“Sim?” Minka rushed into the office, looking flustered and confused. “What’s going on? I just heard they cleaned out Will’s office and he was taken out by security.”
“Sit down, Mink.” Qasim waited for her to settle into one of the chairs in his office’s gaming area. “Why didn’t you come to me about this?”
Minka bowed her head and gave it a weary shake. “So that’s why you insisted I take the day off.” She smiled sadly and then looked up at him. “I didn’t think you’d believe me.”
“Minka—”
“No, Sim.” She stood. “I’ve heard all the stories about how you behaved when the oversight committee tried to tell you about Will before.” She tousled her hair while she paced the room.
“I’d already showed him up by suggesting we use Vectra’s place for the foundation event. Coming to you with more... I’d have looked pretty petty, wouldn’t you say? Besides, I didn’t have anything concrete until he left those invoices and I was able to use them for comparison.”
“I started keeping an eye on Will after the committee shared their suspicions.” Qasim lifted his heavy brows in a quick up-and-down move when Minka’s face betrayed her surprise.
“I know they had merit,” he went on. “I wanted him gone, too, and not just fired but behind bars and doing hard time.” Qasim commenced to stalking the opposite side of the room. “I didn’t want him working for another committee, organization, corporation—nothing. That’s why I kept on kept feeding that ego of his. I know you stalled on giving him that signing form.”
Again, Minka appeared stunned. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
Qasim had the decency to appear sheepish. “My mind’s been on other things lately, and Will’s antics weren’t as important to me as they should’ve been.”
“I understand.” Minka smiled before glancing at the office door. “You think that’s the last we’ll see of him?”
“Doubtful.” Qasim massaged his neck behind the open collar of his shirt. “Given that he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong.”
“So what now?”
“Now—” Qasim retrieved his suit coat from the back of a chair “—I’m taking the rest of the week off. Direct my calls—legal and otherwise—to Price.” He referred to Price Bonderson, Wilder’s director of legal affairs.
“No problem. Have fun,” Minka bade.
Qasim stopped before the woman and gave her a level stare. “Never keep anything like this from me again, all right?”
Minka seemed relieved. “All right. I only hope nothing like this ever happens again.”
“Nothing that raises your suspicion is ever too petty for you to come to me with. It’s what I depend on you for.”
“Hmph.” Minka shook her head. “That’s what Vectra tried to tell me.”
“She was right.” Qasim thought of the woman he loved.
“So is that where—or who—you’re headed off to see?”
“I think I scared her a little the way I tore out of her house the other day,” he admitted.
Minka sighed. “Qasim, I really am sorry about Will. He was your friend, after all.”
“It was a friendship born out of gratitude, not mutual interest, and one I’m not sad to see the end of.” Qasim reached out, gave Minka a tiny shake.
“Never hide anything like this again, Mink.”
She gave a solemn shake of her head. “I won’t.”
Chapter 17
Miami Beach, Florida
Vectra didn’t usually take the time to enjoy all that the city had to offer. Seeing as how the staff at Gallery V–Miami had things well in hand for Yancey Croachman’s upcoming show, there wasn’t much that required her constant presence there.
The trip itself had been unnecessary, as she’d figured, but that was another story. She had been gone almost four days and Qasim hadn’t tried to contact her since. She’d gotten consistent with forcing herself to change her train of thought when she silently reminded herself of the fact that it was what she’d wanted. Furthermore, she contented herself that she must have been dead-on with Qasim’s attitude about prying into his business.
Just as well, she thought, closing her eyes and trying to allow the serenity and shade of the dock to relax her.
She’d decided on a condo instead of one of the palatial beachfront homes that epitomized South Beach living. On a smaller scale, the condo was a stunning place in its own right. The dwelling was awash in sun and splashes of color from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The turquoise waters of an infinity pool spanned almost half the condo’s expansive brick deck.