Calculated Risk - Heather Woodhaven Mills & Boon Love Inspired Suspense

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rubbed the spot between his eyebrows. “I think I’m missing something.”

      “Wagner ordered me to meet him after work for drinks. He said I would regret it if I didn’t show up.”

      A chill ran up his spine. He clenched his jaw and mixed the spoonful of instant coffee into a mug of tap water. If Wagner was harassing Victoria...Jeff took a deep breath to remain professional. “This sounds like a matter for Human Resources. I know April in HR well enough that I can arrange an emergency meeting first thing tomorrow—I mean today.”

      She smirked. “I know April, too, but that won’t help. I slipped out of work an hour early to avoid Wagner. Then, a red Range Rover started following me everywhere I went. The grocery store, the dry cleaners, the gym...it even pulled up next to me. This guy in a ball cap made frantic gestures at me, like my car had a flat tire. He motioned for me to pull over, but instead I drove straight to the auto shop.” She took a shaky breath. “Jeff, there was nothing wrong with my tires. It was a lie to try to get me to pull over.”

      Jeff stared at her for a moment, imagining what could’ve happened had she pulled over. Victoria stared at his hands. He followed her gaze to find them in fists and purposefully relaxed them. “I’m glad you thought fast, but, Victoria, even you have to admit there are a lot of Range Rovers in town.”

      Her blue eyes narrowed. “I know what I saw. The same red car was on my street when the fire started, and gone by the time the police arrived.” She tightened the blanket around her shoulders. “I think Wagner is the reason I’m in danger. If I’m right, he’s making millions while committing fraud. If he gets away with it, the stockholders and employees will be the ones to suffer. I need your help to prove it. I don’t dare go into work alone again.”

      Jeff gulped down the disgusting, lukewarm instant coffee. He tried out the idea of his boss as an embezzler, a mastermind of fraud. Was it possible? Wagner wasn’t someone who valued people skills. He lived in a fancy house and liked to show off his latest purchases. He also seemed to be a man who prided himself on a job well done. Jeff placed the mug in the sink. “Why not go to the police? Or even the FBI?”

      “How can the police help me when I have nothing solid to give them? I made an appointment with the FBI yesterday, for this morning. But now—” Her gaze dropped to her intertwined hands. She sighed. “I have nothing to give them.”

      “I thought you had the evidence on a flash drive.”

      She turned her attention to his wall clock. “It burned to a crisp in the fire.” She looked back at him. “So, do you understand the urgency? We need to go now, Jeff. Before they see where I hid a copy of the file. I’m...I’m a little worried they won’t stop until I’m dead.”

      Her phone vibrated and simultaneously released a loud alarm. She looked down at it. “Someone is breaking into my car!”

       TWO

      Victoria ran back into the living room. “I need to get to a window!” She passed the couch and slid two wooden blinds apart to see through the window closest to her car.

      “What’s going on?”

      “My brother put a car alarm application on my phone. He said it’s more effective than an alarm on your car because it alerts you, not the crook.” Victoria squinted out the window. A man wearing a baseball cap had one knee on the passenger seat, rifling through her glove box.

      “I think my brother was right.” The man looked up. Victoria jerked away from the window and gasped. “What if he saw me?” She put a hand on her chest. “I parked in the guest parking lot just in case I was being followed. I had hoped he wouldn’t know which town house I was visiting.”

      “I’m calling the police.” Jeff grabbed his phone off the end table and took her place at the window.

      Victoria nodded mutely. Her throat burned with the threat of tears. Her house was a pile of used matchsticks, and she was acting like a crazy woman begging Jeff for help. She caught sight of a small navy leather book on the end table by the couch. A Bible. The confirmation that she’d come to the right man steadied her pulse.

      Jeff gave ethics lessons on taking pens from work to use for personal reasons. He also knew only the bare minimum about accounting, but that wasn’t his job. He was there to manage employees, and the job suited him. He was considered the most eligible bachelor at work, so much so that April—one of her friends at work—had staked her claim. The last time she’d stopped by Victoria’s cubicle to say hi, April had said she was dating Jeff.

      Victoria cringed. Would April be upset that she’d gone to Jeff for help? She hadn’t even told any of her friends about her suspicions, fearing that she was wrong. If only April had access to the accounting divisions, then Victoria could’ve gone to her for help instead.

      Jeff’s strong voice filtered through her thoughts. “There’s a suspicious man just inside the entrance of Greenbelt Townhomes. He’s opening and rifling through my friend’s car.” He rattled off his address and thanked them.

      Baloo’s head slid underneath her hand. He always seemed to sense her emotions and track her down when she most needed comfort. Victoria patted his head in appreciation. Baloo’s giant tail smacked the wooden lamp off the end table just as Jeff hung up.

      Victoria picked up the lamp, thankful it was still in one piece, and gave Jeff a sheepish grin. “If you could help me grab that evidence, I’ll give my story to the FBI, and be out of your hair.”

      Jeff stared at the dog. “That simple, huh?” He held up the phone. “They’re on their way. If you’re right—if Wagner’s involved—we need to get to the office now. He’s usually there by 6:00 a.m. Since your car is being ransacked at the moment, let’s take mine.”

      Victoria warred between embarrassment and anger at his reaction. Hadn’t she been trying to hurry him to the office? She followed Jeff downstairs, past a small room that held no furniture. Snowshoes, skis, fishing equipment and camping gear lined the walls. Baloo seemed to sense her anxiety as he trotted behind her.

      Jeff frowned. “I’m sorry. There are only two seats.”

      Her mouth dropped open at the sight of his car. He drove a two-seater silver Honda S2000 convertible—a beautiful sports car but without any room for a massive dog. “I’m afraid Nana will have to stay here.”

      “Baloo,” she corrected. Her dog sniffed, as if indignant. “And it’s a he,” she added.

      “Sorry. He looks like the dog from Peter Pan.”

      She nodded. “He’s the same breed as Nana.”

      He grinned. “You must like Disney movies.” He leaned down and patted Baloo’s head. “As long as you trust him here, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

      Victoria looked back hesitantly. Her dog’s concerned face mimicked her own. Baloo’s ears pressed backward, and he lifted his nose up in the air. She stared back into the dog’s eyes, racking her brain for another solution. She really didn’t have a choice, though.

      Without waiting for her answer, Jeff walked back to the basement with Victoria and Baloo following and picked up a bowl from the camping dinnerware. He walked through another door to his right and emerged with a clean bowl of water. She stood, frozen in place, as she watched him care for Baloo. The kindness may have been directed at the dog, but the gesture took her off guard. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

      He glanced her way and nodded. She’d only seen him dress casually once before—at the department Christmas party he’d hosted at his place. And now, wearing dark jeans, a checkered navy-and-brown flannel button-down shirt and brown hiking shoes, he looked more like Baloo’s owner than she did. She caught sight of his mountain bike leaning up against the wall. He must be a true outdoorsman. No wonder all the ladies at work flirted openly with him.

      But

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