Free Every Time We Say Goodbye by Colette Caddle

from his desk and came around to greet her, his smile faltering when he saw her expression. ‘You look done in, sweetheart; is everything okay?’
    She gave him a watery smile. ‘Not really.’
    ‘Come and sit down.’ He gestured to a chair and pulled his own around the desk so he could sit beside her. ‘I’d offer you a cuppa but there’s no milk.’
    ‘I could do with something a lot stronger.’
    ‘Come on then, spit it out, what’s up?’
    She dropped her bag on the dusty floor and flopped back in the chair; feeling tired and beaten. ‘I don’t know where to start.’
    ‘Try the beginning.’
    She looked into his kind face and took a deep breath. ‘Dominic was stealing from Matthews and Baldwin, Johnny.’
    ‘Are you serious?’ He stared at her in astonishment.
    ‘Yes. After he died they were going through his client accounts and apparently there are “discrepancies”.’
    ‘What sort of discrepancies?’
    ‘Adrian Matthews couldn’t or wouldn’t say; the investigation is ongoing apparently.’
    Johnny digested the news. ‘How much are we talking about?’
    ‘They don’t know exactly yet but they think it runs to six figures.’
    ‘Shit, you’re kidding me!’
    She shook her head. ‘I thought Dominic must have done it to pay for the drugs but he couldn’t possibly have spent that sort of money, could he?’
    ‘I wouldn’t have thought so.’
    ‘There’s more. All his business dinners, the working late, it was all lies.’
    ‘But why? And if he wasn’t at work, where was he?’
    Marianne shrugged. ‘You tell me.’
    ‘You think he was having an affair? No, Marianne, for all his faults, he loved you; get that silly notion out of your head.’
    Marianne took a tissue from her sleeve and blew her nose. ‘Do you honestly think I care, Johnny?’
    He looked uncomfortable. No, I suppose not.’
    ‘If he wasn’t meeting a woman then where was he?’
    ‘He could have belonged to one of these private gambling clubs. That would account for the stealing and his absences, and when he started losing money he dipped into the company coffers.’
    Marianne wasn’t convinced. ‘He never showed an interest in gambling before; I don’t think he ever even backed a horse in the Grand National.’
    ‘I doubt interest would have anything to do with it; remember he had an addictive personality.’
    ‘I suppose,’ she agreed.
    ‘So, how was Matthews with you?’
    ‘Initially he was quite frosty but he thawed. It helped that I agreed to hand over Dominic’s laptop.’
    ‘You did?’ Johnny frowned.
    ‘It would have looked very suspicious if I hadn’t.’
    ‘I suppose. You know, Marianne, I think you should take legal advice. We have to make sure that the company can’t seize your assets to pay his debts.’
    ‘Ha, what is there to seize?’
    ‘Your house, love,’ he said softly.
    ‘No, they wouldn’t take my house!’ She looked at him in alarm. ‘They couldn’t . . . could they?’
    ‘Probably not but we should find out.’
    She shook her head; the nightmare was getting steadily worse. ‘I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that on top of having no life assurance I now have no pension either.’
    ‘He said that?’
    ‘More or less. Why should they cough up for a man who robbed them?’
    ‘But that’s not your fault,’ Johnny protested. ‘Let me call my solicitor; Eddie’s a good guy.’
    ‘If you want, but I don’t have a leg to stand on and you know it, Johnny.’
    ‘We need to find that money, or what’s left of it.’ Johnny drummed his fingers on the desk and frowned in concentration. ‘Did they have any of his personal papers?’
    She shook her head. ‘Matthews said there weren’t any.’
    ‘Perhaps we should hire a private investigator.’
    Marianne raised her eyebrows. ‘And pay him with what?’
    ‘What a bloody mess. And poor Dot; how do you think she’ll take this latest bombshell?’
    ‘I can’t tell her,’ Marianne whispered. Dot had been