Evil's Root

Chapter 2

Barry Stein hit the plus sign on his keyboard, followed by enter, and studied the totals as they blipped across the columns on the screen. Business was sweet and he was staring hungrily at the proof. The first quarter was at least twelve percent above forecast and the next quarter looked equally productive.

The next screen showed the figures made available to his accountant and other company officials, and Barry spent a few minutes confirming there were no red flags showing. He cleared the screen and pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the desk drawer. The ledger was stored under a false bottom in the drawer and he laid it carefully on the desk, opening it to the active page.

Barry ran his stubby fingers over the figures and sighed inwardly. He took his pen and made a new entry, matching it with the numbers he held in his head, then wrote a reminder note and left it in the drawer above the journal, locking it and pocketing the key.

For six years Barry had been siphoning money from the business into a blind account, and from there spreading it across a series of fake invoices and expenses that even his accountant failed to reconcile. This was Barry's screw you all I'm outta here fund, and with today's largest and final addition of three hundred and fifty thousand, it totalled one million, seven hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars in cash, safely stashed in accounts only he could access.

He shut down his program and turned off the computer with a satisfied sigh. Using Ted as the bagman had been a clever stroke, providing another barrier between himself and the actual cash, which he arranged for through another series of blinds. He would have Ted deliver this last amount on Friday to his confidential cache and then wait two months more, the term he'd settled on as a cautionary period just in case.

Now that it was closing in, he felt the tingle of fear-coated excitement. His wife Doris was going to get one hell of a shock when she woke up one day soon and found him gone. Barry wasn't squirrelling away all that money to drag his dowdy housewife around; he had designs on someone else, someone who would add the same excitement to his sex life as the money would to his social life.

At fifty-nine, Barry failed to see the image he presented to others. Not that he was a troll or anything, but he was height challenged, slightly tubby and had hair, what was left of it, that failed to see the need to conform. What Barry did offer was unrelenting confidence around women - any women.

Company parties were his favourite hunting ground and more often than not, he succeeded where the boy toys failed. Of course, Barry only had one prerequisite; they must be an agreeable opposite gender. Beyond that the sky was the limit. Of all his outside activity only two women held his attention with any regularity. Sandra, the younger and always available bartender at his favourite watering hole, and Heidi van Rugel, owner of Heidi's Tours, two shops down from his in the mall.

He had never managed a complete conquest of Heidi, only a surprise chaste peck on the lips when he found out it was her birthday, and he took her a chocolate latte. She didn't respond beyond that, but she didn't object either. To Barry, that was as good as a potential sleepover.

He leaned back and stretched, smiling at the possibility. Heidi displayed a certain something that men such as Barry really admired. Another woman that he felt similarly about was Gwen Hellinger, and he wondered if Ted's wife would be interested in helping him spend his private lottery.

Gwen had always been given special attention at the company functions, and was another one that didn't object to his advances, even encouraged them - he thought. Wouldn't that put the wind up that sanctimonious son-of-a-bitch, Ted. Yep, maybe time to test those waters too. He pulled on his jacket, hit the lights and left the office, locking the street door and walked around to his car.

ööööö

She saw him in the mirror as he came through the door and she sighed, ready to play the part of interested party. He grinned and gave a little wave as he took a seat and nodded when she held up his favourite bottle of scotch.

"You're looking smug," she said, setting the drink on a coaster in front of him. "Been swallowing canaries?"

"There's a dirty line there somewhere," He winked and sipped his drink.

"Only you would think of that." She busied herself wiping the surrounding surface, leaning just enough to drag his eyes into her cleavage. "Are you smug today?"

"What time do you get off?"

She stood up and looked at him. This was a definite first for Barry Stein. Up to now they had just casually, exchanged details for a possible time and place when business was slow. This was a leap, and she wasn't sure she wanted to take it.

"This is new, Barry. Should I be flattered or concerned?"

He smiled widely and sipped his drink again. "Both, maybe."

"That you'll have to explain."

"I want to. after work. Watta ya say? I think you'll be more than interested."

She studied him thoughtfully. The fact that she had a full-time, part-time lover never got in the way of her wading in different waters, and it wasn't always a must that they be Prince Charmings.

Barry wasn't a bad looking guy, a little pleasingly plump around the gut and maybe a tad thin on top, but then she knew lots of women that hung on the arms of his type and did very well for themselves. He was certainly a better prospect than her other admirer - at least he paid. She decided what the hell and leaned on the bar in front of him.

"I get off at ten."

Barry grinned and polished off his drink. "Super, Sandra. See you then."