Destined

by Patricia Haley

  “Well, if it isn’t my nephew, the same one who fired me.”

  Joel didn’t want to stroll down memory lane with a man who stole from his own family. Uncle Frank made the last months of Dave Mitchell’s life stressful. Joel was certain that if his father had been alive, he’d be outraged to see his son do business with Uncle Frank, the reputed crook. Unfortunately, the other financial vehicles were blocked thanks to the Mitchell family, the people who took great joy in watching Joel fail. He was bent on not letting them get the satisfaction. “Like I said on the phone, I have a business proposition that I think you’ll be interested in. I’m not here to talk about what you did at DMI when my father was in charge. Honestly, I don’t care. I’m here to handle business right now.” Joel’s voice was sharp, unflinching. “If you think that you’re going to have a problem working with me and you don’t want a cut of the money on the table, then step out of my car, so that I can get the heck out of here.” Joel pushed the button to start the engine.

  Uncle Frank laid his hand on Joel’s wrist and pressed down lightly. “Take it easy, nephew. Family is family and business is business. I don’t have any hang-ups with you so long as there’s money on the table.” He pressed Joel’s wrist again. Joel killed the engine that time. Uncle Frank turned his body in an awkward way toward Joel, with his shoulder against the window. “You didn’t share any information on the phone but you said this was urgent. What’s this about?”

  Greed glistened in Uncle Frank’s eyes. He was fired up at the smell of money. Joel welcomed the pit-bull spirit. Uncle Frank was the person he needed to get the deal done. If there was cash on the streets anywhere, Uncle Frank could get it by any means. It was the main reason why Joel could never offer his uncle another job.

  “I can’t get into the details of the deal that I’m working on, but I can say that I need three hundred million dollars like that,” Joel said, snapping his fingers. “This deal is hot and I don’t have time to go through the red tape at the bank. This is a one-time opportunity. I have to act now.” He pounded lightly on the steering wheel.

  “Whoa, did you say three hundred million dollars, as in over a quarter of a billion?” Joel nodded yes. “That’s not a small chunk of change. You’re talking investment banker dollars. I can’t help you with that kind of money.” Uncle Frank reached for the door handle to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

  This was the last hope. Without funding from Uncle Frank, the deal was as good as dead. Joel refused to play out the loser scenario. He’d played that role with Madeline and her children. He’d sacrificed his livelihood, his desires, and now his personal wealth to see DMI excel. Joel had finally built a name of success and there was no way he could let that be destroyed. Pride and integrity had to be silenced. “Do you know anybody who can loan me that kind of money right away?”

  The door was open. Uncle Frank had one foot on the ground. “I’m not on Wall Street. I can’t get you that kind of money. Come on, you must know that what you’re asking is ridiculous.” The second foot was about to land on the ground, too.

  “Do you know anybody?” Joel yelled with such force that Uncle Frank froze.

  He turned to Joel and responded without any snide comments, “Maybe I do.”

  Joel had his uncle’s attention and wasn’t going to let it drop again. “Then name your price.”

  “What are we talking?”

  “I said, name your price. How much do you want off the top for arranging the deal?”

  Both feet were instantly placed in the car and the door closed. Uncle Frank peered straight ahead, choosing not to look at Joel. “This is a huge undertaking. You practically need the approval of the president and Congress to get this kind of money in your hands.”

  “Look, cut the crap, Frank. Are you in or out?” Joel said, reaching for the start button again. He had no intention of moving the car without an agreement, but Uncle Frank didn’t need to know that much.

  “All right, all right,” Uncle Frank said, tapping Joel’s wrist once again. Joel was pleased. He’d shaken Uncle Frank into action. Acting angry was a risk, but in the end, Joel was positive Uncle Frank wasn’t going to walk away from a large chunk of money under any circumstances. His dirty dealings weren’t up for judgment as far as Joel was concerned, so long as he came through with the three hundred million. “You want me to name my price. Here it is—one percent consulting fee, nonrefundable, nonnegotiable, nontraceable, no contingencies. I mean none. Once you have a deal for the money, my fee is paid regardless of what happens afterward.”

  “I can live with your terms, but you’re the one brokering this deal. You have to at least stay involved until I get my money.”

  “I’m not a broker, a banker, or a member of the chamber of commerce. I’m a simple businessman with simple terms. If you want this money you have to agree to my terms, period, nonnegotiable,” he said as he reached for the door handle.

  “Hang on, I can meet your terms. You just get the money.”

  “You’ll hear from me in a few days.”

  “I only have a few days,” Joel said, not playing around.

  Uncle Frank must have detected the tone of seriousness and said, “You’ll hear from me.” He got out and turned to say, “This is just between us, and we can’t talk about this on the phone.”

  “No problem, you let me know when and where.” Joel was feeling a burst of confidence. Finally the situation was turning in his direction. Uncle Frank said something else before closing the door. “Nephew, I didn’t check you for a wire.”

  “Why would you?”

  “Exactly my point. I know you’re a smart kid. I’m taking you at your word on this deal. Just so you know, you can’t get funds like this from your local ATM. This is a huge undertaking. I assume that if you could get the funds any other way you wouldn’t be here talking to me. So, like I said, I’m taking you seriously. That means you better take me seriously. The people who are willing to loan this kind of money won’t take kindly to a wiretap, if you know what I mean.” Uncle Frank leaned his head fully into the car. “Think long and hard about this transaction. This better be legitimate, because once I leave here, the deal is in motion and those aren’t wheels that can easily be stopped. Are you sure about this?”

  “Completely.”

  “So be it.” Uncle Frank got out of the car. “Sit tight. You’ll hear from me in a few days. Have my three million ready. Uncle Frank pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “Hand me a pen.” Joel scrambled to find one and handed it over. His uncle jotted down something and handed the paper to Joel. “This is to my account in the Cayman. The first five digits are missing. I’ll give those to you when the time is right,” he said and tapped the window frame. “See you later, nephew.” Uncle Frank closed the door, jumped in his car, and left.

  Joel tapped on the steering wheel, not wanting to get too overconfident. He was close this time, real close. His conscience tried reflecting on the means of getting the money. Joel refused to give in. He wiped away the thought of any shady dealings. Uncle Frank wasn’t getting the money from Wall Street. That was evident. Then again, Wall Street wasn’t the epitome of honest trading, either. He felt justified in pursuing his unconventional method of raising capital. He wasn’t going to be denied. He pushed the start button and let the engine hum, sweet, just like his soon-to-be victory over those who tried to shut him down. He couldn’t wait to see their faces when he announced closure on the merger. He put the car in reverse and savored satisfaction. Maybe Madeline would eventually quit, especially if she loathed the prospect of working with Harmonious Energy. Uncle Frank was a crook, but he was Joel’s favorite relative for the day. The car eased onto the state highway and then Joel floored the gas pedal, leaving failure in the rearview mirror. He was where he wanted to be, in charge.

  chapter

  26

  Don couldn’t help but to think about Naledi being left behind. His heart warmed. The cab arrived at the office. He paid and went inside the DMI b
uilding. Two months ago he’d sold his BMW. At the time there was no reason to keep it. He was eight thousand miles away and glad about it. Time and purpose had changed. With the amount of trips planned for Detroit, he’d take time out to lease one in a day or two.

  Upstairs he poked his head into Madeline’s office. She practically ran to the door. “Ah.” She wrapped her arms around him and clutched tightly, not letting go right away. He was so used to Madeline and her mothering. Secretly, he appreciated the doting. There were times when her coddling kept him going, kept him from feeling parentless or alone. Her devotion was unquestionable and overshadowed some of her other less endearing characteristics. “You should have called me. I could have picked you up from the airport,” she said, releasing him slowly.

  “I took a cab. It was no problem.”

  Madeline walked back to her desk, brushing down one side of her hair. Don tossed his carry-on luggage onto her tiny sofa. “What’s this about a cab? You can afford a private car, you know.” She tugged gently at the bottom of her Chanel suit jacket.

  Don chuckled. “So long as I get here, that’s what matters, right, Mother?”

  Madeline groaned. “You and that brother of yours have nothing in common except for Dave’s DNA. Obviously Joel got the watered-down version.”

  “Don’t start.”

  Madeline pretended to zip her lips. “I won’t say a word about Mr. Joel. His actions are speaking much louder than I ever could. I prefer to spend my energy on something productive. Are you ready to get to work?”

  “That’s why I’m here. Where’s Abigail?”

  “Hang on,” Madeline said, grabbing the phone receiver. Once Abigail was on the line, his mother said, “Come on up to my office when you get a chance. Our Don is here.” Mother said a few more words and nodded several times during the conversation. Afterward Madeline said, “She’s on her way up. She was very pleased to know that you’re here, not nearly as thrilled as I am, though.”

  Less than five minutes passed before Abigail was knocking on the door. Her expression of glee sailed into the room, invigorating Don. He gave her a friendly greeting and each took a seat.

  “When did you get in? I thought you were coming next week?”

  “Thanks to Naledi, I was able to get here sooner.” Abigail crossed her legs. “If I didn’t have her in the picture, DMI wouldn’t be a possibility for me.” Abigail switched legs.

  “You really seem to rely on her.” Madeline nodded her head. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “You know Don keeps us up-to-date,” Abigail interrupted to say.

  “Maybe not.”

  Hearing the two women talk as if he wasn’t there was intriguing. He would remain invisible as long as possible, keeping quiet.

  “Oh, he does. Trust me, there’s nothing going on that he hasn’t told us. Isn’t that right, Don?” Abigail asked.

  “Ignore me. This conversation is working well with just the two of you.”

  Madeline opened the leather portfolio on her desk and slid on her reading glasses. “Don’t you get married over there in Africa without letting me know something.”

  “Don isn’t getting married,” Abigail said in a stern tone, placing both her feet on the floor.

  “Is it so farfetched?” he asked, taken aback by Abigail firmly discounting the possibility.

  Madeline peered over her reading glasses, thumbing over a few papers. Abigail didn’t respond. Don opted to let the discussion drop to the floor. There were more important matters at hand. Speculation about his marriage would hold until later. “Where are we with the merger?”

  Madeline continued flipping through her papers. Abigail opened her portfolio, too. Both women had seamlessly reverted to their serious mode. Speculation and jokes were set aside to handle DMI business. If they were going to save the company, time was running out. God had a plan—had to. That was the only spark of certainty Don could absorb.

  Madeline stopped halfway through the report she was reading. She let her pen trace along the lines and then said, “According to the most recent report, both Harmonious Energy and Musar Bengali are solid.” She flipped to the front page and scanned a few lines. “Yes, this is definitely the latest report.” Abigail nodded in agreement. “The independent counsel hasn’t found a shred of issues.” The news didn’t sit well with Don, as his mother continued, “Can you believe it? Joel makes a boatload of bad decisions, but the one we needed him to screw up, he didn’t.” Madeline raised the report and let it drop to the desk. She pulled the reading glasses off.

  “Looks like we’ll have to count on the DMI legal team for more favorable news,” Don said. He’d hoped the review would net sound reasons to override Joel and ultimately negate the impending duel. Each day looked more and more like war was approaching. Don told himself he was ready, that he was prepared to seize the CEO role by whatever means was required. He believed he’d convinced himself that the pursuit of destiny was his purpose in life. His rationale had sounded plausible when there was likelihood that the lawyers would find flaws in Joel’s plan and oust him. Instead, Don was on the front line in enemy territory. This wasn’t Cape Town, this was Detroit, Joel’s playground.

  Abigail crossed her legs again and closed her portfolio. “I think this is good news.”

  “Y-you do,” Madeline asked. “Why?”

  “Because sales are down.”

  “And who can we thank for that?” Madeline said.

  “DMI value is slumping, but Joel’s decision isn’t as bad as we thought.” Don didn’t get a chance to comment. Madeline dived in. “You must be kidding. Where have you been for the past three months, six really?” Madeline tapped her pen frantically on the portfolio. “You must see something in Joel that the rest of us don’t see. That’s the only justification you can have to make such a statement.”

  Joel had dumped Abigail to pursue his personal goals. Planning to marry another woman was extra. Don marveled at Abigail’s undeniable tie with his half brother. Having someone’s love, no matter how many failures were committed, was a desire he cherished. He’d pray that one day he would be blessed with such a woman.

  “So, what are we going to do? Joel isn’t going to quit, and we don’t have the information necessary to bury him,” Madeline commented.

  “Let’s stay on plan. The board approved a six-month evaluation period. Let’s use it. We have five months left. An entire world can change in five months.” Don knew that to be true. In less time, he’d been bypassed by his father for the CEO role, fired by his brother, driven to exile in South Africa, only to rush back to Detroit upon word that his father had passed. A grand total of six weeks captured the peak of turmoil in his life. That was then and today was now. “Let’s take our time and let this unfold. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

  “I’m not good at sitting around waiting for others to dictate my life,” Madeline said.

  “Sometimes you have no choice,” Don said and relaxed as best he could.

  chapter

  27

  Abigail longed for the good old days, the ones when her schedule was crammed with fourteen to sixteen hours of work, with at least two of those spent eating dinner with Joel. The past represented a simpler, more satisfying time. Today was a new day. The advice she’d given Joel about going back to the beginning was also true for her. She dialed the closest phone and wished for a friendly voice to answer. Three rings and her wish was fulfilled, hopefully the first of many. “Mr. Mitchell, you’re going to church with me this morning, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Well, if you put it like that, I guess I am. Are you picking me up or am I coming to get you?”

  “I’ll come and get you for a change. You can give your new bimmer a rest. Be ready in one hour.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll call when I’m on my way.”

  “You got it,” Don said.

  Just before she disconnected, Abigail added, “And, Don, thanks
.”

  “There’s no need to thank me. I’m glad that you’re getting me out of here. I need to be in church anyway, Lord knows I do. I should be thanking you.”

  “Thanks for always being my friend. It means a great deal to me.” Especially now that Joel seemed lost to her.

  Abigail dressed hurriedly and cut the forty minute drive to Don’s place down to twenty minutes, calling him along the way. He was waiting in the lobby downstairs when she arrived and came right out.

  “Wow, that was fast,” Don said, getting into the car.

  “I don’t mess around when I have somewhere to be,” she said, carefully easing into traffic. “Just so you know, I’m going to this church called Greater Faith Chapel. I’ve gone there before and there’s a real sense of holiness in that church. There’s a lady there named Mother Emma Walker, who spoke to me and Joel several years ago and she’s amazing.”

  “Are you going to see her? Is that why we’re going there?”

  “No, not really. I’m just going because I need a boost of something that I can sink my teeth in. It’s almost like I feel starved, spiritually malnourished.” She whisked onto the highway, intent not to be late. “I don’t know, kind of like God and I aren’t as tight as we used to be.”