Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
JAMES
M y eyes are burning as if someone has lit a flame and is holding it against my irises.
Since Ana left, I buried my pain in work. I’m mindful I’m now responsible for the entire organization and I’m determined to pay back her brother’s trust in me. I checked on Dylan and for the first time he dropped the attitude and we had a normal conversation, where he admitted he was enjoying the experience. He always had a thing for fighting and guns, and I wonder why we never considered the military an option before.
Once I knew he was happy, it shifted a huge weight off my shoulders and along with the fact Adele no longer features in my life; I am free for the first time it seems. The only piece missing is Ana.
Knowing she is in Russia leaves a huge hole in my heart that can only be filled when she is back in my arms. I understand why she had to leave, and I wish I could be there for her, but it wasn’t appropriate.
So, I throw myself into work and burn the candle at both ends. When I leave the office, it’s with my work to finish at home and I am soon at my desk in the early hours of the morning, attempting to unravel the mystery lying between the numbers entered on the company spreadsheets.
I can’t believe I never saw it myself. Along with Eric’s help, we’ve uncovered a group of individuals hiding behind failing businesses with connections to other companies dealing heavily with Russian ones. By searching outside the usual channels, we uncovered a trail that could land us on the evening news because it appears that Ana was right. Russian money is being injected into our system via huge donations.
The men in question use ailing companies but live the lifestyle of a billionaire, their personal wealth surpassing those of successful businesses. They all share the same address book and as I write my report for Titus Romanov, I wonder what he will do with the information.
I haven’t met him myself, but our conversations reveal a man of few words and a calculating mind. He is businesslike and to the point and his professional manner impresses me. He has made no mention of Ana and, unlike her brother Mikhail, has not threatened me, or warned me off and I take comfort in that. Reading between the lines, I feel accepted and I will not give them any reason to doubt their trust in me.
“Sir–” Angela pokes her head around the door.
I glance up and she makes a face. “I’m sorry, but there’s a woman to see you and she doesn’t have an appointment.”
“What does she want?”
I’m irritated because there is so much work to do and Angela shrugs. “She won’t tell me, but believes you will be interested in what she has to say.”
I run my fingers through my hair and glance at the screen, noting several tabs all open, waiting for my attention. I could use a break. It may clear my head and so I nod.
“Okay, show her in.”
She disappears and a few moments later the door opens and she shows a woman who I’ve never met before into the room. At first glance, she is unobtrusive. Her trouser suit is unflattering and her hair practical, without professional attention. She is wearing minimal make-up and appears to be in her mid fifties.
“Mr. Warner.”
She is nervous and I stand, offering her my hand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
As her hand closes inside mine, she says, “Harriet Buchanan.”
The name isn’t familiar and I wonder why she is here.
“Please take a seat, Ms. Buchanan. ”
“It’s Mrs.” She smiles, but I notice how tight it is and as she takes her seat, she sits on the edge of it, her hands folded in her lap.
“How may I assist you, Mrs. Buchanan?”
She appears to take a deep breath and says nervously, “I’m taking a big chance in coming here, but I have a feeling I’m in the right place.”
I say nothing and wait for her to speak, but I lean forward because something is telling me this is important.
“I work for Governor Kenricky and have been employed by him for many years.”
Her eyes are bright and I can tell she is nervous and I say kindly, “Would you like some refreshment, Mrs. Buchanan? I can assure you there is no need to be nervous.”
“No, thank you.” She shakes her head and exhales sharply. “Please forgive me, Mr. Warner. I have been trained not to speak of my work and this is hard for me to do.”
“Then take your time, please.”
“It’s fine.”
She attempts a smile, but it’s a nervous one and she sighs deeply. “As you know, Charles is one vote away from the Whitehouse, a campaign I’ve supported for many years. We have worked tirelessly to achieve his dream, which, in turn, became our dream. However–”
She pauses and appears so upset I wonder what the hell has happened and she whispers, “I have discovered a piece of information that could be damaging to our great country.”
“Then why come here? I don’t understand.”
I’m confused, and she glances around before lowering her voice even further.
“Because it was a conversation I overheard and there is no proof.”
My heart sinks because this is a waste of my time, but I nod respectfully.
“I’m listening, Harriet.”
She smiles at my choice of her first name and appears to relax a little.
“I shouldn’t have listened, but I picked up the call at exactly the same time as the governor and was intrigued by the accent on the other end. The governor called him Boris, and they appeared to be old friends. I was about to put the phone down when this Boris man laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous one. He told the governor their plan was working and that even if the voters didn’t put him in the Whitehouse, their system would ensure he had the most votes, anyway.”
She appears utterly terrified and her voice shakes as she whispers, “The governor laughed and told this man that it was nothing they hadn’t planned for and when it happened and he was the man in charge, their two countries would end the cold war and achieve greatness together.”
She is shaking and I realize she is telling the truth because I can see it in her eyes and she leans forward, her voice so soft I struggle to hear it.
“Their final words are the reason I’m here, because Boris mentioned The Rose Foundation. He said that Adele had played her part, but was becoming a liability. That her perversions were less discreet and she was an accident waiting to happen. He mentioned your name, Mr. Warner, and told the governor that they would deal with you both at the same time. Adele’s fate would be a tragic accident, forcing the governor to uncover his wife’s link to this organization and the questionable campaign contributions that came from The Rose Foundation.”
She says angrily, “He would order an investigation and discover you were blackmailing his wife and they would frame you for her murder and blame you for attempting to corrupt the governor’s campaign with laundered Russian money.”
She shakes her head and appears visibly upset. “They would say that Adele had uncovered your plan and confronted you and discovered that you were working for the Russians. Charles would be the American hero, the wronged husband and the savior of the country when he foiled a plot to bring our great country to its knees.”
I’m so shocked I just stare at her in horror and she whispers, “I’m sorry, Mr. Warner, but I thought you should be told. I have no evidence except what I heard, and I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Mrs. Kenricky and their words came true. Nobody would believe me if I told the authorities and I’m afraid they will frame me for something, or worse.”
She appears terribly stricken and rightly so, and I admire her courage in coming here at all.
“You were very brave coming here, Harriet.”
I steady my voice and smile to put her at ease.
“I am also grateful you trusted me with this.”
“So, you believe me?”
She can’t disguise the relief in her voice, and there is no reason to doubt she is telling the truth.
“I do.” I reassure her and she visibly relaxes.
“Thank God. I was so afraid you wouldn’t, but I had to try. I am a good citizen, Mr. Warner. It’s why I’ve dedicated my professional career to helping what I considered a good man in reaching his goals. But I can’t sit back and let them get away with this. I didn’t know who to tell because the governor has many powerful friends. I thought of you because you’re a good man. I can tell that from the job that you do and I hope you can prevent this from ever happening.”
She wrings her hands in her lap and whispers, “Please help, Mrs. Kenricky. I’m not fond of the woman, but she doesn’t deserve this. I am so scared for her. What if they–”
I can’t reassure her because it’s obvious where Adele is heading and it places me in a difficult position.
The only person I can think of to trust with this information shares the same accent as the one engineering it. Is Titus Romanov involved in espionage, and was his father’s murder somehow connected to the governor’s plan?
Harriet smiles nervously. “I should go. It’s probably best that we don’t meet again, Mr. Warner. I took a chance on coming here today, but I’ve written down my findings and secured them in a safe deposit box with instructions in my will that if anything unfortunate happens to me, my beneficiary has access to the information.”
I smile to put her at ease. “That was a wise choice you made. Coming here was the right decision, and I am immensely grateful. Rest assured, I’ll do my utmost to handle this and I’m always available to you if you need me.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes burn brightly. “You’re a good man, Mr. Warner, and I hope you prove me right. Sadly, the last man I offered that title to proved me very wrong and I have kind of lost faith in my judgment.”
She sighs. “Today I resigned from Governor Kenricky’s office and my reason was for early retirement. My husband doesn’t know yet and before he finds out, I must line up another job.”
She smiles. “It will be exciting to start a new role somewhere else, but I’m keeping away from politics. It turns out that’s not for me.”
“Then come and work for me, Harriet. Take a vacation, let the dust settle and when it does, there is a job here for you. ”
Her eyes fill with hope and she gasps, “I wasn’t here for that, Mr. Warner.”
I shrug. “I realize that, but one good turn deserves another and a woman with your values would be a welcome addition to The Rose Foundation. Just not right now; not until we deal with this problem.”
She nods, her earlier nerves having apparently been settled.
“Then I will leave you my card and hope to hear from you. Good day, Mr. Warner, and good luck.”
She rises and as I shake her hand, I consider myself extremely fortunate indeed that a simple telephone conversation could be the one thing the men behind all of this never accounted for. The trouble is, I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do with the information now it’s burning a hole in my sanity.