by Marie Astor
***
Dennis Walker studied the expression on Hamilton Kirk’s face as he took a seat across from his boss’s desk.
“Well, Dennis, it looks like you really screwed the pooch on this one.” Ham flung a copy of the New York Post towards Dennis.
Dennis’s face remained impassive. Did his boss really think that Dennis did not keep up to date with the newspapers?
“And the SEC has just subpoenaed Bostoff this morning, cutting us off at the onset. Now, all the work we’ve done is going down the drain, and the SEC will have the lead on the case.” Kirk’s face was filled with chagrin. “I knew I should have given the job to Laskin,” Kirk hissed. “There goes that promotion I’ve been hoping for. Thanks for delaying my retirement by another five years.”
Dennis resisted a smile: he was truly enjoying this.
“Ham, I think you might change your mind after you read this.” He handed his boss a manila folder containing the documents he had downloaded from Wyman’s laptop yesterday.
“What is it?” Kirk glanced at the folder as though it were a piece of manure. “Could this be the evidence you failed to procure during your time as undercover investigator at Bostoff? Well, I’ve got news for you: it’s a little too late now.”
“I’d read it first, sir.”
“Fine.” Kirk wrung the papers out of the folder. At first, his face was stone cold, but as his eyes read the first few lines, even Hamilton Kirk’s famous poker face failed him, his expression alternating between amazement and delight.
For several moments Ham Kirk remained silent, while his eyes burrowed hungrily into the papers before him. Dennis steepled his hands and leaned back in his chair, watching his boss devour the information that was bound to get them both promoted.
“Well, I’ll be damned – you son of a gun.” Kirk raised the papers in his hand. “You’ve done it. Now, we’ll finally be able to nail those hedge fund vultures good.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I always give praise when praise is due, Dennis, you know that. But first, I’ve got to make a few calls. We’ve got to make sure that the SEC and the FBI understand that we’ll be taking the lead on the case. Without us, they’ve only got a market manipulation case against a single firm, but our evidence proves an organized manipulation scheme. This is big, real big.
Dennis nodded. At the moment, he knew better than to point out the fact that it was really his evidence, his and Janet’s, but he was certainly going to make sure that Janet Maple would get the credit she deserved.
Chapter 27