Part 29 (2/2)
Jackie shook her head and grinned. ”Famous last words, Syd.” Jackie looked at her for a moment. ”Can I ask you one more thing?”
Sydney laughed. ”Sure, not sure I will answer though.”
”I've never questioned anything you've asked me to do and I've never asked about Rachel but what is it about this woman? Why her, Syd?”
”Out of all the women I've known in my life, she's the only one who ever left me breathless ... she broke my heart. Crushed it actually,” Sydney answered without hesitation.
She intentionally left out the part that her actions were now fueled by revenge. Rachel Ashburn had ended their relations.h.i.+p without a second thought. It was bad enough that Rachel had decided she didn't want to share the rest of her life with her. She could have dealt with that but it was the reasons behind Rachel's decision that Sydney just couldn't accept and no matter how hard she tried, she could not get the woman out of her head.
People say that time heals all wounds but it doesn't. Time may lessen the pain but it never goes away, not completely. She wanted Rachel to feel just one iota of the pain she had felt all those years ago. The physical abuse that Edward inflicted, wouldn't come close to the emotional havoc she was about to unleash on Rachel Ashburn.
Jackie knew exactly what Sydney meant. ”Remind me to never get on your bad side,” she chuckled. Although she said it more as a joke, she knew that Sydney Welsh was the last person she would ever want to cross paths with unless they were fighting on the same side. She herself knew that the wrath of a woman scorned didn't compare to a lonely woman with a cold broken heart.
Sydney smiled at Jackie. ”Now get out of here before you convince me I'm crazy,” Sydney said with a wink.
She watched Jackie back out of the driveway and waited until her car disappeared down the drive before turning to go back in the house. She had just closed the door when her cell phone rang. She raced into the family room and s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone off the coffee table. ”h.e.l.lo,” she said into the receiver.
”Hey, Syd, it's me. Sorry to bother you at home,” Caitlyn said through the phone. ”But this is really important,” she added before Sydney could respond.
”It's okay, Caitlyn, what's going on?” Sydney asked, sensing that something was wrong.
”You know how I've been working on updating our main computer system?”
”Yes.”
”Well, I've found some major discrepancies. I went over it several times and each time I came to the same conclusion. I should have had some idea that this was going on.”
”Spit it out, Caitlyn,” Sydney laughed.
”Ninety percent of our client accounts show monetary discrepancies.” Caitlyn took a deep breath and then added, ”A substantial amount of money is missing.”
”How substantial?” Sydney asked.
Caitlyn was so quiet that Sydney thought she was no longer on the line. ”You still there, Caitlyn?”
”Um, yeah. I'm still here.”
”How much?”
”Close to four and a half million dollars.”
Sydney's jaw almost dropped to the floor. She cleared her throat. ”Did I hear you right?”
”I'm afraid so.”
”And you're sure that it should be there?” Sydney asked, not believing what she was hearing.
”Yes, Syd, I'm sure. I checked, checked it twice, and then crosschecked my checks. The money is missing, gone, vanished, vamoosed, history.”
”Am I right to guess that you might have an idea where it went?” Sydney asked, a small grin forming on her mouth.
”Do you really need to ask me that question?”
”Nah, just testing you,” Sydney chuckled.
”I do have a few ideas that I would like to run by you but I don't think we should discuss it over the phone. Will you be coming into the office today?”
”I hadn't planned on it but if this can't wait, I'll be in.”
”I don't think one more day will make much difference. So, I guess I will see you in the morning then.”
”Thank you for taking good care of me.”
”You're welcome.”
”I'll see you tomorrow.”
Sydney tossed the phone on the couch and headed upstairs. She hoped that Caitlyn was wrong but something inside her gut was telling her different. She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She ripped off her clothes and grabbed a fresh towel out of the linen closet. I don't think this day can get much worse she thought as she stepped under the scalding hot water.
Fifteen minutes later, she came out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy, light blue, terrycloth robe, and feeling fully refreshed. She pulled open her dresser drawer. A loud thud against the side of the house caused her to jump nearly an inch off the floor. She went over to the window and pulled the curtain back.
A blood-curdling scream pierced her ears. It took her mind a good three seconds to realize that the scream came from her throat. A grey-haired old man, perched atop a ladder with a string of Christmas lights in his hand stared at her through the window. His lips curved upward, revealing a toothy smile.
Sydney raised the window and poked her head out.
”I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean ta startle ya,” the man said with a southern accent as thick as road tar.
”And I don't mean to be rude but who are you exactly?” Sydney asked, not recognizing the man.
”My name is Jedidiah Saunders,” he answered. He let go of the ladder to extend his hand to her and in the process lost his balance.
Sydney reached out and grabbed his arm just in time to keep him from falling to the ground below. ”Maybe you should keep both hands on the ladder,” she suggested.
”I'm thinkin' the same thing,” he said, a fl.u.s.tered look on his face.
”What are you doing out there?”
”Replacing this here string of lights, ma'am. When I came by ta check out my handiwork last evenin', I noticed that this'n here string was deader than a doork.n.o.b.”
Sydney laughed. ”A dead doork.n.o.b, huh?
He grinned at her. ”Yes, ma'am. I reckon a doork.n.o.b is pretty darn dead.”
”Yes, I suppose it is,” Sydney said, grinning. ”Well, Mr. Saunders, it's very cold out there, so why don't you finish hanging the lights and come on inside to warm up for a few minutes. Have a cup of coffee.”
”Thank ya ma'am. I just might'n take ya up on the offer when I'm done.”
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