What You Need(99)

“Why?” I asked, even though I knew exactly why.

“Because you’re involved with Lennox. According to my source, Anita believes you can’t be impartial about the department when your girlfriend’s employment is at stake. So she requested the COO look at the report with a recommendation before it goes to Finance.”

“Which means Anita is recommending dissolving that department.”

“I would assume so.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “Okay, that’s a lie. I know that’s what she’s already done because she bragged about it to Lola.”

“You’re kidding me.”

Jenna shook her head. “Lola has been talking to me for the last few weeks. As head of Personnel, Anita has access to all of the classified information regarding annual reviews and employee reprimands. Some of the documents that the temps have delivered to Lola have been mysteriously lost after Lola logs them. And it’s not a coincidence that the ones that are missing are from the admins that Anita is tight with.”

“Who else knows about this?”

“I guess Lennox figured it out. When she brought up the missing paperwork with Ash, he referred her back to his admin. His admin threw a fit about a lowly temp overstepping her bounds and Anita was going to fire Lennox outright, but Lola intervened. Since then, Lola has been giving Lennox lower-level clerical jobs until her annual review. Then her position is somewhat safer.”

“How did this get so fucked, Jenna?”

“Your girl is too smart and too much of a go-getter—that’s what this company needs, but instead of being promoted for it, she’s been held back, and that pisses me off.” Her eyes glittered. “This bullshit has gone on long enough. I don’t know what immunity Anita has through your uncle, but I’d like to think the CEO wouldn’t stand behind a woman like that who’s freely allowed to carry out corporate sabotage.”

“Can you get me proof of any of this?”

She ran her hand through her hair. “Yes. Lola swears she documented everything. There are two immediate problems, though.”

“Which are?”

“First, the meeting is happening now and I’ll need time to sort through everything so you have all the documentation at your disposal. You can’t take this on without it. Second, your impartiality will be questioned since you’re involved with her.”

“Sounds like this began months ago, before Lennox and I started dating. So it won’t be an issue—I won’t allow it to be.” Renee and Zach from my department walked by and I gave them a head nod before I lowered my voice. “I authorize overtime for you and Lola and anyone else you trust to get all the data compiled. I don’t care if it takes us all night.”

“Us?”

I lifted an eyebrow at her. “Did you forget that a large portion of my job is finding and reporting discrepancies?”

She laughed. “Yes, I guess I did.”

“Batten down the hatches—it’s about to get rough.”

I straightened my tie and grabbed the file folder from Jenna’s hands. “Make sure IT knows that no computer security changes are to be authorized for the next forty-eight hours. I don’t need Anita getting wind of this and blocking access. If anyone questions the order, tell them it has to do with a financial matter you’re not at liberty to disclose.”

She rolled her eyes while offering me a tight smile. “This ain’t my first rodeo, boss.”

I strolled into the conference room and made a mental note of everyone who was there. Anita and her secretary. Ash, his admin and her secretary. Nolan’s admin. Renee. Zach. Gaby from HR. I didn’t see Lola. I smiled, knew it looked strained and didn’t care.

“While I’m not entirely certain what this meeting pertains to, and as my department received the memo a full day later than the other departments”—I looked at Anita—“your color-coding system gets a big fail for that, by the way—I can assume this is not an emergency. Since I do have a real crisis under way with one of the banks we deal with in China, this meeting will be postponed until eleven o’clock tomorrow. Any additional questions can be directed to my admin in the morning.”

I walked out.

*

Lennox

I’d come in thirty minutes early to talk to Lola and give her my two weeks’ notice.

Her office door was closed. As were her blinds.

Unusual.

Unsure what to do, I took a seat in the hallway and tried to keep my nervous fidgeting to a minimum. I checked my phone for the fifth time—no messages, no missed calls from Brady. He didn’t seem the type to cut off all communication when he was upset. Then again, hadn’t I done that to him? Cut him off when he’d just wanted to offer me comfort?