House of Cards (Tech Billionaires)

by Ainsley St Claire

  “But Bullseye is the only reason Reinhardt Hudson’s is still open,” I say, shaking my head.

  Nancy nods and looks down a moment. “It was an accident when William and I got together—too many late nights and too much work. But we fell in love, and from our love came Murphy, though we hadn’t planned to have any children. I knew from the beginning William couldn’t divorce Catherine. They had their own family, and his father’s will was clear that they had to remain together. But he loved us as best he could until he died.”

  “Did my mother know about you?” I ask.

  Nancy nods. “I think she encouraged it, really. She seemed to think if he was happy with me, he’d be more amenable to her demands.”

  This is news to me. “And was he?”

  “Probably. And she was fine focusing on her volunteer commitments and her place in society.” Nancy looks over at Murphy. “William launched a second mid-level department store, which he named Murphy’s. That set Catherine off because it announced to the world that he’d had a child by another woman.”

  “I think I was ten when he launched Murphy’s,” I recall. “No one would have figured it out.”

  “Maybe not the general public, but most people in your mother’s circle knew I had a son named Murphy.” She shrugs. “As William’s health declined, he revisited his will. He knew Christopher didn’t want the business, and Stevie couldn’t take it over.”

  My ears perk up. “Why not?”

  Nancy shakes her head. “It’s not my place to say.”

  “Please, it could be important,” Jim insists.

  “Stevie is a Walker, not a Reinhardt,” Nancy mumbles.

  I sit up straight in my seat. “What?”

  She sighs. “Shortly after you were conceived, your mother shut your father out. It was fine by him, and he couldn’t fault Catherine for her affair given he was having his own.”

  My world is rocked. “Does Stevie know?”

  My father never treated him as anything other than his son. Knowing he was Herbert’s son must have made their relationship difficult. Stevie and I live separate lives and always have, but I never suspected we didn’t have the same father. Does Alex know he has a half-brother?

  “I don’t know if Stevie knows, but this meant that if Christopher wasn’t going to take over the business, it should be Murphy. But Catherine wasn’t having that.”

  I roll my eyes. “Good grief. Who cares?”

  “Your mother did, and she set out to kill Murphy. But she spoke a little too freely about it, and your father found out. So we staged Murphy’s death, moved him to Colorado, and put him in hiding from everyone—until your father was dying and told Maggie.”

  “How could my mother be so callous?” I don’t like the image coming into focus of who my mother really is. “I knew something was up and Murphy was alive, because my dad shared it with me not long before he died. At first I thought he just wanted me to know how clever he was, but now I think he wanted me to make way for Murphy to take over the business. He knew the Foundation was my true focus.” I look at Nancy and Murphy. “I’m sorry. I had no idea why you had to do what you did.”

  Nancy reaches over to squeeze my hand.

  “Back to the original question, though,” I add. “How did they figure out Murphy was alive?”

  Jim looks at Nancy with raised eyebrows.

  She shakes her head. “I’m not totally sure, but Catherine called me this morning and said my son in Colorado would never run Reinhardt Hudson. That’s how I figured out they knew.”

  A bell rings from the cockpit. “We’re preparing to land,” Jim says. “Remember, I want the plane on the ground less than ten minutes so it can continue to Canada. We need to get off quickly.”

  The plane descends, and within moments of coming to a stop on the runway, we’re exiting. Three cars are waiting, and the ten of us who exited the plane divide ourselves among them. Murphy, Anna, and Nancy go in one car, and I end up in another with Jim, Zack, and Thomas.

  “Are you two my new best friends?” I ask them.

  “You could say that,” says Zack.

  “I’ve missed you guys,” I tease. “Travis’s team couldn’t keep up with me.”

  We ride up to the house—the centerpiece of a beautiful ranch owned by another of Jim’s clients—and the cars drive away after dropping us off.

  “Is there a chance they could find us here?” I ask.

  “It would be difficult,” Jim assures me.

  When we enter the house, a round woman with blond curls and a wide smile stands with a man in a cowboy hat, boots, and plaid western shirt. “Welcome to Magnolia Homestead,” she says. “We’re the ranch managers, Molly and Frank Pierce.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I mutter, as do the others.

  “I understand you’re meeting in the living room. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be hungry, so I set up some food. Follow me.”

  We follow Molly to the living room and find a buffet big enough for an army. We swarm over the table of fruit, vegetables, and homemade pastries and breads.

  “What sorts of drinks would you like?” Molly asks Jim.

  “Whatever they want,” he replies.

  “I’d like a glass of scotch,” Murphy says.

  “We have a twenty-year blended scotch or a fifteen-year single malt,” Frank reports.

  “I’ll take the blended.”

  “That’s my favorite, too.” I look at Murphy fondly. “May I have one of those as well?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  After we’ve had a bite to eat, with drinks in hand, we get back to our conversation.

  “So now we know why Murphy went into hiding.” Jim turns and gazes at Nancy. “Do you know how the Kryetar got involved with Reinhardt Corporation?”

  “I’ve heard a few things, but it’s mostly speculation and conversations William and I had before his death,” Nancy says.

  “That’s a good place to start. My team can chase down details and verify them,” Jim says.

  Nancy stares down at her skirt and picks an imaginary thread. “Back in the Hudson’s days, Catherine’s father worked hard to break into New York. There was a lot of competition from Macy’s, Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Gimbel’s. To fight his way in, he worked with the Teamsters in the 1940s.”

  “But they weren’t the Kryetar, right?”

  “That’s right. But over time, part of their organization was taken over by criminally minded Albanians, and those people eventually became the Kryetar.” She takes a sip of her hot tea. “I don’t know if Herbert Walker was also involved with the Kryetar or if it was Catherine who brought them over, but they now have their talons firmly in Elite Electronics, too.”

  “What do the Kryetar use these companies for?” Jim asks.

  “Smuggling mostly.”

  He nods. “Drugs?”

  “Yes, and anything else they want to have moved.” Nancy looks away, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “They have a complex logistics operation. For Bullseye, we produce under our own brand names, and more than seventy percent of our inventory comes from China. My understanding is we had a shipment last year that was fifty percent paper straws and fifty percent oxycodone, all manufactured in China.”

  “How did my parents allow this to happen?” I ask, incredulous.

  Nancy looks at me. “That’s a complicated answer.”

  Chapter 33

  Maggie

  I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. My parents allowed drugs to be transported around the country with their goods? The corruption would have to go all the way to the top of Reinhardt Corporation for this to happen.

  I still don’t understand. How could I have not known or figured it out?

  Jim looks around the room. We’re quite the rag-tag team—slouched over, yawning, and fighting sleep.

  “You all look exhausted,” he says. “Please, let’s go to our rooms and get some rest. We can meet here tomorrow morning for breakfast at nine.”<
br />
  Molly and Frank lead us out, but Jim reaches for my arm. “Are you okay?”

  I take a deep breath. “I don’t know. This is a lot to take in. Today I confirmed my half-brother is not only alive but expecting twins, another brother has a different father than I do, and my parents are drug smugglers in bed with the Albanian mob. I mean, that’s a normal day for most, isn’t it?”

  Jim’s lips quirk. “It’s a lot of information.”

  “I don’t know what to think anymore.” I sigh. “And I still don’t understand how all of this involves me.”

  He nods. “I have some ideas, and my team will work on them tonight. Maggie, I understand this was tough to hear. Nancy was very worried about you on the flight in from Minneapolis. She didn’t want to change your opinion of your father. I didn’t comprehend what that meant until this evening. “

  “I watched Murphy, Anna, and Nancy interacting on the plane here,” I tell him. “There’s so much love there. I was actually jealous. My mother doesn’t have an ounce of that love for me. Maybe my father did, but he didn’t show it the same way… ” I’m determined not to cry. I pinch the skin between my forefinger and thumb. The pain distracts me from the pain my parents have caused me.

  He studies me a moment. “You may feel alone, but I’ll remind you that Christopher and Stevie are incredibly worried about you. And Murphy’s love for his mother and wife spills over to you. He didn’t hesitate to jump in, even knowing it would expose his secret. Also, I think there’s a hotelier in Las Vegas who cares a great deal about you.” He puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me to the base of the stairs. “You have more people who love you than you think. Your parents may be different than you thought they were, but you have a wonderful family despite them.”

  He’s right. I do have a lot of people in my corner. “Thanks, Jim. I needed to hear that.” I start up the stairs. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  ******

  Lying in bed a little while later, I stare up at the ceiling. The night is so dark here that I can barely make out the shape of the overhead light fixture. I lie on my side and take in the darkness of the land outside. There isn’t another light anywhere on the horizon. It’s black, cold, and almost eerie.

  Insomnia haunts my night, just as fatigue rules my days right now. When I need to be lucid and clear, my brain begs for unconsciousness, for sleep at any price. But come the hours of darkness in the comfort of a bed, my mind lights up with new sources of disaster and danger.

  I click through everything I learned today, and somehow some of it finally makes sense. It’s as if I had a puzzle I didn’t realize was missing so many pieces.

  Stevie is my half-brother. While Christopher and I are blond-haired and blue-eyed, Stevie has brown hair—darker than my mother’s, but the same color as Alex and his father’s. But my father never treated him poorly, and for that I’m grateful.

  Our logistics and supply chain will need a complete overhaul. That’s going to take some work to figure out.

  And why would my marrying Alex matter?

  What does Alex know?

  I want to let everything go, to count sheep and relax, but soon the sheep are telling me what might go wrong tomorrow because of some blunder I made today.

  I watch the clock move past three, and I still can’t sleep.

  I want to talk to Jonnie.

  I wish my brothers were here.

  Finally, I realize I can either lie in my bed watching the color slowly seep back into the landscape outside, or I can get up.

  I’m pondering my decision when there’s a knock at my door. I roll over and blink back the sunlight. I fell asleep at some point. At first, I’m not sure where I am, and it takes a moment to get my bearings.

  Then I remember. “Come in,” I croak.

  Molly peeks her head around the door. “The meeting is going to start shortly.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll be right down.” I’m embarrassed I never set an alarm and had to have someone come looking for me.

  She grins. “It’s the fresh air—wipes people out. I’m waking a few of you.”

  “Thank you.” I like Molly. She’s warm, friendly, and makes me feel welcome at a time I really appreciate that. My head is pounding, but I can do this.

  “Of course. Can I bring you a cup of coffee before you head down? I don’t mind at all,” she offers.

  That sounds fantastic. “I guess—with a little cream and one sugar?” I’m going to need a lot of caffeine and energy today.

  “Coming right up.”

  I pull the covers back, and the cold air bites at my skin. I want nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep for the rest of the decade.

  It’s not like they need me for today’s meetings. I mean, this is likely more of Nancy sharing what she knows about the company history and why we’re in bed with the Kryetar…

  But maybe Nancy has an idea of how I can escape this marriage.

  I work my way to the shower, and the warm water gives me the energy to dress and go downstairs.

  When I emerge from the bathroom, I find a carafe of coffee, a bagel with cream cheese, and a small bowl of mixed fruit. Back home, Hazel hasn’t brought me breakfast in my room in years. I’ll be spoiled by Molly if I stay here too long.

  I’m the last to arrive downstairs, and Jim greets me. “How did you sleep last night?”

  “It took me a while to fall asleep, but it seems I eventually did.” I pop a grape into my mouth. “Today I’ll need a lot of coffee.”

  “Me, too.” He smiles and turns to the room. “Okay, everyone, we have a few people joining us this afternoon, so let’s make the most of our morning so you can enjoy a bit of fresh air before they arrive.”

  “Who’s joining us?” I ask.

  “Christopher, Bella, and your attorney, Marci Peterson—”

  My heart races. This is fantastic news. “What about Stevie and Genevieve?”

  “They’re coming from Florida and should be here at roughly the same time.”

  “Anyone else?” Part of me hopes Jonnie is coming, though I know that would be unwise—and probably impossible for his schedule.

  “A few people from my team, but don’t worry about them.”

  I survey the room. People are busily eating and drinking coffee or tea, and Nancy is sitting in a wing-backed chair, looking ready for the interviews to begin. I sit down next to her, and she reaches out to me.

  “Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family,” she says.

  I smile. “You’re my family, too.”

  Jim comes over and puts his notepad on the table. “Good morning, ladies. Do you mind if we get right to it?”

  When Nancy and I nod, he picks up approximately where we left off last night.

  “We discussed yesterday some of the early history of Reinhardt Hudson’s and what became the Albanian mafia. You indicated that William Reinhardt had told you the Kryetar were present in the company before he took charge. Is that correct?”

  “Well, yes.” Nancy stares down at her hand, and I notice a beautiful sapphire ring. I’ve never seen it before, but I’m sure my dad gave it to her. “They weren’t always as bold as they are these days, though. That has definitely gotten worse over time. As William diversified the company, their demands to be involved with Bullseye and Murphy’s made his life miserable.”

  “How so?” Jim asks.

  “Well, I remember our logistics manager left one day, and a new guy started. William was extremely upset and angry about this. I still remember him telling me about it over dinner.” Nancy looks out at the white snow. “He didn’t go into it, but it seemed the Kryetar were pushing to expand their presence and wanting more leverage. With the help of the logistics manager, William had been resisting their most overt efforts, but then we later learned they’d killed the logistics manager and replaced him with a Kryetar member.”

  “Ah…okay,” Jim says as he makes a few notes. “Nancy, what do you know about the impendin
g merger between Elite Electronics and Reinhardt Corporation?”

  “Catherine is driving that, though I don’t know if she’s following orders from someone else. But she’s been involved with Herbert since around the time Christopher emancipated.”

  “Were you aware my mother was embezzling funds from the Foundation?” I ask.

  She nods. “Your father suspected it and confronted her.” She dabs her eyes. “I’m convinced she killed him.”

  “What?” I nearly shriek.

  “He was so vibrant, and all of a sudden he wasn’t. He started pulling away from me. He told me I needed to move on.” She grasps my hands. “Your father and I didn’t mean to fall in love, but we did. He assured me his will provided for me and for Murphy. Then after he was gone, the lawyer told me there wasn’t anything for us.”

  “What? Wait? You were told the will didn’t give you anything?”

  She nods.

  “When that same lawyer, Patrick Moreau, read us the will, we were told you, Christopher, Stevie, and I were each getting a quarter of the company. I was pretty sure Murphy was alive, and your quarter was meant to be passed to him. My mother didn’t get anything. I have a copy of the will. Hold on just a minute.” I jump up and run upstairs to get it.

  When I return, I hand it to her. “As you can see, it does have a provision for you.”

  She sits back and shakes her head. “I can’t believe this.”

  “We’ll have Marci work through this and make some recommendations when she arrives,” Jim says.

  He then shifts gears to ask a few more follow-up questions, further solidifying Nancy’s statements from last night.

  After a little while, Molly removes the breakfast food and begins to replace it with snacks. Then Frank enters the room and nods at Jim.