Covenant - THE CONTROLLER 01

by Jerry Bruce

  Richard contemplated his answer carefully, “If I suspected that there would have been any conflict of interest, I would have resigned my position at Radliff Investments, and I would have kept seeing her. She is more important to me than any job. I suppose you may not like hearing that, but it’s the truth.”

  “Quite the contrary. If you had told me that the job was more important to you than Ronnie, I’d be throwing you out the door right this minute. My family doesn’t play second fiddle to my work and I don’t want any different for my daughter. Do you want to marry my little girl?” Jonathan could be tactful when he wanted to be, but now he wanted answers.

  “Most definitely. I want that more than anything else.”

  “What if I were to say no, what would you do?”

  “I would respect your wishes and get out of Veronica’s life. I couldn’t come between the two of you. That wouldn’t make for a good relationship.”

  “And how about my company? Would you also terminate your employment?”

  “Only if you asked it of me. I enjoy my work and the atmosphere at Radliff. I feel as though the company is as much a part of me as I am of it.”

  “You’re a wise man, Richard. I can see Ronnie made a good choice. All I have ever wanted for my girls is happiness. Without that, you have nothing. So, with that said, you have my blessings, Richard. And believe me, you’re going to need all the blessings you can get. You haven’t seen what it’s like around here when there’s a wedding in the works!”

  * * *

  Richard spent a few vacation days with Veronica and his family in Napa. He had missed the clean air, the moist haze being burned away by the rising sun, and the sight of the colorful hot air balloons slowly traversing the valley, the occasional burst of their burners the only interruption to the quiet of early morning. He never tired of the valley and hoped that Veronica would feel the same attraction.

  Veronica was anxious to experience all that Napa Valley had to offer and wouldn’t give Richard a moment’s rest until he agreed to take her on a balloon ride. When Richard’s mother told her that some of the wineries had underground dining rooms deep within the hillsides, where they aged their wines, Veronica made sure that Richard secured luncheon reservations at each. She had never accompanied her parents on their trips to Napa but remembered her father mentioning how he enjoyed a day at one of the spas in Calistoga, so she insisted that Richard make the arrangements.

  Richard was pleased at how easily Veronica fit in with his family. His parents were captivated with Veronica and lovingly welcomed her into the family. Every evening was spent discussing the wedding, with Veronica going to great lengths to make sure that the Sinclairs were involved. She had a difficult time persuading them to invite all their friends and family. It took Richard’s intervention to convince them that the number of guests wouldn’t pose a problem.

  * * *

  The couple exchanged vows during mass at the Catholic cathedral frequented by the Radliffs, attended only by family and close friends. After a short photo session at the church, the wedding party traveled by limousine to the Radliff estate for the reception. Their arrival was greeted by the clapping of five hundred guests. The spacious garden was filled with white tables and chairs arranged under several large white canopies, which were originally intended to shield the guests from the anticipated rains that had been threatening the area. Instead, they were treated to a beautiful, warm and sunny June day.

  As the revelry continued into the evening, Richard and Veronica said their farewells to the families and departed for their honeymoon—a week in a Swiss chalet.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Adam Broderick spent most of his time in Washington, D.C., meeting with Richard only as the need arose. Since coming here, he had accomplished his task of becoming part of the D.C. scene. He learned which doors he needed to open and which to shut. He quickly became one of the people to know and be seen with, as it became clear he might be on the winning side. Adam wasn’t an imposing figure, but his awareness of all around him gave him a sense of confidence that in turn emitted an aura of strength. His face never showed anger, no matter what he was feeling, so people were lulled into a false sense of security, never knowing that Adam already may have relegated them to his “do not befriend” list.

  Anyone who wanted to get on good terms with Richard Sinclair, should he be elected, knew that Adam was Richard’s main man, and probably his future chief of staff. This was as close to the president as one could get.

  Adam had worked with Richard in the early days at Radliff. Struggling to make it, they helped each other and became close friends, long before Richard met Veronica. That may have been one reason why Richard came to trust him so much; his friendship wasn’t based on what Richard could do to advance his career. As Richard progressed, so did Adam, but Adam earned his promotions every step of the way. When Richard took over Radliff Investments shortly after Jonathan decided to cut back his involvement, he put Adam in the number two spot. When Richard formed Sinclair Investments, he elevated Adam to the top spot at Radliff so he could devote more time to starting up Sinclair. It was after the merging of the two firms made Radliff and Sinclair the largest investment firm in the world that Richard was first approached, unofficially, with the prospect of representing the Republican Party four years down the road. Jonathan confirmed that he first brought up the idea to the party bigwigs. He had grown to know and love Richard and watched him guide Radliff to great heights and knew Richard would be a great president. Jonathan learned that Richard had strong morals and a work ethic that assured him of success no matter what the endeavor might be.

  That set Richard to thinking seriously about the possibility of moving on. He subtly approached the subject with Adam over lunch one day.

  “You know, Adam, I sometimes think that there has to be more to life than what we have been doing for the last twenty something years. I mean, don’t you sometimes feel unfulfilled?”

  “I suppose I do, especially when the market drops.” Adam had that jovial look on his face that had been his trademark. Sometimes, it slightly irritated Richard that Adam could be all smiles while he was being hit with problems from both sides. This was one of those times.

  “I’m serious. Don’t you ever think about some of the other things you could be doing with your time, besides watching market trends?” There was a slight edge to his voice that erased the smile from Adam's face.

  “You really are serious, aren’t you? Well, since you brought it up, I have been thinking about retirement.”

  “Retirement? I’m talking about doing something new, a new line of work maybe, but not retirement. You’re too young to hang it up. You’re the same age as me, and if I’m too young to retire, then so are you. Think about it. What if you had a chance to get involved in politics, for example? Would you take it?”

  “Richard, why do I get the idea that we are talking about you here, and not me? Are you trying to tell me that you’re considering running for political office?”

  “Suppose I were considering it. What would you say?”

  “I’d say you were crazy, and have a nice trip to the funny farm.”

  “Come on, you know you’re just a politician at heart, Adam. You’re always the one with the composure; the one who manages to see all sides to a story and put each into perspective, the whole time being totally ‘politically correct’.”

  “That may be true, but there is no way I could do that if I was the one who had to make the final decisions. I leave that to you.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You’re the kind of guy who can be counted on to keep everything in its proper place."

  “So, what’s your point?”

  “So, my point is that I am thinking about running for president.”

  “As in President of the United States?”

  The look on Richard’s face and the sly grin said it all. With that, Adam put down his fork and stared at Richard for several seconds, then slumped ba
ck in his chair in disbelief. “You’re putting me on, right?” Adam was smiling that "okay I fell for it" smile.

  “No, I’m not. I couldn’t be more serious. What I’d like to know is if you think you’d like to join me. If I go ahead with this, I’m going to need a right-hand man, and who better than my current right hand.”

  “I think I just lost my appetite. What made you think of this? Are you taking hallucinogenic drugs or something?” Adam wasn't smiling anymore.

  “The Republican Party has unofficially dropped a few hints my way that they would support me if I had any thoughts of seeking office. And I’ve decided to give it a try. I’m going to need someone I trust to be my chief of staff, and there is no one I trust more than you. That’s why I was asking if you ever felt a need for a change of pace. If you turn me down on this, I will recommend to the board that you take over from me. So basically you have the choice of being president of Radliff and Sinclair or chief of staff to the President of the United States. So, what do you think?”

  “What a choice, the frying pan or the fire! But if I have to make a choice, I think that there’s no way I could sleep at night if I turned you loose on the poor unsuspecting people of this country. I guess I’ll have to go along for the ride to keep you honest. And to think that this morning when my wife asked me if I had any special plans for today, I told her ‘No, just another day at the office!’ Wait till she finds out about this!” The slightest hint of a smile returned to Adam's face.

  Richard wasn't surprised that Adam could make up his mind this quickly. In fact, he would have been surprised if Adam had asked for time to think it over. Adam could always make the right decision under pressure. “Do you think she will be all right with this? I wouldn’t want you to commit to this without her approval.”

  “If I know her, she’ll start packing right away. Which leads me to ask, what kind of a time frame are we looking at?”

  “We have a couple of years to prepare. Until it’s officially announced, we have to keep this hush, hush. Please impress upon your wife that nothing is official until it is made public by the party. Any leaks prior to that could nix the whole deal.”

  “Will do. So how do we start the ball rolling?”

  “As you know, I’ve been considering setting up an on-line brokerage arm of Radliff and Sinclair. It wouldn’t make any difference where it’s located, that’s the beauty of doing things on the Internet. With that in mind, we could base our new start-up in D.C. I thought I would have you move there under the guise of the start-up. Actually, you can leave that to the staff we’ll put in place. That will free you up to learn as much as you can about the town and the people. You’ll be doing what you do best—taking it all in, digesting it and advising me.”

  “Well, I guess I’d better get the wife onboard with this. Then we can discuss the mechanics of the start-up. By the way, what does Veronica think of this?”

  “She wasn’t as reluctant as I thought she would be. I guess she realized that as First Lady, she could elevate her charity work to a new level. We’re being very careful with how we approach the kids with the idea, though. It will disrupt their lives considerably. I’m hoping that they’ll be excited by the idea, and that will help overcome the hardship.”

  * * *

  Ten months after Adam decided to join Richard’s quest, the new on-line brokerage was nearing its official first day of business. It was Adam’s idea to place it in an area of Washington, D. C. that had the highest unemployment rate in the city. It was good politics and good for the community. Two hundred jobs were generated, and community leaders were very supportive of Radliff and Sinclair, getting them through the bureaucratic paperwork, and greasing the wheels so that the start-up proceeded without any glitches. They made sure that anything Radliff and Sinclair needed was available immediately. The old office building they took over was refurbished and upgraded with the latest technology to support their Internet-based business. The planning commission even committed to a future project that would see the tearing down of some tenements and their replacement with housing aimed at low to middle income levels. Of course, Sinclair Development was allowed to submit a bid. Christine Morrison worked her magic and to no one’s surprise, got the work. Sinclair was moving into Washington, D.C. in more ways than one.

  To everyone with whom Adam came into contact, he was an enigma. The initial impression he created was very deceiving. People tended to underestimate his tenacity based solely on his appearance. Adam blended into any crowd. He never caused people to turn their heads when he walked into a room. Of medium height and build, with no distinguishing features, he could lull a potential foe into a false sense of security before showing how clever and quick-witted he was. Anyone not giving him the respect he felt he deserved was not going to be spared the rod. Adam could flash his beaming smile all the while he was cutting you off at the knees.

  Adam was giving Richard daily appraisals of his progress on the political front. He was currently devoting his time to the selection of the best candidates to fill the would-be president’s cabinet. He was surprised to find it more difficult than he first thought. He was being stifled by setbacks as one potential after another dropped out of contention for one reason or another. He initiated investigations into the backgrounds of those who were being seriously considered; no one with a questionable reputation got beyond first base. Agreeing with Richard’s request, he was trying to balance party affiliations, but not at the sacrifice of quality. Richard wanted the best person for each position, and as long as he did that, he could answer any critics. Adam also was finalizing the few remaining positions of Richard’s staff.

  Once it became clear that Stephen Hamilton was going to be on the ticket, he proved of great help to Adam. Richard was sure that the two would get along, but it was working out better than he hoped. Stephen considered it his duty as the only politico in the bunch to oversee this endeavor. Richard’s only caution to Adam was regarding Stephen’s slant toward Republican choices. “Make sure he gives you at least one Democrat’s name for every Republican,” cautioned Richard. So far, the plan was working, and Richard was very satisfied with Adam’s selections. What Adam lacked in political savvy, he more than made up with his ability to see through people and get to the core, exposing any hidden agendas. He could tell when he was being fed a line and would berate the candidate mercilessly before throwing him out.

  * * *

  Once the Sinclair/Hamilton ticket was officially announced, everything started falling into place for Richard; he was beginning to feel a rush of excitement. This was something that he hadn’t experienced for quite some time, not since he had taken over at Radliff. He needed to be challenged and this was getting his adrenaline flowing. He was looking forward to the battles he would have to fight. He knew he could make a difference if given the chance. It was encouraging to him that several key leaders in the Democratic Party were warming up to some of his ideas. He would need bipartisan cooperation to achieve his goals.

  Veronica was very supportive. She was looking forward to the new challenges as much as Richard. She wanted to get involved in those areas for which Richard would probably not have the time. She was driven by her deep motherly instincts to help children in any way possible. Veronica could never understand how the nation could tolerate seeing the poor and homeless, day in and day out, struggling to eke out one more day of survival. She saw pain and suffering as her personal war. Maybe, under the White House roof, she could enlist the aid of those in a position to be of help. She would never go begging to the rich and powerful; she believed it was their duty to step forward. And she definitely felt it her responsibility to single out those who didn’t do their part. It they wanted a friend in the White House, they would have to ante up.

  Richard had promised her early on that he would use his influence in support of her causes. Her father was always the biggest sponsor of her, as he put it, “cause of the week.” Heaven only knows, she made sure Richard picked up where her fathe
r left off, the only difference being that Richard was more of a pushover and she could get twice as much from him. He never argued very loudly in protest; he believed in what Veronica was doing, and as long as he could help, he would. He just had to make a show of discontent every so often to keep her from trying to bankrupt Radliff and Sinclair. He pitied the poor politicians in Washington who got on her bad side. They would do that only once, and after they suffered the consequences, they would be much more cooperative.

  * * *

  One of the hardest tasks Richard faced was telling the children about his decision to run and the impact that the campaign was going to have on them.

  For Richard the most difficult part of the campaigning would be the separation from his children. They would remain home, going about their business as usual, lives upset as minimally as possible. Still, it would be hard on them with mom and dad being away for long periods of time. Randall was at the awkward age of fourteen, not willing to admit he was still an adolescent even though he knew full well that he was far from adulthood and the responsibilities it entailed. Richard wished he could do more to aid his son, but he realized that there were very few things he could do to help Randall. Another year and he would be in high school, and a whole new series of challenges would come his way. Hopefully, he would get involved in some athletic endeavors and other extracurricular activities to keep him out of trouble. Richard was always looking forward to the day he could take Randall out for his first driving lesson. Would that be possible now? Would his son be able to experience the camaraderie of a group of boys working on their cars in the driveway? Would his aspirations be like other boys his age, or would the focus of attention draw him to a different course?

  Richard was not looking forward to his daughter, Jennifer, reaching the same plateau. If she could remain twelve, he would be perfectly happy. He supposed that things would be different living in the White House for her as well. He would be allowed the anxiety of meeting her first boyfriend, but not the privilege of driving them to the movies for their first date. That honor would belong to the Secret Service. He wondered how she would feel being denied the opportunity to conduct herself like a normal teenager. What boy would want to sneak a kiss on the doorstep when that step happened to be at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave? Would she feel stifled by the pressure of living up to a code of conduct that no child could possibly satisfy?