by Jeff Taylor
Her feet barely touched the floor as she crossed the plush carpet and flicked on the closet lights. She moved past the rows of clothes and shoes to where she had stowed the boxes of things she didn’t need right away, the collection of books and photos she hadn’t had time to sort since the move. Rifling through the knickknacks and keepsakes she had no place for, she finally came across the framed photographs buried at the bottom. She sorted through them until she found the one that had teased her memory. A brightly colored, letter-sized frame decorated with glitter and a pair of orange and yellow foam stars glued to the top left and bottom right corners was buried right where she’d thought it was. Dropping down onto her knees, Julia touched the blinking camera icon in the center of the screen and a digital photo materialized. Julia and another young woman with dark hair and a dazzlingly wide smile beamed up at her. Each girl had her arm around the other as their eyes reflected sincere joy. The pair appeared to be at a party with a dimly-lit dance floor in the background. Julia gasped at the sight. Just visible in the back corner was a neon sign that read, “The Diana Club.” Then the words “Thanks for the memories! Best Friends Forever! Love, Donna!” scrolled across the bottom of the image.
“Please tell me it’s not you they’re looking for,” Julia mumbled to herself.
A tone unexpectedly sounded in her ear, causing her to start. Catching her breath, she gently brushed her earring.
“This is Julia,” she said brightly, still focused on the frame in her lap. A familiar voice spoke to her. “Oh, yes, father,” she said, “they’ve left. I will be down in a moment.”
The party she had been looking forward to for the last several days was now a distant memory. What does my old roommate have to do with the death of Hanel Schulaz? They hadn’t spoken in years, not since the modeling workshop in San Francisco. Several different scenarios played out in her mind, each one making her more and more anxious. She realized that it would be impossible for her to enjoy the rest of the party until she had some answers. Once more, she reached up and touched the back of her earring.
“Call Donna Nelsonn, San Francisco directory,” she commanded. After a long pause, a familiar voice greeted her, prompting her to leave a message.
“Donna? Hi! It’s Julia Kratin. It’s been years!” She wasn’t sure what more to say. “Listen, I will be in San Francisco in the morning. I was wondering if we could get together and have lunch and catch up. I also need to ask you about something that happened to a friend of mine. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later. Call me back, okay? Bye.”
Julia removed her dangling earrings and matching diamond-latticed necklace. After placing them in their case in her safe, she quietly left the closet and sat cross-legged on the billowy blue comforter of her queen-sized bed. She gazed out the window at the lightening blistering the sky with its jagged fingers. Outside the wind and rain pounded the house with a fierce determination to master all other elements. Julia’s heart pumped with the same ferocity. Determined to protect her friend but more so, her family. Instinctively, she seized the plush pink rabbit she’d had since childhood and held it to her face. The beady black eyes of her toy stared dispassionately back at her.
“Now, I need an excuse to go to San Francisco,” she told it before tossing her furry friend back onto the bed.
CHAPTER 6
TORCH
Tina had already spent the morning at the office getting acquainted with the staff and making herself at home. From what Brill knew about her, which was considerable, he fully expected her to completely reorganize the company by week’s end.
Augustina Kratin, Tina for short, was a tough, hard-nosed businesswoman. She was only twenty-five years old but had inherited her father’s insatiable ambition. She never took no for an answer and rarely didn’t get her way, professionally. Her personal life was another matter. She had been engaged at the age of eighteen to her high school sweetheart. They had been madly in love. Her parents had almost loved him just as much, approving of the union despite their young age. But then, unexpectedly, he decided to take the football scholarship to Alabama, packed up his belongings and left literally hours before their wedding. Tina never heard from him again and the brief words of his final note in which he chose his sport over her seared into her memory like a blistering branding iron. Most people who knew her observed that she was never the same after that. Physically, her beauty rivaled that of her sister and she walked with the same grace and elegance of her mother, but the soft exterior hid the steel forged within her now emotionless heart. Nathaniel was the only person she cared for.
The door chime sounded and Brill gingerly stood from his recliner to answer it. Kirly had programmed it to open at his command but he still preferred to do it manually. “Voice commands make people lazy,” he had told her. She reached the door first, however, and welcomed the Kratins into the apartment.
Nathaniel wore a dark navy suit with a light blue tie and gold cufflinks while Tina appeared in a forest green dress suit, with a black silk blouse underneath. Both looked every bit the corporate titan they purported to be. Brill found her very charming and quite alluring. If only I were thirty years younger and she a few degrees warmer, he mused.
“Welcome to my home,” he sincerely greeted them, taking each by the hand. Even her hands are cold.
“It’s very good to see you again, Mr. Brill,” she said politely.
“Call me, Naitus, please,” he said. “There’s no need for formality if we are going to be working so closely for the next while.”
He gestured for them to enter the living room and then hobbled behind them. “I guess before anything else is said I should apologize for not meeting you at the office,” he began. “My jailer here,” pointing at Kirly, “won’t parole me. I was only able to attend your party last night because she left the cell unlocked.”
Kirly ignored him and waddled off to the kitchen for the tea service tray.
“Completely understandable considering . . .,” the elder Kratin chuckled, pointing at Brill’s cane. Brill took the cane in hand and tapped it hard on the ground, clearly agitated by its presence.
“As soon as I don’t need this, it’s kindling,” he answered, motioning for the two of them to sit on any of the circular, white leather chairs at the center of the room. “But you’re not here to get my medical update,” Brill said, turning his attention to the lovely Tina. “You’re here to talk business and I would love to hear what you think of our little operation, Miss Kratin?”
Tina smiled. “You get right to the point, don’t you?” she asked. “I like that.” She slid forward perching on the edge of the sofa with perfect posture. “I guess first of all, I should express my gratitude for the trust you’ve shown me by selling me your shares. It’s a big responsibility and I appreciate you confiding your faith in me.”
Brill waived his hand as her sentiment wasn’t needed.
“I knew beforehand,” she continued, “how Carsus operated just from what I gathered here and there as Dad has worked on things, but I never knew the full breadth of the management and internal workings. Overall, I would say the company is very impressive. I think the infrastructure and the diversification of product you’ve established are commendable. But as I’ve been digging through the company’s records I found a few things that raised a flag or two for me, if I may?” she asked, removing a small datapad from the inside breast pocket of her suit coat.
A wry grin formed on his lips. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Brill urged, eager for her assessment.
Tina smiled and then looked down at the palm-sized screen she held before her. She pressed the crimson and black Carsus Corp icon flashing in the corner and the device sprang to life. A detailed list of items scrolled on the monitor. Brill took it from her then shook his head.
“I don’t know which has aged faster, my memory or my eyes,” he quipped.
He motioned for Nathaniel to pull the small table between their chairs closer. Nathaniel slid the circular table forward.
Brill bent over and pressed his thumb to the center of the ornate knob at the head of the table leg. The glass tablet in the middle hummed at his touch. He set Tina’s pad down on top of it. A holographic image of the pad’s screen projected into the air, flashing the words ‘Sync Initiated’ in red letters. A link was quickly established and Tina’s meticulous notes appeared in bright blue text on a dark field. Tina’s fingers gracefully slid down the list until she arrived at several comments highlighted in red. Taking his cue, Brill read the notes and smiled slightly. She had indeed found the quirks and kinks in the Carsus organization, from the irregular accounting practices of the Asian trade office to the inefficient communication lines the oil fields in the Persian Gulf.
“She picks up on things quick, doesn’t she,” he asked her father.
“You have no idea,” the elder Kratin replied.
Tina’s smile narrowed at the sarcasm. “But perhaps the most disturbing thing I found in the company records was this …” The screen advanced to show a series of virtual documents, the title page declaring it to be a resolution of the board of directors entitled “Proposed Merger and Sale” followed by a series of profit projections and loss reports.
She let the enormity of the document hang in the air before she spoke again, very pointedly. “I bought into a failing company, Mr. Brill. You never disclosed to us that the company was in such dire straits, or even that it was about to be sold,” she said, reprovingly. “Four different board members spoke with me this morning about how our positions were only temporary until we are bought out by Medes International.”
Her pleasant demeanor had melted and those cold blue eyes bore a hole through the elderly Brill.
“You can understand our surprise when Mr. Ahkman mentioned this to me so gleefully this morning.”
The old man smiled, thoroughly amused. This was the fire that he had wanted to see, the passionate resilience Carsus’ leadership had been lacking. Nathaniel had shown glimpses, but Tina trumped him in spades. She was the fierce savior Brill had imagined for his company. True, he had argued to the board that it was Nathaniel’s leadership that was needed, which in some aspects it was, but the Kratin patriarch was only there to establish Tina for the long-haul. If Nathaniel was the star, Tina was the whole Milky Way.
“If we’re selling, then why was there such a fight to make me CEO?” Nathaniel asked.
“Posturing,” Brill replied. “They all wanted a bigger piece of the pie.” Awkwardly, he rose from his chair and shuffled across the room to the oak mini-bar just below a small porthole overlooking the city.
“What do you know about Medes?” he asked over his shoulder.
Surprisingly, his hands did not shake as he removed the stopper from the decanter and poured the golden-brown liquid over a pair of ice cubes.
“They’re our largest competitor,” Nathaniel began. “We still have them beat on fusion engines because of our Helium 3 production but some in the industry think that they will soon pass us up there too, especially if we end up selling our lunar facilities to them. Their ionic engine production is on pace to surpass ours in the next few years.”
The old man took a gentle sip from the short, wide-mouthed glass then shook his head while lifting his left index finger before he gulped the liquid down. “No. In the next few months,” he corrected.
“They also gut smaller companies and sell them off, piece by piece,” Tina said, sternly.
“Which is precisely what we would do,” Brill replied enthusiastically. A rush of excitement swelled from his belly. Finally, he mused, a sparring partner. He poured himself another drink and returned to his seat. “They are the highest rung on the proprietary food chain. Their tech advancements will either push us into an arms race we can’t afford or they’ll smear us into the dirt like garden slugs. Some members of the board want to adopt the ‘if you can’t beat’em, join’em’ philosophy and cut our losses before we’re put out of business. But I don’t. I want to put it to those overstuffed potheads and race them to the center of the universe, if necessary.” His eyes danced as he spoke. “I’ve spent nearly fifty years building this company and there is no way I’m going to let it be ripped apart and scattered like dandelion seeds.”
He paused a moment to gauge their reaction. Tina’s expression was cold as flint, while Nathaniel seemed more at ease, but still unsure of what was in store for them. This is what they had come to hear. Brill had expected them to find the truth the company faced. He knew they would feel betrayed, even used, when they heard the news. Nathaniel didn’t want to be a figurehead boss whose only purpose was to sign the bill of sale for an employer whom he’d only ever shown the greatest loyalty. Tina equally would refuse to cooperate when her young career was at stake.
He quietly sat watching them as he sipped his beverage. “I’m glad to see you so upset about this,” Brill finally said. “I’m going to need your anger to help me fight this battle. That was the reason, above all, why I sponsored your election, Nathaniel. The Medes officers will be here tomorrow to tour the facilities and begin the paperwork for finalizing the sale. I want you two to help me stop them.”
“What’s your plan? You obviously have something in mind.” Tina deduced.
Brill smirked. “Very astute, Miss Tina. In fact, I do have an idea, but it must be done quickly.” He turned to Nathaniel. “It involves your friend, the helmeted one, and a little arrangement I’ve made with your father-in-law.”
CHAPTER 7
DONNA
The sun had been up for about a half hour when Strinnger and his team stalked toward townhouse 25J of the Sunnyside Condos. The neighborhood was nice, not affluent by any means, but decent, obviously occupied by people from middle-class incomes. The units were organized in a square facing a large central courtyard consisting of a manicured patio area with picnic tables and chairs. Donna’s unit was a dark blue, two-story home with white trim shutters and doors. The outside appearance was a little nicer than the others because of a fresh coat of paint but with window boxes filled with wilting perennials.
Strinnger and Drake, their usual forensics team in tow, approached the door casually hoping to avoid the curious stares of some of the other tenants. One of the uniformed officers reached the door first and knocked firmly. Strinnger joined him on the small concrete landing, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. Three times the officer pounded on the door and announced their presence, but no one answered. He turned to Strinnger after the third time, raising his eyebrows as if to say, what now?
With a nod toward Drake, Strinnger stepped down and made way for his old partner. Drake knelt at the door handle and removed a small button-sized device from his pocket. He pressed it to the control pad next to the polished brass door knob. An LED concealed in the outer seam of the gray and brown disc flickered to life. Drake retrieved the flimsy datapad from his pocket and synced it to the button device. The internal mechanisms of the house lock appeared on his screen. Drake was the best lock pick on the force. His fingers glided fluidly across the transparent pad with the artistry of an Olympic skater. Within moments, the LED changed from red to green. A faint click signaled his success. The door retreated inward.
Drake and the other uniformed officer entered first, their weapons drawn. “Police!” he shouted. “We have a warrant to search this home.”
Only a stifling heat rushing outward returned his warning. Cautiously, Strinnger followed close behind with his weapon drawn, motioning for the forensic tech Bill and his team to remain outside until the all clear was given.
Other than the clumping of heavy boots from his team, the home was silent. Drake and his counterpart, an officer Romeroz, advanced cautiously through the large living room then ascended the winding staircase up to the next floor.
The living room on the main floor was tastefully decorated with lavender paint and deep purple overtones. Strinnger observed no major brand names on any of the furniture or appliances and quickly assumed that Donna was a girl who lived within her
means but didn’t go without. An oversized cream-colored sofa with a matching chair and footstool blended well with the purple interior and a beautiful pair of eggshell-white armoire cabinets sat opposite one another on either side of the couch. They held rows of novels, the titles of which Strinnger assessed to be of the romance genre, as well as various other fiction and books on photography.
On the top shelf of each cabinet were several framed pictures depicting rows of friends in black caps and gowns, wedding parties, birthday parties, etc. All appeared to be commemorating significant times in Donna’s life. Obviously, the young woman had many friends and seemingly had a fun-loving personality. But from them Strinnger finally got a good idea of who Donna really was. He now had something tangible, something to prove she was a living, breathing person and not just some bland photo on the club database.
“No one’s here,” Drake declared from the second floor.
Strinnger took one of the pictures from the shelf and examined the young faces of those with Donna. He hadn’t expected to find anyone there, but nonetheless, Strinnger was disappointed. With two weeks having passed since the murder it was feasible she had long since vanished. He replaced the picture to the shelf and was about to step away when something called him back to it. His eyes rolled over the photographs once more until they halted on one which showed Donna with a tall blonde girl, roughly the same age, who looked very familiar to him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he mumbled, exasperated. The young blonde was none other than Julia Kratin.
He recognized her almost instantly since her beautiful face had not been far from his thoughts since she’d assisted his search the night before. Looking at her happy image raised all sorts of conspiracy theories for him. Had she and Donna conspired to kill Schulaz so her father would take over the company? Did her father know or even plan the whole thing? His attraction to her instantly dimmed. He never believed in coincidences and could not believe they’re meeting was circumstantial.
