Arbitrage
An Aria Raymond Thriller
Thomas Ransom
Disclaimer
Copyright © 2021 iRadical, LLC
All Rights Reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Any incident, locales, places, businesses, characters, and names have either been created with the author's imagination or purely used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this book can be transmitted or reproduced in any form, including print, electronic, photocopying, scanning, mechanical, or recording devices without prior written permission from the author.
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Table of Contents
Disclaimer
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About the Book
Chapter 1: All or Nothing
Chapter 2: A Little Charm Goes a Long Way
Chapter 3: The Offer
Chapter 4: The Retirement Party
Chapter 5: The End of a Legend
Chapter 6: Filling in the Gaps
Chapter 7: A Warning!
Chapter 8: Prime Suspect
Chapter 9: Help!
Chapter 10: The Clock is Ticking
Chapter 11: Missing
Chapter 12: All Alone
Chapter 13: The Fate is Sealed
The Next Chapter: What Happens Next?
Books by Thomas Ransom
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About the Book
Summary
Aria Raymond needs a high-profile client to impress the board and be considered for that big promotion. When a young entrepreneur (who had recently launched a new business and became an overnight success) set up a meeting with her soon-to-be-retiring boss, Aria knows this is her chance. After wowing everyone with her pitch, she bags the client. Her life is finally on track, or so she thinks.
At the retirement party of her boss Luis Coons, there is already a rumor going around that Aria will be taking his place temporarily. A member of the board hints that if she does an impressive job, the position might be hers. Buzzed with excitement, she is enjoying the party to the fullest. That is, until she stumbles upon Coons’ body!
Rattled by the gruesome death of her former boss, Aria is trying hard to both fit into his position and tackle the demons haunting her since that day. But her worries aren’t over. Soon, everything starts falling apart. She becomes the prime suspect for Coons’ murder! The more she tries to prove her innocence, the more she appears guilty. Even the people close to her are starting to suspect her.
When another homicide is linked to Coons’ murder, it looks like Aria is about to lose her freedom. Unless she can figure out a connection between the two murders, there is no hope for her. She must find someone who still has faith in her.
Is there anyone who still believes she is innocent? Will Aria be able to save herself?
Main Characters
Aria Raymond– a financial analyst at a leading financial consulting firm in the country. Her goal is to become the head of the department one day and eventually become a partner. Aria is intelligent, driven, charming, and extremely organized. She stops at nothing to get what she wants. After the murder of her boss, someone is trying hard to make her look guilty.
Luis Coons – the head of finance and partner of the financial consulting firm. A well-known wizard in this world. He is a strict yet supporting boss who inspires his team to work hard. Have always been model husband and citizen, until his death uncovers some secrets.
Clark Greene – a loving and charming real estate agent who lives across the street from Aria’s house. Sparks have been flying between the two from the past few months, and they finally went on a successful date. Future plans come to a sudden halt after Coons’ murder. Greene is trying hard to find a lawyer to help with Aria’s case.
Nicole Diaz – a hotshot lawyer who is looking for more cases to win to get her dream job. She is anxious taking Aria’s case, but Greene convinces her. The more she digs, the messier the situation gets.
Sergeant Jake Walker and Detective Sanjay Ray – Investigating Coons’ murder case.
Chapter 1: All or Nothing
“Aria!”
She jolted in alarm. She looked down at the bullet journal in front of her with a five-year career plan neatly written. She sighed.
“ARIA!!”
“I am coming!!!” she practically shouted before she could stop herself. There was a deafening silence in the café.
“Great! Just what I need,” she thought.
She took one last look at the career plan before slamming it shut, earning a few more looks from the people sitting near her. She had planned out her entire career when she was an enthusiastic final year student. Confident that she would rule the finance world once she entered the professional field. That seemed like a lifetime ago.
The barista was standing behind the counter, tapping his fingers impatiently. Aria mumbled an apology and took her coffee. She made her way back to her seat and buried her head in her hands. She wanted to scream in frustration but figured one dramatic scene was enough for this place.
Aria had been working as a financial analyst at her dream company for the past five years. The thrill of scoring a job most people would kill for had worn down three years ago. Of course, she was getting a fantastic compensation package, her mortgage was almost paid, designer labels filled her closet, but still, she felt stuck in her job. She had big dreams, like being made a partner in the firm, but she wasn’t going anywhere. There hadn’t been a promotion in the finance department for a while now. “How will I ever become a partner if I keep working in the same position as I did two years ago!” she sighed.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. I am still in the game. I just need to score a major client and get the attention of the board members,” she tried to give herself a pep talk.
Her thoughts wandered to Whitney Fox. She has been following that woman’s career since she decided she wanted to get into the finance field. Fox is the only female board member of the firm, and Aria wanted to be the second one. She opened her bullet journal again and traced the doodles she had drawn on the borders. Her eyes drifted towards her wristwatch.
“Oh, shoot!!” she was getting late for work.
She gathered her things, tossed them into her bag, and abruptly stood up. In her haste, she slammed into a man walking past her table.
“What the hell!!” he yelled as the hot coffee he was holding fell on his shoes and the floor.
“Oh no! I am sorry!” Aria was appalled.
People around her were pointedly looking at her, some shaking their heads. Ignoring them, she apologized to the guy again. After offering to pay for his coffee, she ran out of the café, making a mental note of never coming back.
Luis Coons was engrossed in doing a client’s paperwork. It suddenly hit him that this would be the last one before his retirement. He felt nostalgic, looking around his big office. Coons had achieved plenty of milestones right in this very office, helped his clients surpass their financial goals. These trained employees are now leading their own teams in different high-end companies. He spun his chair and gazed outside the huge window overlooking the city. It was a good run. He sighed with content. Now it was time to hand in the reins to someone else. Coons had been making plans to travel the world after retirement. While he was sad to leave all of this behind, he was excited to start this n
ew phase of his life. He heard the door open, and he spun around.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Coons said, smiling at the woman who invited herself into his office.
She chuckled as she took a seat opposite him, “What, so I can’t visit this company, Coons?”
He leaned back in his seat and smiled broadly, “Of course. Of course. But when Whitney Fox pays a visit, one can’t help but wonder.”
Coons’ head was exploding with questions. What is happening? A board member visiting out of the blue means something big is happening. All the red warning signals were blazing in his head.
After all these years of being a leading financial guru and overseeing some of the top brands in the company, he knew a board member doesn’t just pop in for a chat.
With his face wholly composed, he asked, “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Whitney was looking at him with a piercing look. She took her time in replying. “Well, you have done so much for this company. I figured you should go with a bang.”
Luis Coons was retiring in a few months and was looking forward to finally winding down and stepping away from the high demands of his career. He waited for Whitney to continue.
“A high-profile businessman is looking for someone to manage his books so that he can focus on his business. But, he needs the best since he is not keen on trusting just anyone,” she explained.
Coons raised his eyebrows. “And who is this client?”
“I will get to that in a minute. “There was silence.
“Listen. This client is important for our company, and I want you to lead this one personally,” Whitney continued.
Coons sighed. “Whitney, I am retiring in a few months. I can’t possibly take on a long-term client at this point. Someone else will have to handle this one.”
“We are willing to extend your retirement period. You are the best in this field, and this company needs you,” she replied.
“I think I have paid my dues for this company, and honestly, it is time for me to pass on this position to someone else,” Coons replied firmly. Whitney pressed her lips tightly, trying to suppress her frustration, but it was clearly showing on her face.
“There are a few people who have been working under me that I think will be right for this task,” Coons continued.
“Coons, can you actually trust any of them to do what you do for this company?” she asked.
“Of course! I have been training them since the past few years, all for this moment, so one of them can take over …”
Whitney cut him off, “That’s not your decision to make. You do know that, right?”
Coons sighed. “Yes, Whitney. But being the head of this department, I have the right to recommend someone to replace me, and the board has to review them for the position.” He saw her smirking.
“All I am saying is give them a try. I will assist them with this client for the next months, and they can continue once I retire,” said Coons.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. We will go with your plan.”
Coons smiled, “thank you…”
“But …,” Whitney interrupted him again. “If the client is unhappy… if we hear even a minor complaint, then I will take matters into my own hands.”
Coons nodded.
Aria was impatiently tapping her foot outside the elevator. She was already 15 minutes late, and the elevator was taking forever. The office timings were flexible for employees, and her boss never really cared when an employee was coming in and leaving work, as long as their clients were happy. Aria, however, had a meeting in two hours, for which she still had to prepare.
She was hoping to get some work done at the café, but that surely didn’t work out well for her. Trying to block out her embarrassing encounter, she decided to only focus on the task at hand. Her career was going fine; she just needed to be patient. Surely things will be changing soon with Coons retiring. Aria thought as she finally stepped into the elevator and pressed her floor. The minute Aria stepped out of the elevator, a hand grabbed her, urgently leading her behind a cubicle.
“Where were you!?” Tanya asked. Aria rolled her eyes. Everything has to be dramatic with Tanya. Just then, her phone vibrated, and she caught a glance. It was a text from Clark, putting an instant smile on her face. Tanya was still looking at her, waiting for a reply.
“I am just a few minutes late, T. Relax,” Aria started heading towards her office, but Tanya stopped her in her tracks. Her thoughts were still lingering on the gorgeous face of Clark Greene, who moved in right across her house almost a year ago. She impatiently looked at her friend.
“You almost missed her,” Tanya whispered as she craned her neck to see over the nearest cubicle. Aria saw the new internee, sitting inside the cubicle, looking at them suspiciously. She waved at him, and almost dragged Tanya inside her office, closing the door behind her.
“Okay. What is wrong with you?” Aria asked as she placed her things on her table. She spun around when she didn’t get a response.
“T?” she watched her friend peeping out with the door slightly ajar. “Okay, this is too much, even for you,” Aria gently closed the door and crossed her arms. “Now spill. What is happening?”
Tanya looked at her with her eyes wide. “She is here today!”
“Who?”
“Whiney Fox,” she replied excitedly.
Aria couldn’t believe it. “What!!”
Tanya nodded.
“Whitney Fox?” Aria stuttered. “The Whitney Fox?”
Tanya kept nodding excitedly.
“But what is she doing here?”
“She has been in Coons’ office for the past 20 minutes,” Tanya replied. Both of them were trying to get a better look at Coons’ office across the room now.
“Omg! Omg!” Aria squealed.
Tanya looked at her, “You should go in and say hi.”
“Are you crazy?” Aria gave her a look.
“Girl, come on! Everyone knows Coons has been training you for years to take his place. He will be happy to introduce you to her.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Aria replied.
Tanya sighed. “I bet Wayne is already there, buttering them both up.”
Aria stood still. There has been a rivalry going on between her and Wayne for as long as she remembers. Coons trusted them both and have been giving them high-profile clients since the past year now. Wayne was always trying to get her clients and have been successful more time than she admits. He was the only one standing between her and her dream. She knew she had to make a better impression on the boss than Wayne to get his recommendation for the next promotion. If she missed this chance, who knows when she would get another opportunity like this.
The door of Coons’ office opened just then and out walked Whitney Fox. Aria couldn’t help but stare at her. She was in awe of the strong presence she has. There was a hush in the entire office until the doors of the elevator shut behind her. Just then, she felt her phone vibrating again loudly on her desk. “Oh!” she said out loud as she read the message.
Tanya turned to her, “What’s up?”
“It’s an email from Coons. There is an urgent meeting in an hour about a new client.”
“Oooh!” Tanya replied.
“Uggh! He has sent it to Wayne too!”
Tanya chuckled, “Don’t worry about it. You know you are way better at the job, and he is only good at buttering everyone up.” Aria laughed. She went back to work, but she couldn’t concentrate. She kept wondering what the meeting was about, forgetting all about Clark’s text.
Clark looked at his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past two hours. He was getting anxious. Surely, she would have read the text by now, he thought. Maybe she is in a meeting with a client. Yeah, that’s probably it. He looked at the screen one more time before putting the phone back in his pocket just in time to a car pulling up on the driveway.
He was standing outside a beautiful house with a for sale sign p
laced crookedly in the yard. He made a mental note to straighten it, but he was sure there wouldn’t be a need for that. He had a good feeling he would make the final deal on this house today. Clark had been working at a local real estate company for the past ten months after his move. He was hoping to leave the company soon to start his own business, but for that, he needed a few more wins under his belt.
After a minute, a blonde woman got out and gave him an uncertain wave and asked, “Are you Clark Greene?”
“The very same ma’am,” he smiled. Her smile widened as she closed the car door and made her way up to him. Clark noticed her giving him a once-over. They shook hands, her hands lingering on his a few seconds longer than necessary. “I hope you didn’t face any problems finding this place?” he politely asked. She shook her head slightly, looking at him intensely “You gave excellent directions.”
Clark cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked around, “Isn’t your husband coming?” That seemed to put her off a bit, and she quickly glanced at her wristwatch. “He should have been here by now… the property has a back yard, right? Is it okay if I have a look until my husband arrives?” He nodded, pointed at the small gate at the side of the house as she walked towards it. He sighed, hoping her husband would arrive soon.
It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy a bit of flirting. In fact, it has worked well with his clients and increases the chances of them deciding to take the house. Giving attention to the wives and laughing at all the jokes of the husbands seem to do the trick. Today, however, he wasn’t in the mood. He finally had the nerve to ask Aria out after months of pining for her. She happily agreed, and they had decided to set a date when she was free over the last weekend. That was three days ago. He finally sent her a text asking if she was up for the plan the next weekend, but he did not get a response from her. Had he misread the signs? But she seemed excited when he asked her out. He admits there has been an intense attraction between the two, right from the time he first met her. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way about him.
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