Miranda Vaughn Mystery 01.00 - Chasing the Dollar by Ellie Ashe Read Free Book Online Page A

it in funds that would provide the best results for the clients. That 's where the transfers should stop. But they weren't stopping there. The money might pause for a breath, but then it looked like it was skipping off to vacation in Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Belize, and increasingly in Macau.
    Patterson Tinker had offices overseas, including a thriving branch in Macau, where the economic boon was ripe for quick profits. But the clients who invested in the Sahara Fund were generally older, close to retirement or already retired, and wanted low-risk investments. Building high-rise condominiums or wind-generated power plants in Macau was not a low-risk investment. It was the opposite of that. The subsidiary in Macau was involved in casinos, housing and other businesses that could experience huge growth—or collapse and leave the investor with nothing.
    Ralph often traveled there, and Tim had gone several times, too. Many people in my office had traveled there for meetings. On the one trip to the Asia office that I'd accompanied Tim on, I was stuck in a conference room for most of the week and didn't get much of a chance to venture out of the Patterson Tinker offices. I had a view of the city and the dozens of construction cranes and half-finished skyscrapers rising out of the urban landscape, over which a layer of dirty air lay. It felt miles away from the glamour and glitz of the casino scene, which Ralph and Tim raved about on the plane home.
    There had been another trip planned, but I was arrested and fired about three weeks before I was supposed to leave. So reviewing records related to the Macau office was leaving me with a very bitter taste in my mouth.
    I closed the laptop and left it on the kitchen table, and then got a beer out of the refrigerator. I took it with me to the bathroom and turned on the shower, downing the beer before I finished washing my hair. The warm water and the cold beer worked to relax me, and by the time I stepped out of the tiny enclosure, I was certain that I 'd finally be able to sleep.
    I dried off and wrapped myself in a towel and then stepped out of the bathroom to find some clothes. The nice thing about my tiny home was that everything was close at hand. The one-bedroom apartment was cozy. It was quirky. I 'd fixed it up just as I liked it.
    At least that 's what I told myself.
    My laundry basket was by the door, where I 'd dumped it after coming back from using Aunt Marie's washer and dryer. I picked it up, rested the basket against my hip and was starting to return to my bedroom when I heard a loud knock on the door just feet from me.
    " Jesus!" The sound came out of nowhere and startled the hell out of me. I glanced at the Mickey Mouse clock over the kitchen sink and saw that it was nearly 10 o'clock. Who the hell would be knocking at my door this late?
    I flipped on the outside light and peered through the lacy curtain covering the glass panes on the door.
    My heart seized up at the sight of FBI Special Agent Jake Barnes.
    " Fuck."
    It was the only word that came to mind. My knees wobbled, and my mind raced back to the last time I 'd had an unexpected encounter with the FBI—when they'd come into my office on a Friday afternoon and presented me with an arrest warrant.
    " Ms. Vaughn?"
    I was still staring at him, frozen in place. I dropped the laundry basket on the floor and opened the door the few inches the chain lock would allow.
    "Yes?"
    " I'd like to talk to you," he said. "Could I come in?"
    He sounded polite, but I wasn 't going to be fooled again.
    " You got a warrant?"
    He gave me a small smile. "No, it's not that kind of visit."
    " Well, come back with a warrant, and I'll let my attorney know of your visit, Agent Barnes."
    He looked surprised that I used his name, then uncomfortable.
    "Please, Ms. Vaughn," he said. "I just need a few minutes of your time."
    I shook my head, and my wet hair dripped onto my bare shoulders.
    He paused, his lips tightened into a frown.
    " I