All the Way by Kimberley White Page A

shirt, moving around her in a complete circle to ensure a thorough job. He moved down each pants leg, doing the same. “No more ants.” He cupped her cheeks in his palms. “We’ll get you a shower and you’ll feel better.”
    Now she felt plain silly. “Thank you.”
    â€œ Hello? ” Jake called. “What the hell are you two doing?”
    Adriano took her hand and led her across the street, helping her into the backseat of the car. Jake said a few words to him over the hood of the car before climbing inside. After introductions, Adriano told his partner what she’d witnessed. Jake watched her warily, his keen gaze penetrating, searching for any evidence of deception.
    â€œYou have no idea why Grazicky is opting to kidnap you instead of killing you?” Jake asked. He wasn’t confrontational, but he made it clear he wasn’t completely convinced by her story.
    â€œNone.”
    â€œThink hard.” He grilled her on the daily operations of Skye and how involved she had been. He quizzed her about her personal involvement with Sherman.
    â€œIf I knew why Sherman wants to see me, I’d tell you. Why would I hide it?”
    â€œBack off, Jake,” Adriano told his partner.
    Jake ignored him. “Grazicky managed the books himself. He never gave you access?”
    â€œOnly to the payroll of the workers I supervised.”
    â€œOkay. Was there any account, client list, or schedule he let you see? Maybe he was out of town and called and asked you to look up something.”
    â€œDid you ever share the management of a client?” Adriano added.
    She combed her brain but couldn’t remember anything.
    â€œDid you ever go to business meetings together?” Jake asked. “How did he keep tabs on you?”
    â€œHe handled the business with the suites. I managed the rest. We’d meet to discuss what I was doing, go over profits and losses.”
    â€œYou’re out there working solo,” Adriano said. “If you’re both going in different directions, how did you get in touch with him?”
    â€œMy calendar.”
    Jake twisted in his seat, eager to hear more.
    â€œWhat about your calendar?” Adriano asked.
    â€œMy life is mapped out in my planner. I kept a copy of Sherman’s calendar too. In case there was an emergency. Sherman lives at Skye, but he spends a lot of time in meetings and doesn’t like to be disturbed. I started getting a copy of his schedule from his secretary after he blasted me for walking in on him once. When he found out his secretary had been releasing his calendar, he didn’t like it.”
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œNothing major. His face said he was unhappy, but he held his composure. When I went to get his schedule for next month, a lot of the dates had been blacked out.”
    â€œBingo,” Jake said. “Where do you keep your planner?”
    â€œMy Palm Pilot, but the FBI confiscated it.”
    â€œForensic evidence.”
    â€œThey promised to get it back to me as soon as they were done.”
    â€œYou said your life is mapped out in the planner,” Adriano said. “What did you do for a replacement?”
    â€œI didn’t have to replace it—”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œMy Palm malfunctioned once, and I spent a week trying to reconstruct my schedule, so I always keep a hard-copy backup. At the end of the day I write everything in a pocket calendar so I’ll have a duplicate.”
    â€œWe have to get that calendar,” Adriano said. “Where is it?”
    â€œMy apartment.”
    â€œYou did good, angel.”
    Jake’s eyes popped out of his head, but Adriano didn’t see it because he was too busy smiling at her.
    She broke eye contact, shifting to Jake.
    â€œI spoke to our editor, Mr. Conners, about this,” Jake told her. “He has connections and resources he’s willing to use to help, but this adventure is