Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Grady moved the containers of food to the table while I got out dishes and bottled water. Once we were both seated, I gave him an expectant look.
“So what did you mean when you said you found something?”
His expression turned serious. “I’ve been doing some digging on the income and expenditures you pointed out in the budgets. First, I wanted to check with Keller to see if that money was from him and he was traveling for work, so that took some time. It’s not from him, though. I know that.”
My heart swelled. Grady was helping with my story, which was more than I ever would have asked of him.
“I appreciate the help, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it just because…you know.”
Just because we had mind-blowing sex and hopefully would again. Preferably tonight.
“That’s not why I’m doing it,” he said, dipping a chip into the thick guac. “And this is all off the record, by the way. I’m looking into it because something’s off, and I think this is about to turn into a criminal investigation.”
I sat back in my chair, stunned. “What?”
“Again, this is just between you and me,” he said. “Okay?”
“Okay.”
He leaned forward on his elbows, the food forgotten. “I knew something wasn’t right when you first showed me those records. I get reports on the budget all the time because I’m a department head. I sit through endless budget meetings. And I didn’t recognize where that money came from or where it went out to. It took me a few hours of comparing budgets from past years and going through things, but…bottom line is that the income and expenditures you showed me don’t appear on any of the official budgets that have been given to me, other city officials, the mayor, and the council members.”
I shook my head, still reeling. All I had been looking for was an explanation—I hadn’t suspected anything like this.
“How can that be?” I asked.
“I think when your Freedom of Information request was filled, those accounts were on it by accident. They’ve been intentionally left off of all the official budgets.”
“But why?”
He sighed heavily. “I don’t know the answer to that yet. But I need you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“I need you to not talk to anyone but me about this for now. I know someone who has access to the city’s accounts is doing something they shouldn’t, but no one knows I know. That’s going to allow me to look into things without anyone having a chance to cover their tracks.”
I slumped in my chair, knowing what I should do. It wasn’t my job to work with any city official. If the city had large amounts of unaccounted money coming in and out, and no one could explain it, that was a huge story.
“I can’t just look the other way,” I said.
Grady nodded. “I get that. I’m just asking for more time. And if you’ll give me that, when the time comes, you’ll have a much better story. I promise I’ll give you everything I possibly can. On the record.”
A few seconds of silence passed. I wished I had a journalism mentor to tell me what to do, but it was just me. I wasn’t even a journalist. I was just keeping the seat warm until I sold the Chronicle. But I still wanted to do the right thing.
“You wouldn’t even know this much if I hadn’t told you,” he said. “And if you’d kept asking other people, eventually whoever’s doing this would have gotten wind and done their best to cover it up.”
“That’s true,” I admitted.
“Please.” He gave me an imploring look. “This can work out for both of us if you’ll just give me some time.”
I didn’t have much to go on for a story. On the record, I had nothing. Just my questions and no answers. There really wasn’t much of a choice.
“Okay,” I said. “But I want everything when I write my story. I don’t want the brick-wall treatment. Agreed?”
A smile played on his lips. “I promise I’ll give you everything I can. I’m about to call in the state police, so they’ll be leading the investigation.”
My eyes widened. “Seriously? You don’t think anyone else will hear about it when they start investigating?”
He shook his head. “They know what they’re doing. They have the power to freeze the accounts so no one has a chance to cover their tracks.”
“But this is your investigation. Your big discovery.”
He sat back, rubbing a hand down his beard. “It was your discovery. And I can’t run an investigation into my own city as a city department head. I’m required to call in the state police.”
“I can’t wait to find out what their investigation turns up. I’d understand if someone was just taking money from a city account, that’s stealing. But why would someone be depositing money and then taking it out?”