Transparency by Charles Royce (children's books read aloud txt) 📕

love each other unconditionally?”

She’s fighting back tears.

“Jenna, you have to understand,” he says, “all those weeks ago, after Billy Donovan shot at me in that basement, I wasn’t good. You saw me. When I finally came around, I was already in too deep. The grand opening, all the files and stupid flash drives, being an informant for the FBI. It was all too much. It’s just been too much.”

“I know, I know.” Jenna sniffs, then wipes her nose. She composes herself, as she laughs through a cry. “I’ve worked through that. Really, I have. I saw the news. I know what happened to you. All of you. I am so happy you’re okay. Like so, so happy. It’s just really h-hard.”

“Oh, honey.” He grabs her hand.

“No touching!” He hears someone say.

Jenna throws a glance to the guard. “With you and Tracy out there, I’ve just been so lonely, ya know?”

“I know.”

“And now Tracy?” She can barely get the words out. She leans forward, her shoulders shrugging.

“She was so strong, Jen. You should’ve seen her. I’ve never seen anything like it. She saved thousands of people. Tens of thousands.”

“Really?” Jenna leans up. “The news is calling you the hero.”

“Nope. It was all Tracy.” Josh taps his fingers on the table. “All of it.”

“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit.”

“All I did was follow through on the work you and I started together. You’re just as much a hero as I am.”

Jenna tries to smile. Her bottom lip starts quivering.

Josh notices. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“My, my dad.”

“What?” He reaches out his hand again, grabs Jenna’s. “Is he okay?”

“No touching!” says the guard.

“Up yours,” he says under his breath. He lets go of Jenna’s hand.

“It was a stroke,” she says. “He’s stable, doing better. He’s at that Podunk hospital in Lisieux.”

“Are French Podunk hospitals like the ones in rural Mississippi?”

“Probably,” Jenna says. “My parents cancelled their trip. They were coming for the trial.”

“Do they need help? Do they need money?”

“They’d never let you do that.” Jenna leans back. “It’s just disappointing. I need to see my father. I wanted to see both of them.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I spoke to Shawn this morning. None of the stuff we’ve found so far on the SSD has any mention of Lennox’s murder. None. Which either means you killed him all by yourself, which we all know isn’t true, or the underscore folder has all the answers.”

“It has to,” Jenna says. “I didn’t do any of what they accuse me of. There has to be evidence of West’s involvement. There has to be.”

“It’s only a matter of time before the FBI decrypts the underscore file. Shawn has already talked with Pillsbury, and he really thinks he can iron out a deal for you.”

“He’s told me. He said it’s going to take a while. They have to wait on West’s trial, make sure I follow through with testifying.”

“Well, I’m here.” He looks at his watch again. “I’m not going anywhere, except for a short little trip this week.”

“Good,” Jenna says. “I need you. The fact that no evidence was found linking West to Lennox’s murder is not a good thing. All the evidence points to me, and I know I didn’t kill him.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“And I think I’m onto something. Once I figure it out, I may need your help.”

Josh reaches down, pulls something out of his bag. “Well, if you’re onto something, here’s a little something to help you sort it all out.”

He places a red book on top of the table.

“I got this a couple of weeks ago,” he says. “I just couldn’t find the time to come see you. I’m so sorry, Jenna.”

Jenna picks it up, feels the soft leather. She opens it up. It’s filled with hundreds of blank textured pages with deckled edges. “A journal. Oh, sweet Josh, it’s beautiful.”

“I bought a pen, too, and some Parliament Lights, but they confiscated both of them.”

“Thank you. I love it. I’ll use it every day.”

“Write out all your thoughts. Get them out. It’ll help clear up all this bullshit.”

“I hope so.”

“And I’ll come see you every day I can.” He gets up to leave. “I promise.”

“Hey, Josh?”

“Yeah?” He sits back down.

“I can’t help but think about the account.”

“The account.”

“The account I help Lennox set up. The one with the 232 million dollars.”

“Oh, shit. Yes, that one. I never knew how much was in it.”

“You couldn’t have known the amount, I’m the one that set up the account for Lennox.”

“I know.”

“Remember when we went through my apartment closet after we talked that day at the restaurant?” Jenna asks.

“Yes.”

“The laptop was missing, I’m sure of it,” she says. “Some of the paperwork was also missing.”

“Yes, I remember. We were going to talk to Shawn about it, but you thought we were confusing him.”

“Well, I think I finally know who took it, all of it.”

“Who?” Josh asks.

He looks at his watch again.

Jenna notices.

She grabs the journal. “I’ll figure it out, and we can touch base later.”

“Okay.” Josh lingers, to see if she’ll say anymore. She usually does.

“Do you still have the other folders?” she asks. “The ones with the account numbers and passwords?”

“Yes. I told you months ago. I hid them far away from everyone associated with this company. Why?”

“No reason,” she says. “Where did you hide it?”

“Somewhere safe. When the time comes, we can go get it together.”

“You’re really not going to tell me where you hid it?” Jenna looks hurt.

“Jenna, you’re not thinking about doing anything stupid, are you?”

“With the money? No! I just want to make sure no one else has it.”

“Okay.” He looks in her eyes to make sure she’s not lying. He gets up again. “Well, I’m going out of town this week. But next week, I’ll come see you, I promise.”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh! I didn’t tell you.” He sits back down again. “I’m not supposed to mention it, but I talked with Kimbo last night.”

“What? Is he okay? Where has he been?”

“He’s fine,” Josh