Chapter 5

            It was ten p.m. and Christopher was sitting up in bed with his laptop on his lap. Since he didn’t have the flash drive he needed to work, he enjoyed the works of Winter Rose. He had to admit he was flattered that Selena lusted after him like this – even though she thought he was an asshole ninety percent of the time. And he was. He proudly admitted that. Having a reputation for being an asshole made people think twice about screwing him over. It was a good rep to have in business.

            His secretary three years ago had gotten pregnant and was on maternity. Human Resources had called a temp agency and Selena was in his office the next day.

When his old secretary had called and said she wasn’t coming back, Christopher had hung up the phone, walked to the Selena who was at the file cabinet and asked, “How would you like to have this job permanently?”

“I would like that very much,” she said with wide eyes.

“You’re hired. I’ll let the director of HR know. You’ll be hearing from someone about paper work,” he said and walked back to his office.

Christopher hadn’t been in the mood to entertain interviewing a bunch of applicants when he had a perfectly good secretary in the office already. It would have been a waste of time for everyone involved.

Selena wasn’t a bad looking woman. Because of the dress code implemented four years ago, she dressed very conservatively; nothing above the knee or low cut or too tight. Per the dress code, the women didn’t have to wear their hair up, but Selena did most of the time, anyway. There were days she looked like a modern day Snow White with her milky skin and dark as midnight hair in a low bun.

Christopher, with the support of his brothers, had implemented a strict dress code for the male and female employees at The Hudson Group when the Metoo movement had gained steam. The last thing the business needed was to lose a good employee and a scandal over a misunderstanding. To ensure that no misunderstandings were blown out of proportion, Christopher had worked with the HR vice president to implement a more professional dress policy along with a professional verbal policy when communicating with co-workers and subordinates.

The implications of sexual harassment did plague his thoughts for a moment. He couldn’t fire Selena over this. If he did, not only would she feel humiliated, but angry as well. She could make the implication of something going on between them in the press and that’s all it would take to put his character into question. He wasn’t sure if she would go that far, but then again he never thought she would write about them having hot sex either.

The stories were obviously written on her free time. And he was convinced it was an honest mistake that she had left her personal flash drive for him instead of the one with the files he wanted.

Christopher shook his head. Perhaps it’s best that I pretend that I didn’t open it. I’ll tell her that I didn’t get a chance to do any work this weekend. I’ll give her the drive and tell her to put another couple of files on it. She’ll realize it’s her personal one switch the drives when I’m not looking and that’s it. No harm done. No reason to lose a good employee because she fantasizes about me. Most women probably do, anyway, he thought as a smirk spread across his lips.

Christopher wasn’t conceded. He just knew he was wanted by most of the women in New York City because of the way they talked to him, looked at him, and at times threw themselves at him. But he was very selective about who he got involved with. Christopher wasn’t interested in commitment or marriage. He loved the rich bachelor lifestyle. There was nothing like it.

His cell rang on the nightstand. The caller ID said it was Lance Milton, his attorney at Milton & Sons.

“Hey, Lance,” he greeted.

 “Christopher, I know it’s late . . . and the weekend, but you said you wanted to know right away if we got any new information on the Bethel property in Vermont,” Lance said.

Christopher nodded. He wanted information about the owner of the property as soon as possible. He had told Lance that he didn’t care what day or time it was - when he got word Christopher wanted to know about it immediately. “Okay, what do you have?”

“The P.I. called me thirty minutes ago. He had been in Bethel since Thursday. After chatting up the locals, he found out that land belongs to the last living descendant of an Irish family who migrated to America in the 1800s. It used to be a ranch.”

“Spare me the history lesson, Lance,” Christopher said. “Just give me a name – of a person not a dummy corporation.”

“Selena Fitz,” Lance said.

“Who!” Christopher shouted as he leaned forward.

“Selena Fitz. Are you that surprised a woman owns it?” Lance asked with astonishment.

“No! It’s just . . . she’s my damn secretary!” he yelled.

“What? No way. Maybe it’s another Selena Fitz,” Lance suggested.

Christopher thought for a moment. “Maybe,” he mumbled. The coincidence would be uncanny at the very least. “What else did the P.I. learn?”

“The locals said that Selena was a young woman, late twenties, dark hair, pretty. She had been down there last spring with a few locals camping on the land. She didn’t grow up in Bethel, but her parents brought her every year in the summers for two months, camping on the land. The last the locals knew she was living here in New York. ”

Dark hair, late twenties, living in New York.

“It is her,” he mumbled. And she didn’t say a word when he revealed the project.

The little sneak.

****

            Selena couldn’t believe Beverly was taking this so seriously. First, they had to change into all black clothes. Then, they had to go to Beverly’s studio apartment for equipment.

            “Is that a grappling hook?” Selena had asked with astonishment.

            “Yeah. You never know. We might have to scale a wall,” Beverly had said as she put a crowbar in the black bag with the hook.

            “If it comes to that, I’ll ring the doorbell and hand Christopher my resignation on the spot.”

            Beverly had said nothing as she put a rope in the bag.

            “Um, Beverly, why do you have all that stuff anyway?” Joanna had asked hesitantly.

            “Like I said, you never know. I try to be prepared for anything,” Beverly had answered.

            Beverly drove her Camry to the Hudson Estate gates and stopped at the guard booth.

            “Who are you?” the black guard asked.

            “It’s me, Theo,” Joanna said as she pressed the button to the window in the backseat.

            “Hey, Joanna,” Theo greeted with a nice smile.

            “My friends are just driving me back home,” Joanna said.

            “Okay, are they spending the night?”

            “No, but they’ll be here for an hour or so.”

            “That’s fine as long as they are gone by midnight. I’ll go off duty by then and no one will be able to open the gate unless they got the security code.”

            “We understand,” Joanna said.

            Theo nodded as the black iron gates opened.

            Beverly drove through the opening.

            “Go to the quarters in the back, Beverly,” Joanna instructed. “You remember where it is right?”

            “Yeah, but it’s so far from the main house,” Beverly said.

            “I know, but you can’t leave your car close to the mansion. It will draw too much attention. We’ll have to walk back.”

            “All right,” Beverly agreed flatly.

            A few minutes later, Beverly pulled out to the small cottage where Joanna stayed. Instead of going inside, they started hoofing it back to the mansion with Joanna leading the way. She was taking them through the bushes and trees where cameras couldn’t pick them up.

            Joanna stopped once they got to the large stone walled mansion. “Okay, from this point on walk with your back against the wall. If we don’t, one of the cameras will definitely pick us up.”

            “Okay,” Selena whispered.

            They walked against the wall. Joanna had on a dark blue T-shirt and black jeans so despite wearing black like a cat burglar like Selena and Beverly she still blended into the dark spots on the property.

            After creeping for what seemed like forever, Joanna stopped. “Okay, one of the windows to the study is here. I’m going to make my way around to the main doors, go in, and sneak into the study, hopefully, without anyone seeing me.”

            Per what Joanna had told them earlier, William, the butler, didn’t go to bed until midnight. However, he was usually the only staff member still in the mansion after ten-thirty.

            “I can jimmy the window open with my crowbar,” Beverly said.

            “No,” Joanna said almost too loudly. “We talked about this on the way here. The maintenance crew is meticulous. They’ll be able to tell if someone had forced the window open. Stop trying to be cat burglar extraordinaire.”

            If the situation wasn’t so serious, Selena would have laughed. It wasn’t often Joanna got snippy, but when she did she could deliver some good lines.

            Beverly rolled her eyes.

            “This isn’t a game, Bev,” Selena hissed.

            “I know that. Why do you think I brought this stuff?” Beverly said defensively.

            “Just wait here until I open the window. But, once it’s open, I’m going back to my quarters. I can’t afford to be caught in the house after ten-thirty without my uniform on,” Joanna hissed.

            “I understand,” Selena said.

            Joanna got down on the ground and crotched walk behind them, making sure she didn’t catch the eye of the cameras.

            Selena and Beverly waited in nervous silence for about five minutes against the wall.

            “Do you think she got caught?” Beverly asked.

            “No. It took us a while to get back here. She probably has to sneak around against the wall like we did. Let’s give her another few minutes,” Selena whispered.

            Beverly nodded.

            Another minute went by before the window to the right opened.

            “Psst,” Joanna whispered.

            Thank, God.

            Beverly was the first to climb through the large window. Selena followed her. The room was dark for the exception of a pen flashlight Joanna was holding.

            “I was afraid to cut on the lamp. I didn’t want William to walk by and see the light under the door,” Joanna said.

            “That’s fine,” Beverly whispered as she dug in her bag. “I got a light.” She pulled out a flashlight and shinned it on the floor.

            “When you find it and replace it, go back the way we came. I’ll be waiting at the cottage. You only have an hour and stay quiet. William is definitely lurking around. You’re on your own,” Joanna whispered.

            “Okay, thanks,” Selena said.

            Beverly shined the light on the huge brown desk. Selena and Beverly searched the top of the desk as Joanna snuck out the room.

            “I don’t see any flash drives much less the one you described,” Beverly whispered.

            “Maybe it’s in in a drawer,” Selena said and opened the top middle drawer.

            Beverly shined the light inside.

            Selena fingered through the contents in the drawer; post-it notes, expensive pens, empty manila folder, no flash drive. “Damn,” she hissed.

            Let’s look in the others,” Beverly suggested.

            They dug through the drawers as quickly as possible and came up empty.

            “I know,” Selena said in a eureka tone. “The laptop might still be in his laptop case.”

            “Okay, great. Where is it?” Beverly asked.

            They looked beyond the darkness.

            “It has to be in here somewhere,” Selena said.

            I hope to God it is.

            “Shine the light down here.” Selena looked under the desk.

            Beverly leaned down and shined her flashlight into the hole.

            Nothing.

            “Okay, we just need to search around real quick,” Beverly said.

            “God,” Selena stressed. “What if he took it to his bedroom? He could be working upstairs. And-”

            “Don’t think that way. We’ll find it and we’re going to find it in here,” Beverly whispered loudly. “Now, come on.”

            Before they could walk away from the desk, two lamps came on.

            Beverly and Selena turned with wide eyes to the doorway.

            “Looking for this?” Christopher asked as he held a flash drive up in one hand and a laptop under his arm.

            Shit!