by Lynn Emery
“Good luck, hon.” Nicole tilted her head to one side. “You’ve got a devious side, Mr. Reed.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Nicole clenched and unclenched her hands beneath the conference table. Her father and Uncle Lionel wore twin grim expressions. She wondered when Marcus would come back from lunch, and she glanced at her wristwatch once more.
“Let’s start. Marcus can catch up when he comes in,” Uncle Lionel rumbled.
“Right. Nikki, I can’t hold back the barbarians at the gates forever. How close are you to clearing up this mess?” Stanton folded his hands on the conference table’s polished surface.
“You shouldn’t listen to Russell.” Nicole couldn’t quite keep the impatience from her voice.
“I’ll be damned. I used to pat your pigtails, missy. Let me tell you—” He stopped when Stanton put a hand on his arm.
“We don’t have time to bicker,” Stanton said to Uncle Lionel. “These thefts give your cousins the ammunition they need,” her father said to Nicole in an unruffled tone.
Nicole flexed her fingers to release tension. “Of course. I’ve already told you the police are investigating. I spoke with Detective Dayna Tyler today after you called. She’s still working several leads.”
“Do any of them lead back to Summers Security?” Uncle Lionel said bluntly.
“We might have to weed out some problem children. Nothing definite,” Nicole added quickly when their frowns deepened. “Just some coincidences that smell bad.”
“For instance?” her father asked.
“Several guards seemed to work the sites with thefts. These same employees have a history of disciplinary problems.” Nicole rubbed her neck. “I’ve spent the last few days reading personnel files.”
“Have Detective Tyler check them out,” Uncle Lionel said.
“She has. They don’t have criminal records, thank goodness. It’s their employment histories that are shady.” Nicole grimaced. “Russell was responsible for background checks back when these folks were hired. Bet he didn’t tell the family that, did he?”
Uncle Lionel snorted with disgust. “Of course he didn’t. We can definitely let Cousin Hilton and the others know.”
“Not so fast, Lionel. I don’t want this to turn into a family grudge match with Nicole and Russell trading accusations. He might not see it, but neither one of them will win.” Stanton glanced at Nicole.
She smiled at him tiredly. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I could have started my own whisper campaign if I’d wanted to. I’ve got enough evidence of his screw ups around here. But I didn’t for the same reason you just gave.”
Her father nodded approval. “Smart girl.”
“Woman,” she said.
“Corrected,” Stanton replied with a grin.
“In the meantime, Russell and his bratty older sister are stirring up trouble. I’m tired of getting phone calls from my tedious kinfolks,” Uncle Lionel complained.
“Obviously your suggestion that I give Russell more authority didn’t appease him.” Nicole shook her head. “He wants the company.”
“It was a long shot anyway.” Stanton shrugged and sat back in the leather chair.
“Jolene would never let him back down even if he were inclined to, which he definitely isn’t,” Uncle Lionel added.
“The bottom line is we’ve identified the problem employees. Jesse has paired them with reliable staff. They won’t be working alone,” Nicole said.
“Good.” Uncle Lionel’s expression lightened for the first time.
“The bad news is two of the clients who have had thefts are coming up for contract renewal.” Nicole sighed. She rubbed her tight neck muscles.
“Not good. With the thefts still fresh on their minds, they might blame Summers Security.” Uncle Lionel frowned again.
“Right,” Nicole admitted. “Marcus and I have been holding their hands, so to speak. It might pay off. Mr. Phoung is so testy about the subject of who is to blame. He’s even been checking around with our other customers.”
“And?” Uncle Lionel said.
“So far we’ve been able to convince them not to dump us for another company. Marcus has done a fantastic job of damage control.” Nicole lifted a shoulder.
“You two have become a real team, eh?” Uncle Lionel glanced sideways at her father.
“We got over that first week, thank goodness. Except for Russell we all work together very well.” Nicole smiled. “I’m doing much better at being a diplomatic executive.”
“In fact y’all have gotten very close, we understand.” Uncle Lionel’s thick black eyebrows formed a V shape.
Stanton shifted in his seat as he stared down at the table’s mirror surface. “Nicole, your personal life is your own, obviously.”
“Obviously.” Nicole swore silently. Jolene had been talking about more than her performance as CEO.
“Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t say anything, but—”
“The conditions under which you took over this company are anything but normal, young lady,” Uncle Lionel jumped in. “You’ve got to be scrupulous in your behavior.”
“Meaning?” Nicole clipped.
“This place is in enough turmoil without adding a steamy office romance with your employee. I thought you had more common sense.” Uncle Lionel rapped the leather-covered arm of his chair.
“You know how much we respect Marcus. As vice president he’s proven his worth repeatedly. But…” Stanton looked at his brother.
“Any kind of relationship with this man is not only bad for business, he’s totally unsuitable. Your father might be reluctant to tell you the truth, but I’m not.” Uncle Lionel crossed his arms.
“By unsuitable you mean he’s not rich and he doesn’t come from a family you approve of.”
Nicole couldn’t pretend she was surprised. She knew the unspoken views of her older family members. Members of the old Creole families carefully orchestrated their children’s social circles from kindergarten to college. Few of the younger generation bucked tradition.
“I’m sure Marcus is a fine young man, Nicole. But now is not the time to experiment.” Her father gazed at her steadily.
“Marcus isn’t a school project, Daddy. Whatever our relationship, and by the way it’s nobody’s business, this company has not been affected. It never will be.”
“Nicole—”
“Do you have any more questions about business?” Nicole stared at them hard in turn.
“You’re being way too stubborn. The rest of the family won’t be so nice.” Uncle Lionel scowled at her.
“I know you, Nicole. Don’t rebel for the sake of it. This is too important.” Stanton spoke in a fast, intense manner.
Nicole stood. “Uncle Hosea left me this company for better or worse.”
“We’re trying to help you to hold on to what you’ve got,” Uncle Lionel said.
“I appreciate it, though in this case you’re a little misguided,” she said crisply. “Marcus and I are careful about how we behave in front of the employees.”
“Not what I heard,” Uncle Lionel muttered.
“Stop listening to coffee break gossip,” Nicole barked. She placed her hands palm down on the conference table. “The subject is permanently closed.”
Marcus came in. “Sorry I’m late. I got caught in traffic.” He glanced at the two men, then gazed at Nicole. “Everything okay?”
Nicole continue to glare at her father and uncle. “Yes.”
Tense silence followed for several seconds before Stanton cleared his throat. He stuck out his hand. “Hello, Marcus.”
“Good afternoon. What did I miss?” Marcus shook Stanton’s hand. He nodded to Uncle Lionel, who nodded back.
Jesse peered around the door. “S’cuse me, but we got more trouble. Robbery at the LaSalle Jewelry Store. The manager got hurt.”
“When?” Marcus said.
“Around nine o’clock last night. The manager was getting re
ady to leave with the day’s receipts when they hit. They got away with loose diamonds, a shipment of Colombian emeralds that came in two days ago, and some of the more expensive pieces.” Jesse spoke in a rush. “An employee found him this morning.”
“Found him?” Nicole’s heart thumped at the way Jesse shook his head.
“They took him to the hospital, but he’s got massive head injuries,” Jesse replied. “He’s in a coma.”
“So, he can’t tell the police anything. Damn!” Marcus rubbed his forehead.
Dayna Tyler strode in seconds later. “Afternoon everybody. Sorry to interrupt. Marcus, we need to talk.”
seventeen
Nicole walked around the conference table. “Hello, Detective Tyler. We can talk right here.”
The statuesque detective paused, then gave a curt nod toward Stanton and Uncle Lionel. “Introduce us.”
“Mr. Stanton Summers and Mr. Lionel Summers. They are very much involved in what happens to Summers Security,” Marcus said. He glanced from Dayna to Nicole. He needed to head off a battle of wills. Instead he seemed to have fanned the flames.
Though she didn’t say anything, Nicole’s heated glance sent him a clear message. She looked at Dayna. “My father and uncle most certainly can hear whatever you have to say.”
“Fine with me. While we’re at it, let’s call the media, because they’ll love this story,” Dayna shot back. She stared hard at Nicole. “You’ve got a theft ring operating right under your nose.”
“What!” Stanton blurted out.
“Oh crap!” Uncle Lionel clapped a hand to his forehead.
“I said Nicole would destroy all my father and I built. No one would listen.” Russell stood in the open conference room door. He crossed his arms and glared at Nicole.
“There’s gotta be some kinda mistake.” Jesse shook his head. “Can’t be. We got problems, but—”
Cat pushed the door shut with a bang. Russell jumped clear to avoid getting his rear end snapped. “I’ll get sodas for everybody. Denise will help.” She hurried over to Nicole and whispered to her.
“Immediately, Cat. Thanks,” Nicole replied. Cat left through the side door leading to Nicole’s office. “Have a seat, Detective Tyler.”
Dayna sat down. She wore a stylish short-sleeved denim jacket with a white T-shirt beneath it and dark denim slacks. She rolled her shoulders as much to get comfortable as to relax. Marcus caught a glimpse of a black shoulder strap before she pulled the jacket closed again.
“Thanks. Sorry to be so abrupt. It’s been a bad day. A detective from the robbery division is interviewing your staff right now,” she said. “We’re working together because this seems connected to the burglaries at the Phoung business.”
“You walked in and started interrogating my employees without telling me?” Nicole said.
“To say we’re investigating a serious crime isn’t a cliché from some cop show on television. Time is critical. I was going to tell Marcus,” Dayna said calmly.
“I’m CEO,” Nicole clipped back.
“I wasn’t sure who these gentlemen were and if you’d want me to speak freely in front of them.” Dayna gazed at her steadily.
“Quite reasonable. Nicole, wouldn’t you agree?” Nicole’s father gave her a pointed look.
“Of course,” Nicole said after a few moments. She sighed. “My day hasn’t exactly been fun so far either. I apologize for being touchy.”
“You’ve got reason.” Dayna’s harsh manner eased as she visibly relaxed.
“You can understand our reaction. A security company has to inspire complete trust in our procedures and employees,” Marcus said.
“Humph! You can kiss trust goodbye then,” Russell retorted. “I’ll have a hard time getting us back on track after this.”
“You’re not in the CEO chair yet, Russ. Nothing guarantees you ever will be,” Uncle Lionel growled at him.
“I wonder what it will take before you people wake up!” Russell hit the table with his fist.
“Enough!” Stanton stood up as his basso voice boomed. Everyone blinked in shock.
Dayna even sat up straight as though at attention. “Damn, sounds like our commander,” she said in an undertone.
Marcus strode over to stand beside Nicole’s father. “Mr. Summers is right. Now isn’t the time or place to hash out such issues.”
“Tell us what you’ve found out, Detective Tyler.” Stanton sat down again, but not before he sent an icy warning look around at everyone.
“Yes, sir.” Dayna slipped a small pad from a jacket pocket. “Store manager Glenn Howard was ambushed as he closed the shop. The last employee left a few minutes before nine. She says Howard was on his way out then. The shop closed at six. They usually left by seven-thirty. Because of a shipment and payroll they had to stay later than usual. There was no forced entry. We think one of two things happened. Someone Howard knew came to the door, he let them in, and was beaten. Or they caught him still in the door and forced him to disarm the alarm.”
A tall white man came in and beckoned to Dayna. “Excuse me.”
“This is Detective Bates.” Dayna got up and went to him. They spoke in a low tone for several minutes.
“I don’t like this one bit.” Nicole eyed the two police officers.
Marcus exchanged a glance with Russell, who sneered back. Nicole’s father and uncle talked low with their heads together. Marcus moved closer to Nicole protectively. Dayna nodded once to something Bates said, and they parted. Bates left again.
“Your employee Tameka Grant was arrested two hours ago trying to sell a diamond pendant stolen from LaSalle Jewelry last night,” Dayna said.
“Oh God,” Jesse muttered and covered his eyes.
“The lady has incredibly bad luck. She got caught in an entirely different sting. The robbery division set up a fake storefront to buy stolen merchandise. Apparently Tameka got impatient and decided to cash in fast.” Dayna wore a tight expression.
“She worked in David Phoung’s stores. I knew there was a good reason I didn’t like her,” Nicole said.
“Tameka isn’t a one-woman crime wave, folks. We’ve got more going on here.” Dayna looked at Marcus. “I’m real sorry, but get ready for a long day with us underfoot. We’re going to need office space.”
“No problem,” Marcus said.
“We’ll need employee files. We’d like to get in touch with as many people as possible,” Dayna added.
“My secretary will make the arrangements,” Nicole said. She hit the speaker button on the phone at her elbow and gave instructions to Cat.
While she spoke, Marcus pulled Dayna aside. “You have a sense of how bad this looks?”
“For you guys? Bad,” Dayna said quietly. “I’m talking gang connections, Marcus. I can’t say more right now.”
“Cat is showing Detective Bates to our file room. Might as well use it, since it’s big enough and the employee records are already there. You’ll have a phone, fax machine, and copier close at hand, too.”
“Perfect.” Dayna put both hands on her waist. “Listen, I know this is a real rough ride for you folks. Best thing we can do is wrap it up fast so you can get back to business.”
Russell grimaced. “What’s left of it.”
“I’ll check in with you later,” Dayna said to Marcus and walked out.
“I’m gonna talk to the owner, Hector LaSalle,” Jesse said as he stood. “Better check out the security system soon.”
“Get back fast in case the detectives need you,” Nicole replied.
“Okay.” Jesse strode off.
“Well.” Uncle Lionel drummed his fingers on the conference table.
“We’d better start working on our disaster plan, Nicole.” Stanton wore a grave expression.
“Exactly,” Uncle Lionel agreed. He hunched his shoulders and sat forward. “First, can we keep the fact that our employee is a suspect quiet?”
“Depends. Let’s check the newspapers and watch the televi
sion.” Nicole called Cat again with instructions to bring in newspapers. Then she opened a cabinet containing a television and video equipment.
“Maybe Dayna can help us out. I’ll ask her.” Feeling jumpy, Marcus got up and paced while he thought. “Our customers are bound to hear about it.”
“You better do something and quick,” Uncle Lionel grumbled.
“I agree.” Nicole turned to Marcus. “We’ve identified the employees who have given us the most problems. Once they finish talking to the police we can either suspend them immediately or terminate the worst offenders.”
“Jesse wanted to work with several of them. We’re talking about people who need their jobs.” Marcus rubbed his jaw. “Jesse and I know how valuable a second chance can be.”
“Forget that bleeding heart stuff!” Uncle Lionel cut in before Nicole could reply. “Those people are stealing your clients blind and are well on their way to destroying this company.”
“Now you see the quality of decision making around here, Uncle Lionel,” Russell put in.
Marcus struggled against a tide of rage. He looked at Uncle Lionel. “If more than one employee is involved, the planning started long before Nicole came.”
“Good point,” Russell said promptly with a nasty smile. “While you were the boss courtesy of my senile father.”
Nicole’s eyes flashed fire. “You were in charge of hiring and background checks, Russell.”
“Everyone knows I was never given the authority I should have had once Dad hired Marcus. Don’t try to shift this off your boyfriend.”
Nicole leaned across the table with a forefinger pointed at Russell’s chest. “Keep talking and you’ll find my foot up your—”
“She even helped pay for baby-sitters so the thieves could be free to commit robberies. Nice going, cousin.” Russell’s lip curled with scorn.
“You’re pathetic.” Nicole glared back at him.
“Stop it!” Stanton roared. “Obviously this kind of conflict distracted you both.”
“Along with other things,” Uncle Lionel mumbled and glanced from Nicole to Marcus.
Stanton looked at Nicole with a taut frown. “You wanted to be in charge with no interference. Fine. Put together a plan to deal with this situation and be ready to present it to us in two days.”