Page 67 of Beautiful Life
I tip my head to the side and return haughtily, “Yeah? Well my man balances the scales of justice.”
Instead of pretend jabbing back with words, her stature softens again and she says quietly, “Yes. Yes, he does, Leigh.”
At her words and their meaning, I immediately tear up again. “Don’t make me cry.”
“Sorry,” she says, totally meaning it this time.
I sigh, decide it’s time to get it together, and change the subject. “You haven’t made very much progress you know. This isn’t like you, not being able to focus on shopping. Even with that intervention you just threw at me.”
Gabby shrugs. “I know. I already have a Valley Girl outfit at home I can fall back on if push comes to shove. I was hoping to find something Molly Ringwald-ish from Pretty in Pink.”
“Molly Ringwald pink dress or Molly Ringwald suit jacket with all the lace?”
“Suit jacket with all the lace, for sure,” she exclaims like I should know this. Gabby went through an eighties phase a couple years ago and now I’m wondering if she’s reverting back.
“Look at this.” I pull out a tiny black shrug trimmed in animal print. “This is perfect. Now I just need some fishnet leggings.”
“You’re going to be hot as Madonna. Eighties Madonna is the best.”
“Are you done? I still need to go to Claire’s for leggings and more jewelry. I bet I can find a bow for my hair, too.”
“Sure,” she says, as we head to the register.
On the way we pass the men’s section and Gabby squeals, “Wait, look at this sweatshirt. I think I’ll be the chick from Flashdance. Why didn’t I think of that before? Wait, what’s her name? I can’t believe I don’t own that movie. This is it, I’ll get leg warmers at Claire’s, but then we need to stop by Best Buy so I can buy the Flashdance movie. Jude and I can watch it tonight.”
I laugh as I think Gabby is definitely reverting back to her eighties phase if she’s expanding her movie collection from the era. “Gab, Jude wouldn’t watch Sex in the City. Do you really think just because you’re married now he’s going to start watching eighties movies with you?”
“He’ll throw attitude about it, that’s for sure, but I might be able to make a deal with him.” She pulls out her wallet from her purse. “Come on, let’s pay. Tony was pissy about us shopping to begin with when we left them with the dogs. I promised I wouldn’t keep you out all night. There’s no reason to push the new in love Tony Carpino past his limits.”
Tossing my Madonna wears up on the counter, I grin back at her thinking how Tony was adamant about us hurrying our shit up and not getting home too late. We pay for our eighties duds and head outside to the parking lot.
“Can I drive?” Gabby asks. “I love your new car.”
I grin. “Sure.”
Gabby drives us to the mall before we head home to her husband, my whatever Tony is, and my whatever Finny is.
My life.
I guess I need to start thinking about it. Maybe I’ll just think about thinking about it. At least that’s a step in the right direction.
*****
Tony
“I can’t believe this has happened.”
I look down at Jason McCurdy sitting at his desk at McCurdy Transfers headquarters. He’s got his elbows to the desk, his head bowed in his hands, and won’t stop muttering his disbelief of what we’ve found.
It’s been just over two weeks since we started digging deeper into where the profits were disappearing, but yesterday we nailed it down to a long-term employee of the company and the current Chief Financial Officer, Richard Blaton. Blaton has woven a tangled web, but we now have proof it was him. Over the past six years since Blaton was appointed CFO, he has created bogus payable accounts in the forms of fuel, maintenance, and repairs. He’s been scheduling regular payments to these accounts and, after uncovering layer upon layer, we’ve connected it to accounts linked to him without a doubt. FBI White Collar Crimes is here combing his office, files, and computers for evidence. But more importantly, I just got the call from Omaha PD informing us Richard Blaton was taken into custody from his home on money laundering and embezzlement charges.
He wasn’t taken into custody without drama, either. Apparently, his adult son who still lives with his parents but from the sounds of it, is too old to, went absolutely apeshit when his dad was arrested. To the point where he became physical with officers. He had to be restrained and warned if he didn’t settle down, he’d be taken into custody, as well, for disorderly conduct. This was all going on as Blaton’s wife was hysterical as to why her husband was being carted away. It sounded like it was drama all around. I’m glad I wasn’t there for the show.
“Let it go, Jason. What’s done is done. There’s still a substantial amount of money in those accounts that are now frozen. If all goes like it should, McCurdy Transfers will get that back. In the coming days we’ll have more of an idea where the rest of the money is and if it can be returned. You’ll have to wait out the trial unless he tries to make a plea. Who knows what he’ll do. The sale of the company will have to be on hold while this plays out,” my dad explains.
Pulling his head out of his hands, he looks up at me, Gino, and my dad. “I can’t thank you enough for finding this. I have no idea how we let it go this long without realizing what he was doing.”
I think to myself a simple audit might’ve done the trick, but instead, offer, “No problem. You need to be prepared for questions from the press. When it gets out you’ve lost millions over the last couple years from embezzlement, they’ll be all over this with your company being local and a major employer.”
