Free Roll Against Regret (3d20) by Allyson Lindt

I didn’t stay to hear his answer. I was already walking back to the office, struggling to keep myself from feeling anything.

Chapter Thirteen
    It took the last of my restraint to keep the conversation with Carter from playing on a loop in my head. I settled back into my desk and pulled up the Zedophap files. I wouldn’t linger on what I’d just done. There was no reason to admit I’d turned down help I really could have used, because I still struggled with my past.
    I swallowed all of the doubt and immersed myself in research. Carter came back about fifteen minutes later. He didn’t look in my direction, but he did approach Ryan, introduce himself, and ask if Ryan was available to answer questions if needed.
    Ryan sent me an IM, asking what the deal was with my trainee going somewhere else. I ignored it, not sure what to say.
    I hadn’t even been at what I was doing for half an hour, before my phone rang. I grabbed it, but didn’t recognize the extension. “This is Zoe.”
    “Ms. Sutton, this is Greg Oliver. Will you join me and the other internal auditors in conference room I-32?”
    My stomach dropped to my shoes. “Of course. Do I need to bring anything?”
    “Just yourself, Ms. Sutton.”
    “I’ll be right there.” As soon as I could force my legs to work and get back the thought in my brain. This was status quo, right? I’d never been through an audit before, but they were probably talking to everyone involved in the project. It didn’t mean anything that Mark hadn’t warned me. I forced my feet one in front of the other toward the room number provided.
    When I got there, the room was lit, despite there being a projector on. Two men and a woman sat at the far end of the oblong table, paperwork spread out around them. All three heads swiveled in my direction when I hesitated in the doorway. The man in the middle stood. “Ms. Sutton, I’m Greg Oliver. Close the door and have a seat anywhere, please.”
    He was probably the same age as me, but his posture and flat expression made it difficult to tell. I swallowed, but the lump in my throat refused to go away. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. I took the seat at the far end of the table from them. Nowhere seemed appropriate, but it was closest.
    “Ms. Sutton, is it true you’re currently the responsible party for document control, in regards to the Zedophap contract?”
    “Yes.” I noticed he didn’t bother introducing his colleagues. Was that significant, or just their means of being efficient? All three made notes as I spoke, none of their expressions shifting. It gave me the impression I was on trial.
    “Thank you. And can you explain why almost every single digital document related to that account has been accessed in the last twenty-four hours?”
    These were standard questions. They had to be. Of course they’d want to know that information. I collected my thoughts as neatly and quickly as I could, and explained it had been in preparation for the audit. From there, the questions flowed into an explanation of how I’d verified versions; why Ryan’s log-in information was on several of the files, when he’d previously been removed from the project for incompetence; how the file structure had gotten to be a mess in the first place; and everything in between.
    I was half surprised they didn’t ask what I’d had for breakfast that morning, and if it had impacted my decision to keep the Zedophap files up to date.
    It was almost two hours later, when Mr. Oliver finally nodded at the door. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Sutton. You may go now.”
    I gave my polite goodbyes and shuffled back to my desk. I felt like I’d just been wrung out. How could something as simple as answering a series of questions leave me so exhausted? The journey back to my desk took me past Carter. From the corner of my eye, I saw him swivel his head toward me, but I couldn’t meet his gaze. The last thing I was up for right now was another conversation.