Page 65 of Aydin

Eloise directed her staff to the dining area. We slipped down the hall into his office, then closed the door.

“Check the cabinets, and I’ll look in his computer.” I sat at his desk.

“He’d be stupid to be involved,” Nasir commented.

“Addison was stupid and see where we are.”

I checked the bottom desk drawer and noticed stacks of papers. I flipped through but nothing stood out beyond speeches. Checking on the right side, I pulled it open and found the same sheets and a calendar of his events. Aggravated at the lack of evidence, I moved to the top drawer in front of me and pulled it open. I saw messages and returned calls he needed to make. One piece of paper had a few numbers on top, and I took a picture with my phone.

“Nothing over here so far.”

“Keep looking. Has to be here somewhere.” I turned to his computer and logged in with no password lock.

“Mostly bills he sponsored.”

“No password on his computer.”

“That never happens, especially with a senator.”

“False computer.”

“You think?”

I peered around his room and noticed pictures on his wall, plaques from awards, and a bar area in the corner. I squinted my eyes and noticed behind the bar a small black safe.

“Look at that.” I rose out of the seat and went to the bar, moved it to the side, and squatted down to look at the lock.

“Interesting.”

“The combination.” I tried to think of what the code could be.

AYDIN

Nasir drove back to the office, and I sat in the car and flipped through the documents we pulled from Edgar’s safe, wondering how long he’d been embezzling. The picture I took of the numbers from his desk opened the safe, and I grabbed everything I could take before Eloise or the housekeeper would notice anything moved.

“Are you going to confront him?”

“I want to play this the right way.”

“If he’s behind the embezzlement, he knows Addison is doing some crooked shit,” Nasir spat.

“The SEC would love what we found.”

“Private planes, cars, and trips aren’t on a senator’s salary alone.”

“See if you can pull his flights for the last few months. Maybe Addison joined him.”

Nasir parked back at the office, and we climbed out.

“Carly can look into the numbers and offshore accounts.”

“Call a meeting.”

I passed the documents to Nasir and went to find Amelia. I saw the door of her office crack open and heard laughter. Stepping inside, I lightly knocked on the door.

“Hey,” she said.

“You eat?” I walked around her desk, bent down, and kissed her on the lips.

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