Flame & Fortune (Angels of Sojourn) Read online

  Kieran nodded and pulled out his phone, attaching it on the dash and clicking hands free. “Can you dial Fred’s Office for me?

  Could she? She hadn’t used one of these fancy new phones. She read each line and carefully tapped the screen.

  The phone rang and a familiar man’s voice cut through the air. “Hi, this is Fred.”

  “Fred. It’s Kieran.” Kieran’s fingers tightened against the steering wheel. “I’m calling for an update.”

  “Kieran. I’m sorry, but things don’t look good. The police are saying everything is pointing in your direction, and it’s up to us to press charges.”

  “You know I didn’t do it, right?”

  “I know. I trust you, but the signs are saying you did. I’ve been sticking my neck out defending you, but I’m not getting far. Rod is furious that a fortune was stolen and wants your head.”

  “Well, they’re after the wrong guy.”

  Silence.

  Kieran swallowed. “Fred, I need to ask a question. When did you find out we stopped funding Grief Relief?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Not that long ago.”

  “Was it before Christmas?”

  “It couldn’t have been that long.”

  Kieran’s eyebrows narrowed. “Fred, think about it please. Has it been over four months?”

  Fred paused, then his voice softened. “Yeah. It was before Christmas. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it was supposed to be a secret amongst the executive team, and I knew you had ties to that place. Honestly, I hate keeping secrets.”

  Was he telling the truth? Lena didn’t know him well enough. She examined Kieran’s face for the answer but found none.

  “It’s okay. It was business.” Kieran pulled into his driveway and put the car in park in front of his garage door. “I have one more question.

  “Yeah. Shoot.”

  “When I mentioned YABF Industries to you yesterday, you said you never heard of them, but you signed off on one of the invoices paying them. How did that happen?”

  “How do you know that?”

  “It doesn’t matter. How could you sign off on a company you’ve never heard of?” Kieran tightened his lips.

  “I’m a busy man, Kieran. I don’t remember every invoice that crosses my desk.”

  “Isn’t it good practice to know what invoices you sign off on?”

  The tension in the conversation reminded Lena of when her secretary confronted her. She had lied and lied, but never felt anyone truly believed her. Either she was paranoid, or a terrible liar.

  Fred’s voice was sharp. “I sign off on twenty invoices every day in addition to everything else I do. If I don’t know the company, I look back in the accounting software to see if someone else had already authorized a payment from them and repeat the process. I don’t have time to investigate every single thing.”

  Kieran rubbed his hands through his dark hair and sighed. “No worries, Fred. I was just asking. I’m in a tough spot here.”

  “I get it.” Fred blew a breath into the phone, coming across on speaker like a gust of wind. “Laverne and I have you in our prayers. We’re wishing you the best.”

  “I appreciate it. Let me know if you think of any way to help me out.” Kieran dropped his head back against the headrest.

  “Will do.”

  Kieran ended the call and pushed the button to raise his garage door.

  “What do you think?” Lena asked as they pulled inside.

  “I don’t know. I want to believe him, which makes this whole situation frustrating. How can we clear my name? It’s impossible to figure out what’s truth and what’s fiction.”

  Lena was still back in her own life. “My secretary caught me by finding one of the company’s cancelled checks made out in my name. I wasn’t as careful as whoever is in your situation since I was in charge of the finances, but the cancelled check confirmed my secretary’s suspicions.” Lena lifted the pile of invoices and copies of cancelled checks to YABF industries. She thumbed through them, examining the authorized signatures on the back. “Looks like they all were signed with your name.”

  “But it’s not my handwriting.” Kieran’s worry lines deepened.

  “I don’t think that’s enough evidence to clear your name.”

  Kieran’s eyes lit up, and he took the stack of papers from Lena. “You’re a genius. Maybe our answer lies within the cancelled checks.” He thumbed through the stack of papers and pulled out the first cancelled check. “It was cancelled at Blue Moon Bank in Little River.” He paged through the papers. “This one was cancelled at Smith and Sons Check Cashing in Little River.”

  “So…do you think whoever stole the money lives in Little River?”

  Kieran paged further through the checks. “Maybe…or not. This one was cashed at the Blue Moon Bank, but over in Sussex. It looks like it’s an oddity, though. Let’s get inside and spread these on the table.”

  “Maybe we should map them.”

  The huge smile on Kieran’s face relaxed Lena. Perhaps this was the end of this entire situation. They jumped out of the SUV. After a long, tiring day, this prospect excited him.

  Kieran held the entry door open for Lena. On her way through the doorway, he grabbed her hand and stopped her. “Thank you for everything.”

  Lena tried to hold back her smile. This wasn’t over yet. She wouldn’t get excited, but when Kieran kissed her cheek, she couldn’t hold back her emotions. Happiness spread across her face that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Kieran was truly an amazing man, seeming to forgive her for what she had done. Perhaps, she was luckier than she thought. When she went back to the Underworld, she hoped she would always remember the smile on Kieran’s face and his kind, brown eyes. Both were enough to get her through an eternity of freezing.

  KIERAN

  “So, you two are a couple?”

  Ems stood in the kitchen, right beyond the open entry door. Woofgang circled her feet. Kieran glanced to Lena, whose cheeks turned red. After years of not bringing a woman home, his instincts told him to deny it. He didn’t want Ems to get attached and hopeful, only to lose something again. When he glanced back at the beautiful Lena, he changed his mind. “I hope we are a couple.”

  “Wow, Mr. Plugh. You’re fast.” Lena teased as Woofgang ran to her, true joy on both their faces. He wished their situation was different, since he was falling for her fast. All he could do was get this scandal over with so they could move on.

  Emily smiled and stepped back into the house. Not at all what he had expected.

  Kieran plopped the pile of papers on the kitchen table and pulled out the copy of the PO Box Rental. Grabbing a manila folder from the computer desk drawer, he began a file of important papers. He added the invoices signed off by his top three suspects: his boss, Fred, the Director of R&D, Olivia, and the Director of Finance, Samantha. When he returned to the kitchen, Lena had the cancelled checks sprawled on the table. Ems hovered over her, eating a piece of string cheese, and Woofgang sat with his head on Lena’s lap. She gently rubbed behind his ears.

  “Ems, we have a little work to do. What do you have going on tonight?” Kieran asked.

  She shrugged, throwing the string cheese into her mouth. “I have a date.” She blushed as strongly as Lena had.

  “With whom?”

  Emily shrugged. “Gotcha. I’m just going upstairs to catch up on some You Tube.”

  With that, she kicked up a heel and left Lena and Kieran in the kitchen. Kieran could only shake his head.

  “You two have a special relationship.”

  “It is special.” Kieran smiled. “She can be a firecracker. Sometimes, I wonder how my parents would have dealt with her. Too smart for her own good.”

  “I always wished I had siblings. I was an only child of older parents.” Lena sorted the papers into piles.

  “Are they still alive?”

  Lena shook her head. “No, my mom died while I was in college, and my dad a few years later.”


  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. That was a long time ago.” She turned back to the checks, pulling out four of the twenty. “They were all cashed in Little River, except these four. They were cashed in Sussex. Two at Blue Moon and the other two Quick Money.”

  Sussex. Kieran’s chest constricted with the feeling of betrayal. “I hate to admit this, but Fred lives in Sussex. I don’t know anyone who lives in Little River. That city’s too far away to commute to Gen Power Systems.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Lena said. “How about the other two suspects, Olivia and Samantha?”

  “Olivia lives on the south side…and Samantha? I don’t know.” Kieran pulled up his phone and tapped Samantha’s name onto the screen. “She lives downtown. Not in Sussex.”

  “I think we did it.” Lena’s lips turned up into a smile. “That leaves only one suspect.”

  Kieran dropped back into the kitchen chair, a weight pressing his chest. “Do we have enough evidence to go to the police about Fred?”

  The smile Lena had disappeared. “I think it’s all circumstantial.”

  Kieran closed his eyes. “I’m exhausted and it’s only eight-thirty. This has probably been one of the most adventurous days of my life. Do you mind if we spend some time on the sofa? I’d like to relook at this all tomorrow with a clear head.”

  Lena stood up and took his hand, leading him into the living room. “I’d like that very much.”

  Kieran took a deep breath. Without Lena there, he was certain he’d be in a dark place. She brought him a light that gave him the strength to keep fighting.

  He turned the TV on, pulled Lena into his side, and took that advice from his mother so many years ago—he held on tight and would try to never let her go.

  Chapter 12

  LENA

  Sometime after the sun rose, Lena woke in Kieran’s arms on the sofa. This time, a gentle buzzing on the coffee table had them both stirring. Kieran held the phone in front of him. The screen flashed, Pine Ridge Estates.

  Kieran scooted up, keeping Lena against his side. “Hi, this is Kieran.” He clicked speaker and a gravelly voice filled the air.

  “It’s Jack from Pine Ridge. Did I wake you?”

  Kieran rubbed his eyes. “It’s no trouble. I needed to get up.”

  “Well, I’m calling to let you know that I pulled the lease file you mentioned yesterday. We have a copy of the photo ID we took to hold the apartment rented in your name. The good news is the photo looks nothing like you.”

  “Who is it?”

  The man laughed. “I don’t know, but I was hoping you might. I can text you a photo of the ID.”

  “That’d be great. Thank you!” Excitement laced Kieran’s voice as he ended the call. “This may be it. Hopefully, it’s the concrete evidence we need.”

  The stairs squeaked as Emily came bouncing down with Woofgang beside her. “Yeah,” she laughed. “You two are definitely a couple. Two nights in a row?” Her face beautifully displayed a sly, all-knowing smile.

  “It’s not like that, Ems.” Kieran turned his phone over in his hands.

  She arched an eyebrow.

  “Not that I wouldn’t like it, but…” he rubbed his hand through his dark locks. “It’s been one hell of a few days. Sit down. You have time before school, and I have a lot to tell you.”

  In the middle of Kieran’s explanation, the doorbell rang.

  Kieran crossed the living room and opened the door to the two female officers from two days ago. Woofgang carefully sniffed their legs, then laid on his dog bed in the corner.

  “Mr. Plugh. We hate to bring you this news, but we need to take you into custody. Gen Power Systems is pressing charges for the theft of nearly half a million dollars, and the evidence points your way.”

  “Kieran?” Disbelief filled Emily’s voice.

  “It’s okay Ems.” Kieran turned towards Lena and his look pleaded for her help. When he motioned towards Emily, she realized he was not asking for her to help him, but rather his sister.

  Lena nodded as the officers read Kieran his rights. Her heart hammered. She failed to keep him focused. Failed to prevent this future. He was a kind and responsible man, pushing his way through hard times and doing a great job raising his sister. He didn’t deserve this. He should never have met Lena. Her stomach churned.

  “Stop,” Kieran said. “I have evidence it wasn’t me. Lena, could you get the file?”

  Lena brought the manila folder to the shorter officer with the blush-defined cheekbones. She read her badge—Officer Potter. Her fingers shook as she pulled out the first piece of paper. “Here is the form for the rental of the PO Box. Note the signature is not Kieran’s. Kieran signed next to it to prove it to me.” She pointed at Kieran’s signature.

  The officer looked. “He can present that at his trial, but a mismatched signature does not indicate anything. I can make mine look a million different ways.”

  “And this,” Lena pulled out the signed invoices and cancelled checks.

  “Where did you get those?” The officer said, looking at Kieran.

  “From work.” Kieran turned towards Lena. “There’s no use in showing all that to the officers. Keep it together and we’ll straighten this out when that fake photo ID comes through.”

  Lena nodded as the officers finished reading Kieran’s rights.

  On the way out the door, Officer Potter turned toward Lena and Emily, saying, “He’ll call when he can. There might be a bail set where he can get out until his trial.”

  When the door closed, Emily dropped onto the sofa. “Will you explain what’s going on? He’d never steal from Gen Power Systems…I mean, he’d never steal from anyone.”

  Lena sat besides Emily and finished telling her the story Kieran started. Woofgang came over and laid his head upon Lena’s lap.

  “We need to find who took the money,” Emily said.

  Lena leaned forward. “It’s not that easy without Kieran’s knowledge.”

  “When will we know what’s going on with him?”

  Lena shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  Emily pulled a phone similar to Kieran’s from her pocket and touched the screen. “Well, let’s ask Google.”

  Yes. Google was a wealth of information. Lena sat in silent anticipation while the screen reflected in Emily’s glasses. “It says here that the police will book him, collect DNA samples, then set a bail, if he qualifies.” Emily looked up. “Do you think he qualifies?”

  “He has to. How’s he supposed to clear his name while in jail? They can’t keep innocent people there.”

  Emily returned to the phone. “It says they are lenient with setting bail for someone without a record, and I think his record is squeaky clean.”

  Kieran’s phone vibrated on the coffee table. Emily picked it up. “Hmm… Who is this photo of?” She turned it towards Lena.

  “That’s right! Pine Ridge Estates was sending a photo of whoever was impersonating Kieran. If it’s Fred, we have a closed case.” Lena squinted at the photo. It wasn’t anyone she recognized. “Have you ever seen that man before?”

  Emily shook her head.

  “Could you print it for me?”

  Emily clicked a few buttons on the screen and the printer by Kieran’s computer sprang to life. The photo was of a young, dark-haired man with blue eyes. A face that was completely unfamiliar.

  Lena added the print out into the manila folder. “I wish Kieran was here. I don’t know who anyone is.”

  “Well, we’re not going to get anywhere sitting around. I need to get to school. With everything going on, I may need time off later.” Emily stood, writing a number on a piece of paper. “Call me as soon as you hear something, K?”

  “I will. Oh, one more thing, since you’re so good with google. Could you look something up for me quick? Could you find a Stephen Colton from Oregon?” Lena picked up Kieran’s phone and handed it to Emily.

  “I’ll try.” Emily took the phone.
A few flicks of her finger and a moment later, she turned the phone toward Lena. “This Stephen Colton?”

  Familiar dark eyes and wavy blond hair stared at Lena, only now, he was all grown up in a suit and tie. Beneath his photo, it said, “Stephen Colton, Child Rights Attorney.”

  “Can you zoom out? I’d like to see the article.”

  Emily touched the screen and turned the phone over for Lena to read. “I need to fly. Remember, let me know as soon as you hear anything about Kieran.” She grabbed her backpack and a coat and headed out the door.

  Lena returned to the article, mindlessly stroking Woofgang’s head.

  Stephen Colton has dedicated his practice to helping unfortunate children. Coming from a life of abuse, he learned from a mentor, Lena Romano, that everyone deserves a second chance.

  Lena looked away from the screen. Her eyes were so full of tears that she couldn’t read further. She had taken Stephen under her wing after she had lost everything. She had thought she could make up for her crimes with one life. Then she got news about Amelia dying and she was so grief stricken, she couldn’t go on.

  Still, she must have made a difference in Stephen’s life.

  And now, she’d make a difference in Kieran’s, no matter what the Unfortunate had planned. She needed to find out who that photo was of, and with Kieran occupied, there was only one other person she could run the photo by. She’d pay Kieran’s boss, Fred, a visit.

  KIERAN

  Hours passed down at the police station and Kieran was exhausted. They took his statement, swabbed his mouth, and took a hair sample. He laid on an old cot, trying to sleep to pass the time, but he couldn’t. Details of the evidence he and Lena had gathered flowed through his mind. He examined it from every angle, going over the facts.

  First, someone had created a factitious company, YABF Industries, and went through great lengths to frame Kieran. To the best of his knowledge, nobody disliked Kieran. He floated through the company with much praise. He had even won Employee of the Year for three years straight.