Kat glanced at Victoria and was incredibly proud of how calm she looked. There wasn’t a nervous vibe emanating from her body. If the stiletto was on the other foot, Kat thought, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to pull it off with the same level of cool Victoria displayed. It was, after all, the first time Victoria had been in the same room with Jack since he threatened her and had her almost forcibly thrown out of Acker, Smith & McGowen’s headquarters. And she’d only seen Billy, Adam, and Trever that one time they were in court on their motions to admit Kat and Jenny as lawyers, and that hadn’t been without its own drama.
“Okay, gentlemen. We received your counterclaim, your ethics complaint to the bar, and the press release you intend to disseminate today. As far as my client and I are concerned, none of this is going in the right direction,” Robert began.
“Yes, well, we intend to kick your ass and nail hers to the wall,” Adam spat as he glared at Victoria.
“Jack, I’d like to have this meeting move forward without these kinds of threats. Is that possible?” Robert responded, ignoring Adam and speaking directly to Jack.
“There’s a lot at stake and quite a bit of damage has been done to our firm by your client’s baseless allegations. It’s understandable that there will be a bit of venting, but let’s get right to it, shall we? Based on our conversation last night, we expect a significant offer from your client to resolve the matter today. Part of that offer will need to include a complete statement about her conduct and it will, of course, also need to exonerate our firm.”
“Victoria.” Robert nodded. “Would you like to tell them your offer?”
“Thank you, Robert.” Victoria paused and looked around the table, mentally reviewing what she was about to say and hoping they had all their ducks in a row. She glanced at Kat, who nodded slightly. “Gentlemen,” she began as she took in a breath, knowing that once she began there was no going back, “prepare to be screwed. First, and no later than by the close of business today, I will become the new managing partner of Acker, Smith & McGowen. Second, you will execute all necessary documents to transfer all of your shares in the firm to me for the sum of one dollar. Third, you will express regret for your conduct and vow to make up for it with the work you do for the remainder of your practicing careers. If you do these three things, I will not proceed against you personally for monetary damages and we will not ask that you be disbarred. We will, instead, suggest you be allowed to perform certain charitable legal work that we choose for you, and if you perform well, we will author appropriate letters attesting to your good deeds to the various courts in charge of your criminal cases.”
“What the hell is this, Robert?” Trever drawled as he leaned forward and pointed at Victoria. “You’re screwing with the wrong people you sanctimonious little twit. I’ll have the Senate launch an investigation into you and your pitiful excuse for a firm faster than you can say, ‘I fucked up.’” Turning to look at Robert, he continued, “This little bitch is insane. Robert, if you allow this to continue, we’ll report your ass to the bar and add you to our counterclaim.” Adam jumped up, grabbed his coat, and got ready to leave. “I’m a busy man. The rest of you can sit here and play house with this little slut, but I have no intention of wasting any more of my time.”
Billy did not say a word. He felt a rush of heat course through his body. Something was wrong. He’d worked with Victoria for years and knew her better than his partners. She did not bluff, and she was stone-cold calm and resolute. He knew they had to get out of there and regroup. “Robert, I’ll give you one minute to explain why you dragged us over here to hear this bullshit. These demands are ridiculous and insulting and really should give you a window into why we fired her,” he said, lifting his chin in Victoria’s direction.
“Happy to, Billy.” Turning to Kat, he said, “Can you bring in our first guest?”
“Absolutely,” she said with a giddyap in her voice as she almost pranced out of the room. “Gentlemen, meet Ms. Caroline Carson. Ms. Carson has recently relocated to the US from abroad.” Adam’s inhale was loud enough to draw attention. “I believe Ms. Carson and Mr. Smith may be acquainted. Isn’t that right, Ms. Carson? Perhaps you can explain.”
The room grew eerily still, like the air before a prolific storm. One of the things Caroline had always known how to do was command a room. She waited until just the right amount of tension was in the air, and then began. “I’d be happy to help. Hello, Adam,” she said, nodding in his direction. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Adam sat back down with his mouth open, visibly stunned. “When Ms. Rodessa’s announcement appeared on the internet, I was still residing in Bangkok,” Ms. Carson began, nodding at Victoria. “I don’t typically pay much attention to disputes between parties, particularly those in the US; however, two things happened. One, I was considering returning to America to live so I felt it necessary to become reacquainted with the social and political goings-on here; and two, I recognized the woman in the video. While not pertinent to this conversation, I had met Ms. Rodessa during a business meeting, the outcome of which I hope to have reconsidered after we dispense with the business at hand,” she said, looking pointedly at Victoria. “But I digress. I looked a bit further into whom she was suing, and much to my surprise, I recognized one of the founding partners of the law firm. To close the circle for those in the room, Adam was a frequent patron at my establishment. Oh, I’ve neglected to mention that until its recent sale, I ran one of the best escort services in Bangkok.” Pausing to look at Adam, Caroline smiled and said, “I do thank you for your patronage.”
Billy stood. “I’ve had enough. This meeting is over. Whatever my partner’s predilections are is irrelevant to the matter with Victoria.”
“Oh, I’d sit down if I were you, Billy,” Victoria said calmly. “Trust me when I tell you, you won’t like what’s on the other side of that door.”
Billy slowly sat back down. Victoria had always meant what she’d said. That was one of the things he’d liked about her. God, what have we gotten ourselves into? he thought.
“Go on, Ms. Carson,” Robert prodded.
“My girls came from many different sources, most of which were never known to me. In any event, I looked at the website Victoria referred to in her announcement that listed the names and photos of women who could not be located and who used to work at the firm. And much to my surprise, one of my recent additions had worked at the firm.”
“I don’t believe it,” Billy protested.
Robert again nodded at Kat, and within a minute, she was escorting into the room two women who were clearly underweight. Their bones protruded from their shoulders, large bags outlined their eyes, and their faces resembled skeleton heads rather than young, vibrant women. They each searched the faces in the room and at almost the same time, their eyes bored into one man.
“Hello, Adam,” Willow said. “Remember me?”
“This is a colossal waste of time,” Trever protested. “This woman never worked at the firm. I have no idea who she is,” he finished, looking at Billy who nodded in agreement.
“Well, I certainly did,” Serena said as she stepped in front of Willow and stared at Adam. “I knew I recognized the accent, but I was so drugged I couldn’t connect it.” Her eyes grew wider as she remembered more. “You let that man slam my head against the wall, and then you kicked me like I was a piece of meat. You piece of shit. I flew all over the world for you on your deals and made you millions, and that’s how you repay me? You know how tenacious I am, so if there’s anything you take away from this little reunion today, let it be this: I will devote the rest of my life to ensuring the pain I felt that day and the days of hell that followed will pale in comparison to the pain you’re going to feel for the rest of your life in prison.”
Robert signaled for Caroline to continue. “You see, gentlemen,” she said, looking at Billy and Trever, “it seems that your partner here,” she said nodding at Adam, “ran a lucra
tive side business of exporting, importing, and auctioning women to the highest bidders—something that allowed him access to some of the wealthiest men around the world.”
Robert interrupted when Kat walked into the room with their next guests. “While there’s significantly more to this story, we’re up against a deadline, so we’ll need to move on. Gretchen, why don’t you and James tell your story?”
Before she could begin, Trever jumped out of his seat, took three strides to reach Adam, plucked him out of his chair, and began pummeling his face. Billy dragged Trever off and held Adam by his bloodied collar. “Adam, what the hell did you do?”
“Fuck you both,” Adam gasped, as he tried to stem the gush of blood coming from his nose. “Both of you left them to me to handle. Where did you think they went? Thin air? Neither of you gave a shit how I handled it then. Don’t act holier-than-thou now.”
Robert interjected. “Gentlemen, I’m afraid there’s more. Please sit. Gretchen, you have the floor.”
Gretchen began to tell her tale of working her way up the firm’s ladder only to receive a threatening and degrading video of her acting out explicit, disgusting sexual acts. The note that came with the video forced her into exile or face humiliation and ruin. Turning to look at Trever, she said, “I can’t believe you did that to me. I was one of your staunchest supporters. I worked like an animal to make your department profitable.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Trever said as he glared at Adam. “I did nothing of the kind, and if you acted on some sexual predilections that you chose to practice, don’t blame me.”
Gretchen took steps toward Trever, but James stopped her. “Listen, you sanctimonious piece of shit, she did nothing of the kind. You created a video that made it look like she did those things. The electronic origination leads right to you.”
“Who the hell are you?” Billy asked.
“I’m the one who cracked the code and has all the evidence the authorities will need to go after you and your firm,” James answered.
“Trever?” Billy asked.
Trever shook his head back and forth, denying his involvement, while he stared at Adam with murder in his eyes. “As fascinating as it is watching you gentlemen learn new morsels about one another, we have a lot of ground to cover. Kat,” he said, gesturing in her direction. “You’re on.”
“Thank you, Robert. It appears, gentlemen,” she began, as she walked around the table and handed a document to Billy, Adam, and Trever, “that one of you was the brains behind Highline Insurance Company’s refusal to pay millions of dollars in hurricane claims to its policyholders. According to the testimony of one of the board members”—Kat flipped through the document she’d just passed out— “specifically your father, Billy, Trever here was the brains behind the scheme to defraud thousands of hurricane victims. Isn’t that right Trever?”
“Why, you little bitch,” Trever spat. “My grandfather will shove an investigation of you and your family so far up your asses that none of you will ever be able to walk normally again.”
“Oh my,” Kat answered calmly. “I’m afraid that’s not very chivalrous of you and rather threatening. I see you need some help remembering your manners.” She walked across the room and opened the door. “Gentlemen, they’re all yours.”
In walked federal agents, all flashing their badges. They grabbed Trever and Adam, cuffed them, read them their rights, and led them out of the room. “I knew nothing about any of this,” Jack whined, looking stunned. “I was not involved.”
Victoria looked at Jack. “Sit down and shut up, Jack. We’re well aware that you’re too insipid to know what’s been going on.” The room became quiet as all eyes turned to Billy. “Well, Billy, you’re the last of the Troika. The sole remaining member. But as it turns out that’s a good thing,” Victoria said, glancing over her shoulder at her team, “because as the managing member, you have the authority to bind the firm. And that’s just what you’re going to do.” Victoria slid a one-page document and a pen across the table. “By all means, take your time and read it. I want you to fully understand what you’re about to do, which is agree to sign over to me all of your shares in the firm and any outstanding shares on behalf of your partners. Oh, and you’ll be issuing a press release about the transfer of ownership by the end of the day, which we’ve taken the liberty to prepare on your behalf.”
“You must be insane. I’ll never sign over my shares. I worked my ass off to get the firm where it is and I have no intention of being held responsible for the conduct of my two idiot partners.”
“I had a feeling you might resist.” Turning to smile at her best friend, she said, “Kat, would you mind ushering in our final guests?”
“Happy to,” Kat exclaimed as she almost skipped out of the room.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” Billy almost wailed.
“I’m here to help you do the right thing. From all we’ve seen so far, you were not involved in the sale of women or the genesis of the insurance fraud. But you were, according to Dr. Natarajan,”—she looked over at the woman who followed her into the room and whom she’d been interviewing for the past day—“involved in the firm’s practice to prevent women from becoming partners. And apparently, much to my profound disappointment, you also took sexual advantage of young women at the firm.”
Looking at the doctor, Billy asked, shocked, “What’s in this for you? You’re hurting your own financial interest.”
“To the contrary,” she answered. “I was only a foot soldier. Remember, Billy? I was never good enough to have shares in the firm. As I recall, I repeatedly tried to get you to change your ways and bring women into partnership roles and to stop your harassment. You refused and,”—she shrugged—“here we are.”
Victoria interjected. “Here’s the deal, Billy. You have one minute to execute the document transferring your firm to me and to agree to admit to your firm’s discrimination or you can join your friends in the arms of the FBI for sexually abusing women across many state lines. Your choice.”
“I can’t believe you would turn on your own son.” Billy ignored Victoria and looked at his mother.
“To the contrary, Billy. I haven’t turned on you. I intend to work with you and help rehabilitate you. If I’d have turned on you, you would never see me again.”
“Forty seconds, Billy,” Victoria ticked off.
Billy looked around the room. If there was one thing he’d learned from his father, it was how to survive. Picking up the pen, he signed the document.
CHAPTER
65
VICTORIA LOOKED OUT over the water and had to squint to shield her eyes from the shimmering sunlight that reflected off the waves. Over the past few days, she’d learned there was a particular glare to the sun’s reflection that signaled the beginning of the incredibly beautiful performance of the sun setting on the West Coast. She was surprised at how quickly she’d come to love this ocean. Now that a good amount of her time would be spent in California overseeing Renoir Productions’ work and also as a jumping off point to visit many of the international offices she’d inherited, she’d decided to fully embrace the lifestyle. Over the past week, Jenny had led her in daily runs on the beach followed by freezing-ass ocean swims. It had been pure heaven, Victoria thought as she scribbled some final notes to discuss with her broker.
“Have you made a decision?” Jenny asked as she came out of her house carrying a bottle of champagne, followed by Armond and Mona with the glasses.
“I have. I’m putting an offer in on that home on the cliffs. It’ll be the best of all worlds. I’ll be your neighbor, so I’ll get to enjoy all of this fabulousness and still be close enough to get to our office and my favorite client whenever he needs me,” she said, smiling at Armond and brushing his hair to the side of his forehead.
“Hey guys, perfect timing,” Victoria greeted Kat and Robert as they came up the stairs from the beach.
“My Go
d! It’s beautiful here. I’m Texan born and bred but it’s hard to deny the pull of the ocean and the beauty of these cliffs,” Kat said happily.
“What do you think, Robert?” Victoria asked.
“I love it here, but I’m a sweet home Chicago man,” he said, putting his arm around Kat.
“We’ll see about that,” Kat responded with a ridiculous smile.
Armond raised his glass. “I’m glad Jenny convinced you all to come to California for the holidays. I propose we make this a yearly tradition.”
As everyone clinked glasses in agreement and settled in to enjoy the sunset, Armond asked, “Can we wrap up a few loose ends?”
“Of course,” Victoria answered.
“Willow. How does she fit in? As I understand it, she never worked at the firm.”
“Jenny, why don’t you take this one?” Victoria nodded. “Happy to. It’s fascinating, really. A number of years ago, Willow was a plaintiff in a sexual harassment lawsuit against a large corporation. As that suit was heating up, she suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a husband and young son. When Ms. Carson was backing into her connections to find out how Serena got to her, she found a common factor in a number of her other girls. That factor was Adam.”
“I’m still not connecting how Adam knew Willow,” Armond continued.
“It appears Adam developed an intricate and extensive network, as well as a solid reputation as someone who could discreetly resolve pesky issues for the right amount of money. He didn’t confine his work to females at the firm. Willow was one of his first forays into expanding his reach. He was also adept at providing carefully crafted cover stories, if needed, so family and friends would eventually give up their search. Bizarrely, I had heard about Willow’s story from some of my former colleagues, but until Ms. Carson connected the dots to Adam, I hadn’t known her name.”
“Then, what was Gretchen’s connection?” Armond asked.
“Apparently, Adam used a variety of means to silence problem women,” Robert began. “He realized he couldn’t simply ship them all by the boatload out of the country. In Gretchen’s situation, because her husband is a former marine and still well-connected to those with high-level clearance in the military, he decided to blackmail her instead. She only recently discovered the connection to the firm, about the same time Victoria made her announcement.”
Private Agendas: A Victoria Rodessa Legal Thriller Page 25