by Kaylea Cross
Janet took a sip of her coffee. If anyone had told her a week ago or even a few days ago that she was going to spend two steamy nights and one incredible day with Dennis Walker, and that after all of that he was going to cook her breakfast, she would have never believed them. And even though Dennis was sitting opposite her right now, she still found it hard to believe.
Dennis checked his watch. “We’d better hurry. I want to talk to Laskin first thing when we get in. He’s got to be on the lookout for trading in Rover and Valley Metals.” Dennis finished the last bit of his bagel. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“But you didn’t eat anything.”
“I ate some.” Janet motioned at the three quarters of her bagel.
“You eat like a mouse, Janet. It’s going to be one hell of a day today, and you’ll need your strength.”
“I’ll take it with me to go. How does that sound?”
“That’s better,” Dennis relented. “Do you need to walk Baxter before we leave for work?”
“No. I knew we’d be in a rush to leave so I’ve asked my neighbor to walk him. She has the key.”
“In that case, let’s go.” Dennis halted. “Janet, you know that this weekend has been amazing …”
Here it comes, Janet thought. The brush off.
“And I want to see a whole lot more of you. But until we have the case wrapped, I think it would be best if Alex did not see us together. Would you agree?”
Janet hesitated. Alex had insisted on keeping their relationship secret at work, and now Dennis wanted the same. Her common sense told her that he had a point, but her heart literally sank.
“Is something wrong?” Dennis asked.
“I … No, nothing’s wrong. Let’s get going.”
“Janet,” said Dennis, taking her hand. “This is only for the next few days, until we get the case nailed. After that I’m going to stand in the middle of the office and yell that Janet Maple is my girlfriend.”
“Promise?”
“I swear.”
“I was only kidding. I wouldn’t want you to get dinged for disorderly conduct. Just promise that that you won’t hide it from people.”
“I won’t, Janet. I know you’ve been hurt, but I’m not like him. I will never do anything to hurt you.”
“Promise?”
“I swear.”
“Good. Then you’d better get of here. I’ll follow you in ten minutes.”
“See you at the office.”
Half an hour later, Janet was at work. She was a few steps away from her office when Alex intercepted her in the hallway. “Good morning, Janet. How was your weekend?” Alex regarded her for several moments. “You look rested,” he added.
I look like I’ve been made love to all weekend, Janet mused. “Thank you, Alex. I took Baxter to Central Park. Being outdoors always does it for me.”
“I agree. How is the little fella? No more jumping at people, ripping off trousers?”
Janet swallowed a smirk. “Nope. I believe he reserves that kind of treatment especially for you.”
“I see. The next time I go to visit you, I’ll make sure to wear combat gear.”
What made Alex think that she wanted him to visit her? But she knew better than to argue. If everything went according to plan, Alex would not be her boss for much longer.
“Oh,” added Alex, “I meant to ask you about that anonymous complaint against Rover executives—has that been closed out?”
“Yes, Alex. It was closed out right after we spoke, as you requested. I have the file in my office. I could bring it over if you’d like.”
Alex frowned. “A file for a nonexistent complaint? I don’t believe we should be spending our resources on that. No official complaint, no file.”
“I’ll shred it then.”
“Excellent. I’ll let you get back to work,” said Alex, stepping aside.
When Janet got to her office her phone was ringing. She shut the door and picked up. It was Laskin.
“Janet, can you stop by my office please?”
“I’ll be right there.”
A moment later she was in Laskin’s office.
“Shut the door behind you,” Laskin instructed her calmly.
Janet did as she was told.
“Dennis has briefed me on the situation,” Laskin began. “I’ve requested market watch reports on Rover and Valley Metals.”
Just then, Dennis walked into Laskin’s office. “Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to be seen here? Do you want Alex to walk in on us?” Laskin snapped.
“Relax, I took precautions. Anyway, Alex is busy getting a blowjob from Georgiana.”
“How do you know that?” Laskin’s voice peaked with interest.
“I heard them from behind his office door. The walls here are thinner than Mr. Kingsley realizes.”
“I knew it!” Janet exclaimed. “I saw that floozy sitting on his knee before, and I thought that was funny. But I never thought they would do it in the office.”
“If we do our job right, they won’t be doing it for long,” said Dennis. “Peter, what have you got so far?”
“Option trades in Rover and Valley Metals have spiked through the roof. The trades are broken up into small pieces, but the overall size is almost twice the usual volume. It’ll be a pain to trace these to Muller, but we’ll get it. He won’t be able to get the money before the trades clear, and by that time we’ll have the information on the accounts.”
Dennis nodded. “Good. I’m going to call Ham.”
“Do you think he can help us?” Janet asked.
“I sure hope so. He’s been in this business long enough.”
“Then why didn’t he fight his retirement?” Laskin asked.
“I don’t know. I guess he just got fed up, but I know for a fact that he’s got friends in high places. I sure hope he won’t be fed up now.” Dennis halted, about to leave. “How are you doing, Peter?”
“Is that a serious question?” Laskin peered at Dennis over the computer screen. “Other than losing the one woman who could have been the love of my life, I’m doing peachy, just peachy.”
“You’ve got to talk to her, Peter,” Janet cut in.
“And ruin the investigation?” Laskin shook his head. “I couldn’t do that. I’ll just have to find myself a different woman to fall in love with.”
“I understand that you can’t do it now, but once the investigation is in the open, you’ve got to talk to her, Peter. Sure, she’ll hate you at first, but chances are she’ll forgive you later. She’ll need a friend, and you can be that friend,” said Dennis.
“Yeah, right, a friend who ruined her life. I don’t think so.”
“Don’t be a chicken, Laskin. Take your chances. I’m glad I did.” Dennis took Janet’s hand.
Laskin’s glance shot from Dennis to Janet. “Are the two of you …? Finally! It sure took you long enough, Dennis.”
“Better late than never.”
“I’m afraid it’s never for me and Aileen,” Laskin muttered. “Now, if you two lovebirds will excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”
* * *
Back in his office, Dennis grabbed his cell phone and dialed Ham Kirk’s number. “Ham?”
“Dennis! It’s so good to hear from you! What have you been up to?”
“Ham, can you talk?”
“Of course I can talk. I’ve got all the time in the world.”
The reception grew fuzzy. “Where are you?” Dennis demanded, alarmed by this laidback-sounding Ham who was nothing like Dennis’s old boss.
“I’m in Delaware, doing some fishing. I’ve never had the time for it before, you know, but I’ve always loved it. It’s a wonderful way to de-stress. My wife came up with me, but she is not an early riser, so it works out perfectly. I have the mornings to myself, and then we spend the days and evenings together.”
“Ham!”
“What? What’s the matter with you?”
“I am trying to
tell you that I’ve got information on Muller that’s going to put the bastard away once and for all, and you’re carrying on about fishing.”
“Do me a favor, Dennis, and let that whole thing go. It won’t do you any good to keep digging at that corpse. Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and move on.”
“What if I told you that I have proof of Muller being involved with the attorney general and one of Rover’s executives?”
There was a pause on the other line. “You’ve always been pigheaded, but then that’s why you’re so good at what you do. I can’t promise anything, but I’m listening.”
Dennis bit his lip in order to keep himself from cursing at Ham. Dennis spoke slowly and clearly as he brought Ham up to date on everything that had transpired since Ham’s departure from the Treasury.
When Dennis was finished, there was a whistling sound on the other end of the line. “Are you sure you want to get into this? It could get really messy.”
“Of course I’m sure, Ham. And I was hoping that you would be willing to help me settle the score. Hell, I thought you would want to settle the score.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Dennis. Of course I want that, but I don’t want to put you in any danger. You see, I’ve got nothing to lose: I’m retired; there’s nothing they could do to me. But they could destroy you, and as much as I’d like to, I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to protect you. Although I promise to do my best.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
“In that case, I’m going to call my friend on the senate subcommittee.”
“You’ve got friends on the senate subcommittee?”
“I’ve got one friend there and a very good one.
“Then why didn’t you call him when they booted you out of here?”
“I don’t like calling in favors.”
“But you’ll call in a favor for me?”
“Yes I will, Dennis. After everything you’ve done to bring this case home, it’s the least I could do. I hope you brought an extra large umbrella because it’s going to be a shit storm. I’ll call you as soon as I have an update for you.”
Dennis hung up the phone. There were any number of people he could have turned to—his old boss at the FBI, the head of the SEC—but after learning what he had learned about Finnegan, where was the guarantee that they, too, would not be corrupt? If there were one thing that Dennis knew about Ham it was that Ham was honest, and that Ham never made promises that he did not keep. Dennis clasped his hands. It was going to be a shit storm, and he was prepared to face it.
What Dennis was not prepared for was the chaos in his personal life. Not that he had not enjoyed the past two nights with Janet; he had—immensely. What he did not enjoy was the realization of how much he liked her, how much he—dare he think the word?—loved her. Dennis dug his fingernails into his palms. What was wrong with him? He was acting like a schoolboy out on a date for the first time. It was bad enough that he had called Janet his girlfriend after only one night together, he was not about to go professing love to her, even if he did feel it in his heart. But then he had known Janet for far longer than one night, and he had been in love with her ever since he had met her.
* * *
David Muller rang the door of Mila’s apartment.
“Who is it?” The sound of Mila’s throaty voice made David want to break down the door.
“It’s me, baby. Open up.”
The door opened, and David was treated to the sight of Mila in a lacy corsage, complete with garter belt, stockings, and black stilettos. She was holding a bottle of Dom Pérignon. Her fingers were on the cork. “Do I open it?” She looked at him meaningfully.
“Pop it, baby.”
Mila popped the cork. The champagne began to spill over. David leaned in and licked the foam off the bottle. He kissed Mila hungrily. He had been waiting for this moment all day.
“David! The champagne is spilling!”
“Let it spill,” he mouthed. “We can afford it.”
He shrugged out of his coat, dumping it on the floor. And then he was holding her, hungry for the taste and feel of her. He scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
After he had finished making love to her, David lay on the bed, spent and elated.
“So I take it everything went well?” Mila asked.
“It went swimmingly. One more day and we’ll be in the clear.”
Mila burrowed her face in David’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m worried. What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will go wrong.”
“Are you sure, David?”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you. It’s just that …”
“What?”
“Whenever something good is about to happen to me, I’m always afraid that things will go wrong.”
“They won’t. Not this time.”
“But once the merger is announced, the regulators will start digging around. They’re going to get suspicious about the trades you placed. What if they find us?”
“You’ve said it yourself: by the time the merger is announced. By that time we will have gotten our money and be gone. Let the dogs snoop around all they want while we’re drinking champagne and eating caviar.”
“Mmm, sounds delicious.”
“Not as delicious as you are.”
David wrapped his arms around Mila, rolling her on top of him. He loved the sensation of her toned body: her soft breasts pressing against his chest and her toned stomach fitting neatly against his. Her hair enveloped him with its silkiness and the warmness of her breath made him feel like he was where he belonged. He loved her. One more day and they would be in the clear. And then he was going to ask her to marry him.
Chapter Twenty-eight
The next day Mila Brabec and her cousin Ania were sitting at a French brasserie on the Upper East Side. Mila watched Ania consume a pear tart with a side of hazelnut ice cream. Ania could stand to lose a good ten pounds. Instead, she was gobbling dessert, while Mila limited herself to a café latte made with skim milk. But then Mila did not have the luxury of Ania’s security. On the contrary, Mila’s situation was anything but secure. She had not heard from David since morning, and it was already after two o’clock. That in itself did not sound like such a long period of time, but when put in the context of David usually calling her five times a day at a minimum, it became exceptionally long. Worst of all was that she knew about the risky venture that David was involved in. The man was walking on a wire.
“So,” said Ania, pushing the pear tart away and dabbing her lips with a napkin. “When are you and David going to tie the knot?”
“Soon enough.”
Ania made a tsking sound. “Soon enough is a very ambiguous time frame, Mila, and you need certainty.”
“What do you suggest I do? Go back to Prague and slave away as a bank clerk?” Mila snapped.
“What’s wrong with working at a bank?” Ania shrugged her plump shoulders. “It’s a perfectly respectable job.”
A perfectly respectable job, Mila resisted the urge to mimic Ania. I bet you would just love to see me wasting away in some dump, wouldn’t you? I don’t see you lifting a finger since you married Daniel. “I want to keep my options open,” was all she said out loud.
Ania frowned and placed another forkful of the pear tart into her mouth. She chewed methodically for several moments before she spoke. “I hardly think you’re keeping your options open, Mila. If anything, you’re limiting them.”
“How’s that?” Mila asked sulkily. She had made the mistake of arguing with her cousin, but she was not going to back down now.
“It’s very simple, really. It’s not as though you are gaining experience in your profession here. Instead, you are wasting your life working as a waitress.”
Go ahead, why don’t you rub it in, Mila thought. Still, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew that
Ania had a point. She sure as hell was not getting any younger, and as far as getting a job in her field, the chances of that were also slim. Not that she wanted to slave away as a bank clerk for the rest of her life. “I could go to school here,” Mila ventured.
Ania almost choked on her coffee. “Go to school here?” she repeated. “Why, I suppose you could if you qualified for a scholarship. But you’d also need to keep working to cover your living expenses. I imagine that would be difficult.”
Yes, I imagine it would, Mila thought. Ania’s husband had more money than the Bauers could spend in their lifetime. Daniel was not a stingy man. All Ania had to do was say that her cousin needed help, and he would be happy to oblige, but Ania was too paranoid that Mila might steal her husband and was desperate to get rid of her cousin as soon as possible. Not that Mila wanted to go back to school, anyway. As far as she was concerned she had learned everything there was to learn in a classroom. It did not take Einstein’s IQ to understand the world of finance. Hell, David was not any smarter than she was, and he was moving millions of dollars. It was not what you knew, but the proverbial who you knew. If David’s scheme worked out, Mila would not have to worry about her future anymore. But if it did not … Mila checked her watch again. Where was David?
“Are you in a rush?” Ania asked pointedly.
Deciding that she had had enough, Mila finished the last of her latte. “Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I just remembered that I promised to feed my neighbor’s cat.”
“Your neighbor’s cat?”
“Yes, my neighbor, who also happens to be a Calvin Klein model, asked me to feed his cat while he’s away on a modeling gig in Milan.”
Ania’s eyes lit up with jealousy. “You didn’t tell me that your neighbor was a model.”
“I only just met him.” Mila rose from her chair, dropping a twenty dollar bill on the table.
“And he already asked you to feed his cat?” Ania’s eyes widened with anticipation of intrigue.
“Yes.” Mila nodded, barely keeping herself from bursting into laughter. She had just made the whole thing up on the spot, and Ania was eating it up. No doubt Ania would spend the rest of the day being jealous of Mila and her imaginary neighbor model. Serves the nosy bag right, Mila thought, gleeful of her tiny revenge. “I’d better get going. I wouldn’t want to disappoint the cat.”
