“How long will this take?” I ask him.
“Depends on what we find.”
“There’s nothing to find.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
I squeeze my knees together. It hits me that even though I know Caleb told him the truth about Monday night, he doesn’t know I know. Maybe I could play dumb and pretend I’m fessing up on my own free will.
“Listen,” I say, “I just… I wanted to tell you that I was mistaken about Monday night. I remembered my boyfriend did go home before bedtime. I got it wrong.”
“Funny. He just told me the same thing.”
I’m too late. I should have told the truth while I could.
“You know,” Santoro says, “I got bullied when I was in school.”
I pick at a loose thread on my skirt. “Oh…?”
Even though I’m not looking in his direction, I can feel his gaze washing over me. “It got pretty bad. Those kids made my life miserable.”
“Kids can be really cruel sometimes.”
“Kids don’t know any better.” He cracks his knuckles. “But adults—they do. They ought to know better, at least. But plenty of adults out there are still bullies.”
I keep my eyes down. I don’t know what to say.
“I’m sure you know all about that, Miss Farrell.”
There’s another crash from the kitchen. These people are destroying my house, but that’s the least of my problems. After that ceramic turtle turned up in the laundry hamper, I don’t know what those people are going to find. But there’s a decent chance I could leave this house in handcuffs.
This is the point when I should be calling a lawyer. For reasons I don’t quite understand, I’ve become a suspect in Dawn’s murder. But lawyers cost money that I don’t have right now, and also, I still feel like getting a lawyer will make me look guilty.
I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent. I don’t need a lawyer to prove that.
Chapter Forty-Three
MONDAY
To: Natalie Farrell
From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Important
To Natalie,
There is a matter of great importance that I need to discuss with you urgently. Please come to my cubicle at the conclusion of the work day today.
Sincerely,
Dawn Schiff
To: Natalie Farrell
From: Caleb McCullough
Subject: Tonight
Still on for dinner tonight? I’m cooking! Can’t wait to see you.
To: Caleb McCullough
From: Natalie Farrell
Subject: Re: Tonight
I’ll be there! There’s one other thing I need to take care of tonight but I don’t think it will be a problem.
To: Mia Hodge
From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Re: Greetings
Dear Mia,
I am just writing a quick email because I’ve got company coming over. It’s the first time since I’ve lived here that I’m entertaining a guest! Unless you count the maintenance people I’ve had over, which I guess you really can’t.
Even my mother hasn’t been here yet. Of course, you’ll be here next month during your vacation! I’ve already set up the extra bedroom for you and George to stay in. I’m glad you got a good price on the tickets!
Telling Natalie was the correct thing to do. I sent her an email asking to meet at the end of the workday, and she came by my cubicle just before five. When I mentioned there was a discrepancy in the accounts from last year, she agreed to come with me to the empty conference room.
Then when we were alone, I told Natalie about the missing money from each of her sales transactions. I told her how much money it was, and when she heard the number, she sucked in a breath.
Then she started quizzing me. She had about a million questions. She asked how far back in the records I had looked. Then she asked who I thought took the money, and I told her that I wasn’t sure, even though it seemed to me that she was the only person who could have taken it. Then she asked me who else I told about it.
“I didn’t tell anyone,” I told her, although that’s not entirely true. I’ve told you, but she didn’t need to know that. It’s not like you work for the company.
I was hoping Natalie would confess to taking the money and promise to return it before I had to turn her in. But that’s not what happened. Instead, she started talking about other people who might have taken the money and framed her. “Does anyone else have access?” she asked me.
“Only Seth,” I told her, but why would he steal from his own branch and make himself look bad? And why would he frame somebody who he likes so much?
But weirdly, Natalie didn’t dismiss the possibility that Seth could have done it. In fact, the idea of it got her excited. She said we needed to get together and Nancy Drew this mystery to figure out who took the money and why. That’s when she suggested coming over later tonight.
That part was exactly what I wanted to hear. She wasn’t blowing off my accusations. She was concerned and wanted to figure it out. Together.
We made plans to get together tonight. She reminded me not to tell anyone, because of course they would try to cover their tracks. Then she told me she was counting on me.
I asked her when she wanted to get together, and I was disappointed when she suggested not meeting till ten. She said she already made plans with Caleb, and he’d be so devastated if she canceled. She giggled and mentioned he was completely enamored with her, which I believe. She has him wrapped around her little finger.
I had been hoping Natalie and I might be able to have a nice dinner together at my house. But then I would have to worry about what I was going to serve. Natalie had very high-end taste in food, and it’s hard to satisfy those kinds of tastes while maintaining a monochromatic meal. Of course, I could have served her a meal that was more than one color, but that would have stressed me out too much.
I have been cleaning ever since I got home. Not that my place is messy, but I want to make sure everything is perfect! I even dusted the surfaces and scrubbed down my basketball-sized ceramic turtle. I have fed Junior, and now all I’ve got to do is wait for Natalie to come.
We’re going to have a really nice night together. I have a bottle of red wine, and we can each have a glass while we talk about the situation at work. We’ll get to know each other. I’ll introduce her to Junior. And we’ll figure out who took that money.
Oh my gosh, the doorbell just rang. That must be her!
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Dawn Schiff
Chapter Forty-Four
PRESENT DAY
NATALIE
This is my second day with practically no sleep.
The police finally left my house at some ungodly hour. I didn’t see them carrying out any bloody clothing or dismembered limbs, so I’m thinking they didn’t find anything. Thank God. I can finally get back to my life again.