Is This Goodbye?: A Frank Moretti Thriller

by Frederick Wysocki

  “Why not save us both some time. You take my offer to the Board. If they’re receptive I’ll complete my due diligence and have my lawyer draft up the agreement by close of business today.”

  “One of my Board members is travelling today. It’ll take me at least twenty four hours to notify the board and hold a conference call.”

  “That’ll be fine. As soon as you hear from them, please text me. Here’s my business card.”

  Brad seemed reluctant to accept Frank’s card.

  “Is there a problem, Brad?”

  “Besides making us an excellent offer, they have promised us exciting future opportunities. They have promised to fold us in with synergistic technologies they already have.”

  “Can you elaborate?”

  “They have already made excellent progress on space weapons… No, I shouldn’t tell you any of that.”

  Frank looked at Brad hoping he would say more, but instead Brad Miller walked out of his own office.

  Frank shrugged his shoulders and also left the CEO’s office.

  He walked over to the receptionist, “Excuse me. Brad told me that you have two people from your consulting firm on site. Could you please direct me to where they’re sitting?”

  “In the Accounting department. Out that door and two doors down on the right.”

  “What do they look like?”

  “The woman is blonde and come to think of it, so is the man.”

  Frank found the right door and wandered about looking for the analyst.

  Finally, he spotted female looking blonde hair above a cubicle divider. He stepped closer and saw that her eyes were glued to a computer screen. Frank saw she was working on a spreadsheet.

  He bent down and whispered in her ear. “Excuse me, but would you mind joining me in the small meeting room?”

  Ashley couldn’t help but smile to herself.

  She stood up.

  As Frank opened his arm signaling her to walk past him, she felt empowered. Finally.

  Frank stared at her bottom and noticed that she was exaggerating the movement of her derriere. Why can’t I ignore a good-looking woman? Thankfully, Naomi isn’t here.

  He watched as she walked into a small room with a table and four chairs.

  Have I met her before?

  Frank closed the door then sat across from her.

  He steepled his fingers. “Excuse me, but have you ever been to Chicago or St Kitts?”

  Ashley touched her blonde hair. “Why do you ask?”

  “I sense that I may have met you before… Do I know you?”

  Ashley put her thumb and forefinger onto the rim of her tortoise shell glasses. “Why do you say that?”

  Frank stared at her. “You remind me of an old girlfriend.”

  Ashley took off her glasses.

  If she had brown hair, she could be Ashley or her younger sister.

  Then he noticed her freckles. She’s tried to cover them with makeup.

  “Ashley?”

  Ashley reached up with both hands. She slowly removed her blonde wig and shook out her soft brown hair.

  She was grinning. “I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out who I was.”

  Frank felt he was seeing a ghost. I went to her funeral. Yet, here she is.

  When I first met Lofthouse, she told me Ashley had survived. She was right. Here she is.

  Then fear gripped him. She knows my secrets! I could go to jail if she talks.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Working part time for the Agency, same as you.”

  How in hell? “This can’t be a coincidence; did Regina Lofthouse set this up?”

  “Are you still that naïve Frank? Of course, my aunt knows you’re here. I’m the one that asked her to get us together.”

  Damn you, Regina!

  Frank’s eyes started darting around. “Why?”

  Ashley tried her best to appear coy. “I can’t seem to get over you. I thought we needed to talk.”

  Frank realized he needed to be careful. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “I thought that since we were engaged to be married…”

  Frank held up his right hand. “Stop right there. We were never officially, engaged.”

  Ashley glared at Frank for several seconds before she spit out her words. “Then there’s the fact that you tried to have Mario kill me… How is he anyway?”

  Frank was suddenly aware of the window into the room. I need to get out of here. “I have no idea.”

  “Does he still work for your uncle Anthony Rizzo? Oh, I forgot Anthony’s dead, isn’t he?”

  What did Regina tell her?

  Frank took a deep breath. “This isn’t a good idea.”

  “Relax, Frank. I’m not here to kill you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “That never even crossed my mind… So what do you want from me?”

  Frank watched as Ashley raised her nose at him. “Closure, Frank, just closure.”

  Frank felt the walls closing in. We’re in a fishbowl.

  He took another deep breath. “It’s nice outside. Why don’t we go for a walk? Apparently, there’s a nice walking trail on top of the dikes around here. We’d be able to talk in private.”

  “Sure. Good idea.” Ashley stood up. “Just give me a minute. I’ll meet you at the front door.” She picked up the wig and put it back on.

  Frank left Ashley and started for the front door.

  Ted Wetmore was watching with interest. What in hell’s going on?

  19

  Frank stood at the front door waiting for Ashley.

  I thought my time with Ashley had scabbed over. God, I hope she doesn’t rip it all open again.

  He stepped up to the receptionist. “I’ll be back in an hour or two.”

  “Certainly, Mister Moretti.”

  The thing was, Ashley was the one I had decided I was in love with and I wanted to spend my life with. Then she ended up dead because of me. When push came to shove, I chose money. I still choose money over love.

  I was shocked when Reggie told me she was still alive. Luca later surprised me when he told me Regina was Ashley’s aunt. But all that doesn’t matter since I’ve realized how important Naomi is to me. Am I as madly in love with Naomi as I was with Ashley, no. But only because I'm more mature now. I love Naomi because I appreciate how her skills have been instrumental to my recent success, as well as loving her body and how we enjoy making love together.

  “Ready.”

  Frank turned towards the female voice. Ashley was once again wearing her blonde wig.

  Frank paused as if he’d lost something. “I just realized I don’t have a car, but I can text my driver.”

  “No need to do that, I’ve got a rental. Let’s just get out of here.”

  The receptionist watched with curiosity as they left together.

  As they walked to Ashley’s vehicle Frank recalled how bossy Ashley had been once she’d moved in with him four months before they had graduated. The sex was great. Overnight, however, our relationship went from being fun to wrestling over control. Then when we graduated and I became CEO of Ravven Software, she wouldn’t go along with what Anthony wanted me to do with the company.

  When Frank believed Ashley had died, he had dreamt of Ashley’s drowning and her haunting him. I guess I was still sexually attracted to her.

  Ashley stopped next to a dark blue Toyota Camry with a rental sticker on the rear bumper. She clicked the doors open. “This is it.”

  As they got in and closed the doors, Ashley started to talk. “Do you still live on that tiny island?

  “Do you mean St Kitts?”

  “Then, yes, I guess I do.” Ashley backed out of her parking space and started driving away. “Do you remember when you took me to St Kitts and we walked on the beach that night and you showed me the brilliant blue flashes of bioluminescence?”

  “Of course I do.” Frank wondered what he should and shouldn’t say t
o her. Anthony’s dead but she could still get me in trouble with the FBI if she testifies against me.

  Ashley had her eyes on the road. “It was a magical experience until you made me talk to your uncle.”

  Frank swallowed then checked that his seatbelt was tight. I’d best not say anything until she parks the car. “Let’s talk once we get to the dike and park.”

  Ashley took the hint.

  Nine minutes of tense silence passed before Ashley pulled into a parking spot.

  They were soon walking on top of the dike. The path was wide and made up of decomposed rock packed down from heavy foot traffic. Frank ensured he stayed at least a foot away from her.

  She edged closer. “Do you ever think about me, Frank?”

  He veered towards the edge of the path. “Sure I do Ashley, why not?”

  “Just wondering, ‘cause I still think of you all the time.”

  I need to set her straight. Frank stopped and looked her in the eyes. “I need you to know that I’m about to get engaged to someone.”

  Ashley’s face sagged. “I wouldn’t rush into anything if I was you.”

  “Who says I’m rushing?”

  Ashley raised her right hand and ran a strand of hair through her fingers. “Do you miss having me next to you in bed every night?”

  How in hell do I answer that? “I’ve met someone else and she supports everything that I do.”

  “Tell me Frank, does that mean that you still value money above all else?”

  Ouch. She knows me well. “Look Ashley, I did what I had to do. My uncle Anthony Rizzo and you gave me no choice.”

  “How did I do that?”

  “You wouldn’t go along with me, which told Anthony you might rat us out to the FBI. You were a loose end. Look, I know it’s no excuse but, if I didn’t give the order to have you killed, I would’ve been killed myself. ”

  “Then I guess I’m just too moral for you. You know how your father warned you. Well, he was right. As the manager of the company’s finances I had no choice but to do what was right.”

  Ashley’s like a dog with a bone. She won’t let go.

  “Let me ask you a question, Ashley. Suppose you were the one that had a gun being held to your head. You are given two choices and two choices only.”

  Frank could see that Ashley was paying attention.

  “One, you could convince someone to do something morally wrong that would make them a lot of money. Or two, you would have to kill them if they didn’t go along or else you’d be killed. So you see I had no choice. Once you refused to do what I was asking of you, it was either kill you or get killed myself.”

  “Did you listen to yourself just now, Frank? The man I thought I was engaged to would have given his life for me.”

  That didn’t go like I hoped.

  “Look Ashley. You’re alive and I’ve moved on. You need to let go of the past and move on with your life. The past is over. That's why they call it the past.”

  “Perhaps I live in the past because that’s when my future looked to be the brightest. I had my degree. I was living with the man I wanted and that I knew wanted me.”

  “Look, let me cut you a check for all the shit you had to go through and then you can just walk away, okay?”

  “I’m insulted Frank! You still don’t get it, do you? I wouldn’t take money made illegally then and I won’t take it now.”

  “You’re right. You deserve someone better than me.” Frank wanted to get the conversation over with and away from her. “Is there anything else still bothering you?”

  Ashley’s tone was icy. “How you selected Todd Patrick instead of me to be the President of Ravven.”

  “Since you said that you weren’t very keen on the direction I was taking Ravven, I had no choice, did I?”

  Ashley snipped. “It just would have been nice to have been asked or even considered.”

  Frank was frowning, trying to come up with a proper reply.

  Ashley let him off the hook. “Did you love me back then?”

  “Of course, I loved you back then and to be honest I’ve dreamed of you on many a night.”

  “Then you still love me?” Ashley stepped closer and thrust out her chest.

  “It’s not that simple. I’ve fallen in love with someone else. And we’re a better match.”

  Ashley reached up and touched the tiny scar under his left cheek. “I’ve always thought it makes you look like a rugged guy and someone not to be messed with.”

  Ashley’s throwing herself at me like she did when we were in Grad School.

  Frank turned away.

  Ashley used to be my moral compass. Perhaps I should have been more like her. On the other hand, if I had done what she wanted, I would still be poor. Naomi is the opposite. She keeps saving my ass and making me money. She’s proven that she’s what I need.

  “Did you ever get the letter I gave to Todd to give to you a few weeks before you tried have me killed?”

  The sense of guilt he’d felt after he’d read it came rushing back. That was then, this is now. “I did, but all that is water under the bridge. I’ve moved on and so should you.”

  “Who have you become Frank?”

  “I don’t think we should be talking about the past. I don’t think we’re a good match anymore.”

  Ashley kept walking. “Are you now the head of your uncle’s syndicate? Are you a full time mobster now?”

  “I am not now nor have I ever been a mobster Ashley.”

  “When I was told you had tried to have me killed over money, my heart bled until it was dry. I felt I’d become a ghost and I haven’t felt normal since.”

  “Are you seeing a therapist?”

  “My therapist tells me that even though you tried to kill me, revenge is never a good idea. He’s trying to have me find someone else and move on with my life. The problem is that I’m afraid to trust any man ever again.”

  Christ, now she sounds like Naomi.

  “I think we should drive back to SpaceLaser.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll drive us back in a few minutes. I need to see if there was any spark left between us.”

  “It wouldn’t matter if there was. Naomi has made me a better person and she finds ways to help me in business. And I intend to marry her very soon.”

  “That’s great, Frank. Then keep her as your bodyguard. You could even hire her to work for you in the business. But surely you can see that it’s me that you want to come home to at night.”

  “Listen Ashley. I don’t love you. I’ve moved on and I want nothing to do with you romantically. You understand that, right?”

  “Will you invite me to the wedding?”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Frank started walking back to Ashley’s rental car. “Are you going to drive me back or do I need to text my limo driver?”

  At that moment, Ashley wanted to kill Frank. I should have testified against him.

  20

  The return ride was even frostier than the one going to the dike. Frank decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. If I’d known she was this obsessive and crazy, I might have killed her myself.

  As Ashley parked her rental back in the SpaceLaser parking lot, Frank’s phone chimed.

  He looked at his screen.

  It was a text message from Luca. Call me.

  “Excuse me, Ashley, I have to make a quick call.” Frank dialed Luca.

  Ashley gave Frank a sneer.

  Frank looked away and focused on the call. “What did you find?”

  “Brad Miller has a hundred thousand dollar gambling problem at the nearby Indian Casino. It could be why he’s anxious to get his hands on some cash.”

  Luca’s hit pay dirt. It’s now only a matter of waiting for the right moment to bring it up.

  “Okay, thanks. Good work. Gotta go.”

  Frank turned to find Ashley’s eyes had become even colder.

  “Doing another deal? Who’s going to die this time?”
<
br />   Shaking his head, Frank muttered. “I don’t understand you, Ashley. In grad school you seemed so into the idea of making money.”

  “If the money is made legally, I’m all for it. What Anthony did and I assume you are still doing is illegal and amoral.”

  “I’m sorry Ashley, I wish I could say it was great running into you, but I’d be lying. Now I’ve got to go meet with Brad Miller. ” Frank immediately opened his passenger door and left Ashley sitting alone.

  Frank never looked back at Ashley. He went into the building and went directly to the CEO’s secretary.

  She glanced out to the parking lot and wondered why the analyst was still in her car. “Go right in Mister Moretti. Mister Miller is free for the moment.”

  CEO Brad Miller was at his desk. His coat and tie had been removed. He welcomed Frank with a partial smile. “Come on in, Frank.”

  Frank took the un-upholstered chair in front of Brad’s desk. “Have you talked to your Board yet?”

  “I’ve sent them all an email… However I must tell you that I don’t think they will find your offer compelling.”

  “Really? Let me ask you if you’ve given any thought to what the sale of your company might mean for you personally and your country.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “If you sell to a Chinese firm, this will probably only encourage the American President to slap destructive tariffs on China and end the trade agreement with Canada. Of course, that will lead to retaliation and trade wars. Do you really want to help start all that?”

  Brad held up his hands. “Whoa, there cowboy. Don’t start involving me and my little company in international relations. I’m only doing what I’m doing because it’s the best thing to do for me and my investors.”

  “Since you’re a big shareholder, perhaps we should focus in on you then, shall we?”

  Brad’s eyes grew bigger and focused on Frank.

  Frank leaned closer and spoke softly. “This is just between you and me.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “If you have any personal cash flow problems, I’d be willing to help you out.” Frank could see he’d struck a nerve. “Now that money would be under the table and in addition to the offer I made for the company. Your Board would never need to know. No one else will ever have to know.”