Page 55 of Second Chances

“It’ll be the only time I’ll be supporting Tottenham,” Matthew taunts his friend. The camaraderie between us all feels good.

A moment later, Amy opens the door and drops her handbag on the floor. I instantly sense something is wrong, and my brother and Matthew fall silent. Amy’s eyes are red-rimmed as though she’s been crying. James gets up and goes to her instantly while Matthew and I step back, giving them privacy but staying within ear’s reach to ensure she’s safe and not hurt.

“What’s wrong? Is it the kids? Mum and Dad, are they ok?”

“Yes.” Amy tries hard not to let her voice break as she speaks. “Everyone’s fine. It’s not that. It’s…”

Amy pulls away from James and picks up her handbag. From within it, she retrieves some sheets of paper and shows them to her husband. He scans them, and his eyes go wide.

“I don’t understand?”

“Callum called me earlier and asked me to come and see him.” Amy starts to explain. I know Callum is the finance director of James’ company but also deals with Amy’s finances. “There’s over two thousand pounds missing from my business. It started off with seven hundred and fifty a week ago, but yesterday, more disappeared.”

Matthew sucks in a deep breath beside me.

“How is this possible?” James flips between the two sheets of paper.

“I don’t know.” Tears start to form in Amy’s eyes again.

James escorts his wife to a seat and pulls her into his arms.

“I’ll go make a cup of tea,” I offer, but Matthew places his hand on my arm.

“No, I’ll do it. You help them figure it out.”

“Thanks.” We all sit in silence as Matthew disappears into the kitchen, and we hear the kettle boiling.

“Who has access to the finances?” I take a seat on a sofa facing my brother and sister-in-law.

“Me…” She falls silent.

“Amy?” I question.

“And Elena.”

“Elena?”

She nods.

“Is that all? No other members of staff?”

“No. Elena runs the office for me as well as the school. We have a bookkeeping lady, courtesy of Callum, but all she does is work from the sheets Elena records the income on and the banking books.”

“Has Elena made a mistake? She’s been stressed recently with the accident. Maybe she added up the receipts wrong?”

“I thought the same, so I asked Callum if there was some way to check what the income should be. He did this test based on the registers and what is marked on the debtors. It showed two thousand was missing.”

The enormity of what I’m hearing starts to infiltrate my brain.

Amy wouldn’t steal her own money. She wouldn’t take it and misplace it. She’s married to a billionaire who gives her whatever she wants. Amy is also a published author who earns enough income from that source as well. No, the clues all point to one person. The only other person who deals with handling the cash in the business…

Elena.

The woman who lives with me.

The woman I love.

“Ryan?” Amy reaches out and tries to take my hand, but I pull it away. “I don’t want to believe it. Maybe she’s just borrowed it? I’m sure that’s the case. I need to talk to her,” Amy tries to reassure me.

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