“There have been a few inconsistencies over the last few months. The first one is the increase in voided items.”

“Voided items?” Holly asked, leaning in to look at the screen. “We hardly ever have people send food back.” It wasn’t that she never had food sent back to the kitchen, but it happened so rarely that the wait staff usually had to ask for help on voiding the food.

“Yeah, we don’t and we’ve never had many voided items on this report. Until recently, and they’re all from the same server. In addition, I’ve received a few calls from people claiming they were charged more than their receipt showed.”

Holly sighed. She knew where this was going, and while she was afraid to ask the question, it hung in the air between them like a dirty secret. “You suspect theft, don’t you?”

“There’s only one thing that has changed in the last few months, and I’m sorry but I don’t think it's an accident.”

“No, I don’t either. I just got back from the bank and found he’s been using my cards without my knowledge.”

“Oh, Holly, I’m so sorry.”

Holly dropped her head into her hands. “I just can’t believe I was so stupid.”

“Hey.” Ashley leaned across the desk and placed a hand on Holly’s arm. “You don’t have to feel stupid. He’s charming and he convinced us all. There was no way you could have known, but at least you’re finding out before marrying him.”

“Well, not everyone. Tiffany and Merribeth had concerns about him, but I dismissed them. And then Dougie…” Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, I was so horrible to Dougie when he told me Frederick was cheating, but what if that’s true too?”

“It will be okay. I don’t know Dougie well, but it’s pretty obvious he cares about you. I’m sure he will forgive you, but you need to take care of yourself first. Get Frederick out of your life and out of your business.”

Holly nodded. “I know. I’ve already texted him that we need to talk. I can’t believe how much time I’ve wasted. I thought I was a better judge of people.” Her phone vibrated beside her and she lifted it to see a text from Frederick.

“Sorry, I got hung up. Be there soon.”

Holly snorted and shook her head. Yeah, hung up. That was one way to phrase stealing from her and carousing with another woman.

“That him?” Ashley asked, nodding at the phone.

“Who else? Evidently he got hung up.” Even the words felt dirty in her mouth.

“I’m so sorry. Look, we can come back from this. He got away with a few grand, but we can bounce back better and stronger than ever and we can press charges if you want. I can get enough evidence to take to the police.”

Holly shook her head. “No, I don’t want to involve the police if we don’t have to. I’ll send him on his way and chalk this up to an expensive learning experience, a very expensive one.”

Ashley nodded and left the office, and Holly’s anger re-energized as she waited for Frederick to arrive. Thankfully, she had the video from the ATM on her phone and the reports on Ashley’s laptop, so even if he tried to deny anything, she would have evidence.

“Sorry, babe,” Frederick said when he entered her office a half hour later, “I had meetings with that company I’ve been trying to work with.” He leaned in to kiss her and Holly pulled back. She wondered if there was an actual company or if that too was a ruse.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, finally noticing her stony demeanor.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you’ve been stealing from me and this business.”

There was a split second of fear in his eyes and then it was gone. He really was a convincing actor. “What are you talking about, Holly? I haven’t stolen anything from you or the business. You know I want you to succeed.”

Holly folded her arms across her chest. “Really? Then what do you call using my debit card without permission to buy gas?”

Frederick shook his head and reached for her again. “You gave me permission. I would never use your card without asking.”

Holly gaped at him. He acted as if he truly believed it, but there was no way she would have given him her card. “No, I didn’t, but not only that, you withdrew money from my account. Don’t even try to deny it because I saw you on video.”

He paused for a second, and she could almost see his wheels turning, trying to come up with a way to spin this. “They must have gotten our pins mixed up. You know I opened an account at the same bank. Maybe I grabbed your card by mistake and they didn’t catch that I was using the pin for my account.”

“Wow, you have some nerve.” She could not believe how calm and confident he sounded. He was either a really good liar or a pathological one. “That’s not the way ATMs work, Frederick. How stupid do you think I am?”

“I don’t think you’re stupid at all, but I would never do that to you.”

“I saw you on video, Frederick.” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “I recorded it, so you could see it too. Here, look.” She played the video for him and waited to see how he would try to spin his mug on camera, stealing money from her account.

His face paled slightly and then he looked up at her. “They doctored the video, Holly. That’s the only explanation.”

She blinked at him, sure she had heard him wrong. Was he really asking her not to believe her own eyes? “No one doctored the video, Frederick. I watched it on the cameras myself.”

He shook his head and reached for her. “I’m telling you it’s a mistake.”

“A mistake. Like the kinds happening to my books right now? The kinds of mistakes where you void items that were paid for and pocket the difference? Or the kind where you adjust the tip amount on people’s receipts to pocket the difference?”

He pulled back his shoulders. “What are you talking about? I would never do that.”

“Except that you have. I have evidence of that too. Did you not realize that the software keeps track of the server’s number? Or that people would call when their receipts didn’t match? Did you even work at a restaurant? Or has this whole thing been a lie?”

As if realizing he was losing the argument, Frederick turned defensive. “Who are you going to believe, Holly? Me or some video?”

Holly shook her head. Forget a pathological liar. He was either crazy or delusional. Maybe both. She couldn’t believe she had fallen for his charm. It had all been an act. “It’s over, Frederick.” She dug the ring out of her pocket and placed it on the desk not even wanting to touch his palm as she gave it back. “I want you out of my office and out of my life.”

His eyes dropped to the ring and then lifted back to hers. “Holly, come on. It’s not what you think.”

“It’s exactly what I think. I took the ring to a jeweler today, Frederick. It’s not even real. What were you hoping for here? Money? I don’t have any. It’s all tied up in the restaurant which you should understand since you swindled a few grand from me.”

“I don’t want your money. I have my own and as soon as this deal with the company goes through—”

“Stop.” Holly couldn’t listen to any more lies. She was angry and hurt and tired. “Just stop. I don’t even care why you did it. I just want you gone.”

But he wasn’t going easily. “Holly—”

Tags: Lorana Hoopes Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net