House of Cards (Tech Billionaires)

by Ainsley St Claire

  “That’s fine, but I can’t walk this fast in these shoes.”

  “I recognized someone in the restaurant, and I’m fairly certain you’re being watched,” he murmurs.

  I’m sure I misheard him. “What?”

  “Let’s go to my offices, where we can talk.”

  Arm in arm, our pace slows. I’m beginning to hate these shoes. When we step into the elevator in his building, he turns to me. “I’m fairly positive I saw Vanessa Locklar’s father in the restaurant. He was dining alone and watching you very carefully.”

  My hand goes to my mouth. I’m sunk. I’m going to jail. When the elevator doors open, Christopher steps out, grabbing me by the hand, and I follow him to a small, windowless room in the back of the office space. When I enter, a pretty dirty-blonde is sitting and waiting for us.

  “Sara, this is my sister Margaret,” Christopher says.

  She stands and extends her hand. “It’s lovely to see you again. I believe we met at the wedding.”

  “Yes, I remember. It’s nice to see you again, but please call me Maggie.”

  “Show her what’s in your file,” he says. As I take the folder out of my bag, he adds, “I’m also sure a private investigator from the Twin Cities was following her.”

  Sara looks up. “How do you know this private investigator?”

  “He’s the dad of a girl I dated in high school. He cornered me and threatened me with a gun when I was sixteen. He’s not a face I’m likely to ever forget.”

  Sara begins to leaf through the documents. When she’s done, she stares up at me. “First, I should make sure you understand that this is probably outside of my wheelhouse. A lawyer’s education is broad. We learn the generalities and specialize afterward. And this is not where I ended up.”

  “I understand. But I don’t have anyone I can trust in Minnesota. I worry anyone I meet with could talk to my mother or her lawyer. We have sort of a well-known name there.”

  She nods. “I think Reinhardt is a well-known name everywhere.”

  “Here are a few things that may add to your understanding of the documents you just read, I begin. “My father maintained the will that my grandfather set up, with a small adjustment after Christopher emancipated himself.” I pause to give him the side-eye. I can’t help it. “It says a married Reinhardt family member must run the company. My father had a thriving law practice, but my grandparents pushed him to marry my mother, whose family owned the Hudson company and were of a similar social station. This allowed for a company merger without an actual sale. When my grandfather died, my father stepped in reluctantly to take over the company. It had never been something he wanted. Anyway, my parents had an arranged marriage of sorts, and they were never faithful to each other. My father eventually built Murphy’s and named it for a son he had with his secretary.”

  I pause and clear my throat and explain that the pattern is now repeating itself—or at least my mother would like it to. Having me marry Alex brings Elite Electronics into the Reinhardt Hudson fold, and she seems willing to stop at nothing to make sure that happens.

  I pull out the loan authorization form. “My mother and her attorney presented this to me as something they’d take to the authorities if I don’t marry Alex Walker.” I point to my signature. “This is a forgery. I did not arrange this loan or sign this document. But if they present this to the authorities as real, I’ll go to jail for embezzlement and fraud.”

  Sara nods. Pulling out the page with Alex’s signature, she asks, “And this one? Do you know if this is a forgery?”

  “I haven’t asked Alex, but that appears to be his signature. I’m hopeful his is also a forgery, but I’m less confident that’s the case.”

  “Why is that?” she asks.

  “Alex’s father has told him if we don’t marry, he’ll lose his inheritance, and Alex believes this will ruin his life. He has expensive taste, and he doesn’t work.” I look down at my manicure and pick at the chips in the polish. “He tends to date men who like him for his money.”

  “I see. And for your mother, this is about growing the company?” she asks.

  “I can only speculate…” I wait for her to ask her next question.

  She and Christopher stare back at me.

  “So speculate,” he says.

  I close my eyes a moment. “The merger would add a huge electronics section to Bullseye. Electronics hasn’t traditionally been an area where we’ve excelled, but if we were to rebrand the Elite stores, that would be a huge win. Not to mention there is a sizable real estate acquisition that would come with the company. My mother’s fortune is dependent on the continued success of the Reinhardt Corporation.”

  Sara goes through the paperwork several more times. “Christopher, do you know Marci Peterson?” she finally asks. “This level of embezzlement would be federal. She knows people and helped William with his family’s business in Philadelphia. I think we need to start with her.”

  Christopher nods. “That’s what I was thinking, too. And if Maggie is being tailed, we don’t want to tip our hand that we’re aware of what’s going on. That could set off a chain of events that will take time to unwind.”

  “I think that’s smart.” Sara opens her cell phone, pushes a few buttons, and places the phone on the table.

  “Peterson Kelly Lively,” a voice calls through the speaker.

  “Marci Peterson, please. This is Sara Arnault.”

  “Just a moment please.”

  We wait while soft music plays.

  “Hi, Sara,” comes a gentle voice over the phone.

  “Hey, Marci. How’s your day?”

  She chortles. “I have a feeling it’s about to become more interesting.”

  “For various reasons I can’t go into over the phone, I’m wondering if you have time to come to our office this afternoon,” Sara asks.

  “I have a depo tomorrow I was going to prepare for…” Marci notes, and I know she’s politely asking how important this meeting is.

  “My client is only in town a few days, and we think she has a private investigator following her,” Sara explains.

  “A private investigator?” Marci takes an audible breath. “Can you give me an hour? I’ll give some of my work to a paralegal. I can sleep when I die, right?”

  “Thank you,” Sara says. “I will owe you big time.”

  “Agreed,” she teases.

  Sara sits back in her chair and picks up the documents again. “Anything you need.”

  “See you shortly,” Marci says before disconnecting the call.

  Sara picks up her phone and makes another call before setting it back down.

  “Jim Adelson,” sounds a rich, deep voice from the speakerphone.

  “Hey, Jim.”

  “Sara. What’s up?”

  “What do you have going on? Are you free this afternoon?” she asks.

  “For you, anything.”

  “Wonderful. Marci Peterson will be here at our offices in an hour. Can you join us?”

  “I’ll leave in five. Anything I need to bring with me?”

  “I don’t think so. Christopher Reinhardt is here with his sister, and they have an issue and a professional stalker.”

  “Are we sure?” he asks.

  Sara looks at Christopher. “What’s the name of this PI?”

  “He’s from Minneapolis, and his last name is Locklar.” Christopher spells it for him. “He was always Mr. Locklar to me, so I’m not sure of his first name.”

  “I’ll do some research and bring what I find,” Jim says. “See you shortly.”

  Sarah is quick and efficient, and I’m impressed.

  “Marci can advise you on the forgery and next steps,” she tells me. “She’s super strong with corporate governance, and that’s what I think you need. If she thinks something else, she may direct you elsewhere.”

  I nod. Christopher puts his arm around me, and I feel strangely assured by my older brother.

  “Like I keep telling yo
u, we’re going to figure this out,” he says.

  “Jim will be ideal for helping Marci with any research but more importantly for your physical protection,” Sara continues. “Where are you staying tonight?”

  “At my house,” Christopher says.

  She nods. “That’s good. You can make room for the guys.”

  “Whatever it takes,” he confirms.

  “I’ll leave you to it. This will quickly be a very crowded room. I’ll have Marci and Jim shown back as soon as they arrive.”

  When she steps out, I turn to Christopher. “Wow. I didn’t expect the cavalry.”

  He smiles and wraps me in a hug. “I’ll always be here for you; remember that.”

  I wipe my suddenly wet cheeks. We don’t always see eye to eye, but I know my brother loves me.

  The hour wait seems to take forever. I play on my phone and continue to destroy my manicure until Jim arrives first.

  Christopher introduces us. Jim is a huge man at over six and a half feet tall, and he carries himself like he was in the military. “It’s so nice to meet you.” He extends his large hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my fiancée.”

  I’m confused. “Fiancée?”

  “Kate Monroe.”

  I smile and nod. “She told me all about you being her knight in shining armor when you saved the Christmas gifts for the children last year.”

  He blushes. “I was happy to be able to help. While we wait for Marci, let me tell you about Kevin Locklar.” He glances at Christopher, who nods. “His license was revoked over three years ago. He does some minor work for some less-than-savory clients with one common thread: the Kryetar, an Albanian organized crime family.”

  My heart sinks. Could my mom be involved with them? I glance at Christopher, and his brows knit. Having leverage on Mother is one thing, but if she’s backed by an organized crime family, that takes this to a whole new level.

  Now I really am scared I could go to jail, not for fake embezzlement but for trafficking goods or laundering money for the mob or whatever they’ve got their talons in with the Reinhardt Corporation. I can feel my throat constricting.

  Before Christopher can say anything, Marci arrives. I paint a smile on my face and hope she has some way to help me.

  Christopher greets her and again makes the introduction.

  “So wonderful to meet you,” she says to me. Turning back to Christopher, she adds, “Sorry it’s not under better circumstances.” Then she smiles at Jim. “We meet again. We need to stop doing this.”

  “It’s always something with these guys,” he teases.

  “I take it you’re involved because of the stalker?” she asks.

  He nods as we once again take seats around the table and slides a file folder over to her. “Here’s what I’ve learned about the stalker after a quick search. You can keep that.”

  She opens the file and looks through it.

  “He’s involved with an Albanian organized crime family,” Jim says.

  “The Boss family?” she says.

  I must look confused.

  “Kryetar in Albanian means boss,” she explains.

  “Do you know them?” Christopher asks.

  “Not directly. I’ve seen sealed documents running through the federal courts, though. I can say that they don’t mess around, but I didn’t realize they were doing much in the Midwest.”

  Jim shrugs.

  Marci has me start at the beginning, and she asks multiple questions as I work my way through the story and examine all the documents. We spend the next two hours going through everything.

  “And this lawyer, Patrick Moreau, told you he witnessed you signing this document?” Marci asks.

  “Yes, but I swear I had never seen this before, and that’s not my signature. When we met, he was careful to tell me all about how he had previously spelled out the ramifications and counseled me against it.”

  “Have you signed other documents?” she probes.

  “Easily a thousand of them…” Looking at Christopher, I add, “We all did after our father died.”

  “And to be clear, he didn’t casually say, ‘Hey don’t you remember on X date you signed this?’” she pushes.

  “No, he was just very clear to spell out what he’d said and what exactly I did on the day I supposedly signed it,” I say.

  “Was there a recording device?” Jim asks.

  I sit up straight. “No. Not that I could see.”

  Marci glances at Jim. “Sounds like that might’ve been recorded. Do you agree?”

  He nods. “It sounds awkward the way he said it. Just an FYI, he was admitted to the bar in Minnesota in 1985, and he’s in good standing.”

  My heart sinks. Recording devices? An Albanian crime family? What has my life become? The only thing holding me together is knowing I have Christopher here with me. He’s upset too, but each time I look at him, he gives me a reassuring smile. I’m not alone. I have to remember that.

  Chapter 18

  Maggie

  Late in the afternoon, Marci leaves to go back to her office. We have a plan. Some other men from Jim’s office arrive, and he introduces me to Zack and Thomas. “Zack’s going to be with you a while. He’s from the Twin Cities, so he knows the area if you go home.”

  If I go home? Why would I not go home? My pulse picks up, and I feel sweat prickling along my hairline.

  Christopher puts his hand on my leg. “Don’t panic. You’re okay. We just need to be cautious until we understand what’s going on. Are you ready to head back to my place?”

  I nod. Thomas gets behind the wheel of the Suburban, and I’m in the back of the car, sandwiched between Zack and Christopher. I rest my head on the back of the seat. “God, I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed early tonight.”

  “I actually have a surprise for you,” Christopher says. “I don’t want you to be angry with me. I made these plans before I knew we’d be spending the afternoon with Marci and Jim.”

  “What’s the surprise?”

  “You’ll see.” He’s silent a few moments. “I’m having a hard time processing everything I learned today, so I know this must be overwhelming for you. But so much more makes sense now that I know the whole story. You can’t marry Alex.”

  “It’s the only way to ensure the future of Reinhardt Hudson. And Alex needs the merger, too.” I sigh.

  “This can’t happen,” he says with determination.

  “Alex and I are friends. I don’t want to leave him with nothing.”

  “Don’t give up. You deserve better than this, and if anyone can figure a way out, it’s Marci.”

  The car pulls up in front of Christopher and Bella’s home. Christopher is out the door before we come to a complete stop. I’m so busy gathering my things and trying not to bump into Zack that I don’t notice someone sitting on the front steps.

  But I snap to attention when a familiar voice says, “It’s about time.”

  It’s Jonnie, and my breath hitches in my throat.

  “Sorry. We got hung up at the office,” Christopher says.

  “Maggie, it’s nice to see you,” he says as I emerge from the car.

  My heart is beating triple time. I stare up at Christopher. What was he thinking?

  My mind is racing. He can’t be here. Why is he here?

  “Let’s go in,” Christopher offers.

  Zack and Thomas walk with us up to the door. Zack goes in first, and we follow with Thomas at the rear.

  “You have security now,” Jonnie teases Christopher.

  “They’re actually for Mags,”

  Jonnie stops short. “What? Why?”

  “Let’s get inside. We have a story that might interest you.”

  Thomas goes back to remain with the car, and the rest of us make our way into the living room. Zack wanders around with some sort of device in his hands. It takes a few minutes for me to figure out it’s looking for things sending an RF single signal—listening devices.

  Christo
pher busies himself pouring drinks for the three of us, and he and Jonnie talk about the Minnesota Wild hockey game last night. I take a seat next to the fireplace. The room is chilly. I can almost see my breath as I fight to remain calm. Rubbing my arm for heat, I debate grabbing my coat I just left hanging on the rack by the door.

  Christopher sees me and stops mid-sentence. “Sorry you’re cold, Mags. These old houses can be drafty.” He flips a switch next to the gas fireplace, and it lights up immediately.

  Zack returns, places something in the window, and nods at Christopher. “Okay, now we know there are no listening devices, and the parabolic mic will be on scramble so no one can pick up our conversation. We can talk freely.”

  Jonnie’s eyes dart between Christopher and me. “What’s going on?”

  Christopher looks at me, waiting for me to unload the afternoon’s news. I take a deep breath. “We’ve uncovered some unsavory things. I’m being followed by someone who’s associated with the Kryetar.”

  “Who are the Kryetar?”

  “Albanian organized crime.”

  “From Minnesota or here?”

  “Minnesota.”

  He tilts his head up and takes a deep breath. “Are you okay? Has anyone threatened you?”

  I shake my head and then laugh. “Well, mostly just my mother. She’s forged some documents to make extra sure I marry Alex.”

  “How’s that even possible?” Jonnie asks.

  I’m not sure how much Christopher wants shared with Jonnie. He raises his eyebrows and gives me a small nod—confirmation to continue. So I walk Jonnie through the whole saga—from the slimy meeting with Patrick Moreau to the Albanian mob-affiliated PI.

  “The lawyer said he was there when you signed the paperwork and warned you of the repercussions, but you signed anyway?” Jonnie asks.

  I nod. “Yes.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You would never do that.” He turns to Zack and Christopher. “So what’s the plan?”

  “I’ve hired a lawyer here in San Francisco and a security company,” I explain.

  “Clear Security,” Christopher adds.

  Jonnie nods. “I use them at the resort. They’re the best in the business. And what else?”