GREED Box Set (Books 1-4)

by John W. Mefford

  “Reinaldo, do you have a lawyer?” I hollered, but he appeared to not hear me. “Reinaldo, Reinaldo, do you know any lawyers?” Reinaldo didn’t respond.

  Finally, as the detectives guided him into the back seat of their unmarked car, he turned his head toward me. “Tell Karina I’m sorry.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chuck’s man on the ground provided his boss an update, all facts, no emotion. “This afternoon, a J&W employee, Reinaldo Silva, was arrested for the murder of the girl. Our revised plan is proceeding as designed, sir.”

  Chuck Hagard, CEO of Omaha Gas, hadn’t anticipated a murder to interrupt the flow of the operation. The fact the girl was a casualty from her participation in this series of maneuvers troubled him. But for every action, he believed there should be a carefully conceived response.

  “While it’s not optimal, we’ll take this break and move forward,” Chuck told his cleaner, only known as Tony. “I want you to be on your best behavior for our meeting this week. If we don’t win them over, they’re only going to dig deeper and want to dictate every move you make.”

  “Yes sir. I understand.”

  After hanging up, Chuck didn’t waste any time. Lacking faith in his brother David’s ability to pull off the board of directors’ all-day event and the side operation meeting, he called his younger sibling.

  “Do you have all the details finalized at the club? I want to make sure when we bring the key players together, it’s in the right setting. The mixture of Tony with Victoria makes my stomach turn. Let’s make sure we stay factual. Get in and get out.”

  “Hey, bro, take a breath. I have it all covered. I spoke with Victoria over the weekend, and I think I have her trust. We’re looking good.”

  Chuck wasn’t amused with David’s flip response. But he knew David was a necessary evil. David had introduced him to Victoria, which, of course, was like being led into a lion’s den. Still, Chuck appreciated her devious, detail-oriented mind for concocting this plan.

  David had proven to be valuable in his own way. His firm, DH Real Estate and Development, quietly purchased the building and associated mineral rights at 216 West Main—the current home of J&W Technology Services.

  David was a dealmaker on every level. Nothing more, nothing less. Chuck knew people in the business world were divided into two types—salespeople and operations people. On a rare occasion those two traits overlapped, but David was pure and simply an ass-kissing, ego-stroking, spineless salesperson. And, he was good at it. But like all salespeople, David thought he was more important than he actually was, and his lack of operational understanding made him a liability in more detailed conversations. He had little appetite for details, which is why Chuck felt like he had to babysit his little brother.

  “You’re in charge of organizing the full board event, not just this side meeting, so you need to make sure you meet with the club manager to review the entire set of plans,” Chuck said. “Everything from the moment the board members arrive to when they leave—food, flow of events, the whole agenda. We have a business to run here.”

  Chuck had lobbied his fellow board members to have his brother elected to the board two years prior. The convincing argument being David’s company was vital in helping Omaha Gas purchase and sell property at the most opportune times, without drawing attention.

  There was enough risk in the gas exploration business. Chuck worked diligently to bring efficiency into every division in Omaha Gas. His reputation had grown throughout the industry by moving away from rolling the dice and hoping they hit it big to a systematic approach. Do the research, then make sure you have a soundproof risk-mitigation plan in place. If and when events out of your control occur, re-plan. Success was still possible if people understood their roles and the process, and could respond with little emotion.

  Chuck knew he needed to stay in Victoria’s good graces, but there were other key players in this operation, and they couldn’t be ignored. Then there was Tony. It was difficult not to feel ill at ease when dealing with Tony.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The Omaha Gas Board of Directors arrived one by one, each in black stretch limousines. Treated as if they were nominated for an Oscar, they walked the red carpet with a personal escort—young ladies for the nine men, and a young gentleman for the token woman. Their escorts would be at their beck and call throughout the daylong series of meetings, offering a respite from the tension that came with this type of business-driven event.

  Chuck had been convinced by his younger brother that the escorts would pay future dividends. David had picked up the idea from his dealings with the state university, where, as a prominent booster, he paid for hard-bodied female escorts to convince kids from all backgrounds to attend THE University. He also knew certain loyal girls would provide extra services—beyond the campus and stadium tours and even beyond the escort to the private party held at the filthy-rich booster’s mansion. To seal the deal, it took a uniquely talented girl to ensure the prized recruit would commit to the school that weekend. For the athletes who might not commit even if their party girl had sex with them, the girls had a backup plan—they would take pictures to further convince the athlete, knowing most of them had girlfriends back home.

  As chairman of the board, Chuck greeted each board member personally and introduced each to his or her escort. It was a bit seedy, but he could tell by the look on the faces of the board members, this might be the most entertaining perk of the business trip.

  The last board member to arrive was also the most recent addition, Turug Patel. He’d instantly wielded the most influence, thanks to the twenty-percent stake he’d purchased in the gas exploration and drilling company. Chuck knew Turug loved money more than his own kids. Turug had admitted as much during a late-night drinking binge at one of the high-dollar steakhouses in the city. Turug had to leverage a portion of his ownership in PHC to provide the necessary capital for the stake in Omaha Gas.

  For Chuck, giving up that much of the company he’d taken out of bankruptcy created a feeling of consternation. Through the next fourteen months, he imposed his will on every division of the company, weeding out employees who wouldn’t reform. He learned to look beyond the short-term weekly drilling report, believing the cash infusion and access to other properties would be a gold mine over the long haul. Over several quarters, OG turned into an industry juggernaut. The toughest part for him was trying to balance all of the expectations from his most vocal stakeholders, not all of who were board members.

  The agenda for the morning included a quarterly assessment of the company’s financials, followed by a sales pipeline review. Both went off without a hitch.

  As the group gathered for lunch on the second-floor balcony, Chuck and David watched the proceedings. Sue Dupree, Chuck’s lone female board member and the snobbish president of a swanky business school from the Northeast, took full advantage of her prized board benefit. Already enjoying her second Long Island Iced Tea, Sue clung to the young stud, rubbing her hands over his bulging biceps and across his mountainous chest, as if she were a bow-headed sophomore in college, dating the quarterback of the football team.

  “Gotta hand it to you, David; you nailed this one.” Chuck put his arm around his brother’s shoulder.

  “I think someone else might get nailed later,” David said.

  Sue pinched her escort’s backside, and the two brothers turned to hide their laughter. They agreed to an extra cash incentive for the escort and would instruct him to fulfill her every desire. They’d also like a few colorful photos for their scrapbook—the ones that came out only if they needed a favor or a critical vote on an important issue.

  Chuck finished off the board meeting with a sweeping evaluation of the entire company. The key theme to the message was growth and the new doors now open as a result of selling twenty percent of the company to their newest board member.

  Behind the scenes, Chuck had also promised Turug to outsource the Omaha Gas systems development wor
k to PHC, allowing OG to cut more costs. The board could stomach only so much change at once.

  As the board members departed, Chuck watched from the balcony. Each held on to one notable souvenir, their new younger companions.

  One board member remained. Turug made his way down to the patio overlooking the eighteenth green, joining David. Victoria, in Chuck’s mind the least controllable member of the contingent, rounded out the foursome. He had one more person to add to the tangent meeting, but Tony wasn’t to be visible until called upon.

  Now the critical meeting could begin.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Victoria sat with perfect posture in the one chair positioned to see everyone without her turning her head. Chuck didn’t mind her feeling the position of power. Self-perception was everything to this lady, he realized.

  “I’d like to thank Victoria for extending this invitation for us to get together and keep the communication channels open during this important time in our operation.” Get in and get out, Chuck reminded himself.

  Chuck and David provided an update on their pieces of the operation, revealing the underbelly of the related tasks only when necessary. David told the group that the purchase of the building and associated mineral rights at 216 West Main was now closed, and as planned, they’d ensured the purchase would not be publicized. .This required two separate cash payouts, one to the agent at the title company and one to the clerk in the county appraisal office.

  As David’s discussion morphed into one of his endless stories, Chuck glanced at Victoria, who was apparently absorbing every nugget of information. He recalled how she’d described the structure of the deal with her brothers. Victoria had convinced her brothers in just a matter of minutes that selling the actual physical property to a third party was how these big deals were put together. She’d never been impressed with the owners’ business savvy, especially on any type of global scale, but their naiveté had surprised her throughout the entire acquisition process.

  After David finally concluded his drawn-out tale about climbing Mount Everest, Chuck then explained the nature of the conversations in progress with the city government. The mayor and others were concerned about losing locally based jobs to India, especially to a firm based in India. The task of calming the patriotic emotions fell on Turug, who appeared to understand the anxiety around keeping jobs in America.

  “I’ve been in a half dozen meetings with the honorable mayor, the city manager, and the economic development director. I’ve gone into detail explaining our plans to expand our client base within America, specifically this region.” Turug clasped his hands. “As we all know, it’s important to keep the noise as quiet as possible until the gas well is up and running, and then we can simply dismiss this distracting courtship with government officials.”

  They all knew the critical path for tapping one of the largest gas discoveries in the southwest went through the city zoning department. This was the main focus of Chuck’s operational chief, Tony. It was a delicate situation, because of the need to keep the discussion underground. If the public gained knowledge of their plan prior to zoning approval, God only knew how many environmentalists and historians would come out of the woodwork. OG would be flooded with lawsuits. Chuck’s vision could be delayed years and cost millions.

  Chuck considered tree-hugging environmentalists to be anti-capitalists and one of the main factors why tort reform was necessary. It wasn’t the greed of the big companies that made prices go up, Chuck believed, it was the damn lawyers standing up for the “little man,” forcing corporations to waste time on overhead.

  Victoria spoke for the first time. “Gentleman, I appreciate the updates you’ve provided, but we have reason for concern on two fronts. I need to understand how we’re approaching the roadblocks in the zoning department. And we can’t ignore the situation with the girl.”

  Chuck shifted his eyes toward David, who then sent a text message. Seconds later, a tall, burly man ambled up the hill from the eighteenth green, carrying a sand wedge. Tony had just played the final four holes of the Gold course.

  Chuck winked at his brother. He liked the grand entry, if for no other reason than it kept Tony away until the last possible moment.

  “Good day, everyone.” Tony walked over and shook hands with Turug and Victoria. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Victoria. I’m honored to finally meet the brains of this operation.”

  “What did you say your name was?” Victoria asked politely with only a slight edge.

  “Tony, ma’am.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your last name.”

  Tony glanced at Chuck, then back to Victoria. “Just call me Tony. That’s what everyone calls me.”

  “What if I want to call you by your last name?”

  Chuck knew Victoria was purposely testing Tony’s resolve.

  “It’s Tony. Just Tony, ma’am.”

  Victoria sipped her drink. Tony had diffused the first volley.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chuck called the waiter over to freshen drinks and bring a new round of appetizers. He motioned Turug to lighten the mood.

  “Every time I visit this club, I see its magical beauty, especially as the sun sets behind the trees. Victoria, you must feel proud to own this fine establishment.”

  “Evidently, you’re not aware I’m only a minority owner, and my dead husband’s family would rather me not have the small amount of the pie that I do,” Victoria said.

  Turug had taken his best shot.

  Chuck drank a final fortifying swig of his Chivas Regal.

  “Everyone, we’ve received mixed messages from two key people on the zoning commission.” Chuck explained, “Once they understood the incentive package on reaching a certain milestone, our players were very much on board with what we needed to accomplish. Since the incident, however, they’ve shut off all communication.”

  Chuck paused to think about the terms he would use. “We had enlisted the help of one of our up-and-coming associates, who became friendly with each of these married middle-aged men. She was instructed to learn as much about them as possible, providing updates to Tony here.”

  Tony raised his hand and nodded.

  “Unfortunately, just as she was attempting to seal the deal, she was murdered.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused, given what you told me,” Victoria interjected. Chuck knew she was referencing their earlier phone call.

  “From similar operations, we learned to utilize as few field operatives as possible. Therefore, we had Ms. Chambers align herself closely with the editor of the local newspaper to ensure we’d have leverage to persuade coverage of certain activities. But even with experienced field operatives, it’s difficult to predict how people react in emotional situations. The editor’s husband, Reinaldo Silva, took the life of our talented Ms. Chambers. And, as a result, the two zoning commission members have been scared off.”

  “So, the editor is a woman?” Victoria raised both of her sculpted eyebrows.

  “Yes, a Karina Silva.”

  “Oh my.” Victoria fanned herself. “This is getting more salacious by the minute. I just don’t want our operation to get caught up in this repugnant ordeal.”

  Chuck nodded and scanned the group for further reaction.

  “If you believe further monies are required to help finalize this transaction, I am willing to increase my donation to this valiant effort.” Turug raised a hand like a politician addressing his constituents, as if the rest of the group should envy his dedication and loyalty.

  “It might be necessary, but I’m not sure that alone will do the trick,” Chuck said. “The extra funding will be helpful in other areas. Now that we have a murder investigation to monitor, we need the police department to move the investigation in a certain direction. Apparently, the police chief has a desire to retire at a local lake, and he has his eyes on a nice houseboat.”

  David raised his glass. “We support the police.” The group chuckled lig
htly.

  Chuck observed Victoria, her demeanor still placid. She brought her hand to her chin, as if the wheels in her brain were cranking through the myriad thoughts. From what he could tell, her mind never stopped.

  “After careful examination of our options to mitigate this situation with our two favorite zoning commission members, we’ve decided to execute ‘operation deep throat.’”

  Victoria snorted water, and David grinned like a teenager holding the keys to Daddy’s Cadillac.

  Chuck and David had brainstormed on a more appealing name, and when they couldn’t think of one, an idea popped into Chuck’s mind late one night as he was turning the pages of Richard Nixon’s memoir—Watergate. The historical reference seemed appropriate, given the nature of the project.

  The plan involved bringing in a new field operative with talents similar to Tiffany’s, but who possessed advanced skills to close the deal quickly, in one steamy night, if possible. Working closely with Tony, she would manage to be alone with each zoning member, use her drug of choice, then capture the necessary evidence.

  “Tony will be our main contact during this process and will oversee each step,” Chuck said. “Any questions?”

  ***

  Victoria didn’t flinch when Chuck revealed the distasteful details to drive the operation through the next crucial phase. Still, she couldn’t get past Tony not revealing his last name.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Yes, Silva is his last name. Reinaldo Silva.” I had repeated my request three times to the person answering the phone at the police department.

  I heard the clerk’s lips smacking, like she was chewing gum. “I need to put you on hold, sir.”

  Damn red tape. I waited and wondered if Reinaldo had been able to meet with his new attorney, and if the attorney been able to find time on the judge’s docket and get bail set.