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  “Tough job.”

  “Yes it is. So if you don’t mind, I’ll have my secretary, Mrs. Medcalf, make copies for you.”

  “Fine. How long will it take?”

  “There aren’t many employees here so it shouldn’t take long. I’ll be right back.” Tal returned to his office and grabbed the employee files, including Kayla’s. He stopped at Mrs. Medcalf’s desk and asked her to run off copies for Agent Patrosky and give them to her in the assistant manager’s office.

  Tal was returning to the agent when she walked into the hall. “My secretary’s running copies off right now,” he said. “It’ll take a few minutes. She’ll bring them to you as soon as she’s done.”

  “Okay, I’d prefer to have the files in front of me while I’m talking to the employees. But maybe if you can have her get me the telephone numbers of the manager and her assistant first, I can call them and speak to them right now.”

  Tal returned to Mrs. Medcalf’s desk and got the assistant manager’s home number, and wrote it on a piece of paper for the agent. He pulled his cell out and brought up Kayla’s home number, already programmed into his phone. He went back to the office and handed the sheet with both numbers to the agent.

  “Thank you. Is it all right if I use this phone?” she asked.

  “Sure, you can dial directly out. If you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall in the employee lounge. I’m going to check on Zach and see how he’s doing.” There were only two private offices in the bank and they were both occupied, but the lounge, while small, was comfortable and offered him some privacy.

  As Tal turned away, he thought about calling Kayla and telling her about what was going on, but there wasn’t anything she could do anyway. He already knew she had nothing to do with Newington. He stepped into Kayla’s office to find Zach still hunched over her desk, eyes glued to the computer screen.

  “Any luck?” Tal asked.

  “Huh? Oh, it’s you. Yes and no.” Zach got up and stretched. “Is there any coffee around here?”

  “Yes. Turn right, it’s at the end of the hall.”

  “I’ll grab a cup and be right back. Do you want me to bring you some?”

  “Thanks, but no. I’m fine.”

  “Okay, be right back.”

  Tal looked at the screen to see what Zach was doing, but it all looked like gibberish to him. He was always amazed there were people out there who actually understood this. He looked up when he saw his secretary pause in the doorway.

  “I’ve finished the copies, Mr. Talbert.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Metcalf. Just give them to Agent Patrosky next door. Oh, and please let everyone know she will call them into the assistant manager’s office, one at a time. Just for routine questioning.”

  He rubbed his hands across his face. If anyone had told him two days ago he would meet a beautiful, sexy, woman who was like something from a dream come to life, and his bank would be robbed by an employee all on the same day, he would have laughed his ass off. Now, who’s got the last laugh!

  Chapter Five

  Tal had his thumb poised over the send button on his cell phone to call Kayla, when Zach found him in the lounge. “I think I’ve found your money,” Zach stated without preamble.

  Tal moved his hand away from the button. “That’s good news. It would be even better if we could get it all back and catch Newington.”

  “I guess you want peace on earth, too. One thing at a time.”

  Tal followed Zach back to his office; Agent Patrosky was already there, looking at the computer screen.

  “We were right,” she said as she lifted her gaze to the two men. “Zach back tracked the funds from a bank in the Cayman Islands.”

  “Yeah, it was the most likely place that could handle something like this,” Zach said as he moved toward the agent.

  “Good,” Tal interjected taking a seat in one of the guest chairs. “But can we retrieve the money?”

  Zach replaced Agent Patrosky behind the desk. “Unfortunately, no. I can’t get into the account electronically. But the money is there. The minute he touches any of it though, I’ll know. I’ve set it up so the account is under surveillance by both the FBI’s computer team and myself.”

  “But Newington could be anywhere,” Tal responded. “He doesn’t physically need to be in the Caymans to access the account.”

  “True,” Zach said, “but he’s gonna need access to the money at some point and the minute he does, we’ll have a possible location.”

  “Yes,” Patrosky agreed. “Meanwhile, I’m going to contact my people so they can notify the bank and the necessary officials in the Caymans. Just in case he is down there. We can have people keeping an eye out for him too. I still have a couple more employees to speak to today and I’ll call the ones not in later. By the way, I spoke to Ms. Michaels, but I haven’t been able to reach the assistant manager, Sally Henderson. I left a message on her voicemail. If I don’t hear from her in awhile, I’ll try again later.”

  The agent excused herself and returned to her temporary office.

  Tal faced Zach and exhaled a long breath. “It’s been quite a day.”

  “Yeah, and we’re not done yet. I’ve also been in regular contact with your head of network security. I’ve just sent him all of the information I’ve uncovered, but I’d like to continue to monitor things. But…I know you need this office so, is there another office you can set me up in for a few days? Just until the funds are moved, which should be soon.”

  “Do you need to work out of this bank?”

  “No, I’ve downloaded what I need so access from one of these computers should no longer be necessary. Anywhere will work.”

  Tal nodded. “I’ll have my secretary arrange one of the offices over at the main headquarters for you. You’d be more comfortable there.”

  “Thanks. Hopefully it won’t be for long. Listen, I’m going to head over to my hotel and grab a shower. I’ve been on planes all morning and came here straight from the airport. I’ve got my BlackBerry with me so if anything comes up, I can be reached. You’ve got my number and so does the FBI.”

  “Do you need a ride to your hotel?” Tal asked.

  “I don’t want to put you out of your way. I took a cab to the bank. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here so didn’t pick up a rental. But I’ve a reservation at the Ritz in Pentagon City. ”

  “If you can wait a few minutes, I’ll drop you off at your hotel.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, and I’ll arrange for a rental car for you while you’re here. I’ll have it delivered to the hotel. Let me make a few phone calls and let Agent Patrosky know we’re leaving. I’ll be right back.”

  Tal found his secretary. He had her make all the necessary arrangements for Zach, before going back to the lounge for some privacy to call Kayla.

  She answered on the first ring, and he spoke as soon as he heard her voice. “Hi.”

  “Tal?” Kayla asked.

  “Yes. Who else?”

  “What in the world is going on over there? I got a call earlier from some FBI agent who wanted to know how well I knew Newington, and who else had access to my pass codes.”

  “Yes, she’s questioning everyone at this bank in particular.”

  “But why? I’ve never even met the guy until two days ago. I don’t think anyone I worked with knew him either.”

  “The money came directly from accounts set up from this bank.”

  “Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “You think someone at my branch had something to do with this?”

  “We’re not sure. But that’s one theory. Look, Newington’s brilliant. He could have figured out a way to pull this theft off all by himself. However, he didn’t freeze random accounts throughout the branches, but very specific ones. And all of them originated from this bank.”

  “What! Do you all have any leads?”

  “Well, we’ve found the money.”

  “That’s great news.”
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  “But we can’t access it. However, if Newington tries to move any of it we’ll know. We’re hoping to be able to trace the money right to him.”

  “I hadn’t spoken to the man for five minutes before I thought he was a little weasel,” Kayla stated.

  “He’s a thief.”

  “That too.”

  “I’m calling because I’m going to leave here in a little while. But I have to drop off the guy who’s been helping us to his hotel.”

  “What guy?”

  “Remember, I told you about him,” he said. “Zachary North, he’s the president of the company that wrote the access codes for the bank. Newington used to work for him. He fired him because the guy was a genius but extremely difficult to work with. But Zach seems pretty bright too. He was the one who was able to break Newington’s codes, and lock up the accounts so Newington couldn’t get any more funds out of them. He also traced the stolen funds to an account in the Caymans. If you ask me, Zach’s a genius too, but unlike Newington he seems like a normal kinda guy.”

  “Well you’ve had quite a day,” Kayla said. “Do you need me to come in tomorrow to help with any fallout?”

  “Thanks, but I can handle it. I already have a statement ready for the press to go out on the bank’s behalf. We just took over this bank; it damn sure doesn’t look good to have this theft happen on my watch. The bank’s insurance will cover the cost of the robbery and make the accounts affected whole if we can’t retrieve the funds, but I want Newington. I want that bastard behind bars.”

  “I don’t blame you. Listen if you’d like to postpone…”

  “Oh, no. You are my one bright spot throughout this mess. I’ll be there to get you in about an hour.”

  After Tal hung up the phone, he went in search of Agent Patrosky and found Zach with her. “I’ve had my PR person email me a copy of our press release,” he said to Agent Patrosky. “I’ve already signed off on it. I just need you to take a look at it and if it’s okay, I’ll have him send it off.” Tal moved over to the computer and pulled up the email. He waited a moment for the agent to read the brief statement.

  “This looks fine.”

  “Okay thanks.” He typed in a few words and sent the email back to the PR department.

  “I’m just about done here,” she said. “Your secretary is the last person I need to speak with. I’m still waiting to hear from two of your employees who were not in today, as well as the assistant manager.”

  “Any luck finding anyone who knew him?” Tal asked the agent.

  “Too soon to tell. So far everyone I’ve spoken to says they’ve never met Newington until he showed up here yesterday. It seems he didn’t need access to anyone’s pass codes because he had access to the overrides. But don’t worry, if there’s a connection to anyone here I’ll find it. I made some notes and I’m also going to need Newington’s personnel file. Since he wasn’t originally from this branch, I assume his paper files are elsewhere.”

  “Yes. They would be at the home office. Do you need them this evening?”

  “The sooner the better,” she replied.

  “I’ll have my secretary there scan them and email them over, along with the information we got from his last employer and Zach. If you’ll excuse me a moment.” Tal left the room to find his secretary and explain to her what was needed. He returned to the office and engaged in small talk with Margo and Zach while they waited. So far all they had was conjecture and speculation. After Mrs. Medcalf returned with the printed files, Tal got up to leave.

  “I’m gone for the day. If you need me here’s my cell.” He pulled a business card out of his wallet and handed it to Agent Patrosky. “Are you ready to go?” he asked Zach.

  “Ah, no. If you don’t mind, I’m going to hang around here for a little bit longer. Margo kindly offered to give me a ride to my hotel.”

  “Okay. I also made arrangements for a rental car to be delivered to your hotel in the morning. Mrs. Medcalf has the address and directions to the corporate office for you but the car should also have GPS. I’ll be here for the rest of the week, so if you need anything you know how to reach me.”

  “We’ll keep you updated,” Patrosky replied.

  “Yes,” Zach agreed, “We’ll talk in the morning. Have a good evening.”

  “You too,” Tal said and left the office.

  “Are you sure you want to go out this evening?” Kayla asked Tal once again as she buckled her seatbelt.

  “The only other thing I’d rather do is stay right here with you.” Tal glanced over at Kayla before he started the car, patiently waiting for her to make the call.

  Kayla knew it was not a good idea for them to remain alone in her house. Nessa was working late. She knew exactly where they would end up, but she’d like to stretch the time out as long as possible before she took such a step with him. Though she had no doubt they’d get there eventually—a bed, together—just not tonight.

  “Dinner out is fine.”

  Tal held her gaze while he turned the ignition. “For now,” he said, and she understood exactly what he meant. She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement of his intent.

  She wanted to change the subject, and hopefully diffuse the sexual tension rapidly building between them. It had been there since she opened the door for him earlier and saw him standing on her doorstep. No, that wasn’t quite true. The sexual tension had existed between them from the time they first laid eyes on each other. She found it hard to believe it was just yesterday and already she was extremely drawn to this man. So much so, she was willing to take a chance they could both work together as well as spend time together. She found she wanted an answer to the question, why him? Why was she so drawn to him?

  “Where are we going anyway?” she asked.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Kayla turned her head toward him. “Who said I like surprises?”

  Tal took his eyes off the road to glance at her before he answered. “Don’t you?”

  The heat from that brief look was enough to have her toes curling against the inside of her shoes. It took her a second to respond. “Depends.”

  “Hmm, an interesting answer. Depends on what?”

  She enjoyed watching him. From the way his strong hands confidently held the wheel of the car, to the way his jacket couldn’t quite confine the bulk of his bicep as he shifted his arm. She forced her gaze back to the profile of his face to respond to his question. “On what the surprise is.”

  “I see. What if I promise you’ll like this one?”

  “Then I’ll hold you to it.”

  “Then I promise,” he replied huskily.

  The tension in the car was building again and Kayla thought of a way to defuse some of it. “I forgot to ask you, but will I be reporting directly to you?”

  “Would you like to?” he asked.

  “I’d prefer not. If we’re going to…”

  “Oh we are…” When he turned his head, their gazes locked for an eternity in emotional time but only a fraction of a second had passed for the rest of the world. It was not the first time, time seemed to slow or cease altogether when he looked at her.

  “I think you better keep your eyes on the road,” Kayla said. “I also think for us to maintain our professionalism it’s vital I don’t report directly to you.”

  Tal grinned without taking his eyes off the road again. “Easily arranged. Most of the VPs report directly to the senior VP anyway. Would that meet with your sense of professionalism?”

  “Don’t make fun. And yes it would.”

  “You should both get along very well,” he said. “I predict right now you’ll like Wynona Barnes. She’s been with the company for ten years, and is great at assimilating management teams. You’ll be working closely with her for the first couple of months, just to get your feet wet as to how this bank does things. But after that, you’ll pretty much head up the plans to bring the management styles of the various branches into sync and oversee it.”

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nbsp; “You’ve got a lot of faith in me.”

  Tal nodded. “I do. Wynona has an assistant currently conducting a survey amongst the various banks, and once the results come back you will be in charge of going over them and forming a base plan from the results.”

  “What if I need other information that wasn’t included in the original survey?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Then you just send out an addendum or give the individual manager a call to get the right information. This is your baby.”

  “Sounds good. I can’t wait to start.”

  “Wynona is excited about having you on board. She’s the one who suggested I create this position after looking at your background on paper. She thought it would suit you. I agreed. I spoke to her again about you earlier today. I told her you accepted the job. As soon as all of this mess is wrapped up and this branch is closed, you’ll be relocated to the home office and you two can meet. Now enough shop talk.”

  “But…”

  “No. No more. There’ll be plenty of time to talk about work later. Right now it’s just about you and me. A man who’s very attracted to a woman and would like to get to know her, really know her.” So saying he took the hand resting primly on Kayla’s lap and raised it to his lips. When he was through rubbing it against his mouth, he put it on his thigh and placed his hand over it.

  Kayla’s hand wasn’t trapped. He covered it just enough for her to know she could move it, if she wanted to. After a few moments when she didn’t, he squeezed her hand.

  “How much longer until we get to this surprise?” she asked.

  “We’re there.”

  Kayla looked around. They were in a residential section of the cobbled streets of Georgetown. She had assumed they were having dinner at one of the Georgetown restaurants, since they were headed in that direction. Apparently not, they had pulled off the main thoroughfare onto a side street with permit parking only signs all over the place.