"I don't know yet. From what Peter was able to get from the recording, at least three people were involved in what went on this morning—the dead man and two people with him in the control room. That's before Max appeared and was told to get out of there."
"Max's appearance seemed out of sequence to me. What was he doing waltzing into the control room after the guys with guns were already there?" I asked.
"Kidnapping Max and the others could have been an afterthought if the guys in the control room were intent on sabotage," Jessica said.
"If this is, or has become a kidnapping, isn't it odd no one has made that clear? You'd think they'd be eager to take the money and run."
"It's true, Georgie, that the demand for money usually comes quickly, which is why I haven't decided that's what this about," Jack responded. "If they unexpectedly had a group of high-profile people on their hands, it made it harder to run for it or go underground."
"Maybe they can't agree on how much to ask for once they figured out who the bigshots were," I said, with sarcasm in my voice.
"We can speculate all we want, but let's be patient a little longer. Once we get into the safety hub, we'll know more about what happened this morning and who was involved."
"Okay, Jack. In the meantime, is anyone trying to figure out how Kenneth was on the property after he was fired last week?"
"I asked if he'd turned in his I.D. and parking pass when he was dismissed. The woman I spoke to said they try to get those on the spot but aren't always able to do that. Apparently, the construction worker I.D.s give them access to the employee cafeterias, restrooms, and lounge areas, as well as the parking lot."
"That's news. Security told us their I.D.s aren't chipped, so maybe they figured it didn't matter that they could get onto the property," Jack said. "We also didn't find his car in the construction site lot. We checked for it at his apartment complex, and it was missing. The surveillance camera nearest to the tunnel entrance was malfunctioning that morning, so we can't be certain his car was at or near the site," Jack said.
"Imagine that…another security failure," I said, feeling more concerned about lapses in security by the minute.
"New Arcadia is a city, Georgie, not strictly a place where guests come to visit, or people work. It's never going to have the kind of security you have in places your company owns and controls. At best, it'll be like the gated community where we live, not a Marine base." Jack glanced at Peter as he said that. "No offense."
"None taken," Peter replied. "Many of my high-profile clients struggle with the desire for security without feeling like they're living in an armed camp. Jessica can tell you about the limits to safety and security in gated communities where lots of people who aren't residents come and go."
"I understand. Maybe this will all be over once you get into that safety hub and speak to whoever's still alive. I'll try to save worrying about what we can do better, as a company, until later." I had plenty to worry about now anyway, like why Charlie hadn't communicated with me for hours. Was I mishandling things or taking too long to figure out what was going on? Should I have tried to contact him?
"Earth to Georgie," Jack whispered.
"I'm sorry, did I miss something?"
"We just wanted to reassure you that you'll hear from us the minute we get that door open and get a headcount—even before we've had time to debrief them."
"That's good," I said. "I'll contact you if Charlie has questions or has anything new to share with you. Since I have spoken to him, I can't be certain about the time, but the original plan was to hold a press conference late this afternoon. He'll need the latest information and guidance about what he can and cannot say to the public about Kenneth O'Rourke, renegade, conspirator, or hapless victim of coincidence."
"I'll contact you, Georgie, as soon as my interview is over with the foreman at the construction company. I'm going to take our bags to the suite, feed Anastasia, and take her on a quick walk. I'll check on the cats too. Do they need to be fed?"
"No, their kibble is released on a timer. They don't get more canned food or treats until this evening."
"That's if Anastasia hasn't wolfed it down," Jessica said as she stood.
"The bowls are set to fit their heads, so I doubt she can fit. Miles isn't always the gentleman he should be," Jack added. "When they see you feed Anastasia, they'll pester you for treats. There's sliced turkey in the fridge, which should stop Miles from bellowing with outrage if you give one to each of them. There's plenty for Anastasia if she's a turkey fan."
"Turkey ought to also put the cats into a near-coma for their afternoon nap. You can bring Anastasia if she's going to get restless being confined all afternoon."
"I might just take her with me. She's a good icebreaker when you're speaking to someone for the first time. I'm meeting the foreman outdoors, so I doubt he'll mind my bringing her along."
I heard a noise in the hallway, and Shirley called my name. When I opened the door, Charlie was at her side.
"Look who's here!" Shirley's voice was cheery, but her forehead was wrinkled with worry.
"Good to see you, Georgie. Stacy is waiting to be briefed. Thanks for having the investigators here to brief me," Charlie said. With that, he entered the room and moved to shake Peter's hand. I guess he assumed the tallest man in the room was the boss. He'd met Jack before, but I thought I heard him introduce himself anyway. I looked at Jack, who nodded ever so slightly. "Please, close the door on your way out."
Once the door was closed, Stacy let out the breath they'd been holding. Shirley took off down the hall. Jessica and I followed her. We soon reached the lobby, which was now nearly empty except for extra security. That included the director of the Security Division from the home office in Irvine.
"I'm supposed to be in a meeting with Charlie, but I didn't see where he went," he said, wearing an almost identical set of wrinkles to those Shirley had worn moments ago. Before I could respond, his phone rang. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but Charlie was yelling on the other end of the phone. "I'll be right there."
"Can you tell me how to get to the planning room?" he asked as soon as he'd ended the call.
"I can do better than that," the young woman said who'd been standing behind a reception desk. "Follow me."
"Thanks, Elaine," Shirley said. "We'll be in my office if anyone calls or you need me."
"I'd better get going," Jessica interjected, embracing me, and dashed for the door. I tried not to feel abandoned for the ten seconds I stood in the lobby alone as everyone headed in different directions. When Jessica got to the door, she hollered, "Call me when you have a chance."
I nodded and realized that Shirley and Stacy were waiting for me. I must have still appeared out of it because Shirley said,
"This way. Remember?" The wrinkled brow was back.
"I know. I'm trying to make sense of what just happened. Did I miss something?"
"Charlie's lost his mind," Stacy whispered when I joined them. Her eyes filled with tears. "You cannot let him get up in front of the public to give a press briefing."
"In here," Shirley said as she opened her door and dropped into a comfy chair in a sitting area. She grabbed a box of tissues and held them out for Stacy. Then she pointed to the sofa and issued a command. "Sit."
I moved in an almost mechanical way as I shut the door. My mouth was dry. I dreaded the idea that I might have to Charlie's place. If he had truly become unfit for the role, what else could I do?
You're it! I heard Jack's voice saying this morning. Maybe it was time to have Sid convene the Board of Directors and do something. When? Sid would be lucky to gather a quorum for a meeting by sometime tomorrow.
11 Who's Up Next?
"Are you able to tell us what's up with Charlie?" I asked. "Do you want water or coffee?"
"Water would be great. My mouth is like cotton," Stacy replied, holding her head. Then she dug through her purse and removed a packet. "I hope this will help with my headache."
"Don't get up, Shirley. I'll get water for Stacy. Do you want something?"
"A Scotch and soda, but I'll settle for bottled water," Shirley replied, who appeared to be taking this better than Stacy or me. When Shirley spoke again, though, she choked on her words for a moment. "Georgie, it took Charlie several minutes to recognize me when he arrived. He was embarrassed, apologized, and claimed he was stressed out. Then he proceeded to quiz me about who I'd spoken to today besides you."
"What did you say?" I asked, passing bottles of water around before I sat in a chair opposite Stacy and Shirley.
"I told him I'd spoken to dozens of people and asked if he wanted a list of their names. I also added that he was out of luck if the list needed to be notarized. I was joking, but he appeared to be completely baffled. I probably looked as confused when he told you and Stacy to bug off and shut the door behind you."
"After that, he said he only wanted the names of people you'd spoken in the administration office in Irvine or members of the board," Stacy added after she'd swallowed gulps of water.
"Really? Why?" I asked.
"I didn't ask. I remembered that the Director of Guest Services called to see how we were doing. I explained that it was a brief call that was encouraging and helpful. Then, I recalled that Sid had been here, so I mentioned that I'd spoken with him because he was among other guests being moved after we were ordered to evacuate the hotel. Charlie seemed fine with that, although he looked at Stacy and nodded as if I'd revealed a big secret."
"What secret? I'd already told him about the plan to evacuate guests and nonessential workers while he was waiting to board his plane in San Francisco."
"In a nutshell, Charlie believes Max is dead, and that you're keeping the truth from him."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you're making a play to step into Max's place and push Charlie out. He says he knows you've been working on Max to create a new succession plan. Charlie also says you've been putting ideas into Max and Rita's minds that he's no longer fit for his current job and ought to retire."
"I've done nothing of the sort! Where is he getting such ideas?"
"I don't know, but he's convinced that withholding the truth about Max's death is to buy time so you can turn the entire board against him." Stacy paused to sip her water before going on. "Charlie also argued it was no accident that you and your ambitious husband were already here when Max was killed in the bomb blast. Not that he seemed to recognize Jack."
"You saw that too," I muttered.
"Did Charlie say Georgie and Jack bombed New Arcadia to murder Max?" Shirley asked.
"No, he didn't go quite that far," Stacy replied, holding her head again. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's telling the officer in the room with Jack."
"If he is, he's wasting his breath. We're all still operating on the assumption that Max is alive. We now know someone's alive and sheltering in a safety hub adjacent to the control room. They're working on getting them out of there. We ought to know their identities soon."
"Oh, my! That is such good news. Maybe Charlie will snap out of it once the investigators reach the survivors and say more about who was responsible for this horrible incident," Shirley offered. "The rescuers will call that big guy, or Jack, won't they?"
"Peter March, the big guy, is only marginally involved in the investigation. He's a security consultant, not an officer of the law. Frank Fontana is the lead investigator of a murder investigation because a man was found shot to death near the tunnels leading to the control room. Technically, Frank's on loan to New Arcadia from the Riverside County Sheriff Department until a final determination has been made about how to staff the North Palms Spring Police Department in New Arcadia. Marley World's head of security is or will be involved too, as you can tell since he's in the planning room with Charlie. There are county people from the morgue, the crime lab, bomb squad, several fire departments, and a unit from the Marine base in Twentynine Palms also taking part in the investigation. The FBI will become involved if anyone suspects federal laws were violated. They're not going to keep anything from Charlie once they've collected evidence needed to determine what caused the explosions. Frank and Jack are also working on identifying who did. Together, all the investigators will decide what details to share with the public. I doubt they even had time to notify the dead man's family." I shook my head.
"I tried to stop him, but Charlie has already been on the phone with the Mayor of Palm Springs. He demanded that she make an appearance at the press briefing. She initially agreed to do that if those in charge thought it was necessary or worthwhile."
"Uh-oh. Is she part of the conspiracy against him now too?"
"Charlie got snippy with her when she hesitated to join him. He accused her of not caring about the people who voted for her who might need her reassurance, but it was her choice. To which she responded that she represents all the residents of Palm Springs, not just those who voted for her, and it was, indeed, her choice. Then she hung up. Charlie became confused at that point."
"Confused?" I asked. Do you mean in the same way he became with Shirley?"
"Yes. He was mumbling to himself that he was in charge. I stopped him from calling her back to make sure she understood that. I heard him tell Sid to go ahead and convene a meeting of the Board of Directors for tomorrow morning. Then he called back and insisted that he put it off. He's in bad shape, Georgie."
"How long has this been going on?"
"He's had smaller problems for several months—forgetting names or dates. I've had to give him a second set of 'talking points' several times. Honestly, Georgie, that's a big part of my job—like a prompter in a theater—even though we often use teleprompters when we can. I've never seen like he was today."
"I know he and Max had a blowup a few days ago. Did he mention that to you?"
"Are you kidding? He was on the phone with Rita when I picked him up at the airport. 'I told you so' sort of comments about the trouble in New Arcadia. He was ranting about how he'd fought with Max have more money in reserve for 'black swan' events. Even if he was alive, Max was never going to get a penny more of investor money from anyone. Then he went after Rita about it keeping up the pretense that Max was still alive and ordered her to tell him the truth."
"When did that happen?" I asked, wondering if it was before or after I'd spoken to Sid.
"About three hours ago, I guess," Stacy said. "I finally convinced him he could make calls from the limo, or we might never have left LAX. I should have told the limo driver to take him to an emergency room. Once we got into the car, he calmed down. Then Sid called, and it all started up again."
"I had a couple of conversations with Sid in which he was insistent that Charlie NOT take Max's role. My second discussion came after Sid had a revealing heart to heart with Charlie's wife. Maybe Charlie found out about it, and that's what upset Charlie so much. He's not wrong that there are people on the board who want him removed as Max's successor, and he's given them plenty of reasons to do it," I said.
"It's not paranoia if they really are plotting against you," Shirley quipped.
"Sid seemed genuinely concerned about Max's legacy, about Charlie's well-being, and the company's future," I said, shrugging.
"Did Sid suggest that you're a candidate, or should be?" Stacy asked.
"Not really. He complimented me on doing a good job this morning, but I regarded that as his being polite. Did he tell Charlie he wanted me to be Max's successor?"
"No. Apparently, Sid told Charlie that before Max left, he decided the board ought to reconsider his successor. Max favors you rather than Charlie."
"When did that happen? Until a couple of hours ago, I never heard a word about it. Max left me a letter asking me to consider taking Charlie's place, but I wasn't even supposed to the letter until after Jack, and I returned from our anniversary trip. From what you're saying, Max spoke to Sid before saying a word to me." I suddenly felt like a chess player in a game I d
idn't even realize I was playing.
Not a chess player, a chess piece! I thought as I folded my arms across my chest. A wave of suspicion engulfed me.
"I don't believe Max would make a decision like that. Sid and Max may have discussed it, but Max would not have offered me up as Charlie's replacement without telling me that was his plan. If Charlie's right, and there's a plot going on, it's going on behind Max's back too! Is there a candidate being bandied about with whom I'm competing?"
"I've heard snippets of board members gossiping. When I spoke to others who've worked here longer than I have, they reassured me that talk about Max's retirement and his replacement comes up every time Max sneezes. Your name is always part of the conversation because you're the 'Max wrangler,'" Stacy said.
"Yeah, but if Max retires, who needs me if that's my primary qualification for leadership?"
"Something like that," Stacy replied.
"Don't keep us in suspense, Stacy," Shirley insisted. "If Charlie's out, and Georgie's not 'it,' who's Max's successor?"
"Eric Sandler," Stacy responded. "He hasn't been on the board long, so I barely know him. Sid recommended him, as I recall, so maybe that's why he didn't get any more specific with you about your candidacy when he spoke to you."
"It could be. I also told him to put the conversation on hold until we have evidence that Max is dead. I had a moment when it felt like the vultures were circling. I knew Charlie was having problems, but I never dreamed he couldn't get through a few days while we figured out whether his friend and colleague of more than fifty years was dead or alive. Apparently, Sid didn't mention Eric Sandler's name to Charlie either," I groused. "How did I get so lucky?"
"He could have brought up Eric's name, but Charlie's obsessed with you as the one behind Max's plans to oust him. He's convinced you've become Max's surrogate daughter, and it's almost nepotism. Charlie says you're out to ruin him and even called his wife to pry into his marriage."
"I didn't do that!" I exclaimed. "Charlie has to be aware that Sid's closer to him and Angie than I am. Sid shared what she said after he called her. No, wait. Sid said Angie called him because she and Charlie had a huge fight last night. She was upset that Charlie checked into an airport hotel rather than spend the night at home," I said. "We're all under so much strain, it's hard to keep the details straight. I'm not sure it matters except that it appears to have added to Charlie's paranoia about me."
A Merry Christmas Anniversary Mystery Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #9 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series) Page 11