Chapter 144

The head of security rushed to my office. “I’ve got men combing through all the footage from this floor, the elevator, and the stairwells during the past half hour.”

“Concentrate on the conference room and the adjacent hallway,” Victor instructed the man. “Somebody took Miss Wilson’s test from that table. We need to find it as soon as possible.”

“Other than Miss Wilson, we were the only ones in the room and the hallway,” Mr. Foster insisted. “Are you accusing us of cheating, Victor?”

“Of course not,” Victor replied. “But the test is gone, and I know Daisy would never cheat. That means somebody else took it.”

The security chief received a call on his cell phone. He stepped outside the room, and I heard him giving orders.

“Send the footage to Miss Wilson’s email, and close off all elevators, stairwells, and exits until further notice.”

He returned to my doorway. “We know who took your test from the conference room table,” he said. “Please watch the footage on your monitor while I detain the guilty party.”

My hands shook as I opened the email and sent the security video footage to the large flat-screen television on the far wall.

“Gentlemen, shall we watch the culprit steal Daisy’s test?” Victor asked.

It was strange to watch myself finish the test and raise my hand to tell Mr. Thomas I was finished. Then we saw Mr. Thomas pick up my test and place it on the table before going out into the hallway.

It was plainly visible in the video when I walked out the door without touching the test. The video then showed I walked down the hall, turned the corner, and almost ran into the cleaning lady’s cart before speaking to one of the receptionists.

On the split screen, my test was still lying on the table. But then my three testers walked down the hall to get a new pen from reception, and someone else slipped into the conference room.

Within the space of a few seconds, they grabbed the trash liner from the can, stuffed my test inside, and left the room.

Rushing down the hallway, Joyce, the cleaning lady, stuffed the bag into the trash receptacle of her cart and continued her routine of collecting trash from the remaining offices.

“The cleaning lady!” I gasped. All I knew about her was her name and the fact she worked on this floor several hours a day, five days a week.

“Why would she steal my test and throw it away?” I wondered.

“Let’s ask her,” Victor said. He looked to the head of security, who reappeared at my office door. “Do you have her?”

“Yes, Mr. Klein,” he replied and pulled the cleaning lady I only knew as Joyce into the room.

The petite, middle-aged Beta woman was visibly frightened as she stood in front of my desk. She shook and kept her eyes lowered.

I felt her terror, and it sparked compassion in me. “Please sit down, Joyce. I only want to talk to you.”

Joyce reached behind her for the arms of the club chair and sat down hard.

“I’m sorry, Miss Wilson,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry. I had to do it. I needed the money for my grandson.”

I looked at Victor, and he nodded. He wanted me to show the others I really was in charge.

“Who paid you to take my test?” I asked.

“Mr. Cameron,” she replied. “My daughter works for him as a maid. Her son needs special medicine, and she can’t afford it. She went to Mr. Cameron to ask for a raise. Instead, he came to me and asked me to steal your test.”

“How much did he pay you to do it?” I asked.

“He didn’t pay me yet,” Joyce said. “He said he would pay me ten thousand dollars when I brought him your test. He’s waiting inside a black Cadillac on the lowest level of the parking garage.”

“Will you swear to all this in a court of law?” Mr. Thomas asked.

“I will,” Joyce promised. “Mr. Cameron is an evil man. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“Detain John Cameron,” I ordered the chief security guard. “I want him arrested.”

“I’ll take care of it myself,” the chief guard said and went downstairs on the elevator.

“Now, let’s find my test,” I said.

“Let’s look through the trash,” Mr. Edwards suggested. I wrote your name and the date across the top. I’ll know my own handwriting.”

The three Alpha businessmen looked odd going through the trash bin on the cleaning cart. But they found the test within a minute, and Mr. Edwards confirmed it was mine.

“We will take it back to the conference room right now and grade it,” he said.

My legs grew rubbery, and I sat down behind my desk. The drama of the last hour was getting to me.

“Will I be arrested too?” Joyce asked. The poor woman was shaking from head to toe.

“Can I trust you after this?” I asked.

“I’ll never do anything like this again,” she promised. “I was desperate to help my grandson. He must have that medicine, or he could die.”

“I won’t have you arrested, and you can keep your job,” I said. “And I will make sure your grandson has his medicine.”

“Bless you, Miss Wilson,” Joyce said. “I won’t let you down again. I swear it.”

“Take the rest of the day off, and tell your daughter I will hire her here,” I said. “She needs to stay away from Mr. Cameron. He soon won’t be needing a maid.”

Joyce got up from the chair and threw herself at my feet. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Miss Wilson. You have my everlasting gratitude for this.”

I helped her to her feet and walked her to the elevator. “Go home and get your daughter out of John Cameron’s house immediately. I’ll have someone call you to arrange for your grandson’s medicine.”

“Thank you, Miss Wilson,” Joyce repeated before leaving the floor.

When I returned to my office, Mr. Edwards was placing the graded test on my desk.

“Congratulations, Miss Wilson,” he said.

Victor stood nearby, grinning.

I picked up the test and let out a whoop of joy. I answered all the questions correctly.

All three Alpha elders congratulated me and promised to spread the word that I had passed with a one hundred percent score.

As they left my office, I received word that John Cameron had been arrested.

“I can’t believe my nightmare with him is over,” I told Victor.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Victor said. “Someone will always be climbing the ladder who will try to knock you down. But I don’t think you’ll have any more trouble from him.”

I decided to enjoy my triumph. “What about my burger and milkshake you promised me?”

“Let’s go, he said.

Victor took my hand, and we left my office and got on the elevator.

We climbed into the Lamborghini and drove out of the city. He took me for a leisurely drive to the next town, where he used the drive-through at a fast-food restaurant.

When we had our burgers, fries, and shakes, he drove us to a wide pull-off on a back road next to the river.

It was a beautiful and peaceful place to sit and enjoy my reward.

“We need to get back to the mansion before too much longer,” Victor said.

“Why?” I asked as I sucked down the last of my milkshake.

“Alex has a surprise for you, and you don’t want to be late.”

“What’s the surprise?” I asked.

“You’ll find out,” Victor said with a sly smile.