by Iris Bolling
The siblings nodded.
"Good." He turned to Grace, who was the attorney in the family and human resource department of the bank. "Grace, there are reports of issues concerning illegal immigrants in Texas, California, Illinois, Mississippi and Arizona. From what Dad was saying some of their situations are quite complicated."
"Has Homeland Security been notified of any violations?"
"Not that I am aware of," Myles replied. "But I want to know what the situations are before they become involved. The last thing we need is a federal investigation into our employment practices." He gave her a folder from his desk. "Here are the names of the 20 or so employees who are in question. See what you can do to get this cleared up before we are hit with subpoenas."
"Did someone report these employees? How did their names come to light?"
"That I do not know and I don't believe Dad knew either. The names were given to him by one of our competitors. I had Chrystina to do a check and there are un-answered questions regarding their citizenship. So let's start with them."
"Do you think there may be plans to get bad press for us?" Gary asked.
"Just the mention of allegations of an investigation by Homeland Security could cause problems," Mike suggested. "Cleaning up the bad press would put AnnieMarie’s PR skills to the real test."
Grace took the folder and began scanning through it. "I think we should expand the inquiry to all employees. We have banks in a number of Border States. I'll make certain we are clear on all fronts."
"Sounds good." Myles turned to Gary. "Do you believe our competitors will go that far to discredit us?"
"That and deeper," Gary stated. "The entity with their finger on the world financial purse strings controls the power in this country. Right now China holds a number of loans on US government interests. Phase International or America's bank has connections there and in London. Any bank or entity coming close to world ranking would be considered a threat."
"Are we in that position?" Grace asked, unbelieving.
"No," Gary admitted. "However, the acquisition of Hershel Automotive will put us in a solid third-place ranking. Being in that number three slot makes Dunning a target of PI and America's Bank. You better know they will throw everything in the mix to protect the control of the world market."
Myles nodded as Gary spoke. Gary was new to the executive level. A recent graduate with an MBA in International Finance, Gary worked through the ranks, as they all did, until he obtained his degree. When the position came open he had to apply just like everyone else did. An outside agency handled the hiring to ensure the best person for the position was hired. Gary prevailed and at the young age of 25, to Mitch's dismay, he was named Chief Financial Officer.
"Gary is right," Myles surmised. "It is not a position we sought after, yet here it is. The ranking comes with the assets and customers we acquire. Herschel Automotive is a multi-billion dollar asset transferring from Phase International if we succeed. They cannot be happy about that."
"So you think they may be coming after us?" Mike asked.
"Oh yes." Gary grinned. "With guns loaded and ready to fire."
"I know one of the executives at Phase." Grace shook her head. "I don't believe he will allow PI to come after us in this way. Fair competition yes, but nothing under handed like this."
"There is no telling what people will do when it comes to their economic stability," Mike replied.
The siblings looked to Myles.
"We handle one concern at a time.” Myles sat back. “Let's keep our eyes and minds open to all possibilities."
"What impact do you think the board's actions will have on this?" Grace asked.
"Concern at this point," Gary replied. "Myles is an unknown factor. He has yet to prove himself. They would have breathed a little easier if Mitch had been named."
Mike sat back in his chair. "Keep your enemies close," he said then sent a poignant glare at Myles.
Myles nodded. "That's why Mitch stays, for now. Losing him to one of our competitors could hurt us. Until I know the depth of his control I want to keep him right where he is."
“Good move.” Mike smirked. “Now I understand.”
Myles turned. "Gary, I'm afraid your situation is going to be a little more difficult. There has been some unexplainable activity on a number of the dead accounts. An intern in one of our Virginia branch offices noticed some transactions taking place on several accounts she reviews. The transactions did not generate from her office. She believes someone from headquarters has been tampering with the accounts. Inaccuracies were found totaling a little over a half million dollars on her accounts alone." He handed a file to Gary.
Looking at the file, Gary frowned. "We have branches all over the country, has any other branch reported strange activities?"
The question pleased Myles. His baby brother might be young but his mind was sharp. He only wished Gary was as wise with women as he was with numbers.
"I don't know. You will have to investigate all the accounts to identify any additional discrepancies. If possible determine where the money is going."
"With 398 branches in this country alone, I would hate to think of the amount of money we’re losing."
"Whew, that could add up." Mike whistled. "You want me with Gary?"
"No. You have a more pressing situation." He cleared his throat. "Grace and Gary, the next situation is sticky. I need to talk to Mike alone."
Gary and Grace looked up from their files. "Sounds serious," Grace stated.
"It is and when the time is right, I will let both of you in on it. For now I need plausible deniability on your part," Myles instructed.
"That's good enough for me," Gary said as he stood.
Smiling, Grace walked over then kissed her big brother on the cheek. "This is not an easy gig...Dad knew that. He would not expect you to conquer all in one day."
"I know," Myles replied as he hugged her.
Gary saluted his brother. "You are the man, Mr. Dunning," then followed Grace out the door.
Myles waited until the door closed then turned to Michael. "You are going to have to investigate Cainan Scott."
Michael frowned. “The guy in investments?”
"Yes." Myles hesitated. "When Dad had his heart attack he and AnnieMarie were arguing because he did not want her involved with Scott. Dad tried to tell me why, but he died before he could say. I want to know what was so important about Scott that Dad used his dying breath trying to tell me."
"Is that why AnnieMarie is so withdrawn? I tried several times to get her to talk to me, but she just sits in her room and cries."
Myles shook his head. "I don't know if the tears are from heartbreak over Scott or guilt over Dad. I have tried to tell her the heart attack was not her fault but she's not listening to me either."
"Do you have any idea what I'm looking for on Scott?"
"No. This is about family. I don't think it has anything to do with Dunning. I know Dad has put you on special projects before. If he believed in your ability to get to the bottom of things I'm going to follow suit. Before I make any judgment on this man or allow him into AnnieMarie’s life I need to know what Dad's concerns were."
"I appreciate the vote of confidence. Scott is handling investments, isn't he? Is anyone checking behind him?"
"Not at the moment. I think I will put Chrystina on it."
"Yes, she could work after hours and on the weekends when he is not around. It's not like she has anything else to do."
"I don't know if that's true or not. I'm sure she has a life outside this office."
"She is a loner if I've ever seen one." Mike chuckled.
"Why would you say that?"
"Man, look at her. She's got to be a good fifty pounds overweight. And what's with the bun on her head?"
Myles wasn't sure why but he felt humiliated by his brother’s words on Chrystina's behalf. "What does her weight have to do with her social life?"
"She's a little on the heavy s
ide. Most men like a trophy on their arms. You know what I'm saying?"
"No, I don't. Chrystina and I go out to lunch all the time."
"Lunch," Mike replied. "That's business. I'm talking about a date. And since you brought it up, you'd be wise to rethink being seen out with her. You are now the CEO and you have a reputation to uphold. Are you going to make Nancy your new assistant?"
"Nancy? Why in the hell would I do that?"
"You're going be moving into the front office. Chrystina is not going to fit in there."
Myles felt himself about to lose his temper. "And you think Nancy would?"
"Well, she looks a lot better than Chrystina."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't get me wrong, Chrystina is a beautiful woman. There is just a lot of her."
Myles shook his head, not believing he was having this conversation with his brother. "Let me get this straight. You think that I should go with size versus competence?"
"When executives meet with you in the office at the end of the hallway, Chrystina should not be the first person they see. As incredibly chauvinistic as that may sound, you know I am right."
"What I know is you better change this subject before I whip some sense into you."
Michael shook his head. "I'm telling you, my words are going to be kind compared to some she will hear from those women down the hall."
"This is the name and address of the person Dad had in Scott's employment folder." Myles ignored his brother's last statement by handing him a card. "Start there."
Michael looked at the card. "Landover, MD?" He looked up at Myles as he raised an eyebrow. "I’ll see what I can find out."
"Mike, no one is to know about this. If I'm wrong, I don't want any questions from the board surrounding Cainan Scott."
"I have you covered on this one." He started towards the door. "Myles, don't take any crap off Mitch. Dad would have never put Dunning in Mitch's hands. Nor would he ever trust Uncle Walker. Watch your back with those two."
Myles nodded as Michael walked out the door.
Chapter Five
"Chrystina, will you step in here for a moment?"
"Yes, Mr. Dunning," Chrystina replied to the intercom, stood then tugged at the bottom of her skirt. She knew it was too tight, and she should be in a size sixteen, but all of those clothes looked like they should be on an old woman. At twenty-eight she did not want to wear clothes that made her look fifty. Shopping at high-end retailers was out of the question. While she made a decent salary, she had rent on her apartment, a car note and over $100,000 in student loans to pay. Spending money on clothes was a distant fourth place on her budget list. Therefore, for now, it was the best she could get on sale or at a second hand store. With that said, she still looked good for a girl dressing on a tight budget. Stopping at the door, she consciously spread her legs, then walked in.
"Yes, Mr. Dunning."
Myles was sitting behind his desk reviewing a file. "Did you speak with Mr. Mitchell?"
Chrystina was hoping she had a little more time to work on Mr. Mitchell.
"Yes, sir, I did. His earliest free moment is on Wednesday afternoon."
The expression on Myles’ face was comical. Chrystina couldn't help but laugh. "I urge you to begin working on controlling your facial expressions before you move down the hall."
Myles laughed. "Was it that bad?"
"Yes, sir, it was. But I understand because I had the same expression when his secretary told me."
"Are we playing cat and mouse here?"
Chrystina nodded. "I believe he is. He expects you to walk down the hall to see him."
"I could do that." Myles stood.
"Umm...excuse me. No, you cannot," Chrystina declared with a sister-girl neck roll. "You are going to sit right back in your seat. Next you are going to instruct me to contact Mr. Mitchell and tell him that he is to be in your office for a meeting at two o'clock this afternoon. You are also going to instruct me to tell him to rearrange his calendar to accommodate your request."
Myles was still half standing when Chrystina continued.
"Shall I make that call for your now, sir?"
Myles stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I think you should."
"Very well, sir." Chrystina turned and took two steps. As soon as she heard her thighs rubbing together she stopped.
"Is there something else I forgot to instruct you to tell Mr. Mitchell?"
She laughed over her shoulder. "Not at the moment." Taking wide steps she walked out the room.
#
Myles sat back and laughed at Chrystina's antics. There was no way he would give up Chrystina for Nancy or anyone else. He did not see anything wrong with the way she looked. Yes, she could spend a little more money on quality clothes that fit better. From his point of view she came to work each morning professionally dressed. As to her size, she was a thick sister with nice, smooth, thick thighs. He closed his eyes. That wasn't what he was supposed to be thinking. That was one night, a month ago. He refused to look at it as a mistake. It was simply something that happened that was not planned. As for her looks, he never paid much attention because her smile, warm heart and mind, captivated him. The quality of work she produced for the organization impressed him early on and continued to this day. Bottom line, Chrystina was the best he ever had...at work, that is; the best assistant he ever had. Michael’s words played in his mind again. What if others thought the way Mike did? People could be cruel...especially women. All he had to do was remember the contention between him and Savannah Whitfield over Chrystina.
Savannah was beautiful, elegant, petite and a pain in the butt as far as Myles was concerned. A while back, his mother felt it was time for him to settle down. "Your father and I plan to retire to play with grandchildren. We can't do that if you are still playing the field." He put in a good effort to make things work with Savannah. And for a while he thought about marrying her. The two had been dating for over a year when Savannah decided Chrystina was not the right assistant for Myles. Something about the chemistry between him and his assistant was unsettling and improper in her opinion. An assistant should not have access to his condo, or personal bank accounts. That should be reserved for his significant other. Myles disagreed with her point of view. When that did not sway him, there were several accusations here and there about her calls not being put through, or her messages disappearing. The topper was the suggestion that Chrystina had a crush on him. Savannah felt it could lead to sexual harassment accusations. That caught his attention. He immediately replaced Chrystina with someone Savannah recommended. That was a mistake. The friend’s sole purpose was to keep Savannah posted on him. Two weeks later, Chrystina was brought back with a raise and a personal apology from him. The thought of replacing her never entered his mind again.
It was clear he needed to make plans on how this transition would go. The smoother, the better for all, including Chrystina. He had already proven to be selfish by using her to ease his pain the morning of his father's funeral. That was something he never wanted to do to her again. Not the sex part. That he found himself thinking about too often. He closed his eyes trying to shake the memory. No, he would not use her in that way again. Selfish or not, he wanted her near him. He thought for a moment to call his mother, to discuss the dilemma with her. However, he was certain she wanted him to take the reins when it came to personal issues. She would listen, of course, but would feel giving an opinion would be interfering. That left only one other person. His mind set, he stood and walked out of the office.
"Chrystina, I’ll be out of the office for a while."
She looked up from her desk and frowned. "You are not going down that hallway to talk to Mr. Mitchell."
Myles grinned. "I am going down the hallway to my father's office. Is that all right with you?"
He received a side-glance. "Do not go to that man's office. He is to come to you. Do I make myself clear?"
"Loud and clear, little general."
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Chrystina raised an eyebrow at him. "Little general? Where did that come from?"
"Oh, I don't know. Could be the way you take control and give orders." He winked as he turned to walk into the hallway.
"Are you going to be okay down there?"
The concern in her voice touched him. "I'm good."
The Risk Management suites consisted of Myles’ office, with Chrystina’s office directly outside his door. Across the hall were the secretaries and administrative assistants who reported directly to Myles. While Chrystina's area was the same size, the ten assistants had cubical style workstations. The hallway was lined with rich burgundy and gold design carpeting that lead to the main hallway.
Myles followed that hallway waving at the employees across the hall, then took a left once he reached the marble flooring that flowed throughout the building. The circular foyer had a balcony with a view eight floors down to the main lobby. Myles nodded and smiled at employees as he followed the circle leading to his father's office. He passed by the Financial suites, where Gary worked, Human Resources, where Grace’s offices were located, around the corner to the Technology Center where Michael's office was located, Global Investments, where Cainan Scott, and Elaine Jacobson worked. If he continued around he would have reached the Public Relations suites, where AnnieMarie worked and Small Business Management, where Preston Long worked. Instead, he turned left stepping into what everyone referred to as The Vault.
The Vault was named so because it was the original vault of the building before it was redesigned. The gold trim still gleamed in the sunlight. This was where the 'beautiful people' of the CEO's office were housed. The vaulted door at the far end of the area was his father's office...well his office now. Before reaching there, you had six offices on your left and right, a receptionist at the very entrance and Mrs. Vazquez sitting directly in front of the vault. No one, absolutely no one, entered the vault without Mrs. Vazquez’s approval. Period. The offices consisted of four secretaries, each speaking several languages and looking as if they stepped of off a runway each morning.