“I can’t do that,” she said quickly.

“That’s corporate espionage.”

“I could go to jail.”

“You will go to jail anyway if you are named as an accomplice to his fraud,” I said.

“Because if he goes down, I will make sure everyone knows you helped him cover his tracks.”

“I didn’t help him,” she protested.

“I didn’t know anything about the money.”

“Then prove it,” I said.

“Find the emails.”

“Show me that he acted alone.”

“I need to go,” she said.

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone and stared at the dark screen.

I had planted the seed.

Now, I had to wait and see if it would grow.

I stood up and walked to the window, looking out into the cold suburban night.

The streetlights flickered in the wind.

The house was cold, the heating system clicking as it struggled against the drop in temperature.

I went downstairs to the kitchen.

I poured myself a glass of water and stood by the counter.

My hand was shaking slightly, but my mind was clear.