."
"No, you don't, but the form doesn't differentiate, now, does it? It just says criminal record and you have one. A felony, to be specific…." Anna added with no compassion in her tone. Gone was the sweet intern Sarah would have expected.
"Does this mean you are going to have me arrested?" Sarah asked contritely. There was no more bravado of the moments prior. "I've done nothing wrong. That life was long ago. That man, he made me do it. I divorced him and I've never done anything else like that again."
"Well, we can do two things here. I can have you arrested for lying. It's extreme, but not unheard of. Your lie was a big one – hiding a criminal record, no less. Legally, everybody would side with Bates Airlift."
"Or?" asked Sarah. "What is the alternative? That I go quietly? Because, if you let me leave now, I will quit and never pose a problem to you again."
Anna crossed her arms and settled into the chair, in complete command of the situation.
"Oh, I don't know Sarah. I'm rather fond of giving people second chances if they redeem themselves. I see no reason for you to leave. In fact, only Matthew and I know about your conviction. It could all go away, never resurface again. Robert Crawley, Vera Bates, or whoever the owner is, never has to know a thing. You've proven that you are not a thief and your lack of a UK record confirms it."
"What do you mean, redeem myself?" asked Sarah, nervously. She was sure Anna wouldn't let her off the hook that easy. Why make a big case of her situation if she didn't intend to do anything about it?
"That's an excellent question Ms. O'Brien. I have reason to believe that you know more than you've said about Mr. Bates' case."
Matthew, having provided limited interactions, spoke up. "When we met last, all you did was posture and speak ill of John Bates."
"I stand by what I said," she added.
"Do you?" asked Anna pointedly. "Matthew tells me that you insulted him and called him a thief. Those are pretty strong words coming from a convicted felon herself."
"Do you want me to lie?" Sarah asked. Were they trying to coerce her to give a false testimonial?
Anna raised her voice harshly. "No, I want the truth. John Bates did not do this crime. Vera Bates did, helped by Thomas Barrow. If you don't want to go to jail, you will tell us right now, anything that you have heard discussed from either of them, and you will be willing to write it down and provide testimony in court if needed."
"And if I don't…?" she was weighing her options. Vera had never disclosed anything to her, but Thomas was different. She knew Thomas was involved. He had said he had done his part. After their deposition, he had slipped up. Did she have any allegiance to him? Owe him anything? He was always quite condescending to her and judgmental, even if he was her friend.
"I would be ready to register the complaint with the York Police Authority." Matthew showed her the document. "It's already drawn up. I assure you, this will be quite quick and you'll be arrested before the end of the day."
No, she did not owe Thomas any allegiance. And in that moment, she told them everything he had said.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Oh my Lord," muttered a nervous Elsie. She was usually so calm and collected, but something about being inside a prison unnerved her. "Oh Dear," she added.
"What are you going on about?" huffed Charles with irritation. He wasn't as sensitive as he should have been to her nerves. He'd already been in a prison once, visiting a former client. He wasn't acclimated, so to say; rather, he'd lived through his experience and was not as shocked as she was. He was nervous too, but of what, he couldn't say. It wasn't every day that one surprised their goddaughter's lover with an unannounced visit.
"Oh, Let me be nervous if I want to be," she responded with indignation as they walked through the halls to the visitation room.
"What on earth do you have to be nervous about?" he stopped and asked when they were only a few yards from the main corridor.
"There are murderers and rapists here…. All congregated within a few meters from where we're standing. That doesn't make you nervous?" she spat back with incredulity. Whatever Charles said, he couldn't be that at ease at being in a place like this. She was sure his calmness was a front. There was a bead of sweat collecting at his brow and it wasn't even that hot in here. He was faking his calmness and she knew it.
Charles blew air out of his mouth, and a gruff grunt emanated. He would have been better off coming in here alone. He didn't need Elsie's insecurities dragging him down. But…she was right, of course. The company within these walls was not of the caliber they were used to being around, but he'd do whatever he needed to do to make that man understand just how much he was dragging Anna down. Then, he'd leave just as quickly as he could.
"What was that grunt about?" She poked forcibly at the spot just underneath his clavicle to make her point. His non response was annoying Elsie. He wasn't even validating her concerns with words?
"Ouch," he responded, swatting her arm away and rubbing where her fingers had jabbed a few seconds earlier. "I didn't ask you to come. If it bothers you that much to be in here, perhaps you should go wait in the car."
Elsie felt the rush of blood go to her head. "Go wait in the car?" Elsie repeated his words with distaste. "I wouldn't leave you alone with Mr. Bates for one minute, you understand me? Anna would never speak to us again and I won't have it." She knew better than to leave him to his own devices. For all of his humane qualities, prudence was something he was not gifted with. And, she wouldn't be caught dead walking back on her own. She was intrepid and fearless on many fronts, but there was something about this place that rendered her audacious spirit inert.
"Well, then… let's get this over with, shall we?" Charles gestured with his arm, inviting her to move towards the double doors into the visitation area. His voice was full of cheek.
Elsie was now the one to grunt a response, moving forward at his prompt. Soon enough, they had been processed and were sitting nervously at a table. They chose the one as close to the guard station as possible. A few minutes later, they saw him make his way with a few other men whose guests were also waiting in the room with them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Carson. Is she alright?" He was panicked and his voice sounded fearful. Perhaps it hadn't been wise to surprise him.
"She's bruised, Mr. Bates, but she's fine." Elsie offered. They were aware that he knew of Anna's attack. The look of terror in the man's eyes caused compassion in her immediately. Already feeling guilty for coming here, this made her feel worse.
"Oh, Thank God," he answered as he slumped into his chair. His eyes were hollow with obvious concern.
Charles huffed. He had it all planned out in his head. He knew exactly what he would say. This man needed a lecture, to be reminded that he was not worthy of his little girl. Elsie was convinced that this man was wrongly imprisoned, but not him. He must be after her money, no matter what Anna said. This charade, where he would have them believe he was concerned about Anna needed to stop and he would bring it about.
At Mr. Carson's noise of displeasure, John reacted. He must not be in agreement with what his wife had just said. The furrowed brows and creased forehead reflected confirmed it.
"She's not fine?" he asked, as calm as he could, his voice masking his fear. "Please, tell me the truth. I must know." This time, the thin veil of composure he was trying to relay was cracking. His worry seeped through with his last words.
"She is not fine, thanks to you," Charles bellowed loudly, interrupting the conversations of the tables around him. Other guests looked towards their table with interest.
John's composure was breaking and he ignored the others. "Please tell me the truth. What's wrong with her?" He turned to Mrs. Carson. She was a sensible woman and would confirm or deny what her husband was saying. She wouldn't toy with him.
"Charles, calm down," Elsie addressed her husband first, with an imperious and demanding tone. She then turned to the panic stricken man before her. Her approach was softer. "What Charles means, is that he is worried that she has taken on more than she can manage. She is hardly resting, after her attack, so involved in the running of the office she is….and at the same time, trying to make sense of all of the evidence. Physically, she is fine, but mentally…. we worry about her."
John pouted, while his heart slowed from the rapid beating that had ensued. He was relieved to know she was well, but not entirely. His poor Anna. He didn't even know what to say. Perhaps he had rushed into asking her to manage the entire operation. But if she wasn't well, she shouldn't. He was thinking about what to answer when Mr. Carson's gruff voice started again.
"It's your fault. You did this to her. You used your charms to make her fall in love with you, and you've abused her. You saw she had money and was vulnerable and you pounced."
John was already feeling lousy, and these words just helped to make him sink further into his abyss of wallowing. He'd never intended to mislead her. God, how he had struggled to stay away from her. She was so beautiful and full of life, such a gift for a man like himself. He'd known her physically, when he had no right to, as stated by the laws of man. That, he was guilty of, but this other accusation, he didn't understand. Abuse her? How could anyone think that, when he was so in love with her…and...his love for her had increased every day since they'd met. And what did he mean by her money? What money?
"Charles!" Elsie trilled. She was mortified. Anna would be upset with them if Charles continued in this manner.
With visible emotion in his voice, John addressed the accusations. "I love her, with all my heart." He couldn't believe he was saying this to her parents, but they needed to hear it. "It was not my intention to drag her into my troubles and I am aware of just what a poor prospect I am for a lovely, young and brilliant woman like her." He recounted everything that he had against him. "Married, with a lunatic for a wife, injured, accused harasser, imprisoned…she could do much better." He looked to the ceiling in reflective thinking. "I tried to avoid it. She did too. It wasn't until after we found the evidence of Vera's liaison and some misunderstandings that we succumbed to these feelings."
Words. To Charles, they were nothing but empty and void of any meaning.
"You say you love her, but what kind of love is that?" Charles voice was increasing in intensity, although he was whispering this time. "Hiding her, not giving her a rightful place beside you, having her manage your affairs, then, after she's spent an intense day at the office, working until wee hours of the morning on making sense of the evidence against you, topped off by your failure to do anything against that beast. You knew about his harassment and you did nothing to protect her. That's not love. That's abuse."
The harsh words coming from somebody that Anna loved were painful to listen to. Of course Mr. Carson was right. To an external observer, he had failed her continuously. The moment he heard what Richard had done, well, he went back to his cell to cry and hadn't stopped since. He should have done something when he had the chance. He had failed her.
Elsie was the wiser of the two, but she let her man talk. She also harbored some doubts about this relationship. Not the work – she knew how dedicated Anna could be. Her work ethic was not his fault. Other questions did need to be asked. Why he had allowed himself to succumb to his passions when he was not a free man? Why had he not sacked Richard when Anna told him what had happened?
"I wouldn't have put it that way, and while I do not agree with the choice of words my husband has chosen to employ, I too question your logic. If I am here, risking Anna's wrath, it is because she finally revealed to us that you were aware of Mr. Carlisle's harassment of her. You've said you love her, but, why on earth, would you have allowed that man to continue working in your company, doing nothing about it? And after you had decided to do nothing about it, you allowed her to go back and work for you, managing your affairs where she would be in direct confrontation with him? Please tell me so that I can understand." Her tone was motherly, but direct.
John trembled, but he would answer. He hadn't felt this nervous in years. "I have made many mistakes in my life and this is one of the ones I regret the most. I urged Anna to come forward several times. If I was not more forceful, it was because she did not want to do it. She is strong and determined and I listened to her and respected her wishes. Since Matthew told me about what Richard did, I haven't slept for the feeling of helplessness and despair. Knowing I could have done something and I did not, haunts me. She paid a high price for this investigation and I wish I could see her and tell her how sorry I am. I should have protected her, and I didn't. I do see myself as a failure." By the time he was finished, a tear rolled down his cheek and he had covered his eyes with his hand, rubbing the tears away.
Neither of the Carson's was entirely satisfied, but they relaxed their attitude. It was not their intention to punish him. At least it wasn't Elsie's. She wasn't so sure about her husband. Before Charles could continue with a tirade, Elsie jumped in.
"I am sure she wants to see you too, but she is running herself ragged. She won't stop because she loves you and she does not want to fail in the office and she would die if she could not get you out."
A small smile formed itself when Elsie said that Anna loved him.
"I've never meant to do Anna any harm. I regret that our relationship started the way it did. She deserves to be courted properly and treated like the great woman she is. Unfortunately, there has been a lot at stake judicially, and the situation prompted me to ask her to keep our relationship hidden. It is temporary, but I am not proud of that. Now, it is no longer an impediment. I could go public, given that I sold my partnership to my friend Robert Crawley. I no longer have my business to lose, but, I don't want to. Not while I am still married to Vera and in prison. I would be putting Anna in jeopardy. That's why I refused to allow her to be my alibi. I know I wouldn't be here anymore if she'd testified on my behalf like she and Matthew wanted. The proof I didn't do it was there, we were together when a transaction was made, but the cost to Anna would be too great. Vera would annihilate her. I would rather be in here for the rest of my life than see her reduced to nothing after Vera finishes her. I cannot let the press label her any manner of despicable names for her love of me. I refused."
Elsie's heart was reduced to rubble when she heard him speak. Charles was fairing no better. His jaw was left hanging. They had no clue that Anna had offered to be his alibi and Mr. Bates had refused. Charles' assertions that Mr. Bates had abused this relationship were all crushed in the face of this new truth. Mr. Bates had the opportunity to get out, and he'd declined the opportunity for love of her. In that instant, she felt foolish.
"Yes, we appreciate that very much, even if Anna would not agree," was all Elsie could think of to say in that moment. Charles was rendered speechless and that was a good thing. Even with this new information, she would bet anything he still did not like John Bates. That was fine, as long as he kept quiet.
"I promise I'll talk to Robert about finding her some help. He told me she's being doing marvelously and I didn't doubt that she had the talent and ability to manage the operation, but I do realize it is too much, with everything that is going on."
Elsie was appeased by this compromise. "Thank you, Mr. Bates. That's all we ask."
Charles mumbled a thank you as well. He still refused to look at him, preferring to stare down at the table.
"What did you mean about the money and her being vulnerable?" John scratched his head. "I think I've addressed your concerns, but I am confused about that."
Elsie almost swooned when she heard him ask. That fool husband of hers had not right to bring up the money. Anna wanted this to remain a secret, and he almost blew it. "Oh, nothing. Just ignore my husband, Mr. Bates. Charles was just upset."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Are you for real, Anna?" Gwen's enthusiasm was overflowing.
For Anna, this bit of happiness was something that she was looking forward to. "It is. Starting today, you are being promoted to Sales Representative. It has been cleared with Anthony and Vera and your salary has been adjusted."
"Oh my God. I want to hug you so much." Gwen offered.
"Then hug me. I could really use one right now." The redhead came around her desk and did just that.
"Thank You, Anna. I was worried when you arrived, but you've given me something I've always wanted. I can't be mad at you now." She sat back in her chair.
The word mad pierced Anna's heart. Gwen upset at her was something she didn't want and she also didn't want to take the credit for something John Bates started. He had said from the beginning of their conversations that he would promote her. Circumstances dictated that she was the one following through, but it would have easily been him if he hadn't been arrested.
"You know, Mr. Bates was the one who wanted this. He told Anthony and Robert before selling his part. You really do owe it to him, that this happened. On the basis of your performance last week, I say it is totally justified. And we are evaluating what to do with the Sales Manager position. We won't be rushing to hire anybody, so, if you work hard, you never know what could happen."
"I will work hard, Anna. I'll show you what I can do."
There was a momentary pause and lull in the conversation.
"I'm sorry, you know." Anna thought it was best to address Gwen's mistrust while they were here, together.
"Sorry about what?" Gwen was confused.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming back. It all happened so fast."
Gwen responded, "Oh." It dawned on her that the conversation that she had been dreading with Anna was also finally taking place.
"I never expected all of this. Mr. Bates in prison….the position…..Richard's attack …... I really do appreciate your friendship and support and I hope we can get over this. Someday, I'll be able to disclose everything that was happening at the time. I hope you can forgive me…because….I need you."
Anna's words were said with much emotion. She didn't realize how much she had gotten used to Gwen in the office while she was an intern. The absence of her friendship was much felt, and after her difficult last few days, much needed.
"I'll not pretend that it didn't hurt, because it did. I didn't understand what was going on and I still don't understand a lot of things, but, I am over it." She reached out to touch Anna's hand. "Of course, you have my support."
0-0-0-0-0-0
TWO DAYS LATER…..
From his bed, Thomas could hear somebody knocking at the door. "Christ. What time is it?" He turned to the clock on his dresser. 5:30 in the morning.
"Bloody hell, Thomas." James exclaimed as he threw the covers away from his body. "Who are you expecting at this hour?" His agitation was apparent as he bolted out of bed. "I need to hide."
Thomas was up already and donning his underpants. "You know how ridiculous you are?"
"It's my life, Thomas." James was opening the door to the loo, to hide within.
"Whatever," exulted Thomas as he grabbed at his robe and walked towards the front of his house.
The pounding on the door was louder.
"Who the bloody hell is it?" He peered into the peephole. He would never open the door unless he knew who it was. That was a general rule, but he was heeding it ever more so. Mrs. Singh, from next door, reported seeing suspicious people on their street. Apparently, a prostitute had been selling her wares to a Yankee tourist on their very portal and they had been hot and heavy. That was too close for comfort. It was a good thing he was hoping to relocate soon to Switzerland. Once the first hooker shows up, the street will be full, then the pimps will join them and the drug pushers and before you know it, all of their homes will have decreased in value.
"Police. Open up." The answer confirmed what he saw through the tiny glass. A man in uniform was standing outside.
Fear gripped him. What was this about? Were his parents ok? His sister down in Harwich? Or….could it be…..? Had they discovered him? He did as they asked without further delay.
"Are you Thomas Barrow?" asked the man at the front. There were at least 4 men and two squad cars. None of them looked friendly, and there was no compassion in their eyes.
"I am," he responded sheepishly.
"Well, then, Thomas Barrow. You are under arrest for fraud perpetrated against Bates Airlift and its customers."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
A/N: Will Thomas reveal what he knows? Will Vera be caught? Tune in to the next chapter for those answers. One more chapter and Mr. Bates will be free !
Thank you for all your reviews, favorites, follows and messages. I appreciate every one.