Twice Over

Chapter Fifty Six - Incorrigible

incorrigible
adjective
1. (of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or reformed
Noun
1. an incorrigible person

"Follow me, please Freddy." I turned around and hobbled out to the quad where I'd been having lunch with Jackson all week in the courtyard. Just inside the closed in space I stopped and turned to Dunstan and stood up straight.

"You were approached this morning before the first bell and given a soppy sap story about how Eyva Overmeyer accidentality locked herself out of her new computer and doesn't know the new password. She battered her eyelids, breathed heavily on you, pressed her boobs across your arms and held your hand. She was beautiful and innocent and you fell for the oldest scam in the history of honey traps."

"Pftt!..." Jackson snorted behind me, chuckling at the stupidity.

"Then she paid you a hundred bucks, or two hundred, and said that even if you couldn't get into her computer, that it didn't matter, that she would be really grateful if you gave it a try." I pretended a high, soft sounding voice, and ended with a breathy giggle. I then dropped the voice and sharpened my eyes at the teen before me.

"She praised your skills, called you a few handsome sounding names, battered her eyelashes and you fell for her, hook line and sinker. Am I close, Mr Fredricks?" I had dropped my crutches by the throne chair by now and was crossing my arms.

Dunstin Fredricks looked awful. He actually looked green around the edges of his mouth and the sides of his face, his eyes slightly wide and nearing panic. I had clearly outlined in my NDA that he'd signed, and listed contract infractions their subsequent penalties if he broke them. He signed that too. Now I have to figure out how far to take this with him, without losing a valued employee and contractor. I want him on my team, but he's already screwed the pooch. Talk about frustrating.

"Frack!" He rubbed his hands through his brown hair, making it all stand up on end, add to the distressed look he was wearing. "I didn't know. Shit."

"Yeah, well its worse than you think. You know that NDA you signed two days ago? Yeah, that one! And that employment contract that had an exit clause that outlined penalties for breech of contract? Yeah those ones..." I gave him a moment, then watched as his face closed down, all emotion falling away as he looked at my shoes. As his eyes narrowed, I realised he began to make up ideas in his head about Eyva and I colluding together to trap him.

"Nope. Stop thinking about that shit. If you suggest in any way I colluded with that incorrigible girl and I joined hands with her in any way, shape or form to trap you into signing contracts and blowing your cover, you can think again. I will be arranging a meeting with my step father at his office this afternoon and you will be there. Video surveillance footage of the laptop being stolen, and returned to my room and other evidence of this crime will be presented to you. Police reports, insurance statements. I will also disclose all of my company documents that outline directorship, governance, employers and any associated partnerships. Eyva Overmeyer is in no way involved with my company or its projects at all. And she probably has no clue about anything that I have created either." I huff my breath.

"Well, what am I supposed to believe? That your step sister stole your laptop, without your permission?" He crossed his arms now. "Not buying it." I can see that he's trying to brave the storm he is facing, but I call bullshit.

"Think what you like, but if you want to sort all of this out, you will turn up this afternoon and you will listen, or you will meet a notice from my lawyer tomorrow morning." I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look I get it, you got suckered by a pretty lady and fell into deep shit, but this is my company we are talking about. My hard work and thousands of dollars in assets and millions in intellectual property.

"That laptop you broke into was stolen by a woman who is the devil incarnate. I told you the other day what she was like, a two faced bitch. So generous and kind to everyone around her, but absolutely ruthless to her enemies. I. Am. Her. Enemy. She hates my guts and wants to see me fall so far and so deep that I can't see daylight. And I'm not kidding about that."

"Take a breath, Lills." A deep rumbling voice came from behind me. He picked me up and placed me onto the throne chair and pulled my foot up onto a bag on the bench seat.

Fredricks stood in place for a moment, then swore again.

"Don't confront Eyva, don't bother. She will deny everything. She has an alibi for everything and everyone. She even has you on colluding with the crime and will turn on you faster than a rabid nit on a rat. Just meet us this afternoon and leave me to sort it out."

"OK," he said then quietly left.

"Bloody Nora. Snap! I hate it when people nick my stuff."

"Ring your step dad." Jackson nagged.

"Shuttup. I got this." I waved him off then got out my phone.