Private Agendas: A Victoria Rodessa Legal Thriller

by Katherine Smith Dedrick

  “God, you’re an ass!” Victoria laughed and Armond smiled appreciatively at their banter as he ran his hand through his hair.

  “I’m not asking you to go as a lark, Victoria. I’d like to have you on the trip in an official capacity, as Renoir Productions Company’s outside counsel. I need your sixth sense to flush out potential investors. Of course, we’ll pay your exorbitant fees and all expenses.”

  “What in the world are you talking about?” Victoria asked, stunned at his suggestion and sitting up again. “I’m not an investment banking lawyer, Armond. Why would you want me in your meetings? Not that I don’t appreciate the thought.”

  “Contrary to what you think, you are a transaction lawyer. You’re the one who got the insurance company up and running and registered in all fifty states, and you handled all of their contract matters. Most importantly, your intuition is the best I’ve seen. That’s the part I really need.”

  Victoria got up to pour herself another glass of wine. “You mean like the way I trusted the Troika? Sniffed them out like a pig hunting truffles! That sixth sense? Please, the last thing you should do is consummate an international investment deal based on my advice,” Victoria said, laughing.

  After a brief pause, Armond said what was almost always on his mind. “I miss you.”

  “I know,” Victoria answered. “I miss you too.” A long silence passed as they enjoyed being connected, even if it was only through their phones.

  Armond added, “It’s not the same working on deals without the constant fear of you waking me up in the middle of the night to work through some random strategy that popped into your head.”

  Victoria was happy to continue down that line of conversation, as she wasn’t used to the serious mood that had unexpectedly developed between them. “As I recall, you typically ran with one of those random ideas from my middle-of-the-night calls.”

  “Indeed. Nine times out of ten your midnight express ideas were good ones,” Armond said, stepping outside on his balcony to watch the changing colors of the sky as the sun slid into the ocean. “So, tell me. How were the strategy sessions? Did everything go as planned in court?”

  “The meetings were great, but as far as going as planned, not really. I have a feeling, though, that we’ll look back at the outcome and realize the way it turned out was for the best. I’ll tell you the details later, but the long and the short of it is Billy threatened his mother so we withdrew her name. She won’t be involved, at least officially. The Troika threatened Kat, too, with an investigation initiated by Senator McGowen. You can imagine Kat’s response to that. Wrong button to push. I thought she might grind her stiletto heels into their heads.”

  Laughing, Armond made a mental note to meet with Jenny, call Kat, and let his father know about the threat. His and Kat’s parents were close, and his father would have some buttons of his own to push to help Kat’s family if they needed it. “I’m quite sure, knowing Billy, Adam, and Trever as well as I do, that when they look at Kat, all they see is a tall, blond beauty they want to get into bed. I’m sure they don’t believe she has a brain of any merit.”

  “Well, I don’t intend to educate them that she’ll be the one driving the Mack truck when it hits. Now, enough about that. On to important matters. When will I see you again?”

  “That’s the other reason I called, V. I have a few investor meetings out there in two weeks. I thought I’d stay through the weekend. That way, I can tell you more about what I have in mind for your job as counsel, and we can schedule the trip.”

  “Armond, did you even listen to me? I haven’t come close to saying that I’m interested, and I’m not sure leaving the country is feasible right now. I have a number of cases that are heating up, and I really don’t have anyone else who can handle them while I’m gone.”

  “I thought you’d say that, so I’ve worked through some ways we can deal with your concerns and satisfy my interests. Let’s discuss it when I get there and then we’ll see where we stand. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Victoria answered. “I can’t wait to see you Armond. Say hi to your parents, and I’ll tell my mom you’ll be in town. She’ll be thrilled.”

  “Tell Sophia I look forward to seeing her. Take care, V. See you soon.”

  As Victoria got up to head to bed, she smiled, thinking about the possibility of working with Armond again. She stopped at her laptop and did a quick search for the average hourly rate investor counsel charge their clients. Victoria starred dumfounded at the results. “Holy shit!” she said out loud, then laughed at the thought of what she would charge Renoir Productions for her time, a shit-ton for sure.

  CHAPTER

  12

  BILLY WAS FEELING quite good as he strolled into his firm’s Chicago headquarters. After the rather unsatisfactory court appearance, he had managed to enjoy a perfect weekend of mixing business with pleasure playing two rounds of golf at his very private, male-only-member club. Eleven of the beautifully choreographed eighteen holes ran along the lake while the rest meandered through protected prairie that backed up to historic mansions owned by foreign countries and reserved for their dignitaries.

  During his first round on Saturday, Billy lucked onto a foursome with the consulate general of Japan. During the four hours they shared on the course, Billy turned on his rainmaker charm and got himself a coveted invite to Sunday dinner at the consulate’s residence. That alone would have been enough, but as luck would have it, the host needed a personal favor Billy’s firm could deliver. In return, Billy secured a commitment that the office Acker, Smith & McGowen planned to open in Tokyo would be met with favorable press and open arms by the Japanese government.

  Billy even extracted a promise that his firm would be added to a short list of others bidding to represent Japan in its upcoming trade negotiations with the United States. The new American administration’s penchant for picking trade fights with foreign governments had been a boon for the firm. If he could add Japan to the firm’s growing list of government clients, their Tokyo office would be swamped with business as soon as it opened its doors. Billy made a mental note to put the wheels in motion to satisfy the promised favor as soon as he got to his office.

  Nodding at the firm’s security detail, Billy used the new biometric device that allowed him, Adam, and Trever access to a private elevator to their penthouse offices. As the doors opened, he smiled when he saw his new assistant. “Good morning, Sherrie. How was your weekend?” He stopped and leaned over her desk to get a better look at one of the hottest women he had ever hired.

  “Good morning, Mr. Acker,” Sherrie answered, trying to remain professional even though he consistently spoke to her breasts rather than her face. “How was your weekend?” she asked, surprised he was in such a good mood.

  “Perfect, absolutely perfect,” he answered as he rapped his knuckles on the waterfall marble countertop, winked, and walked down the hall toward his office.

  “Mr. Smith, Mr. McGowen, and Jack are in your office. They’ve been waiting for about half an hour.”

  “Really?” Billy said, stopping mid-stride and turning back around. “What about?”

  “They said they would fill you in when you arrived.”

  Billy hated surprises. His days were meticulously planned and his meetings well-orchestrated. Frowning in annoyance, he entered his office to find his three partners reading the paper and chatting amicably. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be too bad. “Well gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning?” Billy asked.

  “We’ve been waiting for you,” Adam said. “Where the hell have you been?”

  “Adam, please. Let’s address the reason we’re here, shall we?” Trever jumped in, nodding at Jack, the firm’s senior litigation partner.

  “Judging by the spring in your step, I take it you haven’t seen this,” Jack said as he handed the paper to Billy. Sprawled across the front page in big, bold print, the headline screamed, “Acker, Smith & M
cGowen Sued. Sex Discrimination Rampant?”

  Billy’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell? Why would this come out now? The lawsuit’s been pending for a year. Who’s the reporter on this story? We’ll have him or her fired and then sue the paper for defamation,” Billy sputtered.

  “Well, that’s a fine idea, Billy,” Trever responded sarcastically, leaning on his Texas drawl to emphasize his point. “Let’s do that. And since the paper’s defense will be to prove that the story is true, they’ll begin digging deep into our firm, and then what? Ah yes, then they’ll get our statistics on female partners and maybe they’ll dig up a few of the associates you took under your—what do you call it—wing.”

  “Trever, you can be such a son of a bitch,” Billy responded, disgusted. “All anyone needs to do is to look online for the number of associates and partners at our firm and the number of women within those ranks. It’s not a secret. If we don’t respond with firepower and outrage, people will assume the allegations in Victoria’s lawsuit are true. We need to do something, and quickly.”

  “I agree with Billy,” Adam weighed in. “We can’t sit quietly. Everyone will assume we have no defense. Jack, what do you think?”

  Jack allowed a long pause to settle in among the tension. He’d been cleaning up behind these three ever since he joined the firm. “Billy, as head of the firm’s diversity committee and a member of the National Bar Association’s advocacy group on increasing female partners in firms, you’ll issue a carefully worded statement about one of the recent awards you’ve received for your work in this area. You’ll also highlight the new female partner the firm’s welcomed. I’ll follow up with a statement to the press about the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Victoria’s firing and that we’re saddened to see that rather than moving on with her career, she’s chosen to take a path of destruction.”

  “What do you mean ‘new female partner’? We have no plan to add a woman,” Billy responded.

  “You do now if you don’t want this firm to become the poster child for gender discrimination by the end of this week.” Jack paused. “Either give me the tools I need to get us out of this mess, or the three of you can get someone else to put his reputation on the line for the firm.”

  Adam shot out of his chair and sent it crashing to the floor. “Are you threatening us? There is no way we’re going to add a partner to the firm just because—”

  “Stop!” Trever demanded, glaring at Adam. “Sit down. This is not the time for your theatrics.” Turning to look at Jack, he calmly confirmed, “We’ll handle it, Jack. You’ll get the name of our first female partner by the end of the day.

  Now, will you excuse us while we work through a few matters?” Trever put his arm on Jack’s shoulder and walked him out the door.

  “For God’s sake, Billy,” Adam snarled angrily. “Look at the mess you created! Had we stuck with the plan and gotten rid of that bitch earlier, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Adam,” Billy spat.

  Trever stepped between Adam and Billy, sensing their ability to deal with one another as adults was nearing an end. “Boys, take a step back. I assume you don’t want to be frontpage news two days in a row?”

  Adam walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Trever, you haven’t exactly helped. The paper included a section about Kat being added as counsel. They connected the dots. She’s the general counsel of the company that sued Highline Insurance for not paying out on its hurricane claims, and it was our firm that got that insurance company up and running. Seems to me your threat to Kat only pissed her off. If she starts talking to the press, we’ll have a shitstorm to deal with.”

  “Don’t worry about Kat or her family. I’ll handle them.” Trever turned and walked to sit in the chair next to Adam. “Now, who’s going to be our first female partner? I suggest we name the most malleable woman we’ve got, one who will be grateful and not demanding.”

  “We’re not making this decision alone. That’s why we pay the good doctor,” Adam said, walking to Billy’s phone and dialing his assistant. “Send Dr. Natarajan up immediately.” Billy sat at his desk and glanced at his watch. He had about fifteen minutes before his first meeting. “Okay. We need our PR team on this right away. We can’t let this sit unanswered. I’ll have them do a splash piece about the number of women we bring into the firm compared to other firms of our size, mention my awards for diversity, and announce our first female partner. I like Jack’s idea about appearing sympathetic toward Victoria and wishing her the best in future endeavors. We might also want to get the line in the water that she was responsible for getting Highline up and running and any problems it’s experiencing now should be laid at her feet. Agreed?”

  “Yes,” Adam and Trever answered in unison.

  “Next, I want Jack’s team of investigators to find some disgruntled person from Victoria’s past. She must have some dirt under her nails. If they can’t find anything, they’ll have to make it up.” Billy stood. “We have a plan. I’ll tell Jack to execute. I want us on the front page for all the good we’ve done, and I want Victoria’s veneer to begin to fade.”

  “One more thing,” Adam began. “We’ll need to communicate with our clients, particularly the ones that have shareholders. They’re likely to balk at being associated with a firm accused of gender discrimination. This could be a disaster!”

  Trever stood and straightened his tie, catching his reflection in one of the windows. “As usual, Adam, your hysterics won’t be of any help. The PR team will take care of that as well. Billy, is there anything else? I’m scheduled to leave for Washington, D.C.”—Trever glanced at his watch—“now actually, with the senator, to get some of that lobbying business that’s saturating the Capitol now that trade’s up for grabs.”

  “There is one more thing. I’m concerned about security, Trever, especially since we’re about to run an aggressive campaign against Victoria. I don’t want anyone getting access to our core traits. What’s the status with Dr. Natarajan?

  I heard she was asking for more money to keep our system checked and balanced.”

  Trever was annoyed Billy would question him about security. His family’s membership into one of the most exclusive clubs in Washington, the Senate, allowed Trever access to the best of the best, but in order to keep the peace and get to his grandfather’s plane that had already been waiting for five minutes, he answered simply, “I’ve overseen security since we opened the firm. We have the finest systems and people at our beck and call. As for Dr. Natarajan, she’s never faltered in handling our system or in the security we’ve asked her to maintain. I’ve already cut a new deal with her giving her a slight raise. Everything is fine. I’ll see you boys when I get back. Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Victoria is one little girl.”

  Hearing a knock, they turned to see the door open. “I was told you wanted to see me,” Dr. Natarajan said as she walked over and sat next to Adam.

  “We do. We have an important project for you, and we’ll need your answer by no later than two this afternoon,” Billy answered. “Trever, Adam, I’ve got this. As soon as the good doctor gives me her recommendation, I’ll let you know. I’d like you both to be present for a celebratory ceremony for the lucky girl around five—photographers and champagne, that sort of thing. Trever, will you be back by then?”

  “I will. It’s a turnaround day trip. I should be back by four.”

  “Adam?” Billy questioned.

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Perfect. See you tonight.”

  Nodding their assent, the two men left Billy’s office together.

  CHAPTER

  13

  WILLOW WOKE TO horrific screaming. She hated being lucid enough to recognize someone’s pain. She preferred the haze-like world she lived in twenty hours each day. If she had a choice, she’d stay oblivious the other four, but Madame insisted that her talent, as she referred to her girls, clear their minds for a few hour
s each day. Those hours, though, were for Madame’s benefit, as they were used to follow her strict hygiene requirements because, as she often declared, “No one wants to pay for a dirty girl.”

  Willow had seen girls ripped from their rooms and thrown out into the street with nothing but the dirty sheet they’d been wrapped in if they refused her hygiene rituals. Once out of Madame’s protection, the girls were left to die, snatched up by street pimps, or forced into sex shows and used until there was nothing left.

  Putting a pillow over her head, Willow tried to drown out the heart-wrenching screams. Whoever this new one was, she was going to be labeled a resistor unless she calmed down, and things did not go easily for that group. One of the few girls Willow spoke to in the house had told her resistors were sold at auction to men who took pleasure in breaking women. Once sold, the girls were never heard from again.

  Willow was becoming agitated. Opening her journal— the one thing she was allowed to have—she focused on finishing her latest poem. She couldn’t remember where she had learned to write so well, but she must have been well-educated, or so Madame said. Madame enjoyed her poems and stories and would sometimes call for Willow to entertain her by reading her newest creation. That had saved her from some of the crasser, more violent customers.

  “Willow, it’s time,” a deep male voice carried through her closed door.

  “Coming.” Willow threw her robe around her, grabbed the few toiletries she was allowed to keep in her room, and walked into the hallway to wait with the other girls in her group. It was the same routine every day.

  “Good afternoon, Willow,” the giant, as Willow thought of him, said in as soft a voice as he could muster. Standing at least six-and-a-half feet tall and weighing close to three hundred pounds, he seemed more monster than man.

  “Good afternoon,” Willow answered.