Page 57 of The Nature of Secrets

9:00 p.m.

Winthrop Financial Consulting Group

Commerce Street, Nashville

The day had been a long one. Ellen had been visited by Detective Ventura and his newly assigned partner, Detective Lindale. She had summoned Jack, and he had arrived posthaste. More questions. More details. Ellen reminded herself repeatedly that patience was essential at this juncture.

It was the repetition that annoyed her.

But the day was done now. She gazed around the room at the women who made her so very proud each day. The women who brought tremendous joy and fulfillment to her life. This project had been their most difficult trial yet, but they would get through the unpleasant ordeal.

“Where are we on tracking the money?” Ellen looked to Liz to brief the group on her latest findings. The money truly was irrelevant to Ellen. But for Liz it was a matter of pride. She took herself to task for not watching more closely.

It wasn’t her fault. Ellen had attempted to no avail to reassure her.

Liz was an incredible forensic accountant. If the money could be found and rerouted, she would make it happen. The others weren’t concerned so much with the loss of the money but with the idea of who ended up in possession of the large sum. Ellen agreed that such a sum would prove far more useful as a donation to a worthy cause. This made Liz all the more frantic to find it.

No one had anticipated this level of talent with the manipulation of the missing funds. Yet another indicator that Ellen’s worst fears could very well be true. No matter. However good Jarrod and his coconspirator were, Liz was far better.

“I have located the funds.” Liz looked around the room, basking in the approving gazes of her partners. “I’m confident I will have the full sum moved to our new secure location in the next seventy-two hours.”

“This is very good news.” Ellen nodded, producing an approving smile. “Well done, Liz. Well done indeed.”

Liz had been following the path of the money from day one. Every computer here and at home to which Jarrod had been allowed access had been loaded with the required software to trace his every move, his every keystroke. Vivian had insisted. As head of security, she’d been allowed to make the decision. A good one, as it turned out.

“What about the detective?” Daisy piped up, shifting the conversation to the more pressing matter. “I saw two of them in your office today, Ellen. The lawyer was here as well.”

No doubt she and Joanna had discussed the visit at length. Daisy and Joanna were the most pragmatic of the group. They were the worriers. Whenever a kink found its way into ongoing activities, those were the two who fretted the most. But it was no surprise that Jessica was the one who appeared the most uncertain. Her silence spoke loudly of her feelings. Poor Jessica. The youngest and neediest of the five. Of those gathered around the table, she was the one who had given the most to this project. Save Ellen, of course. Perhaps, as Laney had suggested, thathad been a mistake. At times the strength of these women allowed Ellen to forget that they were only human.

“The visit was expected,” she assured.

“The level of personal involvement in this project,” Vivian countered, “has been off putting, Ellen. We should rethink this sort of strategy going forward.”

Ellen couldn’t agree more. “This was a special situation,” she reminded all, “but as I recall, the vote was unanimous.”

No one argued. They couldn’t.

Even Ellen still felt somewhat unsettled at how easily the situation had gone so far awry. On some level, she feared certain things had changed ... forever. Soon, she hoped to more fully understand the scope of the failure.

“We’ve been here before.” Ellen surveyed the women seated around the table where they had voted time and again on whether to proceed with their special work. “The steps are more complicated with this one, yes. Despite the unfortunate deviation from our plan, we did not miss a beat. We neutralized the unexpected and regrouped in record time. Rest assured we are right where we need to be.”

Four of the five nodded, their concerns assuaged. But not Jessica. She wanted Ellen to see the depth of her dissatisfaction. Perhaps the tactic was intended as proof she was not the weak link in the group. She had performed well enough today with her added duty. Was this sudden attitude about flexing her newly gained muscle?

“Is there something you wish to add, Jessica?”

She feigned surprise, and her eyes rounded, then narrowed. “No. Of course not.”

Ellen held her gaze. “It feels as if you do.”

The position in which Jessica found herself was perhaps not entirely her fault. Her youth and beauty had placed her in a difficult spot. Had made her morehispeer. Ellen had noticed thathenoticed. When Jessicacame to her, Ellen had encouraged her to allow this development to play out. It would no doubt work to their advantage.

The decision had clearly been a mistake.

Jessica lifted her chin and blurted what was on her mind. “The vote was unanimous, yes, but it was a bad decision. This—what we do—can never again be personal. It’s far too important.”

The others kept their attention fixed on Ellen in anticipation of her reaction. None of the others would have dared to dress Ellen down in this manner. Jessica clearly felt she had earned the right to speak out more strongly. Or perhaps the move was merely an attempt to disparage Ellen in front of the others.

Either way, it was enough. They moved forward, not backward.

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