by Skylar Cross
"My help?" I said.
"Yes, I need your help. I need to know why a billionaire like Caden Storm would be involved with criminals like these."
Billionaire? Caden Storm? What the fuck is this guy talking about?
"Billionaire?" I said.
"Yes, billionaire," he said as he turned to me. "The man in those pictures is Caden Storm, president of KH Holdings. Real estate development. Licensing. International trade. Offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and Tahiti. No office in Boston, although he owns the penthouse suite at Bay Towers."
"Caden Storm?" I said while looking at the picture. This was almost too much to process. "Penthouse suite? Bay Towers? Here in Boston?"
"Yes. Caden Storm."
"Billionaire?"
"Yes, billionaire. Which begs the question, Kiri, why would a billionaire who has a sterling reputation in international circles open up a safe deposit box in a tiny bank on Boylston Street under a fake name? What could he possibly put in that box?"
My head pounded. The room began to spin again.
"And, Kiri..." he said, "why would a billionaire like Caden Storm even be involved with bank robbers? He has more money in his back pocket than this entire bank. He certainly doesn't need to rob it."
"Good question," I said. The room was tilting and in a full spin now. I put my hand up to my head. The other one went to my bra and pressed the key hard into my chest.
"Kiri, will you help me?"
I tried to answer but I lost control of my breathing and the room spun out of control, smashing onto its side.
Mastered by His Touch 2
Chapter 1
"I'm fine!" I said, sipping some more water.
"Honey, I really think you should go get checked out," said Troy.
"Look, I just fainted, that's all. It's low blood sugar. I skipped breakfast."
We were at my cubicle. The hubbub from the FBI visit and my fainting spell seemed to have died down. Shit, I'm becoming the bank's source of drama. Maybe I should request another transfer. I leaned into Troy.
"Are they gone?" I whispered.
"Yes," he said. "They just huffed out of here and got into their black helicopter with machine guns. Bastards."
I laughed.
"See, I'm fine," I said. "I'm laughing."
"That's just because I'm the queen of comedy," said Troy.
"How long was I out?"
"Only a few seconds. I saw you tilt sideways and go down through the glass so I ran in. Me and that red-headed warlock got you back into the chair. Ewwww, he actually brushed against me! I swear I felt ice coming off him, like he's not really human. Oh, do you think he's a zombie? Oh shit, speaking of zombies, here comes Barbara."
I looked up. Barbara and Ken marched toward my cubicle. Barbara had a clipboard in her hand.
"Kiri," Barbara said as she handed me the clipboard, "I need you to sign this. It's just a formality since you didn't want us to call an ambulance."
I looked at the paper. It was a Waiver of Responsibility. I fucking love Barbara. I signed it and handed it back to her.
"Kiri," said Ken, "take the rest of the day off."
Ken was the assistant manager. I really liked him. Kind and encouraging. Tough when he needed to be, but always fair and generous. Human and down-to-earth. The opposite of Barbara.
"No, I'm fine," I said.
"Kiri," said Ken, "Listen to me. Go home. You have sick time you haven't used. You won't lose any money."
"But I–"
"Kiri!"
Ken used his daddy voice. He had three kids and a fourth on the way. He talked to all of us like children every once in a while. He probably didn't realize he did it, but it worked anyway.
"Okay," I said.
"Do you need a ride?" Ken said.
Barbara walked off without saying a word. I think Ken's concern was offending her.
"No, I'll just take the T like always. C'mon, guys, it was just a fainting spell. It's happened to me before. No big deal."
"Have you been to a doctor about it before?" said Troy.
"Yes," I lied. "I'm fine. Now everyone just go back to normal, please."
"Okay," said Ken. "Call me if you feel like you won't make it in tomorrow. It's no big deal."
"I will."
Ken drifted away. Troy stood up.
"Hey," I whispered to Troy. "What else did the goons say to Barbara?"
"I don't know but I'll try to find out," said Troy. "I'll text you if I hear anything."
"Thanks."
Truth be told, I was a little relieved. I wanted to get out of there. I had caused yet another scene. I feel like it's getting so that when I walk in the door, all the tellers look up like Days of Our Lives just came on.
As I gathered my things together to go, I found the business card Agent Henderson had left for me. Nice of that prick to stick around after I passed out, huh? He had written I'll be in touch on it.
I tapped my bra to make sure the key was still there. I stopped breathing when I found nothing.
Shit! The key is gone! Shit shit shit!
I felt a flush rise to my face again. My heart went into overdrive.
No... NO! Kiri, stay in control!
I took a deep breath and centered myself.
I looked around me. No sign of the key. I turned and looked at Barbara's office.
It must be in there!
When I fainted, it must have fallen out.
Shit, what if Agent Henderson took it? Then I'm officially H's accomplice. I mean Caden Storm's. Is he really a billionaire?
The door to Barbara's office was shut and she was on the phone.
I took off an earring and palmed it. I walked to Barbara's door, knocked, and then opened it.
She glared at me with the fury of a thousand hot suns. I didn't care. I had to find that key.
I pointed at my naked earlobe and looked around. She continued talking on the phone. Shit, no key. I crouched down and looked under Barbara's desk.
There it is! Right near Barbara's foot.
"We'll have to look into that," Barbara said to whoever she was talking to. "I have noticed some discrepancies, but nothing that would normally warrant scrutiny."
I was on my knees under Barbara's desk now.
"Now that you've brought this to my attention," she said, "I'll make sure we... um... may I put you on hold for a moment, please? Kiri, what are you doing?"
I snatched the key up, but in the process bumped my hand into Barbara's left leg.
"Found it!" I said, holding up the dangling earring I had taken off before I walked in. "Sorry," I added with a big smile.
Barbara just stared at me as I closed the door.
Thank God the key was there!
I got my stuff, waved goodbye to Troy, and shuffled out the door. Outside on the street, the air was fresh and soothing.
After another sunny patch of warm goodness, we were back to the 50s and gray. Well, at least it wasn't raining.
I went to Starbucks for a coffee and then headed to the Copley T stop. I probably should have gotten something to eat, especially after fainting, but I had no appetite.
Plus I get the feeling I'm being watched again. But now I know who's doing the watching. I looked around but didn't see him.
Kiri, I need your help. Those were Agent Henderson's words. How did he want me to help him? We never got to that. Shit, that would have been good information to know. But I had to fuck it up and pass out, didn't I?
Why did I pass out? I'm not a fainter. I lied about having fainted before. Well, once when I was a kid. But never since. What the fuck?
Does it have something to do with these damned visions I've been having of being on a sinking boat and a faceless boy reaching out and shouting my name from a dinghy?
Am I going crazy? Am I imagining all this?
I tapped my bra. No, the key is real. I feel it.
I arrived at the outbound Copley T stop in front of the library, but I paus
ed. I need answers. I need to know what's going on.
And now I know where Horace Willoughby... Caden Storm... or whoever the fuck he is... supposedly lives. The penthouse suite at Bay Towers. That's what Agent Henderson said.
I need answers.
I crossed at the light and walked down Dartmouth Street past the Park Plaza and the Westin. I entered the Back Bay T station, pinged my Charlie Card, and went down to the Orange Line platform. An inbound train was just arriving.
I need answers and I'm going to get them.
As I rode the train heading downtown, I pondered Caden Storm.
He's no bank robber. I know that. The way he walks and talks is like he owns the world, drawing attention to himself. Bank robbers don't like to draw attention to themselves.
And Caden Storm apparently does own the world. Well, a good chunk of it anyway. So I was right about that. My instincts are pretty on target. High-five, Kiri.
Not to mention I knew... I just knew... his name wasn't Horace Willoughby. Those IDs screamed bogus.
So... if I know that I've been deceived... why am I not pissed off?
Because he didn't deceive me. He knew that I knew he wasn't Horace Willoughby. He told me when he put his hand on mine.
God, that sounds dumb. But it's true. He knew I knew. He just couldn't say it. He told me without words.
He also told me by showing me the book. Why else would he make such a big deal about the book in front of me? He wanted me to go read the book and learn about the fictional Horace Willoughby who cons the con artists.
Is that what he's doing? Is he conning the con artists? Are the con artists the man with white hair and the Latina woman in the pictures?
I felt a stab of jealousy. Who were all the girls in the pictures with Caden? A different one in each. Hmph. Well, I guess when you're a billionaire and you're Caden Storm women aren't a problem.
How did he know I would go find the book and read it? Maybe he didn't. But it was a clue, a way to tell me what he was up to with the Horace bullshit.
Then, when I was with him in the privacy room, I had the first vision of being on the sinking boat. He nodded. There was something about that... but what? Did he know? Was there another unspoken communication there? Shit, maybe he is a zombie. Or one of those beings that controls minds, anyway.
Maybe I am in trouble.
Okay, back up. Let's just look at it from another angle. Let's just suppose he is a bank robber, for whatever reason, and he wants to gain the trust of a vulnerable girl who is going to somehow assist him in robbing the bank. He waltzes in like a god, attracts a lot of attention, flirts with her, gets all dramatic with the locket and the book, makes sure she's the only one who will ever help him, then leaves. Then returns and does the same thing, making an even bigger dramatic impression by scolding Barbara. Then he drops some stacks of bills totaling $100,000 from a steel briefcase that has a whole lot more. Then he secretly gives the key and the secret code to the sweet vulnerable girl... at least I'm pretty sure my birthday is the secret code.
But why? Is it part of the scam? What actually is the scam? How does this con work?
It couldn't be a con. He walked into the bank like he owned the world. If he is the billionaire Agent Henderson claims him to be, then wouldn't he have worn a disguise to open the safe deposit box as Horace Willoughby? Wasn't he taking the chance that somebody was going to recognize the billionaire Caden Storm?
Unless he was trying to be noticed. If so, he did a damned good job. Maybe he wanted the FBI to be alerted to what he was doing.
But again... why?
"State Street," said the disembodied voice of the MBTA driver over the PA system. "Change here for the Blue Line and airport."
I walked up the steps, then through the turnstile and out onto State Street. The sun was trying to peek through the gray clouds. It had warmed up a little.
I paused for a moment as I always do under the Old State House balcony where the Declaration of Independence was first read on July 18, 1776. Then I walked down State Street toward the waterfront.
Here's something else to think about. It's a Federal crime to conduct banking business under a false identity. Why didn't Agent Henderson subpoena the safe deposit box and confiscate its contents? We have proof Caden Storm committed a Federal crime on our own video. That should be enough to get a warrant. Maybe that's happening right now while I'm not there.
Doesn't matter. All that's important is that I have the key, which nobody knows. That removes me from the equation. I'm still an innocent bank employee who has nothing to do with this.
Until I do what I'm about to do, that is.
Chapter 2
The Bay Towers complex stood at the water's edge. Two glittering white pillars of glass and concrete reaching to the sky in the struggling sunshine. Very expensive address.
I looked around. Vendors sold trolley tours from kiosks. Rows of school buses on field trips were parked near the Aquarium. Food vendors sold sausage sandwiches. A tall craggy man in a gray suit with a Fedora leaned on a corner while smoking a cigar. He was looking at me.
My heart jumped a little at the guy in the Fedora. He looked way out of place. Actually, he looked like he belonged in the 1940s. His gaze didn't waver. He held my eyes when I looked directly at him.
I sped up my pace across the brick-lined walkway that led to the private entrance of Bay Towers. Right before I got there, I turned around. Fedora guy was following me.
Shit.
I straightened up and walked through the doors into the lobby. Elegant yet understated, it was decorated in off-white tones that bespoke wealth. Comfortable-looking couches were lined up under floor-to-ceiling windows with a view to the harbor.
There was a pretty blonde girl working the desk and a big security man in a blue suit standing by the elevator. Hmmm. My plan had been to just walk to the elevator like I lived there but the look on the big man's face told me I'd better not do that.
I turned to the desk, switching on my customer service charm.
"Hello, my name is Kiri Than," I said. "I'm here to see Mr. Storm."
She tapped some keys on her computer. I turned my head left and saw Fedora guy nearing the entrance. Fuck me.
"Hmmm," said the girl with a fake sad smile, "I don't see your name on the approved visitors list. I'm sorry."
"That's strange," I said. "I'm from QV Bank and we had an appointment to discuss some very important matters. Is there any way you could call Mr. Storm and tell him I'm here?"
"I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to confirm or deny whether or not anyone lives here and if you're not on the approved visitors list then there is nothing I can do."
Fedora guy walked in, heading directly toward me. I felt a chill drift through the lobby.
"Okay," I said. "But I really don't think Mr. Storm will appreciate this. He really wanted to go over–"
"It's okay, Jenny," said Fedora guy as he stood next to me. "You can let her up."
I turned and looked at him. Everything about him was gray. Gray eyes, gray suit, almost gray skin. His face looked like it was carved from stone. He could be anywhere from forty to seventy but I couldn't tell.
"My name is Forrester," he said without emotion, looking directly into my eyes. "I work for Mr. Storm."
He gestured toward the elevator. I turned and walked. He came with me. The burly security guy moved out of the way without smiling.
I didn't like the thought of getting in the elevator with this stranger but I didn't seem to have much of a choice. The door opened. I stepped in. Forrester joined me.
Of course, I could ask if Caden Storm would come down to meet me in the lobby. That would feel safer.
Too late. The elevator door closed and I was on my way up. Fine. Whatever happens, happens.
We said nothing as the numbers rose. Once they hit 44, they stopped but didn't open. Forrester put a round key into a keyhole underneath the floor buttons, turned it, and the door opened.
Forrester mot
ioned me forward without a smile. I think his chin might fall off if he tried.
I stepped into a plain but elegant vestibule with a mirror over a low table. On the table sat a small lamp and a bouquet of spring flowers.