Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
ORION
I’d been shocked many times in my life, but this was the most beautiful surprise that could ever happen to me. I’d met Elena all those years ago and didn’t know it. It was before I even connected with Madame Sarcasm.
“You were at the park with another kid. I didn’t see your face clearly. Everything happened so quickly that day. I targeted you because you weren’t with a crowd of people. I was so nervous.”
“Can I take it back? I’m gonna steal it if you say no.” She tucked it behind her back.
I grinned. “You’re not stealing it—it’s yours. Take it. Thank you for letting me borrow it all these years.”
Elena held the brooch to her chest, smiling and looking so beautiful my heart almost burst. “I can’t wait to show my mom this. She’d be thrilled to see this again.”
“I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” I cupped her face and kissed her gently. “It brought us together.”
She nodded. “You never know what life has in store for you just around the corner. Just when I thought I’d lost it forever, it’s returned to me in the most profound way.” She paused and studied me.
I could see the wheels in her head turning. She wanted to say something to me, but settled on something else. The emotions in her eyes revealed a lot about her. I respected her space and didn’t question it. Eventually she’d tell me.
“I was with Elliot that day,” she said. “We were going to attend a citywide ping-pong tournament. I didn’t realize I’d lost it until I got home.”
My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pants pocket, glancing at the number.
“Hi, Ralph. Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”
“I’m packing up. But I thought you’d want to know Sam is dead. His body was found floating in the Providence. A boater discovered him. Do you need me to do anything?”
“There’s nothing more important than for you to go back to Sweden and make Evelyn happy. She loves you. Show her. We have other trusted members on our team. Go home.”
“Okay. Okay. All the info I have on him is on the shared drive.”
“Thanks.” I tucked the phone away.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes and no,” I said. “Sam is dead.”
I’d planned on speaking to him and Carlos separately. But now I had to shift to Plan B.
“Oh my God.” Elena clamped a hand over her mouth. “Who do you think killed him?”
“A man like him has a lot of enemies. Could be anyone.”
But I had a feeling it was The Trogyn.
“Let’s go back to my office. I found some things that linked Sam to the life insurance scam with several banks.”
Inside her office, I pulled the chair beside her so I could look at her computer screen. She slid the manila folder over to me. “The interviews I did with people who live within the vicinity of The Condor’s apartment are in there. One acquaintance was very helpful. She called me earlier today.”
Elena briefed me on the info from her conversation with Mona.
“Sam works for Apex Insurance and Financial Investments, which is part of Orange Leaf Investments, which is part of Norwell Bank, which falls under Stockholm Bank.”
“From Stockholm, Sweden?”
The Reimann Sienna Bank owns Stockholm Bank. I needed to have a meeting with my father before I called a board meeting.
“Yes.” She nodded. “It appears the people who died were coerced into suicide. I interviewed a family who wants to remain anonymous. The son recorded a conversation his father had with a banker. The banker blackmailed him with some embarrassing information. The man said he didn’t have money to continue paying for his life insurance. He was told to pay the early termination fee or they’d release personal information about him on the web. He didn’t have money to pay them.” Sadness strained her face. “His family—his children—didn’t know he was gay. And he’d rather die than face their judgment. It’s really sad.”
I’d never met a journalist who cared as much as she did. If more people cared like her, this world would be a better place.
“And the banker cashed in the life insurance.”
“Exactly.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “The car accidents I’d been investigating were connected to the scams too.”
I remembered spotting Elena on the day an SUV had smashed into an eight-wheeler.
“But I don’t really understand how it works,” she said. “Does the banker route the money to his own account?”
“There are many ways to hide it so that it doesn’t seem like the bank is behind it. They need to keep it safe from probing eyes like tax audits, the media, and such. It’s not that hard to hide money if you know how to do it.”
“You know how?” she asked, but then lifted a hand. “Never mind. I’m talking to the King of Thievery here.” She leveled her brown eyes at me. “My thief knows all the secrets, right?”
I smiled, loving that she accepted all of me.
“I can share some of those secrets with you.” Leaning in, I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her delicious scent. “For a price.”
Laughing, she squirmed away. “I don’t think I can afford your asking price, sir .”
“Keep calling me sir, and I’ll give you a freebie.”
“Stop it.” Elena shoved me away. “We’re having a serious conversation here. We need to sort this out before more people die. I want to give the family the justice they deserve.” She rattled off several bank names. “Stockholm Bank is from Sweden. Have you heard of it?”
“Yeah. I’ll look into it,” I said. “Why don’t you start the article for Musepaper? Call it Bank Forcing People to Suicide or Life Insurance Scam from Banks Around the World . Make this article be the next breaking news before any other news outlet.”
“But Musepaper is just an online newspaper,” she said.
“That’s okay. Show the world that a small company can achieve something the giants can’t. Don’t forget to introduce Madame Sarcasm to the Musepaper.”
She stared at me in wonder. “I’m amazed at how fast your mind works.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice. I want you to focus on Musepaper going forward. You’ve done enough for The Condor. Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome.” She twisted her lips. “I guess this means my contract is up. We won’t be working together anymore.”
“Says who?” I spun her chair to face me. “I’m an investor in Musepaper, remember? Starting tomorrow, you’re getting paid to work on your article.”
Her eyes brightened. “But nothing’s been confirmed yet.”
“The terms of my interest will be in your inbox by the end of the day tomorrow. Review them. Let me know if you want anything revised.”
“I suppose I don’t need to send out my resume now.”
“No, you don’t. Do what you love and don’t worry about the financial portion of it. Has your uncle reached out to you after that day at your mother’s house?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Good. If he does, I want to know. I’m taking care of your debt—which shouldn’t have been a debt to begin with.”
She sighed. “You don’t have to take on my burden. It makes me feel guilty. I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you.”
“If I don’t take care of the woman I love, then who should I take care of?” The words came out easily, naturally. I’d debated on when I should tell her, but I realized life was too short, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to let her know how I felt. This moment was as good as any other moment. The sooner she knew, the sooner she didn’t have to question my actions.
Elena sucked in a breath, stared at me for a long moment, and then she smiled. I could see a variety of emotions churning in her eyes, starting with surprise, hope, excitement, confusion on how to respond, and the relief of settling on sarcasm.
“What did you say, Sir Slingshot ?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she got off her seat to settle onto my lap. “Say it again.”
“I love you.” I cupped her behind, shifting her so she could feel my cock pulsing for her. “You’re like a nebula, bright and colorful in my dark sky. On my darkest days, all I have to do is think of you and I see a way out. You make the darkness seem insignificant because you exist. You remind me of the wonders of the universe—that there’s something sacred, mystical, and inexpressible. I feel so much in my heart, but I can’t fully express it in words.”
“Orion . . .” A stream of tears slid down her beautiful face. “You’re doing a fine job expressing your feelings. When did you get so poetic?”
I caught the gleaming stream with my knuckle. “When you lured me with your brooch.”
“I guess I know the way to a thief’s heart.” She laughed, moving her hips to taunt me. “I love you too.”