that’s right. Our parents died when I was eighteen and for the first couple of years afterward we got by on a small insurance policy my father had left us. Of course, that wasn’t going to take care of us forever and Jason was still in school so it made sense that I find work. Worth Industries was pretty much the only place that was hiring at the time.”
None of this was news to him but it was good to know his sources had been accurate in their dissemination of information.
“That can’t have been easy for you.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Again, a careful response. One that answered, but failed to give any details. Clearly his Ms. Cole was one to keep her cards close to her chest—and what a chest. Even the unbelievably unflattering cut of her suit failed to hide the lush curves of her body. For someone who appeared to actively want to hide her attributes, she still maintained deliciously perfect posture. It was that very upright bearing that confirmed his first impressions of her had been spot on. Margaret Cole was all woman, with the type of figure that would have seen her painted on the nose cowl of every fighter plane in aviation history.
Will forced his thoughts back to the business at hand.
“And I see you’ve been here, on the financial floor, for the past five years.”
“I like numbers,” she said with a small smile. “They tend to make better sense than other things.”
He smiled back; he felt exactly the same way. His eldest brother, Michael, worked in human resources back in New York. To this day the problems Mike faced and relished each day made Will’s head ache. He’d rather face a root canal than that. There was comfort in the cohesion of working with numbers. The defined parameters, yet with infinite possibilities were the types of challenges he excelled at. Which brought him very squarely back to the woman seated in front of him.
“Most of what you’ll be doing for me will probably fall outside the usual reports and things you’ve been doing for middle management here.”
“I enjoy a challenge,” Margaret answered back.
“I’m glad to hear it. Here, let’s get you started on something I’ve been working on.” He reached across his desk and grabbed the file that lay in solitary splendor on the highly polished surface. “Take a look at that and give me your first impressions.”
Margaret accepted the file from him and he saw her forehead wrinkle into a small frown as she concentrated on the report. He leaned his hip against his desk and simply watched her as her lips pursed while she read through the columns. Did she give everything in her life that intense concentration? he wondered. The prospect was both intriguing and enticing and occupied his thoughts as she thumbed methodically through the pages.
She must indeed have had a good head for figures, because she closed the folder after about ten minutes and looked him square in the eye.
“It would seem that the figures don’t match up. The error margin isn’t large, but it’s consistent.”
Her quick discernment gave him a punch of delight. Not only beautiful under that frumpy disguise, but sharply intelligent, too. The knowledge made him look forward all the more to what he’d planned.
“Good,” he replied as he took the file back from her. “I think we’re going to work very well together. Tell me, what would you recommend if you had discovered such an anomaly?”
“Well, I’d probably suggest a deeper audit of the books—see how long this has been going on. Then perhaps a more specific check as to who has been involved with the accounts and has access to the funds.”
Will nodded. “That’s exactly what we have done in this case.”
“So this is an ongoing investigation?”
“It’s pretty much wrapped up, with the exception of one or two things.”
“That’s good to hear,” Margaret said. “It’s too easy for people to be tempted these days. Too often a little responsibility puts a person in a position where they think they’re entitled to help themselves to something that’s not theirs.”
“Yes, well, in this case we’re certain we have the culprit lined up. He will be facing a disciplinary panel later this afternoon.”
“Disciplinary panel? You won’t be firing him?”
“Whether we choose to fire him or not has yet to be decided. Which kind of brings me to you, really.”
“Me? In what way?”
Confusion clouded her features and for a moment Will almost felt sorry for her. He knew that what he had to say next would probably rip the rug right out from under her.
“Just how close to your brother’s work habits are you?”
“Jason? What? Why?”
Understanding slowly dawned on her and all the color in her face slowly drained away. If she hadn’t already been seated, Will had no doubt she’d be dropping into the nearest chair by now.
“Jason is the one you’re investigating?”
“He is.” Will leaned back against his desk again and caught her gaze with a rock-hard stare. “How much do you know about what he’s been up to?”
“Nothing! No! He couldn’t, wouldn’t do such a thing. He loves his work. There’s no way he’s capable of doing something like this. Seriously, I …”
“So you have had nothing to do with it?”
Her features froze. “Me? No, of course not! Why would you even think such a thing?”
Will shrugged. “Stranger things have happened, and you know the saying. Blood is thicker than water.”
A fact he knew all too well. It was that very fact that had him in this situation with Margaret Cole in the first place. Rather than take his time, relishing her pursuit and letting it play out to its natural conclusion, his father’s latest edict forced him to speed things along somewhat. If Will didn’t show some sign of settling down soon, his father would sell the family sheep station back in New Zealand rather than transfer it into Will’s ownership as he was supposed to have done over a year ago when Will had turned thirty.
Each of the Tanner sons had received a massive financial settlement on their thirtieth birthday, but Will had said that rather than money he wanted the farm. His father had agreed, but that agreement seemed to now be laden with conditions Will wasn’t prepared to meet. Not in truth, anyway.
It wasn’t the fact that he wanted or needed the land—goodness only knew he had little enough time to travel back to his home country these days. But the farm was such a vital part of his family heritage that he couldn’t bear to see it carved up into multiple parcels of “lifestyle” farms, or worse, fall into corporate or foreign ownership. The very thought that his father could so cavalierly cast off something that had been a part of all their lives was no laughing matter. That Albert Tanner was using the farm as a bargaining chip showed how very determined he was to see his youngest son settle down.
And, above everything else, it
