Anyone But You

by K. G. MacGregor

  Throughout lunch, Colleen peppered her with questions about Depew’s campaign to scare off and discredit the protestors. “Is he just some cowboy out of control?”

  “I wish that’s all he was. Guys like Depew are all over the place—oil, fracking, timber, livestock—wherever big business meets pushback from the public. Most of the guys are ex-military, like private cops without any rules or accountability. They consult with Homeland Security and make us all out to be terrorists, and they get local law enforcement on board by throwing money at them for equipment and overtime, and making them feel like the last line of defense. They tap our phones and email without warrants, put tracers on our cars, destroy our property and have us arrested for no reason—all with impunity. It isn’t just Depew who’s out of control. It’s the whole system.”

  “How soon do you think I’ll be able to talk to Cathryn Mack?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll ask her tonight.”

  “You two stay in touch?”

  “Yes, if everything goes according to schedule, I’ll be picking her up at the airport in Pittsburgh.” Try as she did, Stacie couldn’t suppress her grin. “She’s my wife now.”

  * * *

  Each of the padded leather chairs in the executive boardroom of Nations Oil cost more than all the furniture in Cathryn’s old office. The boat-shaped granite table sat beneath three crystal chandeliers and held polished brass name placards to mark the officers’ pecking order. This was Cathryn’s first executive meeting, and also her last.

  The room fell silent as Hoss took his regal armchair at the head of the table. “Before we get started, I want to welcome two new faces to the East End.” He introduced Cathryn and Woody to tepid applause.

  She smiled faintly and offered a wave of acknowledgment. It didn’t escape her notice that several of her new colleagues didn’t even bother to look up. There was no way of knowing how many were aware of the circumstances under which she and Woody were promoted, but the cool reception told her they weren’t impressed. It wouldn’t matter after today.

  “As you all know, we’ve had quite a bit of trouble since our last meeting.” He hit the highlights of the debacle at the lake, and added that they were already working to manage the fallout. “From a public relations standpoint, this was an unmitigated disaster. It’s possible we may get fined again for running bitumen through that pipeline, but our engineers are looking into whether or not we can argue this was extra-heavy oil that’s been sitting out there so long the diluents evaporated. I’ve been assured by the EPA that we’ll be cleared of wrongdoing related to the size of the spill we reported. The preliminary report on that should be coming out”—he checked his watch—“right about now.”

  That would be another nail in their collective conspiracy coffin, Cathryn thought. There was no end to their hubris. The only fly in their ointment was Depew, who had disappeared after the FBI had used his phone to send a short text to Bryce Tucker saying he’d taken care of business. Apparently they thought he was in hiding, but Hoss had stopped in her office twice to ask if she’d heard from him. They were definitely spooked.

  “Clifford, what are you hearing from the analysts?”

  As VP of Investor Relations, Clifford Blake had been taking a beating from the analysts on Wall Street ever since the incident at the lake. “It’s a volatile situation, Hoss. They’re estimating this cleanup could cost us half a billion dollars.”

  Hoss nodded grimly, conceding the point.

  “But the bigger issue is Caliber. There’s growing skepticism about our ability to secure approval, and that’s affecting our long-term outlook. We might be looking at a downgrade next quarter.”

  “I’ll talk with Mike Washburn again and see where we stand,” Hoss said. “It might not be a bad idea to let Caliber percolate for a while. We can bring it up again next time somebody starts yelling about a new jobs bill.”

  Stacie would consider that a victory, especially since there was zero chance Nations Oil would win approval once the honchos at the head of the table were arrested. According to the SappHere text she’d just sent from Minneapolis, that should happen any minute. Cathryn had been scared to death Hoss or Bryce would get word of the grand jury, but so far they seemed oblivious. Facing them in court eventually was unavoidable, but she didn’t want to be confronted at work without protection.

  Cathryn jumped as the conference room door burst open amidst objections from Hoss’s administrative assistant. In walked a team of six men and two women, all dressed in dark suits. Federal agents riding in like Cathryn’s personal cavalry.

  Hoss planted both hands on the arms of his chair and pushed himself up. “Excuse me. This is a private meeting.”

  The first man through the door walked straight to the head of the table. “I’m Special Agent David Peavey of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Harold Bower, I’m placing you under arrest for conspiracy to defraud federal regulators, bribery of government officials, illegal dumping of hazardous material, obstruction of justice and attempted murder for hire.”

  “What the—”

  The agents scattered around the table, surrounding the conspirators as the other corporate officers watched agape.

  “Bryce Tucker, I’m placing you—”

  “Now hold on here,” Hoss demanded as the arrests continued. “I’m sure there must be some mistake. Why don’t you take this up with our attorney and we’ll all sit down and settle this like civilized people?”

  “This attorney?” Another agent smugly nudged Gregg from his chair and pulled his hands behind his back. “Gregg O’Connor, I’m placing you under arrest for conspiracy to defraud federal regulators. You have the right to remain silent—”

  “—obstruction of justice and attempted murder for hire—”

  “Elwood McPherson, I’m placing you under arrest for obstruction of justice.”

  “Me? I didn’t even do anything!” Woody shouted back, looking at Cathryn with pleading eyes.

  So many voices talking at once, forceful and monotone, shrill and indignant, all mingling with the metallic sound of handcuffs ratcheting into place.

  “Cathryn Mack?” A female agent appeared at her side. “I’ve been instructed to escort you from the building for your safety. Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and began walking the gauntlet of shocked faces.

  Hoss and Bryce were glowing red with fury, and she was glad for their handcuffs and the federal agent on her shoulder.

  “What have you done, Cathryn?” Hoss demanded.

  Her hand shaking, she took a letter from her purse and laid it in front of their human resources head, Norma Garrison. “I’ve resigned, but not before telling the US Attorney all about this company’s crimes, including how you and Bryce sent Karl Depew to—how did you put that—cut off the head of the beast.”

  “At least he did,” Bryce spat.

  “Shut up, you ignorant ass!” Gregg was the only one who seemed to grasp how much trouble they were in.

  “Actually, he didn’t,” Cathryn said, resisting the urge to slap his face. “Stacie Pilardi is alive and well, and Karl Depew is sitting in jail thinking about all the ways he can screw both of you to shave a year or two off his sentence.”

  The agent led her as far as the attached parking garage. “I would advise you not to go home right now. The press will be swarming your house soon, and everyone in this building will be calling and stopping by to find out what you know. Mr. Halperin would appreciate if you didn’t talk to any of them.”

  “I have no intention of going home.” Her living room was stacked to the ceiling with boxes, each marked for shipping or Goodwill. The sooner she got out of Houston, the better. “I’m going straight to the airport and flying out to Pittsburgh to be with my wife.”

  Cathryn exited the parking lot and pulled into a loading zone where she had an unobstructed view of the building’s entrance. Four black SUVs were parked in the circle, surrounded b
y a media circus waiting to capture the fall of the mighty. The frog march, where accused criminals were paraded like trophies. For the sake of everyone on the planet, she hoped they fell far enough to put the other oil companies on notice.

  It was true what Stacie had said about one person being able to make a difference. Cathryn would get the credit for this, but her courage came from someone else.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Stacie loved the way her car fell silent as its hybrid engine died, leaving only the sound of tiny rocks crackling beneath her tires as she coasted into the garage. “Welcome home…perhaps.”

  Cathryn was like a zombie, wide-eyed and barely able to move on her own. In the last week, her whole world had been turned upside down, and while she admitted it was all for the best, her body and spirit appeared to be shutting down against the drastic changes.

  “I’ll bring your suitcases in later. Let me show you around.”

  Their first stop was the kitchen, and Stacie decided against describing the scene where Depew had confronted her. Cathryn had been through enough shock today. From there, they walked into the great room with its vaulted ceiling, wood-burning stove and towering windows.

  “If it weren’t dark, we’d be looking out on the Monongahela River. It’s gorgeous all the time, but especially at sunrise.”

  Cathryn hadn’t said a word since they turned into the driveway, but was looking around with interest. Her eyes were drawn to the balcony above, from where the FBI agents had drawn Depew in their deadly sights. “Are the bedrooms upstairs?”

  “One of them. The master is back here.” She led her through the foyer and into her cozy bedroom suite, which also featured floor-to-ceiling windows with the same view of the river.

  “It’s bigger than I expected. I thought you’d be more conscious of your carbon footprint.”

  Stacie knew a tongue-in-cheek response when she heard one and was glad Cathryn was able to show a little humor, even if it seemed only to mask her nervousness. “Damned zoning restrictions. It was the smallest one they’d let me build, and the neighbors had a fit when I covered the roof with solar panels. That said, I bet they appreciate that I don’t annoy them with lawn mowers and leaf blowers. The whole yard is nothing but native vegetation, all except for the stone path I laid down to the dock.”

  “You have a boat?”

  “A kayak. We could get another one if you wanted to go together.” She wrapped Cathryn in her arms from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder. “That could be fun, huh?”

  “I don’t know…I’ve never done that sort of thing before.”

  “Look, sweetheart, I know it’s all scary.”

  “I’m not scared…just a little overwhelmed,” Cathryn said wistfully, making eye contact in the window’s reflection.

  “No wonder. Look at all that’s changed for you in just the last week. I don’t want you to be anxious about being here. It’s just a house. My home is with you now, and if you don’t like it here, we’ll find something else—anywhere you want to be.”

  “I feel like I need to hit the Pause button, you know? I’ve just made a whole bunch of long-term decisions and I need some time to try everything on. Does that sound okay?”

  “It sounds like I married a really smart lady. There’s no hurry, and I don’t want you to feel rushed into anything.” She spun Cathryn in her arms and pulled her down for a kiss.

  There was no lack of enthusiasm in Cathryn’s lips, but her trepidation was evident when she broke their kiss and looked at her with concern. “Will you say that a week from now if I’m still refusing to come out from under the covers?”

  “Ha! If there are covers involved, I’ll be under there with you.” That produced the first genuine smile she’d seen since the airport. “Come on, let me show you the rest of the house. I think you’re going to like it a lot.”

  The bedroom above the master doubled as an office, with a futon and a desk that faced the river. From there they crossed the balcony to Stacie’s favorite room, which was directly above the kitchen. Instead of turning on the light she snapped on her butane lighter and set it to several candles.

  “You have a whole room for yoga?”

  “This room keeps me sane.” With windows at the corners, it too had a grand view of the river. “I sit up here at night imagining boats going up and down the river, and all they can see is the glow of my candles.”

  “It’s peaceful.”

  “We could use a little peace tonight, don’t you think? When’s the last time you treated yourself to a yoga session?”

  Cathryn shook her head. “Almost two weeks ago.”

  “I bet you’re in knots.” She handed Cathryn a pair of leggings and a tank top. “I picked these up for you. What do you say we unwind a little?”

  Moments later they were bouncing their legs against the floor to loosen up. Stacie led with stretches and curls, and watched as the wrinkles on Cathryn’s forehead slowly dissipated. Lunges, salutations, planks and bridges, all working up a light sweat and causing their muscles to quiver. Their last pose was the eagle, balancing on one foot with the other wrapped over the knee and behind the calf. Arms forward, twisted, palms together. Facing one another with the candle between them, Stacie dipped as low as she could without losing her balance, only to see Cathryn go deeper. And deeper…all the way to the floor until she released into a half-lotus. It was the most amazing display of body control she’d ever seen.

  Cathryn’s physical strength shouldn’t have surprised her. Every time she’d faced adversity in her life, she overcame it through hard work and perseverance. Stacie was sure she could do that again—especially if they did it together.

  * * *

  From her side of the queen-sized bed nearest the window, Cathryn watched the orange line of the horizon grow brighter behind a wooded hill across the river. The Monongahela. Lazy and green, from what she could see. And gorgeous at sunrise, just as Stacie had promised.

  It was hard not to feel they were on display—naked in bed in front of a wall of windows—but Stacie assured her the glass was reflective. They could see out but no one could see in, at least not during daylight. Like everything else, that would take some getting used to.

  There was much yet to wrap her head around, but the biggest piece came easily—lying here in bed with her wife and knowing she always wanted to wake up with her.

  “I bet you’re wondering how to call room service,” Stacie murmured, spooning her warm body to Cathryn’s.

  “It probably involves pressing a few buttons. I can experiment to see which one works.”

  “Mmm…pressing buttons might get you more than breakfast. How did you sleep?”

  “Pretty well, since you wore me out.” After yoga, they’d shared a bath and spent the hours until midnight making love. “Not that I’m complaining. Speaking of wearing me out, do I get to meet your little friend in the light of day?”

  “You mean this?” Stacie stretched over to the nightstand for her vibrating wand. “She was very pleased to meet you.”

  “The feeling was mutual.” From the beginning, she’d been comfortable with all of their sexual explorations, but now that they were committed to one another, there was a new level of trust she’d never felt with anyone before. It gave her confidence the other aspects of their life together would fall into place, and sooner rather than later. Security…knowing Stacie too was dedicated to their relationship, and together they’d find the best fit.

  Cathryn shuffled through her suitcase for a pair of shorts, and when she drew out a dark blue T-shirt with a Native American design, Stacie snatched it from her hand and put it on. “I guess I’ll wear something else.”

  “Get used to that. It’s my way of always having you close to me.”

  “I’ll try to remember to buy things you like.” As she wriggled into a tank top, it occurred to her that no one ever had asked to keep her close.

  While the coffee brewed, they cut up fruit and made toast, setting it all
on a wicker tray, which Stacie carried down the flagstones to the dock. On one end was a covered picnic table.

  “This doesn’t suck at all,” Cathryn said, sitting on the table with her feet on the bench for a better vantage point to watch the river. A breeze swirled around them and raised goose bumps on her bare arms and legs, but it wasn’t at all unpleasant.

  “Great, isn’t it?” Stacie sat beside her and positioned the tray behind them where both could reach it. “I wander down here a lot whenever I have to be on the phone for a long time. It’s like my second office.”

  Cathryn couldn’t imagine working like that. She preferred the structure that came with being an essential cog in the corporate machine. In fact, what she’d miss most about her job at Nations Oil was the prestige that came with such a prominent position. “I never understood the appeal of working from home. I actually enjoy getting up in the morning, putting on a suit that says, ‘Take me seriously,’ and driving into a parking space with my name on it. It’s just who I am.”

  “Don’t you ever wish you had more autonomy?”

  “In the corporate world, autonomy comes from being good at your job. I liked being the ‘go-to’ person for the press at Nations Oil. It was an adrenaline rush to have microphones and cameras in my face, to know all those people saw me as the expert. They were hanging on my every word. And it wasn’t just the press. People I worked with—Hoss Bower even—used to come into my office all the time and ask my advice on how to handle the media. That made me feel important…valuable. I don’t know if I’ll find that again.”

  “Sure you will. When you’re good at what you do, people want you on their team.” Stacie refilled their mugs. “What about the other parts of your job? Did you like managing people, watching them develop?”

  “Some more than others. I liked it a lot better when they were people I hired instead of those whose daddies played golf with Hoss. I must have been pretty good at training them since they kept getting stolen by other companies.” The main reason her assistants left for other opportunities was because everyone was looking for advancement and it was clear Cathryn had a lock on the top communications job for another twenty years.