Game Theory--A Katerina Carter Fraud Legal Thriller

by Colleen Cross

  It wasn’t exactly within the scope of her investigation. Still, didn’t he deserve to know? On the other hand, if she told him, he would know she had trespassed in their hotel room. Maybe there was good reason for Zachary’s hostile feelings towards his father. What kind of man got involved with his son’s ex-wife?

  Kat let herself out. The door clicked shut behind her as she stepped into the corridor. Her mouth dropped open as she almost collided into a slight, blonde woman in a housekeeping uniform.

  “Who are you?” she asked in heavily accented English.

  Russian, Kat guessed. The woman appeared to be about five-six, maybe a hundred and ten pounds. Her ill-fitting uniform hung from her shoulders. It was meant for someone much bigger.

  “I’m new.” Kat held out her hand, willing it not to shake. “Name’s Marcie. Today’s my first day.”

  The woman studied her without saying anything.

  Kat pulled her hand back and wiped her palm on the front of her ill-fitting uniform. It was meant for someone six inches shorter, and she didn’t need a mirror to guess how ridiculous she looked. She tugged the blouse down to cover her midriff and extended her hand again.

  The housekeeper glanced at Kat’s waistband and clasped her hand lightly. “Angelika. You here for conference? Dorothy didn’t mention you.” Angelika’s English was peppered with missed pronouns and omitted plurals. She glanced nervously down the corridor and tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear.

  “Yes, the conference.” Kat couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. High cheekbones and translucent ivory skin.

  Angelika stole another glance down the hall.

  “Looking for someone?”

  Angelika shook her head. “No, just checking rooms. Which one to do next.”

  “They only called me this morning.” How many housekeepers worked a shift? Five? Two dozen? One of them could be searching for her uniform right about now. “With the conference and all.”

  Angelika still looked puzzled.

  “I’m not on this floor,” Kat added quickly. “Just came down for some extra shampoo.” Hopefully Angelika wouldn’t ask what floor she was working on.

  “Of course. There’s box of shampoo in storage room.” Angelika smiled and pointed down the hall in the direction Kat had just come from. “Help yourself. You taking Annie’s place?”

  “Yeah, Annie. Couldn’t remember her name. What’s this conference all about?”

  “Dorothy didn’t tell you? Maybe not, if you just fill in today. It’s top, top secret. We can’t talk to anyone about it. You sign non-disclosure agreement?” Angelika leaned on her cart, knocking a box of tissue off the cart and onto the carpet.

  Kat bent to pick it up. “Not yet. I’ll sign it on my break.”

  She handed the tissue to Angelika without taking her eyes off the housekeeper’s shoes. Her designer pumps sported a two-inch kitten heels—totally impractical for cleaning hotel rooms.

  “I’ll be glad for Friday,” Angelika sighed. “The security guards everywhere, and guests—so demanding.”

  “Friday?”

  “When conference ends. Things go back to normal.”

  Friday was also the due date for Harry’s next mortgage payment. If he couldn’t make it, the bank would foreclose. How could she deal with his loans and Zachary’s case at the same time?

  She dreaded Friday and hoped for it all at the same time.

  Kat’s thoughts drifted back to Uncle Harry as she headed for the storage room. Once Hillary found out Harry was flat broke, what would she do? Her return after all these years must mean she was desperate. How far would she go to get more of Harry’s money?

  Kat swiped her card key in the door to the storage room. She opened the door and froze as she came face to face with Roger Landers.

  Chapter 28

  Kat jumped backwards as the door slammed behind her. The towels fell from her hand and unfolded as they fell to the ground. The bulldog clip must have broken somewhere between Nathan’s room and here. It clattered in pieces to the floor as the papers scattered. She kicked the papers with her foot and pushed them under the towels.

  “Shut up and don’t move.” Roger Landers brandished the broom handle high above his head, ready to strike.

  Kat remained still while her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do next. Her hand gripped the knob of the door. Landers was close enough to strike but not near enough to grab her. If she acted quickly, she might be able to open the door and escape down the hall. Landers probably wouldn’t chase her, especially if he was in hiding. But that meant leaving the papers behind.

  How did Landers get in? Given that he was persona non grata from earlier conferences, he’d never make it past security without being recognized. Not to mention the fact he was presumed drowned, his lifeless body floating somewhere in Howe Sound.

  Maybe he had been invited to the conference after all. Even if he hadn’t, security had seemed pretty lax before the burly suits arrived. After all, she, Jace, Harry, and Hillary had managed to enter the resort without any problems. Jace only had to give the name of the A/V company.

  “I thought you were dead,” Kat said.

  “You wish.” Landers was still trying to impale her. But at least he had relaxed his grip on the broomstick handle.

  “I’ve got no opinion one way or the other. I was just trying to talk to you,” Kat said. “Why jump ship? You don’t even know me.”

  “I know who you represent.”

  “I don’t represent anyone. I’m here for the same reason you are—to find out more about the World Institute.” Kat bent down over the towels and gathered them up, hoping Landers hadn’t spotted the loose papers.

  Had the towels been intact when she entered the storage room? What if the clip had broken earlier? Scattered papers in the hall outside would be a dead giveaway.

  “Oh really?”

  “I’m investigating one of the members.” Kat held Landers’ gaze for a few seconds before he shifted his focus to the door behind her, a worried expression on his face. The room was like a closet.

  “You’re lying. These guys don’t get investigated. They’re above the law.”

  “No one’s above the law.” Not even the rich and powerful—or self-entitled daughters. People kowtowed too much to the first group, and gave the second free rein. The double standards really pissed her off. “Especially not this guy.”

  “Prove it.”

  “I don’t have to prove anything. Besides, it’s confidential.” However, she didn’t want him to expose her, either. She exhaled and shrugged her shoulders. Better to have Landers as an ally, not an enemy. “It’s one of the World Institute members. I’m not saying who.”

  Landers shoulders dropped. She took his relaxed stance as a sign that he believed her. He probably worried that she was competing with him on a story. Still, he didn’t lower the broom, which remained motionless above her head. “Give me one good reason to trust you. How do I know you won’t tell them I’m here?”

  Kat sighed. “I’m trying to work with you. But if you don’t want to, fine. I’m leaving.”

  She turned to the door, but the broom handle came down in front of her, barring her exit.

  “Wait. I’m listening. Who are you, and why are you here?”

  “Kat Carter. I’m a fraud investigator.” She slowly held out her hand. Landers didn’t take it, but at least he lowered the broom handle.

  Kat described how the trail of Edgewater payments to Research Analytics had led her to the World Institute.

  “Research Analytics? Never heard of them.”

  “You must know the name. Didn’t you write a book on the World Institute? Surely you checked their finances? If you did, you’d know that Research Analytics is one of the World Institute’s biggest donors. It’s all in their annual report.” Kat had been surprised at the World Institute’s financial transparency, given they hid everything else. If their hidden agenda was really true.

  “The Wo
rld Institute doesn’t publish an annual report.”

  “Sure they do. You can find it online. Don’t you have a copy?” Kat patted her chest. Nathan’s documents were safely tucked under her uniform. She couldn’t wait to read them.

  “Is that what you’ve got there?” Landers arched his brows. “Show me.”

  “I don’t have it on me. But what I do have is even better.”

  She tugged on the papers so just the top corners were visible. Her uniform was so tight that she risked a popped button with any movement. She flushed. A sheen of sweat coated her skin and held the World Institute agenda in place. A hidden agenda, she thought as she smiled.

  “What’s with the grin?”

  “Inside information. Are you in or not?” Kat hadn’t had more than a glance at the agenda, but could guess what was likely attached. Multi-million dollar organizations had financial statements, most likely attached to said agenda. The statements would be discussed at the annual meeting, so delegates would get a copy. She was anxious to return to the room to check her bounty for every mention of Nathan Barron and Edgewater.

  “Why should I cooperate with you? You’ll only draw attention to me. Chasing me on the ferry, and now here.” Landers rested the broom handle against the wall. “For an investigator, you’re rather flamboyant.”

  Kat laughed. “It’s all about you, isn’t it? You’re holed up in a supply room and you think I’m stalking you? You’re nuts.” She threw her hands up in the air. The arm of the too-small uniform ripped and she swore under her breath.

  Kat had hoped to work with Landers. His knowledge gleaned from ten years of following the World Institute could have saved her some time, but he obviously didn’t want to cooperate.

  Landers gave her a once-over. “No crazier than you in that skimpy maid’s outfit. Are you cleaning rooms here too?”

  “Sort of.” More like cleaning out rooms. The stolen papers under her uniform stuck to her skin as she turned to the door. To hell with Landers. She didn’t need his help. She pulled her key card from her pocket and dangled it in front of him. “This is a master key. I can go anywhere, get almost anything. Are you with me or against me?”

  “You’ve got a point,” Landers conceded. He leaned the broom against the wall. “Two heads are better than one.”

  “You’ve finally come to your senses. Now, how did you get ashore before dying of hypothermia? I saw you jump off the ferry. You wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in that frigid water.”

  “Ah. But you didn’t witness me land—only disappear.” A faint smirk crossed his face. It was just as quickly replaced with the same dour expression.

  “If you didn’t jump, where did you go?”

  “I slipped through a rope hole at the stern. There’s a handhold and a ledge on the other side. You just assumed the obvious—that I went in the water. You never considered anything else. I simply hung on for a few minutes until the ferry docked, and got off before the cars and foot passengers. Ahead of traffic. At the front of the line-up. Saved a lot of time, actually.”

  “Smart.” Kat still couldn’t figure out why he ran in the first place. She picked up her towels, carefully tucking the papers inside so Roger Landers wouldn’t notice them.

  “I thought so too.”

  They made plans to meet back in the storage room in thirty minutes. Kat decided not to tell him she was staying in the hotel. He hadn’t earned her trust just yet.

  Chapter 29

  Jace jumped up in bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. His eyes widened with panic.

  “Relax. It’s just me.” Kat sat down on the bed beside him and glanced at the nightstand clock’s LED display. So much had happened today, yet the clock read only eight-thirty in the morning. “You went back to bed?”

  “What else can I do? You’ve trapped me in this hotel room. Hey, why are you dressed like that?” He relaxed his hold on the covers to reach for her.

  “Long story.” Kat kicked off her shoes and dropped the towels on the foot of the bed. Then she squeezed in beside Jace on the bed. “While you’ve been lounging, I’ve been gathering intelligence.”

  “Hmmm, this is nice. Tell me all about it.” Jace pulled her towards him. Then he stopped. “Wait a minute—why are you rustling like paper?”

  Kat squeezed her chest together with her hands on either side. It was the only way she could remove the thick wad of documents without popping the buttons on her too-tight blouse. She carefully extracted the documents. “See what I got?”

  Jace stared at her chest.

  Kat exhaled, finally able to breathe again. The towels dropped to the floor as she shifted her weight on the bed. She held up the papers to show Jace. She’d pick up the towels and the rest of the papers in a minute.

  “Let me see that.” Jace took them with his outstretched hand and skimmed the top page. “Gordon Pinslett’s on the agenda! He’s got a lot to answer for. Like why he’s a delegate, instead of covering this farce of an institution. I’m going to talk to him.”

  “No, Jace.” Any hint of romance in the air had been replaced by blind ambition. “Facing off against Pinslett jeopardizes my case. Besides, his company sacked you.”

  Kat turned onto her side to face Jace. “It’s just a bad idea on so many levels.” Just as she had feared: Jace smelled a story and would do anything to get it.

  Jace’s face darkened. “It’s a perfect example of the media in bed with business.”

  Kat traced her fingers down his arm. “You mean like us?”

  A hint of a smile played on Jace’s lips. “You know what I mean. Pinslett and his cronies are taking over everything. They already influence government, make laws, and control trade. Freedom of the press? It doesn’t work when the press are in bed with the politicians.”

  Kat laid her head across Jace’s chest. “I’m not letting you leave this room.”

  “Okay. But I’m writing that story the minute we leave.”

  “Don’t worry—there’ll be lots to write about. You’ll never believe who I ran into.” Kat recounted her run-in with Victoria, then her run-in with Roger Landers.

  As she described Landers paranoid behavior, someone knocked on the door. They both froze.

  “Get the door, Jace.” Kat dove under the covers. “Hurry.”

  “I’m not dressed. Whoever it is will go away.”

  The door clicked open. “Housekeeping.”

  Jace bolted upright into a sitting position. “Hello?”

  Angelika the housekeeper entered the room. “Oh—I’m sorry, sir.”

  Kat flattened her body against the mattress, wishing she hadn’t eaten such a big breakfast. Would Angelika notice her outline under the covers? She sucked in her stomach and held her breath.

  What was worse—a housekeeper in bed with a guest, or a guest impersonating a housekeeper? No matter what, her cover would be blown in more ways than one.

  Kat lifted the cover just enough for a line of sight. Angelika stood by the television screen at the foot of the bed.

  “Oh, sir.” Angelika’s hand went to her mouth. “So sorry. I thought you already left for conference.”

  “I’m feeling a bit sick. I’m going to stay here and rest a bit.” Jace coughed. “Don’t worry about cleaning the room today.”

  “You sure? I come back this afternoon?” The housekeeper appeared doubtful as she scanned the room. Clothes hung off the chairs and were heaped on top of the suitcases.

  Kat spotted the two coffee cups on the table. Would Angelika notice? She shifted slightly under the covers to get a better view as the housekeeper backed towards the doorway.

  Angelika stopped as she caught the movement. She stared at the bed, seemingly puzzled by the extra mounds under the covers. Or maybe it was all just Kat’s imagination.

  “No need, but thank you,” Jace said.

  “Okay, sir.” Angelika bent to pick up the fallen towels.

  The towels with Kat’s papers tucked inside. Papers she’d barely looked at
yet.

  Kat kicked Jace under the covers.

  “Ouch! Uh, leave the towels, please.”

  Angelika looked puzzled. “I have fresh ones outside in cart. I bring back in one minute.”

  Kat kicked Jace again.

  “No! I mean, I want those ones. Just leave them.”

  “Okay, sir.” Angelika smiled. She dropped the towels on the foot of the bed and backed towards the door. “Hope you feel better soon.”

  After asking about soap and shampoo supplies for the umpteenth time, Angelika finally left. Kat checked the clock. Her meeting with Landers was in less than five minutes.

  Chapter 30

  “That was close. Now, where were we?” Jace lifted the covers and kissed the top of Kat’s head. “Before you started kicking me, I mean.”

  “You were about to get dressed.” She’d love to play hide and seek all morning in the luxurious linens, but there simply wasn’t enough time.

  “That’s not how I remember it.” Jace stroked her stomach and burrowed his lips into the crook of her neck.

  “I’ve got to go.” Kat pushed herself up and rolled over to kiss Jace. She glanced at the nightstand clock radio. “Landers is waiting.”

  She jumped out of bed and retrieved the rest of the papers from the towels. She carried them back and placed them underneath the agenda and other papers Jace had placed on the bedside table.

  “Fine.” Jace sighed and sat up. He pulled his legs over the side of the bed and clicked on the television remote. “You’re totally obsessed with this guy.”

  “We’ll have more time later.” She kissed him on the cheek and grabbed her running shoes. She sat on the bed to tie them. “Promise.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” Jace stood and grabbed his clothes from the bureau. He froze in front of the television.

  Kat followed his gaze. Roger Landers stood in front of the Hideaway Bay RCMP station. The camera panned to show a police constable beside him, squinting in the sunlight.