She pats my shoulder. “Great. That’s what I love to hear. Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. Have a good night.”
As Liz walks back into the building, it hits me that an additional class is going to take a lot of my time. Time away from Cody. Time I need to convince him that he does want to move up here. Permanently.
CHAPTER16
Cody
“When I contractedfor protection services for Joseph, I thought he had received a threat from a student. I had no idea he had a gambling problem,” Chip says as he stares out his window.
I’ve been studying Chip since the moment I sat down in his office to give him the news about Joseph; he’s given no sign that he’s being dishonest, but how the hell could the man not know about Joseph’s gambling? It seems obvious to me that those cuts to the hockey team weren’t real cuts but Joseph ‘borrowing’ the money.
Is that why I was really brought in? To solve their embezzlement problem? I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “You didn’t know about his gambling?”
Chip shakes his head. Again, no tells.
“I’m sure he didn’t want you to know,” I reason. “And it sounds like he had it under control until recently.”
The man nods his head. “Yeah, that’s how it goes, isn’t it?”
I frown. “It?”
“Addictions. It’s under control until it isn’t. As much as you think you have control, you unfortunately learn you are the one being controlled.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
Chip smiles. “I do.” He opens his drawer and pulls out a small medallion. “Ten-year coin.”
“Congratulations.”
I mean it. I haven’t personally battled those demons, but I know enough from watching my mom all those years. When addiction gets hold of someone, it doesn’t want to let go. Not without taking everyone out first.
“So, you think he ‘borrowed’,” Chip makes finger quotes, “money from the hockey fund?” He sighs. “You must be mistaken. Joseph was moving funds around as part of his job. And I warned him about dipping into the hockey fund, I told him he needed to have all the paperwork in place first. I knew the coach would lodge a complaint otherwise.”
“Can you explain how the funding for the hockey program works?”
Chip leans back and steeples his hands as he stares me down. “It isn’t something I’m very familiar with. I relied on Joseph and Sam to work all that out.”
“Sam?”
“The men’s hockey coach. The athletic department usually oversees all the funds, but Joseph and Sam worked out a way to keep the money flowing. You know, less bureaucratic red tape.”
“And the head of the athletic department is okay with this arrangement?”
He gives me a level stare. “Of course.”
“Can I talk with Sam?”
That brings a smile back to his face. “Of course. I’ll call him and let him know to expect you.”
“Thank you.” I stand and make my exit. It’s clear I’m not getting any more information here today. Once I’m outside, I call Rover.
“Rover here.”
“Hey, thanks for sitting guard while I talked to Joseph’s boss.”
It’s been two days since the house fire, and Joseph is still being sedated. I can’t get any answers from the doctors about why they are sedating him because they claim due to HIPAA regulations they cannot say.
“It’s part of the job, right?” Rover laughs. “Besides, I need the distraction right now anyway.”
