Read Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 01 - The Day Job is Murder for Free Online Page A

She pressed on a smile, but the interruption had her eager to get back to the results on her screen.
    As she sipped her coffee and read the reports, one name looked familiar instantly and had her heart racing.
    They had their guy.

     
    Sean’s breath uneven, his hands quaking, he read the letter.
Dear Mr. McKinley,
     
If you’re reading this letter, it means I’m no longer here. Don’t be sad. Don’t have any regrets. I know you are the type of person to beat yourself up over past misgivings. You have nothing to regret.
     
    Emotion welled up in Sean’s throat and he blinked back tears.
You lived your life as you should have. You gave selflessly to others, even giving time to this old coot.
     
    The corners of his mouth hitched upward.
You were like a son I never had and it’s why I wouldn’t leave my estate to anyone else. Find love, someone to share life with. It will give you purpose, something that no other achievement can fulfill—no matter how grand in the eyes of others.
     
I know you love your job. You make a difference there—you made one to me—but what I’m offering you is the world.
     
    He glanced up again. Feelings whirled through him at such a shattering speed he couldn’t tack one down. Intuition was starting to tell him there was a lot more to Mr. Quinn than he knew.
    He went back to the letter.
Never lose your gift, Sean. You can see people. You can bring kindness back to a world that has all but given up on this attribute. Money can bring one a lot of great things, but it can also bring pain. Make wise choices. Follow your heart.
     
And, please, from an old coot to a young man, have some fun with it.
     
Your friend forever,
     
Mr. Douglas Quinn
     
    The room was silent, except for the sound of his heart beating in his ears. What was Quinn talking about when he mentioned money bringing great things?
    “Did you read the letter in full, Mr. McKinley?” Daphne asked.
    “Yes.” It took a lot to pry the single word from his throat. It felt stitched together.
    “There was a lot, I’m sensing, that you didn’t know about Mr. Quinn,” she continued.
    “Right now, I’m not sure if I knew him at all.” He studied her eyes, but couldn’t read them.
    “Mr. Quinn owned a lot of companies.”
    “He what—” No more words would form.
    “He held the controlling shares in Universal Acquisitions Corporation.”
    “Sounds big.”
    “Huge would be a more apt description, Mr. McKinley. They buy and sell companies that are in distress. They cleared fifty-five million in their last fiscal year alone. Mr. Quinn, with all of his interests, of which there were many besides Universal, had a net worth of twenty billion dollars.”
    Oh God, he was going to be sick.
    “And he left every single penny to you, including his businesses.” Daphne smiled. “Congratulations, Mr. McKinley, you are now a billionaire.”
    The air went thin. His head spun. His eyes were on Daphne but not focused on anything, or anyone, in particular.
    “Mr. McKinley, are you all right?” Anita placed her hand on his forearm.
    “He left me everything?”
    Peter smiled. “Yes, he did.”
    “Will I have to run all of his companies? Where is Universal located?”
    Daphne gestured toward the man in the bowtie.
    “Mr. McKinley, my name is Edward Cranston, and this is Kate Brackett,” he referred to the woman beside him, “I am the CEO for Universal. As you inquired, it is located in New York. It was Mr. Quinn’s explicit wish that you retain the controlling shares and interest in the company, however, you are not required to be involved in the daily management decisions.”
    Sean didn’t know what to say.
    Kate leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table, the action only amplifying her anorexic frame. “I was Mr. Quinn’s accountant and responsible for managing all of his assets. It would be appropriate that we meet once everything is taken care of. You also have the right to decide if you want to continue on as my