Chapter Forty

 

Vicky had completed her work for the evening as executive secretary for Arnett Holdings. She cleared her desk and proceeded to the elevator which took her to the second floor parking garage. As she approached her dark blue Lexus sedan, she depressed the unlock button on her key fob. The car lights blinked three times, the horn sounded twice, and the doors unlocked as she reached for the door handle. Once seated safely inside, she immediately locked the door.

She retrieved her cell phone from her Louis Vuitton purse and called the nanny.

“Vontgomery residence,” Lauren Bankscew replied.

“How is Geoffrey?”

“For a five-year-old boy, he’s been remarkably well behaved today.”

“I’m leaving the office now. I’ll be home soon.” Vicky hung up the phone and backed out of her reserved parking spot. As she exited the garage, she found herself once again engaging in the depressing ritual of berating herself for having had an affair with Geoffrey Forest Clark.

She had worked as a front desk and telephone receptionist for Arnett Holdings for about three weeks when she first met G. She was seated behind the expansive circular desk in the main lobby as he approached. She still recalled he wore a light gray pinstriped wool suit with a cashmere topcoat and a maroon silk scarf.

He stopped at her desk, as all visitors to the building were required to, and presented his company ID. Rather than pass on by to the elevator as the identification process was completed, he lingered at her desk. Although he was twice her age, she was mesmerized with his charm and powerful persona. He identified himself to her as the President of Consolidated Airlines, and engaged her in small talk. As he exited the reception area and awaited the arrival of an elevator, she was somewhat in a state of shock as she realized she had agreed to a dinner date with this total stranger.

She recalled the strong smell of alcohol on his breath as he returned to the lobby later that day, and escorted her to a local restaurant. Although not one of Washington’s finest eateries, it was far and away a much more opulent meal than she typically afforded herself. She was taken aback by the amount of expensive scotch he consumed that evening.

The next morning he entered the lobby again, displayed his ID badge, and requested another dinner date to which she agreed. Their relationship became more intimate with each date. Throughout the next several months, they continued their amorous relationship, until one morning G signed in at the desk and matter of factly informed her that it would be impossible for him to see her again. She was devastated. Worse yet, she was pregnant. When she informed him of these circumstances, he simply replied, “That sounds like a personal problem to me,” and abruptly left the building.

Vicky, though not highly educated, was smart enough to know that there were people in the organization who would not look favorably on the president of the airline fathering a child out of wedlock with the corporate headquarters’ receptionist. She presented her conundrum to Robin Nipfer as she signed in at her desk one morning.

She informed Robin that she intended to keep her child, and would need a significant increase in salary to feed two mouths. Robin told her she would get back to her.

On the following Monday, Vicky was promoted to assistant to the executive secretary of Arnett Holdings. She was advised she could work as long as her pregnancy permitted at twice her current rate of pay, take six months off for maternity leave, and was being provided with a new Lexus of her choice in recognition of exemplary services she had provided to the company during her tenure as a receptionist. Vicky accepted their hush money.

When she returned from maternity leave, she found herself promoted to Executive Secretary. It was in that capacity that she became more familiar with the highly illegal activities of the company. She had been tempted to contact authorities after learning of one of the company’s more sordid activities, but Wakefield had very carefully explained to her one day the dire consequences that would most assuredly befall her if she ever divulged company secrets.

“The safety of your son simply could not be assured,” he informed her.

The Washington traffic was unusually heavy this evening as she drove to her Georgetown condominium. Her thoughts shifted from Wakefield’s threats to the first time she had met Dirk. He was in town doing background investigative work on Arnett Holdings in conjunction with the story he was writing on the cause of the crash of Flight 243. He was very charming in the manner he employed to gain her confidence. He assured her she would never be identified as his source of information.

As a single mother with a very demanding work schedule, she had little time for romantic pursuits. The fact that Dirk was not only charming, ruggedly handsome, and willing to conduct their clandestine interviews over dinner at some of Washington’s finest eateries, but also single, provided additional incentive for Vicky to slowly over time divulge much of the inner workings of Arnett Holdings to Dirk. She spent several hours each day contemplating whether or not she was falling in love with this reporter from Charlotte.

As Dirk began to comprehend the scope of illegal activities that Arnett Holdings was engaged in, he felt obligated to warn Vicky that there could be serious consequences if their meetings were ever discovered. He promised to provide a plan for the protection of her and her son if this ever occurred. Ensuring her safety was one of the last acts Dirk accomplished in his life.

Vicky’s cell phone rang. She retrieved it from her purse.

“Miss Vontgomery? This is Wayne Bankhead again.”

“Thanks for calling back.”

“Miss Vontgomery . . . may I call you Vicky?”

“Sure.”

“Vicky, I can’t thank you enough for your help today.”

“All I did was give you the names of the people in the meeting,” she said. “I don’t see how that could have been of much significance.”

“You have no idea what impact a little bit of information like that can have in proceedings such as these.”

“I’m glad to be of help,” she said. “I still can’t bring myself to believe what these people did to Dirk. I spoke to him on the phone this morning, and now he’s . . . he’s . . .”

“Yes, he is . . . gone,” Wayne said. “One of his last acts was to leave word that I was to ensure you and your son are safely escorted out of town. Your help will be instrumental in ensuring that his killers are brought to justice.”

“Mr. Bankhead, I’ve got to hang up now. I’m approaching my condo, and as you well know, I’m in a hurry.”

“That’s good, Vicky. Keep your cell phone close by. I’ll have instructions for the rest of your evening shortly. I’m just waiting to hear from your ride out of town.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Bankhead.” Vicky flipped the cover on her phone closed.

She turned into the drive of her Georgetown condo and drove into the parking garage as the security gate opened. She parked the car in her reserved spot, and walked hurriedly to the elevator that took her to her fifth floor home. She greeted Lauren, inquired as to Geoffrey’s activities that day, and proceeded to her room. Vicky removed her suitcase from the closet, threw three day’s worth of clothes into it, and proceeded to the bathroom. There she retrieved a basic supply of makeup and toiletries, returned to her bedroom, placed them in the suitcase, and walked down the hall to Geoffrey’s room. She removed another suitcase from his closet, and packed it for three days of travel as well. She then entered the kitchen and called a cab.