Chapter 29
Matteo
After getting dressed, I headed back over to my apartment. I was hoping they would be finished so I could clean it up. I had never really liked staying in hotels. My bed was more comfortable. It was going to take a couple of days to get it back to where it used to be. I might have to hire someone to come and clean it. Between work and everything else, I probably wouldn’t have time.
I didn’t want to think about what that bitch did to me. Kimberly betrayed my trust. Usually, I was very careful around women, but she was my assistant. That girl knew practically everything there was to know about me. Of course, she would have known I wouldn’t be home. I was supposed to be at that dinner. Plus, now that I thought about it more, it was a late addition to my calendar. I only found out about it two days before the event. She wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be there. Sneaky bitch! This was a prime reason why I never trusted anyone outside of my family. People use people. There was no kindness left in the world. People only help people when it’s beneficial to them in some way. It made me sick to think about what our world was coming to.
I shook my head, frustrated because I needed to stop thinking about it. There was nothing I could do now. Right now, I couldn’t care less about the ring. It wasn’t important to me anymore; the only thing that was bothering me was the fact that she went into my home and stole from me. Kimberly invaded my privacy and took away me feeling secure in my own home.
My phone rang, but I didn’t recognize the number.
“This is Matteo Andrews,” I answered, waiting for Kimberly to be on the other end, so I could give her a piece of my mind.
“Mr. Andrews, this is Detective West. You can come down and pick it up the ringif you wish,” he explained.
I felt a lump in my throat suddenly. She was in custody? Did this mean I could have my home back? The tape can come down? I should have felt relieved, but all I wanted to do was cuss her out. Let her know how disappointed I was in her and ask her why she did it. If she needed a raise, she should have just asked.
I pulled myself together, locked my door behind me, and headed to the police station. On my way over, I couldn’t help but think about how generous I was toward my employees. I paid them better than most businesses, gave them a vacation, holidays off, and even their birthday. I was an understanding boss when it came to most things. Why would one of them steal from me? Didn’t I give them enough?
When I pulled up to the police station, I finally started to feel a sense of relief. All I had to do was go in, sign some paperwork, get the ring back, and then go home. All that nonsense would be left behind. But I couldn’t really do that. My mind wouldn’t let me. I needed to know her reason. I needed an explanation.
Detective West was sitting behind a desk but immediately got up when he saw me walk inside. He went straight over to his desk, pulled out the ring, and put it in a bag.
“Here you go, son. We got the fingerprints and everything we needed from it. It’s all yours.” He smiled, not realizing I wanted something else.
I hesitated slightly. “So, can the tape come down? I can go back to my house? I need it cleaned.”
He nodded his head and started to walk away when I put my hand on his shoulder. His head turned around, confused. I had to know her answer.
“Is there any way I could have a few moments with Kimberly? It’s killing me that she did this, and I just need to know why.” I asked with a concerned face while hoping the detective granted my request.
Instead of answering straight away, he walked over to the police chief, quietly said a few words, then told me to follow him. He led me inside what appeared to be an interrogation room. Never been in one of these. In seconds, she would be sitting across from me, staring into my eyes, telling me why she robbed me. Instead of seconds, it felt more like hours. I had too much on my mind to be left in the room alone.
The door finally swung open, and Kimberly entered in cuffs, and Detective West sat her down at the table. The cuffs stayed on. The door closed behind him, and I couldn’t speak. I knew what I wanted to ask her, what I needed to know, so why couldn’t I just ask? Was it because I feared what her answer might be? Probably. Nevertheless, I had to ask. Get it off my mind.
I took a deep breath, opened my mouth, and asked, “Why did you do it?” I knew the question seemed trivial, but it was what my mind formed. Honestly, it was the biggest question I had for her. Why beat around the bush?
She wasn’t even looking at me. Her head was pointed toward the floor, and it looked like her eyes were closed. So, I asked again. Her head moved slightly, but nothing came out of her mouth. I was getting agitated that she wouldn’t answer me. I slammed my hands down on the table, the sound echoing off the walls, and yelled, “Just tell me why you fucking did it. Why did you feel the need to steal from me? Do I not pay you enough? Give you enough paid vacation? Huh? Fucking answer me!”
Her head shot up, looking at me straight in my eyes. Her pupils were dilated so much, it looked like she was possessed. Her eyes squinted as she began to form words. “You want to know why? You sure? You’re not going to like it. Fuck it, I’ll be honest with you. You remember that bitch Kelsey? Well, that bitch was my best friend. You ruined her career, her name, and then didn’t even give her the ring. Once you buy someone something, it’s theirs. You should have never kept this ring to begin with. It belongs to her!”
Kelsey? This was all about Kelsey? It’d been five years, and somehow, she was still fucking up my life. Plus, I never even gave her the ring. She broke up with me before I even had the chance. Kimberly was nothing like she portrayed while being my assistant. She was just using me just like Kelsey did to get what she wanted. I didn’t even stay around after that. I jumped out of my seat, opened the door, and jetted out of the police station. I never wanted to see or hear that bitch’s name again. Maybe Kimberly was the last straw. I tossed the ring way up in the air toward the grass and walked away. I didn’t want the ring anymore. It only reminded me of Kelsey. Besides, I had no need for it.
Starting my car, I felt relieved to finally know why she did it. Now that Kimberly was in jail, Kelsey would finally have to leave me alone for good. I never wanted to hear either of their names again. Sitting at the exit of the police station, I thought of where to go from there, and the first thing that came to my mind was my sister’s house.
I took off in my car and pulled into my sister’s driveaway. I took a second to get out, realizing I showed up unannounced. Usually I called first. When I knocked on the door, I heard Abigail yelling, “Just a minute!”
When she opened the door, a look of confusion came across her face. She was not used to me stopping by without calling. She opened the door wider for me to go inside.
“Mat, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?” she asked, taking my hand.
Shawn waltzed down the staircase, surprised to see me, but took me in an embrace. One that was longer than I had anticipated, and I followed them into the living room.
“So, I’m not sure if you heard, but my apartment got broken into last night.”
They both looked at each other and then back at me, waiting for me to explain further. Hell, I didn’t know how to explain the situation. I knew they would ask why I even kept the ring in the first place. To be honest, I was not sure why I kept it. The point was I didn’t have it anymore.
“Well, we found out it was Kimberly. You know, my assistant. She stole Kelsey’s engagement ring,” I explained while watching their faces for their reaction. My sister looked confused.