“We make our lives as complicated as we want to make them.”
“So, now you’re a Greek fortune cookie?”
“Very funny.”
“To a point, I suppose we do. But I hear you and I hear Mario. And Harold. Especially Harold. I hear him loudest of all. He’s in my head every day.”
“Then listen to him. He had a lot of faith in you. We all do. We just want what’s best for you.”
“I appreciate that. And I appreciate all that you’ve done for me. Sean is amazing. He and his team have been terrific through all of this. Sean has protected me. Now one of his men is protecting my brother. What I haven’t told you is something my father did without my knowledge.”
“What’s that?”
“He hired one of Sean’s men to tail me. He did it after the shooting. He wanted another set of eyes to watch over me.”
“And you were touched by the gesture?”
“Of course, I was.”
“When did he reveal this to you?”
“Just the other day.”
“What happened between you and him during that day?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were there any arguments? Any signs that you might leave after this project is finished?”
They stopped walking and Leana looked up at him.
“How did you know that?”
“Because I’ve known your father longer than you have. I know how he thinks and how he works.”
“You’re saying that revealing that information was strategic on his part?”
“I’m not saying anything. I’m just pointing out that he did make a decision about when to tell you.”
Leana felt suddenly embarrassed and angry. Why didn’t I see this myself? How could I be so naive?
“Look, Leana, he very well might have been doing the right thing. I just want your eyes open as you go forward. That’s all. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but when you mentioned it, that’s where my head went. You mean a lot to me. I feel that if I don’t share my thoughts with someone I consider family, I’m doing them a disservice. But I’ve upset you. I can see that. I apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m glad you said something.”
Behind them came a voice: “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Both turned. It was Pepper. She was coming through a set of doors. Leana noticed that she was in a new Chanel suit, that her hair was shorter and a deeper shade of red, and she wondered again just how much her father paid her. She knew how much that suit cost, and she knew how much her apartment at Redman Place cost.
Who is my father really favoring?
“Pepper,” Leana said. “This is Anastassios Fondaras. Anastassios, meet Pepper Redman, my cousin from Arkansas.”
To her surprise, Pepper didn’t correct her.
“Mr. Fondaras,” she said. “It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really? From whom?”
For an instant, Pepper wavered. But Anastassios, ever the gentleman, didn’t let her hang there long.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s also nice to meet you, Pepper. I’ve only just heard about you, but I have a feeling I’ll be hearing more in one way or another. You know, you’re fortunate. Leana will guide you into what you want to become. She’s talented in ways that I hope you will come to appreciate.”
Pepper absorbed that with a tight “I already do.”
“You’re still so young,” Anastassios said. “So, I’m not sure that you do. At least not yet. But it might come in time. Here’s my best advice. Soak in what she’s learned by watching her father and Celina, because Leana began watching them when she was a child. She may not have been the active participant her sister was because she wasn’t given the chance Celina was given, but I can assure you that Leana has been studying everything the entire time. And she’s learned. Her hotel is proof. So is her work here. If she wasn’t working for herself and for her father now, I’d hire her in a minute for one of my own projects. She’s that good—and you are that lucky. Stop looking so surprised, Pepper. It’s the truth.”
He turned to Leana and kissed her on each cheek. “Meetings,” he said. “The day is filled with them. I’m glad that we could see each other. I have to say I was curious to have a look around, and I’m especially happy to say that I’m thrilled for you and your father. You’ll do well here.” He grasped her hands, held them, and looked at her eyepatch. “When does that come off?”
“If all goes well, I lose it in a week.”
“Just in time for the opening of The Park. I’m hearing it’s going to be a star-studded event.”
“Michael is helping to that end.”
“As are you. People adore you—you know that.” He looked at Pepper. “The Hotel Fifth is opening on the same date, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Oh, my dear,” he said. “What can anyone say to that?”
And without another word, Anastassios Fondaras walked across the lobby, moved through the doors, and disappeared from sight.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
Leana looked at Pepper’s new suit, then at her hair. “Where were you this morning? Shopping? The salon? Both? I thought you were sick?”
“I was. I went to my doctor. I told you I didn’t feel well, and I still don’t, though I’m better than I was.”
“You look fine.”
“Chanel does that for a person. You should try it.”
She watched her cousin, who seemed strangely uncomfortable. “Is something wrong, Pepper? You’re fidgeting.”
“I’m not fidgeting.”
“You can barely stand still.”
“Maybe I have to use the restroom. I told you I don’t feel well.”
“Too much information.”
“Whatever, Leana.”
“Don’t give me attitude, Pepper.”
“Why don’t I just get to work? How about that? How about if I be productive? Hugo Morel is coming this afternoon, isn’t he?”
“You know he is. What you don’t know is that the penthouse installation needs to be finished by this evening. You’ll need to stay until he leaves. Sorry about that. I’ll be at The Park, but call me if he needs anything—not that I expect that he will. I’ve also commissioned him to do two other units, so he’ll need access to them at some point. Be aware of that. He’ll need to move quickly on them, but he said he could do it, and I have no reason to doubt him. Just make sure that the units are clean and ready for him when he needs access to them.”
“Which apartments?”
Leana told her.
“I’ll have the cleaning crew on them within the hour. Anything else?”
“There’s a list in your office. You’ll be busy.”
“I’m always busy. Good luck today.”
“With what?”
She shrugged. “Your hotel. What else?”
Pepper turned and walked away from Leana, and as she did, she passed Sean Scott, who watched her go until she was out of sight. When she was, he came over to Leana. “Have a moment?”
“Only if I can borrow your gun.”
“Denied.”
“What’s up?”
“Maybe nothing. Maybe something. Do you remember when I asked you if you’d like me to do a little research into Pepper?”
“You said you’d like to get some dirt on her.”
“Actually, you said that. I asked if you’d like me to investigate her for you, and I have been. I’ve had her followed.”
“Really? What is Pepper’s life like?”
“Mostly dull. But she was rattled by something this morning.”
“How do you mean?”
He reached into his pocket and removed his iPhone. “She visited someone today.”
“She told me she went to see her doctor.”
“She may have. I need to find out who the building’s tenants are. But I received these photos from one of my men about thirty minutes ago. Have a look. Bl
ow them up. Tell me what you see and don’t see. Then focus on Pepper’s face.”
Leana took the phone and flipped through the photos. Pepper going into the building, briefcase in hand. Pepper coming out of the building, no briefcase in hand. She gave Sean a questioning look, but he nodded at the phone.
“Keep going.”
She did, and what she saw in the next series of seven photos could only be described as a look of fear or terror on Pepper’s face.
“What’s wrong with her? And where’s the briefcase?”
“My team is looking into the possibilities of the missing briefcase now. Obviously, we’re concerned—especially when she comes out looking like that. She said she went to see her doctor?”
“That’s right.”
“We’ll see if there is a doctor in the building. If there is, we’ll find out whether Pepper is under his or her care. If there is more than one doctor who has an office there, we expand the search and find out if she’s connected to any of them. That said, I want to beef up security around you.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“Pepper is a lot of things, Sean, but I can’t imagine her wanting to physically hurt me. At least not in the final sense.”
“Maybe it’s not the final sense. Maybe it’s just a broken leg.”
“I don’t see it.”
But she wasn’t herself a moment ago....
“Explain the briefcase.”
“I can’t, unless she forgot it and left it behind. That’s possible.”
“It is. Let me and the team dig into it. Meanwhile, I’m assigning Sam to you. We’ll both be with you and watching you from this point forward. I’ll introduce you to him in a minute. Like me, he’s a former Marine, but without my shining personality. He’ll grow on you, though. He’s a good guy.”
“So, now I have you, Sam, and...” She stopped. “But then I don’t know his name, do I? What’s the name of the man my father hired through you?”
“For what?”
“To watch over me.”
“What man?”
“My father told me he hired a man through you. Someone who apparently is on the periphery. I’m not supposed to see him, which is the point. What’s his name?”
“Leana, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She was confused for a moment, and then her head ached. “My father didn’t hire someone through you?”
“He didn’t.”
“But he told me that he did.”
His face softened. Leana saw it and knew what was coming next. She closed her eyes and waited for it.
“Leana,” he said.
“Just say it, Sean.”
“Your father hired none of my men. He told you a lie.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Leana left the building with Sean and Sam. They stepped into the bulletproof Bentley Anastassios had provided, and Sean drove her to Redman International.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked.
“I’m finished with him. Just get me there in one piece.”
“We’ll need to come in with you.”
“Into the building, yes. But not into his office. I can’t have that. This is between him and me. Just please wait outside his office door for me. I’m sure you and everyone else will hear all sorts of ugly things. Then, we leave.”
When they arrived at Redman International, Leana crossed the lobby with the two men at her side. The security guard at the front desk was the same man who had recognized her before.
“I’m here to see my father,” she said.
“All of you?”
“They come with me.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Do I need one? He’s my father.”
“I’ll need to call ahead.”
“Seriously? Fine. Call ahead. You know who I am. We’re going up. Stop us and I’ll have your job.”
“I don’t want any trouble, Miss Redman.”
“Then don’t bring any.”
They walked to her father’s private elevator, pressed the button, and stepped inside. The elevator lifted. She could imagine her father’s executive assistant receiving the call now, and momentarily telling George that she and her team were on the way. She wished she could have ambushed him. But unless he was expecting to be found out in his lie, he wouldn’t know why she was coming.
When the doors opened, Grace, her father’s executive assistant of more than twenty years, met her. She’d known Leana since she was a child.
“Leana,” she said. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been concerned. Are you all right?”
Leana liked Grace and wasn’t about to take her anger out on her. “I’ll be fine, Grace. Thanks for asking. And it’s good to see you.” She gave the woman a kiss on each cheek. “It’s been a long time.”
Grace, who was blonde, attractive, in her fifties and nothing if not sophisticated, pressed the palm of her hand against Leana’s cheek. “It’s been too long. I’ve been worried sick.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here to see my father.”
“Unfortunately, he’s in a meeting now and he can’t be disturbed. Can it wait for an hour? I can get you in then.”
“It can’t. I need to see him now. It’s that important, Grace—otherwise I wouldn’t push. Meetings can be broken up.”
“Not this one. He’s meeting with Japanese investors who flew twelve hours to see him today. He’s been waiting weeks for this to happen.”
“Then he might need to reschedule. Or at least take a ten-minute break. Grace, I’m serious when I say that I must see him. You know what’s been happening. It’s imperative. I have new information that affects him.”
“I see.” She hesitated and seemed to waver on the precipice of a decision. Leana knew the difficult spot she was putting her in, and she knew she needed to protect her from any fallout. Grace always had been kind to her. She wasn’t about to throw her under the bus.
“Grace, weren’t you in the washroom when I arrived? You had no idea I dropped by. Why not go to the washroom now and stay there for five minutes or so. I’ll just casually step into his office, introduce myself to the group, ask if I can have a moment of his time, and let him know the information I just received. It’s critical to what’s happening to me and to Michael right now. And to what might happen to him.”
“I wouldn’t do that for just anyone, Leana. But I will for you.”
“I won’t say a word. As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t seen you today.”
Grace looked up at the two towering men beside Leana. “And they are...?”
“My lifelines.”
“I understand.”
“We won’t be long. Give me a few minutes. I promise this will be brief. And thank you.”
“I’m not about to get in the way of your safety. And your father is quick. He’ll be able to explain the situation to his investors. Even at their level, the men he called here today are all about family. It’s their culture.” She stepped aside so they could move past her into the room. “He’s in the large boardroom. I’ll be in the washroom.”
Leana felt guilty about lying to her, but she had to do this now before she second guessed herself and pulled back. She gave Grace a meaningful hug, said that she was sorry in the woman’s ear, and nodded at Sean and Sam when Grace stepped away. “The boardroom is this way,” she said.
They went to it. Leana paused outside the closed door and looked at them a final time before she stepped into the room. “Just to clarify. My father hasn’t reached out to any of your men?”
“I sent out an email blast on the drive over,” Sean said. “My men are instructed to answer me immediately. Your father contacted none of us.”
“Then, this happens,” Leana said. “It will be ugly. I will be jettisoned from the building, but it won’t be the first time. He’ll do it, if only to save face. I need you to be prepared to get me out of here quickly. I won’t be back.”
She grasped the handle, took a breath, focused on what she wanted to say, and then walked into the room. Seven men were inside, including her father, who was seated at the far right end of a long mahogany table motioning to the massive monitor beside him. On it, was the model of a high-rise that rivaled the Columbus Circle project. He looked at her with surprise, as did the six other men.
“Leana,” he said.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’ll only be a moment.”
George stood. “I’m afraid this will need to wait. As you can see, I have guests. Did Grace let you in?”
“I haven’t seen Grace. She must be elsewhere in the building. I let myself in.”
“This is my daughter, Leana,” he said to the group. “She’s heading up the Columbus Circle project and is doing a magnificent job.”
Leana nodded at the men, who all nodded back. She could sense some staring at her eyepatch. She looked at her father and could tell from his expression that he knew she had come for a fight.
“Would you mind waiting for me? Maybe an hour?”
“Actually, I would mind. We can talk here or outside.”
“Gentlemen,” he said. “Please forgive me. The Columbus Circle project is to be completed by the end of next week. All of us know the last-minute pressures that come with finalizing such a building. I’ll be just a moment.”
“You know,” Leana said. “Why don’t we do this here? Just the seven of us? I’d hate to pull you out of an important meeting when what I have to say is so brief.” She pointed her finger at her father. “You lied to me. You said you hired one of Sean Scott’s men to watch over me, and you didn’t. I know that for a fact. For whatever reason, you lied to me. You gave me a false sense of security when what I need right now is an absolute sense of security. Sean is just outside if you’d like to challenge what you told me. But I’m imagining you wouldn’t because it would just expose you even more for the liar you are. So, here’s how it plays out, Dad. I don’t deal with liars, especially the ones I’m related to. You fucked me over on this. You used me because you couldn’t rely on Pepper. You lied to me for the same reason. You put my life at risk over your damned building. Are you hearing that, gentlemen? My father put my life at risk so he could get his project finished on time. Would you do that to your daughters? To your wives or sons? I doubt it. And my father should be humiliated and ashamed of that.”
Park Avenue (Book Six in the Fifth Avenue Series) Page 28