“Either way, it’s going to hurt them. Sometimes, justice catches up to the bad guys, and when it’s bad, nothing can help. Not even your firm.”
“Do you mind telling me something more? Tell me something, Rob. I can see it in your face. You’re hiding something. I came to you because I trust you. Now trust me, and tell me.”
He pulls me off the path, and turns to face me again. All around us, flowering plants explode with buds and color. Birds sing. It’s a stark contradiction to the ominous look on Rob’s face.
“The Sloans are going down, Rebecca. Be careful, because if you or Kara try to save them, you may go down too.”
“I can’t believe you’re giving me empty words like this. I need facts. Do you have any facts? Or are you going to make this into another crucifixion before the evidence tells us otherwise?”
He lets me go and turns to walk away, but looks back and says, “You had to throw that in my face, didn’t you? I’m done, Rebecca. Get your facts from someone else in the department.”
He hurries away, and I try to catch up, but he’s moving too quickly. A small group of teenagers run into my path, throwing a Frisbee at one another. By the time they pass me, Rob is no longer in sight. I let out a frustrated breath and head back. I’m cut off. I have no one else in the department.
Suddenly, I remember who my boss is. Kara must have other people at that precinct that she can talk to. I phone her, but she does not reply. In a way, I’m glad she didn’t answer. This is not the type of thing she would want to talk about on the phone. I phone the office, and the assistant tells me she’ll be back within the hour, and has an opening shortly after she returns. I tell her I’m on my way, and quickly drop my things off in my apartment before I leave again.
The pace of this investigation is flying. With every minute that passes, I get the sinking feeling that we’re not travelling anywhere tonight.
Chapter Eleven
Jonathan
It’s a thirty minute drive to Grand Central Station—if it’s the middle of the night. But it’s not, and with the rush-hour traffic from New Jersey, I’m in my car for almost ninety minutes before I get there. I plug in my Bluetooth on the way over. I phone my dad to let him know I’m where I’m headed.
The relief in his voice annoys me. I’m almost angry that Mandy gave me this key. After everything he’s put her through, she still turns out to be gracious. And dad, still as obnoxious as ever. I listen to him as he gloats about getting through this really soon. He’s not learned a thing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up celebrating the same weekend by repeating the faux pas with more girls.
If he were not my dad, I’d probably be at the end of my rope. I’d probably turn the fucker in, just for what he did to Mandy. I’m so sick of it I tell him I can’t talk right now, and I’ll update him later on before I fly out. He stops me to ask what her answer was about Warrior.
“I’m not sure you want to know her answer over the phone, Dad,” I tell him. I don’t know why I’m sparing him. I should spit it out just the way she said it, so he can feel it, and know some of the pain Mandy is feeling right now.
“Don’t hold out on me, Johnny,” he barks out at me in that demanding, impatient tone he likes to put on. “Tell me what she said. Tell me right now. Is she going to help me with Warrior or not?”
“Are you sitting down?” I have to ask. He needs to understand how serious this is.
“Don’t worry about me,” he answers. “I can take it. Lay it out for me, Johnny.”
I tell them exactly what she said, practically verbatim, and there’s silence on the other end of the line. He stands to lose out on tens of billions of dollars if he agrees to her terms. I know my father. His silence right now is not consent. His face is probably beet red with anger. He tells me he’ll talk to me later, and my guess is the man is about to cry. He should cry. He’s fucked things up enough. Maybe it’s time for him to get this wake-up call, to stop him in his tracks.
I park across from Grand Central Station, and go to my trunk to empty my workout duffel bag. I don’t want anyone seeing me leave Grand Central with that thing. The place is always crawling with cops, and there are CCTV cameras everywhere. You never know who’s watching. If I want to get this evidence out of here, and destroyed for good, I need to be discreet.
The anticipation getting to me. As always, the place is buzzing with activity when I get inside. I walk to the south entrance, find the locker, but before I open it, I walk over to an empty seat nearby and I look around. There are just two or three people milling about this smaller area. None of them look suspicious, and none of them seem to notice me.
I fake a sneeze to see if I can get their attention. Maybe they’re intentionally avoiding me so that I don’t make them. The two men standing around look over at me, and the woman sitting a few seats across from me looks up and tells me ‘bless you’ before looking down at her tablet again.
I feel good enough to take a chance. I pull the key out of my pocket and I walk over to the bay of lockers. I open it quickly, and I think my face just about goes white as a ghost. I can’t see it myself, but I feel the blood drain out of my face and neck.
I practically run outside to get to my car, and when I’m safely inside, I phone Mandy. Mandy doesn’t lie. She never does. But when she answers, I can’t control my tone of voice.
“What’s going on, Mandy?” I demand.
“Jonathan. What’s wrong?”
“Why did you move the trunk?”
“What are you talking about? I told you where it is.”
“Nothing’s in the locker,” I tell her calmly. The calm in my voice is actually pure panic. I’m so panicked I don’t know how to react.
“That’s not possible,” she tells me. “I put it there two nights ago before you saw me at dinner with Michael.”
“Was anyone there with you?”
“No. I was alone.”
“What about Michael?”
“No. He was waiting for me at the hotel.”
“Do you think anyone saw you?”
“I don’t believe anyone did. Jonathan, are you sure nothing is there?”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I tell her. “Mandy, I need you to come clean with me. Please tell me what’s in the trunk. And tell me if there’s anything in there that may be mine.”
She doesn’t say a word. She’s probably in shock. After a few moments, she says, “Unless you and your father have both been up to no good, you have nothing to worry about. There’s nothing in there I would ever think could be from your hands, Jonathan. I know you, son. You are the gentlest, kindest human being I know. And don’t you ever forget that.”
The words she’s describing me with don’t even register. I’m too worried about where this trunk is, who could’ve taken it, and what they’re about to do with it. I tell her I have to talk to her later, hang up, and instantly phone my father. He doesn’t answer. I send him a text with the numbers 911. It’s our mutual code for ‘get your ass over to my condo so we can talk’.
I get home and upstairs, and he’s not there. I try phoning him again. He doesn’t answer. I call his office. His assistant says he’s in a meeting. I tell her to get him out of the meeting and on the phone right now. I tell her it’s urgent, and she’s worked for my dad long enough to know when I’m serious. She puts me on hold and a minute later, my dad is on the phone. I can’t talk to him, or tell him anything. Who knows who’s listening. Instead, I tell him to meet me at the condo immediately. That it’s urgent. Worse than urgent.
He tells me this meeting is too important. He tells me he has to stay, because it’s to do with Warrior and getting alternative interim funding. He tells me how important it is, in light of Mandy’s demands. He stresses that he has to find the finances somewhere, and the people in that office are the key. I can’t believe this man doesn’t trust my judgment right now. I know when he finds out that trunk is gone, and Mandy doesn’t know where it is, he will flip.
I don’t know what to do. I’m tempted to drive to his office and burst in, and wrestle him out to somewhere private so we can talk. His office is across town. There’s no way I’ll get there quickly. I have to do something now. I drive to Kara’s office. I know she knows more than anyone else. Definitely more than Rebecca.
I get upstairs and I don’t even wait for her assistant to tell me it’s okay to go in. I storm into Kara’s office. Rebecca is sitting there. I’m just as shocked to see her as she is to see me.
“Kara, Rebecca. I’m sorry for barging in like this. Kara, I need to talk to you. It’s urgent and it can’t wait.”
She looks up at me. She doesn’t look at all surprised to see me, even though I haven’t been to her in her office for years.
“Rebecca, I need to speak to Kara in private, but do you mind if we have a word in your office for just a minute? Kara do you mind?”
They both nod, and Rebecca rises from her seat and follows me out to her office. She closes the door, and I pull her in close and hold her in my arms. She looks up at me and kisses me warmly.
“What’s going on, Jonathan?” She asks.
“It’s a long story. I can’t get into it now. But I want to tell you something before everything goes to hell.”
She looks up at me her eyes questioning, curious.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll be going to the Bahamas right now, unfortunately.”
She nods. She’s not surprised. I’m worried about that. “That’s all right. Another time is fine too. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine now. I probably won’t be fine for long. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, and no matter what they say about me, I care about you, Rebecca. The time I spent with you has been beautiful. I’ve not cared for another person the way I care for you. The part of me I shared with you, well…that was the real me, and what I feel for you will never change. I’m going to speak with Kara now, and when I’m done, I’ll come back to you, if you’ll be around.”
There’s a confused expression on her face. She nods. I wish I could tell her more. I’m positive there not enough time to explain any more to her. I feel the walls closing in on me. The knot in my gut is on high alert. I ask her to wait in her office until I speak to Kara privately. I sense her disappointment, but she respects my wishes and waits.
As I’m walking to Kara’s office, my heart sinks. Coming out of the elevators are Bateman and Miller, and they’re accompanied by four uniformed police officers. I have no doubt in my mind they’re coming for me.
To Be Continued
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Empire Part 3: A New Adult and College Billionaire Romance Series (Empire Billionaire Romance) Page 5
