Fare Game

by Cade Haddock Strong

  Kay answered the phone and put him on speaker. “Hi, Fred.”

  “Hey Kay. Is Riley with you?”

  “Yep, she’s right here. What’s up?”

  “I’m calling to give you a heads up. The SEC just put out a press release, the details of which are being reported by most of the major business news outlets. It pertains to the whistleblower award…”

  Riley grabbed her laptop off the counter and popped it open.

  “Okay, thanks Fred. Riley’s bringing up the Wall Street Journal website right now.” Kay ended the call and peered over Riley’s shoulder. The story about the whistleblower award in the Logan case was right on the main page.

  The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of $10 million to a pair of whistleblowers who alerted the agency to widespread securities violations at Logan Airlines.

  As was previously reported by this paper, the regulator recently reached a $50 million settlement with Logan. The airline agreed to pay the penalty without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.

  The SEC, in keeping with its usual practice, didn’t identify the names of the whistleblowers. By law, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose information that might directly or indirectly reveal a whistleblower’s identity.

  Fred Archie, a partner at Archie-Row LLP who advises corporate whistleblowers, said he represented the award recipients cited anonymously in the SEC announcement. Mr. Archie confirmed that the whistleblowers provided original information to the SEC that helped the regulator in its investigation of Logan Airlines.

  “These awards demonstrate that whistleblowers can provide the SEC with significant information that enables us to pursue and remedy serious violations that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said Jane Bergdorf, spokesperson for the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.

  Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action. Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

  All whistleblower payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards.

  An SEC spokesman declined to comment, as did Logan Airlines.

  Kay rested her hands on Riley’s hips and kissed the top of her head. “Wow. That’s a little surreal isn’t it. To see an article in the WSJ that’s about us.”

  Riley reached for Kay’s hands and pulled them snug around her torso. “Yeah, it’s surreal all right.”

  Kay held her tight and swayed from side to side. “What a wild ride it’s been, huh?”

  Riley laughed. “You can say that again.” She craned her neck to give Kay a kiss on the cheek. “When I fell into bed with you in Tokyo, I had no idea what I was signing up for.”

  “Any regrets?”

  “None. You?”

  “Nope. I’m crazy proud of us and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime.”

  “Ditto,” Riley said and then added, “I know it’s cruel, but I hope to hell Howard Rome sees that article in the WSJ. I want him to know we got rewarded for being honest.”

  “That’s not cruel. The guy’s a snake and he got exactly what he deserved.”

  “I wonder what he’s been up to since he was asked to step down?”

  “I don’t really care,” Kay said. “I just hope we never see the guy again.”

  “Do you think he’ll face any criminal charges for his role in everything?”

  Kay reached for her coffee mug. “He might. I remember Fred Archie mumbling something about the Department of Justice going after some of the Logan executives. He said there might also be a civil class action suit brewing.”

  “A class action suit?”

  “Yeah. Remember all Logan’s customers paid a price in all this too.”

  “Ah,” Riley said. “Makes sense. The airline’s customers faced steeper airfares because Logan was colluding with other airlines to fix prices.”

  “Yep. Unfortunately for Logan, this debacle is far from over.”

  Riley closed her laptop and faced Kay. “What about you? Are you still thinking you want to sue Howard Rome and Logan for being wrongfully terminated or something along those lines? That, and for dragging your name through the mud.”

  Kay thought about Riley’s comment for a moment. “I could, and a few months ago I was dead set on it, but now, I don’t know.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Between you and me, we’ve got a few million bucks in the bank. I certainly don’t need any more. I just want to put this whole thing behind me and focus on the future. Our future.”

  Eight Months Later

  “This place is absolutely a-maz-ing Rye,” Stephanie said.

  Riley scanned the horizon. “It is, isn’t it? Heaven on earth.” It was mid-October and they were sitting out on the deck of her and Kay’s newly built house.

  “Seriously dude, you and Kay have outdone yourselves. I’m sure you’re going to get a call from Dwell or Architecture Digest any day now.”

  Riley couldn’t contain a smile. “Thanks, I’m pretty damn happy with the way the house turned out. It’s like Goldilocks, not too big, not too small. It just feels like home.” She waved her hand across the horizon. “And you can’t beat these views. Trees as far as the eye can see.” It was a sparkling fall day. The leaves were just starting to show kisses of orange, yellow and red.

  “You better watch out,” Stephanie said with a wink. “I may never leave. The weather here is heaven compared to Atlanta and the sun feels so good on my skin.” Stephanie stretched out on the chaise lounge like a cat and closed her eyes.

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” Riley said with a chuckle. “We’ve got to leave in about ten minutes to drive downtown to pick up Kay.”

  Stephanie perked up. “Oh, I’m so excited to see your store.”

  “Wait until you see what Kay’s done with the place,” Riley said proudly. “It’s like she pulled out a magic wand. She transformed the dingy warehouse we bought into an oasis, practically overnight.”

  Stephanie shifted slightly on her chair and shielded her eyes from the sun. “How’s business been so far?”

  “Well, we’ve only been open for a few months, but so far, so good,” Riley said. “We already have two full-time employees and we’re looking to hire another one soon.”

  “Wow, that’s great, Rye.”

  “Yeah, like I said, Kay’s done a wonderful job with the place. She carefully curated everything we stock, and she’s got it all displayed so beautifully—she gets grumpy when even one label isn’t perfectly straight, it’s adorable.”

  “What sorts of stuff do you sell?”

  “Well, you’ll see when we go down there, but we call ourselves a gourmet market. Lots of tasty sauces, dips, olive oils, cheeses, breads, pastas, spices…and chocolate.”

  “So, how does it work? Kay manages the front of the store and you handle the back of the house?”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Riley said. “She’s a lot better with the customers than I am, and she’s really good at managing our employees. Me, I’m the numbers queen.”

  “Well there’s a real shocker.”

  “I really love that end of the business. I’m like a pig in shit or whatever that saying is. I track every item we sell. I’ve created all these spreadsheets to help me monitor what sells quickly and what doesn’t, and I analyze the margins on everything. Oh, and we’re trying out this new retail analytics software and I’m super excited about that. Why are you laughing?”

  “Because you are so passionate when you get going about your spreadsheets.”

  “Some things never change, huh?”

  Stephanie got a serious look on her face. “How are you
r parents dealing with everything? The move and stuff?”

  “Better than I expected. My mom blew a gasket when I first told them we were moving to Asheville. She couldn’t believe I was going to leave the city where I’d lived nearly my entire life, but then they came for a visit and I think she understood why I love it here. And it’s not like I moved to Timbuktu.”

  “How about your dad?”

  “The tricky part with him was the financial elements of the move. I’d never made a single financial decision, big or small, without first consulting him and he kinda went into a tailspin when I first told him I was quitting my job to open a store. He’s not exactly the entrepreneurial type.” She laughed. “He’s worked for the same law firm for almost forty years.”

  “But he’s come around?”

  “Uh-huh. When they were here, he spent an afternoon down at the store with Kay and he was impressed. He hasn’t given me an ounce of shit since then.”

  Stephanie reached over and squeezed Riley’s hand. “You seem crazy happy, Rye.”

  Riley smiled broadly. “I am. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. And it’s not just the store. It’s Kay, it’s everything.”

  “So, I take it things are good with you two?”

  Riley nodded. “Better than good. Speaking of which, we’ve got a little news. I was going to wait to tell you when Kay was here but…”

  Stephanie leaned forward in her chair. “Spill it, girl.”

  Riley felt herself blush. “We’re trying to get pregnant.”

  Stephanie let out a squeal. “Oh my God, that’s wonderful! Who’s going to carry the baby?”

  “Me, assuming it works, of course.”

  “You know you’re beaming right now,” Stephanie said, grinning at her friend. “It’s wonderful to see. You are going to get that family you always dreamed of after all.”

  Riley cocked her head and grinned. “Yeah, I guess it all did work out pretty well in the end, didn’t it?”

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