Page 31 of Blood Mosaic

“What are you saying?” Zara’s eyes were wide and shocked. “Are you saying” —she glanced at the data management supervisor on the stage— “you think someone is embezzling?”

“I don’t know.” She couldn’t think of any other reason though. “I don’t want to point fingers, but at most companies, there are separate accounts for fees, taxes, customs, all the payments that have to be made to the government, and I’m notseeing any of that in what you’ve given me so far. Maybe if I could get a look at last year’s books?—”

“They’re a mess,” Zara said. “That’s why I hired you. I wanted an independent audit because I suspected…” She sighed. “Tatyana, you’re the only one I can trust.”

“Why?” She didn’t know any of the in-office employees other than to wave at them, but they seemed fairly nice.

“Everyone else at the company was either hired by my father or his right hand, this frigid old woman who’s obsessed with him.” Zara waved a hand. “Boring family drama.”

“So I’m the only one you’ve hired?”

“Of the main team?” Zara nodded. “Yes.”

Tatyana had asked Zara multiple times if she could work from the office, but her new boss told her she wanted Tatyana to be independent of the rest of the group. She was the bookkeeper, so being in the office wasn’t essential.

Of course, Tatyana knew she wasn’t theonlybookkeeper, but according to Zara, the bookkeepers at ZOL worked more for her father’s company than for hers.

“I’m a little bit worried that…” Zara sighed. “It’s my father. I haven’t told you much about Oleg, but he’s always been very secretive about where he made his money.”

“He didn’t inherit it?”

The kind of wealth that Zara exhibited, Tatyana just assumed that her family had always been wealthy. Even during the Soviet era, Tatyana knew that some in Sevastopol lived much better than others, especially if they had military or international connections.

“My father didn’t grow up wealthy, but somewhere along the way…” Zara let the idea trail off. “You have to know what I suspect, right? I mean, who makes that kind of money honestly?”

“Do you think you should” —Tatyana dropped her voice to a whisper— “report him? I know he’s your father, but if you’re worried he’s breaking the law?—”

“What would I report?” Zara snorted. “I’m not saying it’s not the right thing or even that I’m afraid of him. Oleg would never hurt me.” The corner of her mouth curled up. “Never.”

“So?”

Zara shrugged. “Right now all I have are feelings and suspicions.” She slid her hand across the table and put it over Tatyana’s. “That’s why what you’re doing is so important, Tanya. I trust you. I’mdependingon you.”

Tatyana felt a surge of purpose in her chest. If Zara could be brave enough to investigate her own father, Tatyana could help. “If you can get me the receivables and the deposit account information, I think I can figure out what’s going on.”

“Thank you.” Zara’s eyes were sparkling. “Thank you so much. I know you could find another job so easily, so thank you for sticking with me. I know this is… far from normal.”

She felt her cheeks flush. “You’re welcome. I’m just happy I could help.”

Tatyana’s eyesopened when the plane bumped as it touched down. As soon as the bumping stopped, the automatic shutters that had slid down the moment they took to the sky opened, flooding the small jet with late-afternoon sunshine.

She looked out the window and realized they were on some kind of military base, but no one seemed alarmed to see the SMO plane.

An elderly steward who had introduced himself as Roman walked over with a warm towel on a tray. “I trust you were able to rest, Ms. Vorona.”

“Just for a little bit, but it was nice to close my eyes.”

The flight had been just over two hours, longer than it would have taken a few years ago because they had to fly what Roman had called “a creative route” to avoid trouble. Nevertheless, it was far easier than the complicated series of flights Tatyana had been forced to take to get to Odesa in the first place.

She looked out the window. “How do I get to my house?”

“We have people on the ground waiting for you,” Roman said. “It’s all been arranged.”

Tatyana pressed the warm towel to her face, refreshing her cheeks and neck. “Thank you.”

Professional clothes brought to her door. Bags packed for her by hotel staff along with an entirely new suitcase with all the clothes Lorala had picked out for her. Cars from hotel to airport. An entire cabin to herself.

It was hard not to feel like a princess in a fairy tale.

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