Leo smiled and extended his hand.
“Rick Donovan. It’s a pleasure. I’m Leo Sterling, Chloe’s husband.”
Rick’s face was a picture of shock. He shook Leo’s hand limply.
“So you’re Mr. Sterling? I had no idea.”
“I hear you’re handling the Blue Sky account now. Congratulations,” Leo said smoothly.
“Oh, well, it’s just temporary,” Rick said, his eyes shifting nervously. “I was so sorry to hear what happened with Chloe. I’m sure the company will clear her name.”
“I’m sure they will,” I said calmly.
Leo deftly changed the subject, steering Rick inside.
“He’s nervous,” Leo whispered to me.
Alex showed up half an hour later. He looked exhausted and defeated. When he saw me, his expression was a mix of anger and something else. Regret.
“Chloe…” he started.
“Mr. Vance, welcome,” Leo cut him off. “Please come in.”
Alex looked from me to Leo, then lowered his head and walked inside. Halfway through the party, I approached Rick as planned. He was talking to the Blue Sky VP and tensed up when he saw me.
“Rick, can I have a word?” I asked.
He hesitated, then excused himself and followed me out to the balcony.
“What is it, Chloe?” he asked, his tone guarded.
“Let’s drop the act, Rick,” I said, looking him in the eye. “What did Alex promise you for helping him frame me?”
The color drained from his face.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Alex’s company is bankrupt. He can’t give you money and he can’t give you a job. It’s all empty promises.”
“You’re talking nonsense,” he said, his voice rising.
“I have proof,” I bluffed. “Alex already confessed everything to me.”
“That’s impossible,” he blurted out, then immediately realized his mistake, his face crumpling. “He… he’s lying. I didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t do what?” I pressed.
He clammed up, his eyes darting around frantically.
“Rick, it’s not too late to come clean,” I said. “Go to the company. Tell them everything. You might get some leniency. Once the police get involved, it’s all over.”
He just stood there gritting his teeth.
“Did you know Alex is planning to flee the country?” I dropped the bombshell.
His head snapped up.
“What?”
“He wired money offshore last week. He’s selling off his assets,” I said. “When he’s gone, you’ll be the only one left to take the fall.”
Sweat beaded on Rick’s forehead.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“Check for yourself,” I said. “With your connections, it shouldn’t be hard to look into his finances.”
He was silent. In the distance, I saw Leo give me a subtle signal. The plan was working. After the party, in the car, we reviewed the night.
“Did you get the recording?” I asked.
“We got it,” Leo said. “Rick and Alex met in the restroom. The audio is faint, but you can hear the important parts.”
“What did they say?”
“Alex told Rick to hang tight. Promised he’d take him with him when he left the country,” Leo said with a sneer. “But Rick’s not an idiot. He demanded to see some money first.”
“Dogs fighting over a bone,” I said. “What now?”
“Now we wait,” Leo said, starting the car. “Rick will investigate Alex’s finances. When he finds out Alex really is planning to skip town, he’ll panic. He’ll either come to us or he’ll go to the company to save his own skin.”
Sure enough, two days later, Rick called me.
“Chloe, can we meet?”
His voice was hoarse.
“Where?”
“The coffee shop downstairs from the office. Come alone.”
I looked at Leo. He nodded.
“Okay.”
Rick looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His eyes were shadowed, and he hadn’t shaved.
“Chloe, sit.”
He’d already ordered a latte for me.
“Have you made up your mind, Rick?” I asked.
He laced his fingers together, his knuckles white.
“Alex is really running.”
“You checked.”
“I did,” he said with a bitter laugh. “His condo is on the market. His company filed for bankruptcy.”
He looked up at me.
“He promised me a million dollars and a stake in an overseas venture.”
“Empty promises,” I said.
“I know that now,” he said, his head sinking. “I was just… I was desperate.”
“Why?” I asked. “You were a director. You had a great career ahead of you. Why risk it all?”
He was silent for a long time.
“My daughter,” he finally said, his voice trembling. “She has a congenital heart defect. She needs a special surgery in Switzerland. It costs over $200,000.”
I was stunned. I never would have guessed.
“I couldn’t get a loan. Alex said if I did this one thing for him, he’d pay for the whole thing.”
“So you agreed.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he said, his eyes filling with tears. “She’s only five years old. I couldn’t just watch her…”
He choked on his words. My feelings were a complicated mess of pity and anger.
“What are you going to do now?” I asked.
“I’ll confess,” he said, wiping his eyes. “I’ll tell the company everything. I’ll take whatever punishment they give me, but please don’t call the police.”
“Why not?”
