Chapter Thirty-Four
Alex stood in front of the board at an emergency meeting.
Flanked on both sides of her were Chase and Max. Beside them, Piper and Sarah. In addition to the board were the entirety of the executive staff and their executive assistants. And every corporate lawyer Stone Enterprises employed.
Hawk stood beside two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.
On the opposite end of the room, Gaylord and Jack Morrison sat with their team of lawyers.
Considering the sheer number of bodies in the room, it was shocking how the sound of the cold air being forced through the vents could be heard.
It was as if no one wanted to break the spell.
The board members simply looked from one person to another and then back at her.
Alex took a fortifying breath, smiled at her brothers, and began.
“Thank you for coming to this emergency meeting. The last one didn’t go so well.”
A few smiles lifted on faces.
“I wish this was under more pleasant circumstances. Before we get too far into it, I’d like to introduce you to Special Agent Baker and Special Agent Kenna.”
Baker and Kenna looked around the room and nodded but stayed silent.
“Chase, Max, and I expect everyone’s full and complete cooperation while the FBI runs their investigation.”
“What investigation?” Mrs. Monroe asked.
Alex smiled at the friendliest face on the board. “We have reason to believe that Aaron Stone was responsible for embezzling money out of Stone Enterprises and our sister companies.”
Expressions of disbelief muttered around the room.
“Floyd Gatlin was removed from his position for misconduct. He is actively being investigated. If Mr. Gatlin contacts any of you, we’d highly suggest that you request counsel during your conversations with him.”
“He stole money from the company?” Julia asked.
“We’re not clear on that yet, Julia. You’ll be asked to turn over every book, document, computer, hard drive .
.. everything. One of our lawyers will be with you at all times.
Just as Piper is not responsible for what our father did when he was alive, you are not responsible for any wrongdoings Floyd has done. ”
Julia placed her hand over Piper’s.
“Another name you need to consider before accepting his calls is Paul Yarros,” Alex told them.
Melissa looked across the table and met Alex’s eyes.
“He is being investigated. He appears to have had knowledge that a possible corporate fraud case was pending. Melissa, like the rest of us, is cooperating fully. The minute this investigation goes public, our stocks will fall. Do not do anything foolish. Our lawyers will represent who and what is in the best interests of this company.”
Alex made a point of sweeping her gaze around the room. “If anyone in this room was a part of our father’s illegal activities, you will be found.”
“Alex, is this related to the threats against you?” Mrs. Monroe asked.
Hawk offered a smile of encouragement.
“The parties that we know were involved with our father’s activities are very dangerous.
We believe they are behind the threats and will be actively looking for proof.
That part of the investigation is not public yet.
In the meantime, there will still be heavy security here at Stone Enterprises.
” Alex took a seat and rested her hands on the table.
“This is going to hurt. The crimes of our father is a price that Chase, Max, and I will have to pay. Not in the legal sense, but financial. The sister companies involved appear to be mostly exclusive to our father’s investments.
Mostly, but not all. Our father encouraged this board to agree to the purchase of several nonprofitable companies for what looks like the sole purpose of skimming money from them.
Once this investigation is complete, these companies will be financially compensated and sold or closed.
The compensations will be the responsibility of the guilty parties. ”
“But your father is dead.”
“His estate is not. We have been advised to expect the possibility of the estate’s assets being seized.
If this happens, we won’t be able to touch our funds for an undisclosed amount of time.
This puts the company at large at risk and is the reason the Morrisons are with us today.
Gaylord and Jack have graciously offered us their counsel and financial backing, if needed, to get us through this time. ”
Gaylord winked at her from his seat.
Alex glanced at Max, then Chase. “Anything you want to add?”
“Yeah,” Chase said.
She sat back and set her hands in her lap.
“Alex has worked harder for this company than anyone in this room over the last year. She’s had to make unpopular decisions.
All in an effort to make everyone in this room feel comfortable with the transition from our father’s leadership to ours.
And now, from the grave, our father is haunting us once again.
The bomb threat this building received was targeted at Alex. ”
The sound of disbelief rippled through the room.
“The latest threat, and what the media hasn’t gotten ahold of yet, was a child’s toy holding a dead infant kitten and a note suggesting Alex pay for the sins of her father.”
“Holy crap,” Julia said.
Alex wanted to stop Chase from bringing all this up with the board but wasn’t going to undermine him in front of others.
“I know that the FBI’s investigation will not find anything to implicate this family. Therefore, I expect nothing but unwavering loyalty to Alex from the people in this room moving forward.”
“Well said, son,” Gaylord voiced from his chair.
“Might I add my own word of caution.” He sat forward and looked around the room.
“The moment Vivian and I married, the three Stone children became my family. Yes, that includes Max. It also includes the families they brought with them. Their enemies are my enemies. Cooperate with the investigators. Come clean before you’re found out.
I don’t take kindly to the abuse of women.
And that little filly,” Gaylord said, pointing to Alex, “she’s had way more abuse than anyone in this room. Don’t add to it.”
Alex felt tears thicken behind her eyes.
Max cleared his throat. “I’ve already done time in jail. I have no problem going back for my sister.”
Alex took gulps of air with an open mouth to keep from openly crying in front of the board.
Hawk moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.
He didn’t need to add his threats. His presence was warning enough.
Alex glanced at the men in her life and placed a hand on her chest for the love she felt for all of them. “Thank you,” she managed. “I’ll leave the rest of this meeting to the FBI agents and our lawyers.”
Federal agents were a constant presence on the executive floor.
A comfort and a curse.
Hawk wasn’t stuck to Alex’s hip, which gave him the opportunity to meet the executive staff and try to build a rapport. To get a feel for who knew Aaron Stone on a personal level.
Another comfort of the FBI’s presence was the real-time results of their investigation.
Video footage from a parking lot camera caught a person holding a box and walking toward Alex’s complex. Their face was obscured by a dark, oversize hoodie. The hands, however, were not.
Caucasian of slight build. No obvious mannerisms that distinguished them as male or female.
The suspect walked past the parking lot camera holding the box and, shortly after, passed by again without it.
They couldn’t positively identify a vehicle the suspect exited or entered. To complicate things more, there were two bus stops nearby. The recordings from the buses that made stops in that location leading up to the suspect dropping off the package were currently being evaluated.
The running theory was Bakshai hired someone to carry out the threats.
Between the information Jack obtained on how Ashraf Bakshai operated and the data collected by the feds, if the Bakshais didn’t discover dirt on the people they wanted to control, they created it.
If that didn’t work, they offered “protection” from perceived threats.
All of which pointed to the Bakshais planting the Play-Doh bomb and sending the teddy bear.
The emails between Ashraf and Floyd used strong language without admitting any wrongdoing.
Correspondence between Ashraf and Floyd from before the Bakshai event had been found, indeed demanding Floyd and Alex’s presence.
In the email, Ashraf suggested the “other children” remain absent.
Another record of a phone call took place after Ashraf had made a visit to the office, and again after the flower delivery.
The final email was post–sick teddy bear and before Floyd’s meltdown.
A line that stuck out in the email was what the feds were paying the most attention to: “Avoiding my phone calls is not in the best interest of Stone Enterprises. Aaron Stone’s secrets, once revealed, will damage everyone.”
Even though Floyd had confessed his role in the arrangement between Aaron and Ashraf to Alex, Chase, and Hawk, he wasn’t talking to the feds.
The man had obtained a lawyer and, according to the federal agents, was only days away from a formal charge.