CHAPTER 34

Her days in this office were coming to an end, Elaine thought, as she put all of the information regarding BIT into a folder, saving it on a thumb drive. Requesting an emergency Board meeting to discuss the BIT presentation went smoother than expected. In fact, Myles thanked her again for her commitment to Dunning. He even offered a few topics to cover. The fool, she thought, as she placed the thumb drive, that looked like a tube of lipstick inside her purse. That was her insurance policy. He had no idea what was about to take place. It was a good thing she kept her wits about her. Yesterday she was ready to walk away from the plan and let the chips fall where they may. But today….it was as if all the balls were falling in line.

Cainan was the icing on the cake. Who would have thought she could turn him around? Their early morning chat convinced Elaine he would support a more balanced Board. She assured him that having another Board member who would not constantly vote with the family would help to have the non-family Board members’ issues addressed. It took her at least an hour to ease him to her way of thinking.

“I still got it.” The moment Walker was placed into nomination, her job was done….over. No more calls ordering her to do the impossible. No more working for the respect of the Dunnings. And there was no way in hell she was going to hang around to work for Walker. He was an ass without power. She could only imagine what he would be like once he took control of the Board. Elaine thought about that for a moment. How did he intend to do that? At this point he would have to get rid of Myles and Grace.

“Oh well.” Elaine shrugged her shoulders. “Not my problem to deal with.” She pulled up her retirement papers for one more glance. Soon she would be able to hit the send button. At the age of fifty-five she still had a full life ahead of her. With the payment from her part in taking Dunning down, in addition to her retirement, life was looking good.

A message alert appeared on her computer screen. Elaine clicked the message then read it.

Effective immediately, Grace Dunning will be out of the office for an undetermined number of days.

Elaine’s smiled brightened. “They did it.” Grace and Jonathan were out. Preston and Lynn were voting with her and now Cainan. She picked up her phone and placed the call. There was no answer. That was strange, she thought as a knock sounded at the door.

“Elaine,” Mike said as he stuck his head through the door. “Sorry to bother you, but we have a situation.”

“It’s not a bother,” Elaine replied. “Come on in, Mike.”

Mike stepped inside the office. “Have you read the memo about Grace?”

“I did.” She nodded with concern. “Is everything okay with her?”

“To be honest, Elaine, I don’t know. It’s the reason Myles asked me to bring you to the office so we can discuss the next steps. Are you free, right now?”

“Yes, of course,” Elaine said as she turned off her computer and picked up her tablet.

“You’re not going to need that. Myles just wants to get your input before he makes definite plans.”

“Anything I can do to help.” She left the tablet then walked out the door.

As they walked across the hallway to the executive office, Jerome and Cainan walked into Elaine’s office.

“Tell Cainan there was information downloaded from her computer less than ten minutes ago,” Jonathan said into the earwig Jerome was wearing.

“Look for a thumb drive or disc,” Jerome relayed. “Jonathan said information from the computer was downloaded.”

Cainan turned her computer on. “Well, she has her retirement papers up.”

“She’s not going to need those,” Jerome said as he packed her laptop and other items from the office.

“Tell Jonathan, the BIT information is password protected. Can he get me in?”

“Done,” Jerome relayed.

Cainan looked at the screen. “I’m in.” He nodded. “She downloaded this entire file.” Cainan searched the computer drives. “It’s been removed.”

“We need to locate that drive,” Jonathan said to Jerome.

Jerome pulled out a small scanner. He waved it across the desk. “Nothing.” He paused. “Where is her purse?”

Cainan pulled out the bottom desk drawer, then pulled out the purse. “I saw her put this away earlier.” He reached inside, pulling out items one at a time.

Jerome cleared his throat. “Really?”

“You have to be careful. You don’t want her to know we were in here.”

“Why not?”

“Illegal search,” Cainan explained. “We do not have a search warrant.”

“We aren’t taking this to court, Cainan. We are retrieving proprietary information that she stole from us.”

“Valid point,” Cainan said as he emptied the contents of the purse on top of the desk.

Jerome scanned the items, then smiled when a red light illuminated on the device. He picked up the tube. “Bingo. We got it.”

“Good work, Mate,” Jonathan cheered. “Check everything else, secure all technology, including her cell phone. Mike, let Myles know he is free to proceed.”

“Ms. Jacobson, Mike.” Mrs. Vazquez nodded. “Mr. Dunning is expecting you. Go right in.”

Mike opened the door then nodded at Myles. “You are free to proceed.”

Mrs. Vasquez stepped in behind them and closed the door.

“Thank you, Mike.” Myles exhaled as he stood. “Why don’t we take a seat at the conference table?”

“Sure,” Elaine replied.

“Mrs. Vasquez, Chrystina and Mike are going to remain as witnesses to our conversation.”

“Witnesses? Why would we need witnesses to discuss what’s happening to Grace?”

“Witnesses may be the wrong word. Protector is a better word.”

Elaine looked confused. “For you?”

“No, for you,” Myles declared. “Effective immediately you are terminated from your position with Dunning Bank and Trust. As we speak your office has been secured, your personal items removed and your technical devices confiscated.”

“What?” Elaine jumped up. “Why? What are you doing, Myles?”

Mike put a hand on her shoulder then eased her back into the chair.

“I wasn’t clear? I’m firing you.” Myles pulled out a chair and sat. “You have one opportunity here, Elaine. What you say in the next ten minutes will determine if you receive the retirement package Mrs. Vazquez has in her hand or walk out in handcuffs. So, I want you to think carefully before you speak.”

Elaine glanced around at the people in the room. The expressions on their faces told her all she needed to know.

She exhaled, then smirked. “So…this is how it ends.” She sat back as if relaxing. “Let me tell you, Myles, I was really getting tired of the charade. It was wearing me the hell out. I have been with this bank for twenty-five years of my life. And what do I have to show for it?” She laughed. “Not a damn thing.”

“Tell it to somebody who gives a damn. Because I don’t,” Myles interrupted her tirade. “It could be that I am tired. Searching for my sister all night long has a tendency to strip me of any patience for bullshit. The next words out of your mouth better be the name of the person you are working with. Who kidnapped my sister? And who killed my father?”

Elaine sat up. “Hold on, Myles. I honestly do not know anything about a kidnapping and Hepburn died of a heart attack.”

Myles exhaled. “Tell me what you do know.”

She fidgeted in the chair. “I am not going out like Mitchell did. That’s not going to happen to me. You want to know what I know, okay.” She shrugged. “I want to walk out of this building with my retirement package and my pride intact. Give me that in writing and I will spill my guts and be out.”

Myles glared at her. “I expected no less, Elaine.” He nodded to Mrs. Vazquez. She placed the folder in front of Elaine.

Elaine read over the document. “It says here that you have the right to prosecute me if anything I reveal is determined to be untruthful. That is unacceptable.”

“Chrystina, would you bring in Agent Roark?”

“Yes, sir.” Chrystina walked towards her office.

“Wait….Myles I can’t go to jail. I accept being fired, but jail? I did nothing to warrant jail time.”

“My father is dead. My sister is in the hospital recovering from being abducted. You may not have done the deed yourself, but you were damn sure complicit, therefore, held responsible for the actions of your cohorts.”

Elaine ran her hand through her hair. “I swear to you, Myles, I had nothing to do with Hepburn’s death. That is the truth.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who are you working with?” Mike asked.

Elaine glanced over her shoulder at him then back at Myles. “Angelina Caputo.”

“Who is she and what exactly were you trying to do?” Myles asked.

“The goal was to block the BIT acquisition to prevent Dunning from moving further up the rankings.”

“Why?”

“It’s easier to take over a weak bank than a strong one.” Elaine smirked. “Your Family Integrity First moto isn’t supported by all members of your family. Walker has been doing everything he can to take over for years. Now he has help.”

“From?”

“Your boy, Jonathan Michael did not inform you that he was my contact at Phase International.” She smiled. “If I go down, he’s going down too.”

“Not so much,” Mike spoke up. “Jonathan did share his conversation and transmissions between the two of you with us.”

Myles raised an eyebrow as he slowly turned to glare at Mike.

“Plausible deniability,” he explained.

“All right,” Myles said slowly then turned back to Elaine. “How did Walker intend to take over the bank?”

“The emergency meeting this afternoon. I was to place his name in nomination to become a part of the Board.”

“The votes from the family alone would have prevented that from happening,” Mike stated.

“Not if Jonathan and Grace were missing from the meeting,” Chrystina suggested. “Currently the Board has five family members and five non-family members. If two family members are absent and the majority of the non-family members vote in favor, it could be done.”

“That would get him on the Board,” Myles acknowledged. “But not in charge of the bank. You still would have to eliminate me and Grace….” It hit him. His head snapped around to Elaine. “He planned on killing Grace.”

“That would still leave you,” Mike stated. “How did he plan on eliminating Myles?”

“I don’t know,” Elaine replied. “I had only one contact, that was Angelina. I did not know all the ins and outs of the plan. I’m telling you I did not know Hepburn was killed. Until you said it in this room, I thought he died of a heart attack. I swear, Myles, I did not know about Grace.”

###

Gina wondered where her new boss was. Neither Sydney nor Jonathan had made it to the office yet. It was well after ten in the morning. She decided to take a break to check on Preston. She made a fresh pot of coffee, then carried a cup to his office. After a light tap on the door she peeked inside.

“Preston,” she called out when she saw he was still on the sofa.

“Yes,” he replied as he sat up. Resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands he exhaled.

“Don’t feel too great, huh…?”

“You could say that,” he huffed.

“This might help.” Gina walked over and handed him the cup of coffee, then sat next to him. “You were pretty wasted this morning.”

Preston ran his hand through his hair then slowly stood. “Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome. You should drink some, you know.”

Preston walked behind his desk, then placed the cup on top. Sitting in his chair, he exhaled again. “I need to write my resignation.”

“You’re quitting? After all I did to save your job this morning, you are going to quit?”

Preston slowly looked up with hooded eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t remember?” She raised an eyebrow. “How do you think you got into this office, or on that sofa? I brought your ass in here before anyone could see you.” She sat in front of his desk. “So before you up and quit on me, I think it’s only fair that you fill me in on what happened.”

Preston sat back and stared at her. Hell he needed to talk to somebody; the damn bottle sure did not help with his problem. He picked up the empty bottle then tossed it in the trash. Then he told Gina everything he had discovered that morning and how he ended up in this sorry state of affairs.

“Shut the front door. You are a Dunning,” she exclaimed.

“Yes. Now I need to tell Myles.”

Gina nodded. “You probably do. But why do you think you have to quit? From what I’ve seen this week, you are an important part of this bank. You landed that BIT account everybody is talking about. It sounds like a pretty big deal.” She shrugged. “They depend on and respect the hell out of you here. And if anyone is a victim, it’s you. Not Myles, not your mother, not the bank, but you. You didn’t lie. Your mother did. As for how the Dunnings are going to take having a new family member is for them to decide. But frankly, I think it would be a blessing to have someone who is loyal like a family member. I don’t know this Walker person, but from what I hear, the Dunnings would welcome trading him in for you.” She stood. “As for your mother…” She shrugged. “She is still your mother. She lied, yes. But I look at you and I see a good man. A caring man. A pretty honest man. So what did she do wrong when it came to you?” She sighed. “And I have to wonder why. What was happening in her life that made her decide to withhold the truth of your parentage from you?” She walked to the door. “Before you start uprooting your life, find some real answers. Talk to your mother, then to Myles. Now, I have to go back to work.”

“Hey,” Preston called out. “You are pretty easy to talk to.”

“I know. Damn I’m just all of that and more.” She smiled then walked out the door.