The Auditor and the Mafia King

Charlotte’s POV As I walked into the office on Monday morning I wasn’t in the greatest mood. I had closed out my last big assignment the previous week and even though I had found the company to be hiding over $20 million in unreported income and the taxes they owe are extremely substantial, I just didn’t get the same thrill that I used to. I love going through the financial reports of companies to find the little hidden clues they overlook while trying to scam their way out of paying their fair share of taxes. I get a little high when seeing the faces of the CEO’s and financial managers when I show them line-by-line what they missed, and they know they are in deep sh*t. It is so satisfying to watch the little beads of sweat as the pressure I put on them increases as I slowly lay out the evidence and they know I have them by their balls. But this last case had me up in arms. The CEO was woefully unaware of what his financial manager was doing and instead of feeling satisfied I just felt sorry for the man. He truly wanted to do good in the world and could do so if he just understood more of the financial side of his business. Instead, he was screwed over by a scheming jerk who swindled him out of millions of dollars. The prosecutor will have a field day with him, but the boss really did seem apologetic and was ready to reconcile everything he honestly owed. I suggested he enroll in some financial courses to better understand the more in-depth accounting that takes place with a multi-million-dollar company. He was very thankful, and I left knowing he was an honest man, but the thrill of the chase wasn’t there with this case. As I sat down at my desk my supervisor, Oscar, came over to ask me into his office. I always get little butterflies when being asked into his office, something about thinking you are in trouble and going to be punished just makes me giddy. Unfortunately, my boss is the furthest thing from someone who would do that. He is a sweet man, tall, slightly balding, on his way to retirement. As I entered his office, I saw a folder with so much paperwork I knew this was going to be a good case. “Charlotte, you are one of the best auditors we have on the East coast. I have a large audit that will be the only case you are assigned to for the next few months. I know how hard you work, and I appreciate the dedication you have to your job. This case isn’t local so we will be relocating you for the immediate future. We have a small apartment we will be renting while you are working the case. I expect it to take about six months. I know you close your cases faster than almost everyone else but please take your time on this one. This may be one you need to watch your back on.” He studied me for a minute before continuing. “You are one of our only auditors without a family, which is why you were selected for this case.” That got me intrigued. I looked at him with a questioning glance as I knew that cases like this were very hush hush. “The audit you are being assigned is to the nightclub chain in New York and New Jersey called Blackout.” I had heard of Blackout before. It is a nightclub that caters to the wealthy, typically those making seven figures. I’ve never seen pictures of the inside as phones are forbidden once you enter. No recording is allowed. This piqued my interest. I wonder if I will get to see inside the club since my income isn’t at a level high enough to enter otherwise. “The CEO of Blackout is Antonio Moretti.” I gasped. I did know that name. He is rumored to be the Don of the Moretti family. This was going to be a dangerous assignment. I was single, 28-years-old. I climbed my way through the ranks as a Revenue Agent pretty quickly since I had a double master’s in accountancy and business administration. I decided to work for the government when I got fed up with the corporate world. Being a woman in corporate America made it hard to climb the ranks without sexualizing myself. Something I don’t do. People tell me I am beautiful, but I don’t really believe them. I am a size 8, have some curves, a full B cup and long legs. I am not super toned but can hold my own against most people in a fight, not that I have had to regularly, but I have been in a few scraps in my life. I have brown hair and hazel eyes, not the blue hazel but green and brown hazel. Sometimes my eyes look like Emeralds and sometimes they look like dark chocolate. My hair isn’t thick and luscious, it is shoulder length, curly and on the thin side. I’ve had my fair share of dates before, but nobody has piqued my interest enough to be a long-term thing. I am still a virgin. I’ve had plenty of opportunities, but it just never felt right. “Charlotte,” my boss was saying as I had zoned out, “are you still listening?” “Yes sir,” I responded coming out of my thoughts. “Antonio Moretti is the CEO of Blackout, and I will be auditing Blackout for the next few months.” “Did you also hear that you will be given an apartment in New York City for the next six months? I expect you to be ready to go by Friday, so you have the weekend to get settled and then meet with Blackouts financial team on Monday.” “Yes sir.” I responded. “I will ensure all of my loose ends here are tied up by the end of the week. Do you need anything else?” “No Charlotte. Just be careful. We know what Mr. Moretti is rumored to be and if you need assistance, I do have numerous undercover agents I can get in contact with to provide security. This should be a standard audit, we are looking at 2018-2022. You will be given a car when you arrive as well. You rarely take time off and have so much time on your books if you want to take the rest of the week off, I can make sure any loose ends we find in your old cases are given to someone else.” “I should be able to handle them all by the end of the day today. I will take the rest of the week off and I will call you when I land in New York. This is actually the perfect time for a case like this for me. I feel at a crossroads in my life Oscar and maybe this temporary change will help me love my job again.” Oscar thanked me and let me return to my desk. I don’t keep anything personal in the office. My desk is plain with just a few files I need when I come in. I usually work from home or in the location that I am auditing but do have to report to the office once every other week. I choose every other Monday to come in and today was that day. Today turned out to be much better than I expected. This case was going to be what I needed to feel again. I have been so numb in my life since my parents died a year ago. The last two audits took up that year and just didn’t help me to feel anything. Maybe New York City will be the new start I need. I haven’t dated in over a year. I have no one to do anything with since my friends are now married and most have children. I am lonely, but being single in one of the world’s best cities for single people sounded like a good plan.