Intimate Betrayal

by Donna Hill

  “I know. That’s why I need the full cooperation of Tasaka. Without his blessing, nothing gets done. Besides the fact that I’ll need Japanese technicians to work in the sites. We’ll have to see eye to eye in order for it to work.”

  “I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t agree. Especially if it’s going to provide employment as well.”

  “It’s a funny thing about the Japanese way of thinking and doing business,” he began, putting the pieces of his thoughts together. “Everything is a process, almost ritualistic in nature. Decisions are made as a group. No one person wants to take a position one way or the other for fear of being wrong. For the outsider trying to get in, you must convince the entire body.”

  “But I thought Tasaka made all of the decisions.”

  “He does. But he’s going to be watching me to see if I can convince the others before he commits to anything.”

  “And they won’t commit to anything because it’s not in their nature to do so,” she said, completing the thought.

  “Exactly. No one will say anything specific. They’ll dance all around the issue. The Japanese have mastered the art of ambiguity. They never really say what they mean. You must be able to interpret their meaning without putting them on the spot.”

  “So how do you win a situation like that?”

  “That’s the art of negotiating with them. They need to be able to see that I can be a team player; that I’m not here to tell them I can do things better; that I need them, not the other way around. They want to see the kind of person I am. That’s why many business meetings are discussed over dinner and plenty of drinks outside the office.”

  Reese nodded slowly, understanding sinking in. “I have no doubts about your capabilities to charm anyone, Mr. Knight,” she grinned, running the tip of her finger down the bridge of his nose.

  “I just hope they feel the same way,” he smiled.

  Moments later he pulled the car to a stop in front of a beautiful restaurant with outdoor seating.

  “We’re here,” Maxwell announced. He checked his watch. “Hopefully Chris arrived already and got our table. This place gets so crowded, that if you miss your reservation by a few minutes they’ll give your table away.”

  Chris rose in greeting and gave Reese a light kiss on the cheek and embraced Max in a warm hug, which they followed up with an intricate handshake. Reese smiled at the ritual.

  “You two look pretty happy,” Chris commented, returning to his seat.

  Reese turned to Maxwell and smiled, her face warm with memories of their morning interlude.

  “We have reason to be,” Maxwell offered, giving Reese a quick wink before turning to Chris. He held out the chair for Reese. “And we have plenty to talk about, buddy. How much time do you have?”

  “I knew you would,” he grinned. “So I left my afternoon open.”

  “Let’s order first,” Maxwell suggested, scanning the menu.

  Reese picked up hers and immediately put it back down. Everything was in Japanese.

  “Don’t worry,” Maxwell said, “I’ll order you something delicious.”

  “As long as it’s not raw,” she exclaimed, screwing up her nose and setting off a round of laughter at the table.

  Both Maxwell and Chris spoke rapid Japanese as they ordered their meal and Reese quietly observed the deference they were shown when the waiter realized they spoke the language. His attitude went from generally polite to total respect. Interesting, she thought. No matter where a black man seemed to go in the world, they are first judged by the color of their skin, no matter how well dressed, mannered, or spoken. At least here she’d seen levels of acceptance that did not automatically happen in the United States. That point was brought home when Maxwell and Chris’s conversation broke into her thoughts.

  “…that’s one of the things I never have to complain about when I’m in Japan,” Chris was saying.

  “What don’t you have to complain about?” Reese interrupted, catching up with the discussion.

  “Me and Max were talking about all the times we got harassed in L.A. for no other reason than just because we were black men in the ‘wrong’ neighborhood.”

  “It’s happened to me in New York, too,” Maxwell added.

  Reese’s eyes widened in question. “What happened?” she asked, her reporter instincts switching into gear.

  Maxwell leaned back in his seat, a dark, pensive look hardening his smooth bronze features. “It was a Saturday evening. I came into the office to get some work done.” He pressed his lips together in thought. His eyes narrowed. “The building was relatively empty. I came down the elevator into the lobby and went out into the employee parking lot. I was walking to my car when two security guards came up on either side of me and pushed me up against the wall insisting that I looked just like the guy they’d been told had been breaking into offices.

  “Every time I tried to tell them who I was, they didn’t want to hear it. One of them said, ‘Just shut up nigga, you better be glad we don’t just take care of you ourselves.’ They frisked me,” he growled, the old anger and humiliation bubbling to the surface. “They started laughing while they frisked me, as if it was the funniest damned thing they’d ever done.” His jaw flexed as he took a long breath.

  Reese felt her stomach roil, her throat clench as she fought down her own outrage. She couldn’t begin to imagine what Max must have felt like; what so many black men must feel every day of their lives.

  “One of them finally flipped open my wallet and saw my ID. Their whole attitude changed in a hurry. They couldn’t apologize fast or furious enough.”

  “What did you do? I hope you had them arrested for harassment!”

  He snorted in disgust. “I reported them to the building security manager. I haven’t seen them since. I was sent a formal letter of apology.”

  Reese expelled a long-winded breath and shook her head. “It’s just so hard to believe. I mean I know I’ve reported on it. I’ve seen it on the news. Rodney King was a perfect example of ‘don’t believe your lyin’ eyes.’ I’ve just never known anyone who has personally experienced that kind of harassment.”

  “Believe me baby, I can testify. And I haven’t even begun to tell you how many times me and Chris have been pulled over.”

  “Yeah,” Chris echoed. “It ain’t easy.”

  “That’s why it’s refreshing to come to Japan,” Maxwell explained. “Even though you may not be Japanese, the Japanese culture is built on respect for everyone. They may not like you, they may not bring you home to Mama, but they respect you as human beings first and foremost.”

  Reese had to admit that what Maxwell said was true. Even though she was in a foreign country, she had been treated with the utmost courtesy.

  “But enough of that,” Chris said. “Bring me up to date on what’s been going on.”

  Between Reese and Maxwell, they alternately explained about Lynnette’s car accident, Victoria’s letter, Frank Murphy, everything.

  “That’s a helluva lot of stuff going on. So what’s the plan?”

  “I think we need to use Stan Tilden to our advantage,” Reese said. Max nodded in agreement.

  “If we can get Tilden to put the pressure on Murphy, he won’t have time to focus on us and maybe Reese can get to the bottom of it all.”

  “Why don’t you just confront your father? He has to know something.”

  “Believe me, I’ve thought of that. But if my father does know anything, he’ll never tell. And to be honest, man, I don’t think he does know.”

  “Are you just saying that because he’s your father?”

  Slowly Maxwell shook his head in denial. “I’m not that naive. I know my father is involved in some major cover-up. That much is clear. But my gut tells me that he was just following orders. I can’t imagine that Murphy would divulge that much to my father—to anyone.”

  “Then I guess we’ll have to go with that,” Chris conceded, not totally convinced. “So how do we get this Tilden
guy?”

  “That’s Reese’s thing. She’ll make the contact, reporter to reporter.”

  “Journalist,” she drawled.

  Maxwell and Chris gave each other an “oh boy” look.

  “What can I do?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Maxwell leaned forward. “I want you to keep an eye on my lady. I’m going to be doing a lot of running in the next few weeks, and Reese isn’t always going to be able to be with me.”

  “No problem.” He turned to Reese and winked. “I’ll work my schedule around you guys.”

  “I haven’t heard from Larry yet, so I don’t know when he’ll be getting in. But he’ll be able to take up the slack when you have to break out.”

  “Got it. When do I start?”

  “Tonight. I have a meeting with Tasaka.”

  “I’m beginning to feel like Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard.”

  “You look good enough,” Maxwell said giving her a slow once-over. “But can ya sing?”

  The trio broke out into a fit of much needed laughter.

  “I’m parked around the corner,” Chris said as they stepped out into the throng of human traffic. “I’ll meet you guys back at the hotel.”

  Maxwell gave him a thumbs up and slid his arm around Reese’s waist, before opening the car door for her.

  “I like him even better than I did when we first met,” Reese commented easing into the car. “You’re lucky to have such a good friend.”

  “Believe me, I know. Chris and I go way back. We’ve been in each other’s corner since day one.”

  “That’s the way it is with me and Lynn. I guess we’re just two lucky people.”

  The glow of her smile warmed him, and he realized that above all else, nothing was more true. Circumstance may have thrown them together. Danger united them. But what they felt for each other would surmount everything. Yes. They were lucky to have found each other, and even considering all that they had to deal with, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  The trio returned to the suite and while Maxwell prepared for his meeting with Tasaka, Reese and Chris sat in the living room and got to know each other.

  “How is your story going on our man?” Chris asked with a teasing smile, his gray eyes sparkling with curiosity. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs.

  “It’s coming. A lot of facts and figures, some great quotes.” She leaned back and sighed, running her hands through her hair.

  “But?”

  “I want to capture the essence of Maxwell Knight—the man. Anyone can write a story about the businessman. I want more,” she concluded, her eyes and voice alight with the writer’s passion that fueled her.

  Chris lowered his gaze and smiled. “It would seem that would be easier…I mean…” He looked up at her and shrugged helplessly.

  Reese gave him a long look and pursed her lips to the side to stifle a grin. “You mean because we have a…relationship…what I want should be easier to get?” She folded her arms in front of her.

  “Yeah. Something like that.”

  “It may seem easier, Chris. But the reality is, it’s more difficult. I have to work even harder not to interject my personal feelings.” She took a deep breath. “Maxwell has so many layers, so many nuances to his personality it’s difficult to see it all clearly, especially without putting a personal spin on it. Then compound that with all that’s been going on and you can imagine what I’m up against.”

  “Whew. I see your point.” He leaned back against the cushion of the couch and draped his arm along the top. “So, what are you going to do? How can you make it work?”

  “Well, if I’ve found out nothing else about Max, I’ve discovered that a great deal of who he is and what he’s accomplished today has to do with how he feels about himself. And a lot of it is tied up in his Japanese heritage. He knows little or nothing about his mother and it’s left this gaping hole in his life. He’s done everything in his power to fill it by overachieving and being the best at everything he does.”

  “That’s definitely true.” He shook his head slowly in reflection and in admiration for her insight. “I’ve never known anyone who is more driven than Max. He’s always been that way, even when we were undergrads together, here at the University of Tokyo. Max carries a lot around with him, Reese. And his mother does have a lot to do with it.”

  “I guess for him it’s like being adopted,” Reese said softly. “Even though you love your parents, you still want to find out where you came from.”

  “I wish I knew what to tell you.”

  Reese crossed her long legs. “I can’t bring his mother back, but I can try to recreate her for him by digging up whatever I can find.”

  Chris raised his thick brows in skepticism. “That’s going to be pretty hard to do. It’s been over thirty years.”

  “I know and I don’t have much time. Not to mention my own set of problems,” she added derisively. She leaned forward, clasping her hands tightly in her lap, her smoky voice captivating him with its intensity. “I have to do this, Chris—for Max. I want to be able to give him this one thing.”

  Chris gave her a long appraising look. “I believe you can.”

  “Sorry I took so long,” Max apologized, striding into the room and to the bar. “Can I fix you two anything?”

  “Not me,” Reese answered, leaning back.

  “I’ll take one of what you’re having,” Chris said.

  Max fixed Chris’s drink and joined the two on the couch.

  “Ready for your meeting?” Chris asked, taking a sip from his drink.

  Maxwell nodded. “As ready as I can be.” He turned toward Reese. “Are you going to try to get in contact with Tilden today?”

  “Yes. If I have my time and dates right, it’s yesterday in the states about 9:00 a.m.”

  Max grinned. “Hey, you’re getting good.”

  Reese smiled smugly. “I figured I’d wait until after ten, eastern time, and then give him a call.”

  “I’m curious. What makes you guys think this Tilden will help you?”

  Reese spoke up. “He wants all that he can get for his story. That’s just the nature of the business. I have information that I can feed him to fuel his interest in Frank Murphy.”

  “The harder this guy pounces on Murphy, the less time Murphy will have to concentrate on us,” Maxwell added.

  “I really need access to the Air Force’s computer files. That’s where the answers are,” Reese stated, looking from one to the other. “It would have been extremely helpful if I’d gotten a look at our computers at the magazine. But…” Her stomach knotted and her thoughts flashed to Lynn. Reese pushed herself up from the couch. “If you guys will excuse me, I’m going to call and check on Lynn.”

  Briefly they stood as Reese walked from the room.

  “You have yourself a special lady, Max. Don’t screw it up.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He tossed down the remnants of his drink and set the empty glass on the marble coffee table. “Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself to make sure she’s real—that we’re real. I don’t have any intentions of screwing up.” The corner of his mouth curved upward. “I just want us to be able to get to the bottom of this mess so that we can put the pieces of our lives together and go on.”

  Maxwell stood and slipped his hands into his midnight blue pants pockets. His brow creased. “I know that whatever we discover is going to be devastating to a lot of people. I can’t begin to imagine the impact on my own family, the military and mostly on Reese.” He turned anxious eyes toward his friend. “I don’t want this thing to destroy her—destroy us.” Methodically he paced, his voice steady and even. “Day by day she’s beginning to remember things and the shock of the revelations are traumatizing enough. When she puts it all together, I don’t know what it’ll do to her.” His jaw worked in fear and frustration. “All I can try to do is keep her safe and be there for her when the nightmares and flashbacks take over and b
ecome our reality.” His voice shattered with a barrage of untenable emotion, his eyes glistening as he continued. “She’s the first woman in my life who has accepted me for who I am, and not tried to fit me into some mold or their own version of who I should be.” His dark eyes narrowed as he formed the words. “She’s helping me to see my own worth outside of business and the bedroom. I know I still have a long way to go, but I want to make sure Reese is there with me.”

  “If it’s meant to be, she will,” Chris assured, clasping Max on the shoulder. Chris took a deep breath before plunging into what he knew would be dangerous waters. “Listen, man, I don’t mean to play devil’s advocate—and I really dig Reese and all, but I think you need to back up and be a little more objective about her.”

  Maxwell turned glowering eyes on Chris, an undeniable warning layered his voice. “Don’t go there, Chris,” he growled, pointing a finger to ram home his point.

  “I’m your friend, Max, and I always will be. So therefore it’s my job to keep you in check. Reese seems like a wonderful woman. She’s beautiful, intelligent and she seems to make you happy. But remember, she has an agenda and a truckload of her own problems. And heading the list is the fact that she’s here to do a job.” He walked slowly across the floor, ignoring the killing looks that Maxwell was throwing his way. Chris turned to face him. “I don’t doubt for a minute that she cares a great deal for you. But as your friend, I don’t ever want to see you hurt the way Victoria hurt you.” Even though he saw Maxwell flinch, he continued. “Just take it slow, man, that’s all I’m saying. When it’s all over I want to see both of you come out of it in one piece.”

  “I know you mean well. And I appreciate your concern, but I know what I feel. This isn’t another Victoria fiasco. I’ve been weighing the pros and cons for weeks. I’ve had my bout with uncertainty and misgivings, but the deck always stacks in her favor.”

  “I hear you. But you know I had to put it out there. Just don’t let that ‘whip appeal’ get to you,” he grinned.