er welding supplies. It’s clearly excessive.” Then Klein showed Jack his phone. An app filled the screen with a map of the Warrior Homes site, where several blinking red dots showed within the property. “Each red dot is a spool. They cost about twelve grand a piece. She—”
“Volunteers there. I know.” He slid his hand to his forehead, trying to get his mind to engage. To fit pieces together so he could dispel this accusation and get rid of the ugliness in front of him. “Fuck me.”
“You know her.” It was a statement from Klein, not a question.
“We’re…dating.” He sat back. “I mean, we have a thing. I don’t know how to explain this, but she wouldn’t steal. It’s just not her.”
“How long have you been seeing each other?”
“Two weeks.” God, had it only been two weeks? It felt like he’d known her for so much longer. “I met her my first night back in town.”
“Did Pinnacle donate this wire? They’ve donated to her project in the past.”
“That’s it.” All the air fled from his lungs. “That must be it.”
Klein pulled out his phone and made a call to Jen. Before Jack could stop him, he asked Jen to check into Pinnacle’s donations to Miranda or Warrior Homes. And, fuck, Jack was going to hear about this when he saw Jen. Their father had told Jen all about Miranda and the project, and his sister easily made the connection between Miranda and Jack. She’d been impressed. Even given Jack a little nudge toward seeing where things with Miranda went. The only woman Jen had approved of him dating in years.
After Klein disconnected, he uncovered another sheet beneath the purchase order. “She has a juvenile record.”
The burn in his stomach turned into a tornado of acid. “What?” He cut a look at Klein. “I thought juvenile records were sealed.”
“For legal purposes. For our purposes…” Klein lifted one shoulder.
Jack pushed all ten fingers into his hair.
“She has a rough past,” Klein said. “She’s been nailed for theft, burglary, and weapons charges.”
Weapons? Jack shook his head. “This has to be wrong.” He pushed the folder away, sickened by this information. “Even if it’s not, that was a long time ago.”
Klein looked at him with equal parts surprise and pity. His phone rang, and he picked up. “Yeah. You’re sure? Okay, I will. Thanks.”
Jack’s heart knew what was coming, but his mind still fought back.
“Jen says there haven’t been any donations to any person or company in six months. A donation of lumber and drywall were the last items given to Warrior Homes and there haven’t been any other approved or even requested donations to her project.”
This is not happening.
“Jen wants you to call her as soon as we’re done,” Klein said. “How much do you know about Wright?”
Jack shook his head, unable to qualify in words what he felt in his heart—that she wasn’t the kind of person who would steal from a sick old man. “I know her childhood was miserable. She had a druggie mother who abandoned her when she was young. But she was taken in by one of her mother’s boyfriends—” He put up his hand as his eyes fell closed in dread. “That’s not how it sounds. He’s been a mentor to her. He’s a vet, a really—”
The words good guy died before they made it out. Jack knew less about Marty Birch than he did about Miranda. And, shit, everything he didn’t know suddenly came into sharp focus. Even the things he did know twisted into a completely different light.
He exhaled hard and forced all the junk from his mind. Klein remained quiet, giving Jack time to sort things out. Finally, Jack sat back. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t understand how this could happen. She’s not that person. She’s just…she’s not. She’s got a perfect work record with Pinnacle, and she donates all her free time to Warrior Homes.” He met Klein’s gaze, fearing the answer to his next question. “Has she been in trouble since she turned eighteen?”
“Not that I can find.”
“Why is there a ‘but’ in your voice?” Jack asked.
“Listen, I’ve been doing this a long time. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, I’m reminded I haven’t. People fall off the wagon all the time. Most people try to put their lives back together and do the right thing. It works for a while, but then they come up against hard times or a particular situation, and they cave under the pressure. They rationalize the crime. Maybe she sees the wire as serving the greater good. It wouldn’t take much to justify robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Just this once.”
They fell into silence again, and Jack tried so hard to put Miranda in the right, his brain felt bruised.
“And, this may sound harsh,” Klein said, “but women have slept with men for less. If she knew what you were doing here, she may have been trying to distract you or track your investigation or simply get in good with you in case the worst came to light in hopes you’d go soft on her.”
Jack’s mind flew back to the night they’d met, and for the second time in two weeks, he tried to determine which of them initiated the connection. Second-guessed her desire to jump into bed with him. Third-guessed her continued interest. “I don’t know anything right now.”
“It’s your company and your call,” Klein said. “What do you want me to do?”