"It's why I'm fairly certain you had nothing to do with this." Peg stood. "Thanks for this authorization. This will clear your name for certain."
"Fairly certain?" He clenched his hands on his desk. "It's an insult to even have this doubt upon me. I've been with this corporation over twenty years and you've known me even longer. To even be considered a part of this reeks, Margaret."
At the mention of her full name, she dropped the corporate ice queen and appeared more the friend he knew. "I'm doing my job and I understand your anger, I do. But please don't blast the messenger. I never believed for a second you had anything to do with this. You're one of the brightest stars in the corporation, hard-working, ambitious, driven, and you're one of the most honest men I've ever been privileged to meet. You'd never do anything to jeopardize your name and honor let alone your work position. Stealing is as foreign to you as murder."
"Thanks for your confidence. It does so much to ease my mind."
"You have potential, especially with so many upper managers ready to retire soon." Peg tapped her fingers on his desk. "You're CEO material. The corporation recognizes excellence, plus you're in the focus of several important stockholders, not to mention the board. Just like you said way back, you'll be able to retire before the age of sixty and own a huge part of this corporation in the process. Don't blow all you've achieved over some lowly customer service rep you have some misguided notion to protect."
"She's not a lowly customer service rep." The accusation stung, especially since Christine worked hard, perhaps harder than anyone understood and certainly more than the corporation big wigs appreciated.
Peg raised a brow. "The corporation doesn't have an official policy on employee relationships as long as it's quiet and doesn't interfere with job performance. We're friends so I can say this: don't think with your dick this time. There's too much at stake."
Charlie felt his eyes narrow to slits. The problem with having longtime friends in the corporation meant they knew too many secrets. "It's not the same. Not at all, damn it."
"Perhaps not. But history does have a way of repeating itself. You like women, you always have. They fascinate you and you fascinate them. You also want to protect them. And God knows you're a handsome charmer."
"You had no trouble turning me down." Charlie leaned back in his chair, slightly at ease with Peggy behaving like a friend and not an accuser. "All the time too."
"I had a hell of a time turning you down." Peg smiled. "Good thing Eric came around or I may not have. Just don't let your personal life in this is all I'm saying. I don't want you hurt again."
"Christine is not the same."
"You said the same about Monica. You even married her."
Charlie huffed out a breath. "Low blow."
"The truth usually is." Peg shrugged. "Someone is stealing. I'm not really familiar with Christine Howell so I can't attest to her character. This"—Peg picked up the stack of invoices and shoved them in her case while speaking—"reeks of an unprofessional amateur, so obvious I could have found it drunk and blindfolded. You're a hell of a lot smarter."
"Thanks. I think."
"You're no amateur. Something is pointing directly at two people, which doesn't make sense, because a professional embezzler, or someone brilliant like you, would go out of his way to cover his tracks. Being so obvious means being discovered and losing the source of the money. It's stupid and senseless; a true criminal hides his tracks well. Some people think you recognized the situation and just let it happen."
"Are you one of those?" Charlie folded his arms across his chest.
"I told you, no. I can almost prove your innocence. But it's someone who is familiar with how, when, and where you order, how changes are made, when the shipments go out, the account numbers, and the date checks are cut. Someone in your office or Ms. Howell's since I can almost pinpoint the exact moment those routing numbers transferring the money to another account were made. I've investigated every person in your office, spent all of yesterday during your 'sick' day"—Peg glanced at him over the top of her glasses—"pouring over accounts and your subordinates' records."
"And?" Charlie ignored the unspoken question about his unexpected day off. "Find anything wrong?"
Peg shook her head. "Everyone else is above suspicion here. I'll clear you on the flight to LA, no doubt. I answer to the CEO and board first and foremost with hard facts and documented proof. I'll prove it's not you. Which is going to mean Christine Howell is going to have some difficult questions to answer."
"Let me find out who has the balls to frame us." Charlie placed both hands on his desk and stood. "Let me be part of the official investigation."