“Mission accomplished,” Jeremy Fielding proclaimed over dinner.
Today would have been better with Quinn. I finally reached out to Emerson after returning to my hotel room. “You’ve had quite the day.”
“I know Greer was working her magic with our clients because of me. I’m so sorry.”
“She loves this, but really this has been helpful. You’re a hero. You saved countless numbers of young girls.”
“It’s really gross that I got to be a hero of something I wish never existed.”
“Me too. I’m sorry about your stepmother.”
“They haven’t found her yet. She knew that the shit was going to hit the fan, so she bolted out of town. It seems her job was to keep an eye on my dad or these men were going to hurt her, but I think she was the one behind my dad changing his will, and I’m pretty sure she orchestrated the crash that killed my dad.”
“I hope they find her and fry her.”
“I do too.” I need to gracefully figure out how to pivot the conversation to Quinn.
In the silence, Emerson asks, “Have you talked to Quinn?’
I’m relieved she opened the door for me. “No. I’ve tried, but I can’t get ahold of her. Do you know where she is?”
“You didn’t know she went home to take care of her father?”
I sit up straight. “No. She didn’t tell me that. Where is he? I’ll go to her. I need to be there to help her.”
“You’re in love with her.”
“I am, and I’ve tried to tell her, but she changes the subject every time I start to go there. Where is she? I need to get to her.”
“We don’t know. She left her cell phone behind. She told everyone that she was only taking a few weeks or months off to help her dad, but she cleared everything out of her cubical. I don’t think she’s coming back.”
My stomach crashes to the floor. “No. That can’t be. I need to talk to her. I know she feels she can’t get ahead, but I’ve told her she can live with me rent free and work to pay her loans off. Christ, I’d pay her loans off if she’d let me.”
“I think Mason knows. We just need to get him to tell us.”
“I’ll be back in the office in a few days. Thanks, Emerson.” Before I say goodbye, I realize I don’t know how she’s doing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask. How are you doing?”
“Well, the little guy is growing. They measured his head and are worried he won’t come naturally.”
“It’s a boy?”
“It is, but don’t tell anyone. We’re debating names. I want to name him after Dillon’s dad, but Dillon wants to name him some strange old philosophers’ names.”
I laugh. “That sounds just like Dillon. I do hope you win out.”
“I will if I have to fill out the birth certificate without him. I’m way too emotional already.”
“I can’t wait to meet the little guy.”
“Well, he needs to hold on a bit longer. It’s a little early yet.”
“I understand. Thanks for your help, Emerson. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“See you soon.”
I have a few more days of press coverage and some post-action things to get done. I’ve met with the board in Philadelphia. We ended up losing seven people from the leadership team. That was really disappointing. We agreed to meet with the three candidates that the recruiters at SHN identified for the CEO position. I know one of them, and if we were to get him, we’d be far ahead of where we were. Bettencourt Industries is going to be fine.
I fly back to San Francisco with Jim and his team. Midway through the flight, I sit down with Jim. “I need your help with finding Quinn. She moved home to her dad’s in Florida. I think she’s in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Can you help me?”
He nods. “I’ve been notified that the FBI is going to launch their Trojan horse into the hackers this week. I’ll get someone on it, but you and I are going to be busier than we’ve ever been.”
I’m sure my eyes bug out of my head. He’s right, it will be busy, but wouldn’t it be great to have all of this behind us?
From the plane Wi-Fi, I email Mason, letting him know I should be in the office in the morning. I’m determined to bring Quinn back, and if I need to, I’ll get her dad set up here too. I won’t let her get away. She’s the one.
I’m early to the office; it isn’t even seven when I arrive, but the office is buzzing. The mole has really affected us greatly, and the entire company is ready for it to be over. We have a company-wide meeting at eight in the big conference room, and everyone is here.
I get caught up on a few things as I prepare for the all-hands-on-deck meeting. When I open the desk drawer, I find a note from Quinn attached to her cell phone. I open it up and read it. Fuck! She’s definitely not coming back. Mason knows where she is, and I’m determined to find her.
Like so many others, I grab a coffee in the kitchen and head into the conference room. I’m stopped along the way with lots of “Welcome Back’s” and people saying they’ve seen me on television. A few of the females are a little too friendly, but I only have eyes for Quinn, and she’s not here. Mason and Cameron arrive with a tall woman with short curly hair.
After Mason gets the room to quiet down, he says, “All right everyone. Today’s the day. Thanks to Quinn and Francie spotting the high-signs of our hacker friends, Cameron and Parker, along with the FBI Cybercrimes unit, was able to plant a Trojan horse in their system. They’ve been monitoring their site and watching and waiting. But before I give too much away, I’d like to introduce you to Special Agent in Charge, Cora Perry.”
There is some polite clapping around the room.
“Thank you for allowing me to be here. Your coffee sure beats federal government coffee.” Several people snicker. “Six weeks ago, this Trojan horse went into place. We were able to mirror over twenty-two computers in what we’ve decided is a hacking farm. We found their location in the East Bay, and we watched and identified better than forty employees coming and going. This morning we executed search and arrest warrants across the Bay Area, and by this afternoon, they will be in one location but unable to see or talk to anyone else.”
A hand rises in the air. “Are they Russian-related?”
“Some are. But some are Americans, while others are Chinese nationals. Our hacker farm was not discriminatory.”
“Do you know who is behind this and did you catch them?” Dillon asks.
“We know that Adam and Eve are behind this, but currently we aren’t sure if we have them in custody or not,” Cora tells us. “But in my experience, if they’re not one of those arrested, given the number of people we’ve arrested, we’ll see several who will turn them in in hopes of avoiding jail time. We have a light at the end of the tunnel.”
There’s a celebration around the room, but Mason looks up and says, “When we get this all wrapped up, we’ll celebrate. In the meantime, we have four companies going public in the next thirty days. Let’s keep our eye on the ball and make sure we stay aware. If you see something, say something.”
We all file out of the conference room and begin our day.
Chapter thirty-two
William
It’s been three weeks, and yet I still don’t know where Quinn is. I’ve sat with Mason, and he swears all he knows is that she’s in Florida. That’s driving me crazy. I’ve checked every major city and suburb in Florida looking for Faraday. There are over four hundred Faradays listed in the white pages between Fort Lauderdale and Miami alone. I called a few, but I’ve not had any luck.
Why didn’t I ask her father’s first name? What a self-centered jerk I was to not even ask where he lived in Florida. I thought I’d have more time. Hell, I thought I’d be flying home with her to meet her dad. Damn it! I don’t want to keep pestering Jim, but I need to know where she is. She isn’t doing anything to hit a credit card or her social security number. It’s as if by moving home she’s fallen off the grid.
I dream of her often
, and last night was no exception. Sure, sometimes they are her look of pure ecstasy, but often they are of her laughing and her look of awe as we explored Independence Hall. Last night I dreamed we were walking a dog down the beach. We were holding hands and just talking. When I woke up, my chest hurt. I miss my friend.
This morning I work out hard and listen to the voice mail again. It’s becoming my morning ritual so I can hear her voice. In the office, I sit through two meetings, and I follow up with the deals I have in progress. To the outside, I look fine, but on the inside, I feel like I’m incomplete without her.
Today seems to be a particularly hard day. I’m unable to concentrate on my work. I need some fresh air. I need coffee. Sure, the breakroom has amazing coffee, but if I walk to Starbucks, I can get a decent cup and the fresh air I so desperately need. With my coat buttoned up tight and my hands buried in my pockets, I walk with my head down. It’s a typical gray and drizzling day. I love it here, but I hate the gray days.
After I’ve ordered my drink, I wait for them to call my name. I’m staring down at my cell phone reading the Silicon Valley Business Journal when a gentleman stands next to me a little closer than I like. I step aside, but he follows. I look up at him and start to say something, but the words get lodged in my throat.
It can’t be. Those eyes. A smile cracks on his face.
“Hi,” he says.
“What the hell? What…?” I pull him into a huge hug. “Dad, I thought….” and then the tears begin to fall. His hair is much lighter, and he has a beard. I could have passed him on the street a thousand times and thought he looked similar to my dad, but he’s different enough that I wouldn’t have thought it was him.
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s a long story.”
“Let’s talk. Here. We can sit over at that table,” I beg.
He looks around, surveying the people in the store. “We can sit for a short time, and then I need to get going. I’ve been watching you for a while. I’m so proud of you. You did what I wanted to do, but I was too worried about so many things.”
They call my name, and I pick up my drink. Then they call the name “Felix,” and he gets his drink.
We sit down, and I eagerly stare at him across the table, not knowing where to start. I have so many questions, so many things to tell him, but I can only come up with one right now. “Felix?”
He shrugs. “It’s all I could think of when they asked.”
“Where have you been?”
“It all happened so quickly. I told Lillian that I was going to Tanzania to go climb Kilimanjaro. I went through the process of planning a trip, but my real plan was to actually fly here and talk to you. I suspected that things weren’t going right with Lillian and haven’t been for a while. I was spending more and more time at the suite in the Rittenhouse. She didn't like that. I explained that after the trip I would move home again, so she relented. I flew here under an assumed name and put the evidence I had in the safe-deposit box and included your name on the box. I was at your house waiting for you to return when I saw an alert on my phone that my helicopter went down in Tanzania, and they were pronouncing me dead.”
“Holy shit. Did you suspect foul play?”
He nods, fingering the side of the cardboard sleeve on the cup. “I did. You saw what was on those tapes. I couldn’t trust anyone, but Lillian was the only one who knew where I was going. It made no sense at all.” He glances at his watch. “I should go.”
I reach out and grab his arm before he can leave. “Wait. We need to get this figured out. Do you want to stay at my place?”
“I don’t want to put you in any danger.” He looks around frantically. No one is paying any attention to us.
“Dad,” I say in a yelling whisper, “we need to get this taken care of. Those men are in jail. I outed them with the evidence you provided me.”
He relaxes and smiles at me. “It goes deeper. I continued to dig after everyone thought I was dead.”
I stand, and he does too. “Then we’re going to my lawyer, and we’re walking her through everything you know, and we’re going to tell the world that you’re still alive.”
“I’ll meet you there,” he assures me. I don’t trust him. I can tell he’s scared.
“We can do this together, Dad, and we’re going to do it now.”
I grasp his arm and walk us outside to a rideshare. As we drive over, I text Mason.
Me: An emergency has come up, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.
Mason: No problem. News on Quinn?
Me: No. I’ll call you as soon as I can.
Then I quickly call Marci. She answers on the third ring. “Sorry to bother you. I’m on my way in. Something’s come up, and I think you’ll need to clear your calendar for this afternoon.”
“I’ll be here.”
“We’re walking up now.”
We step out of our ride and rush into the building. “Where is your bodyguard?” my dad says as it occurs to him that I’m without a member of Jim’s team.
Guiding him through the lobby and up the elevator, I answer, “I haven’t needed one since everyone was arrested.”
“You’re the heir to a fortune; you should always have a bodyguard with you.”
I’m not going to argue with him. We walk into the lobby of her firm, and she’s waiting to escort us back to a conference room. She starts with a room full of windows. “Marci, can we have one of the small conference rooms in the back? One with no windows.”
She looks at me puzzled. “Of course.”
She escorts us to the back and shuts the door behind us. “Why the cloak and dagger?”
“Marci, I’d like to introduce you to my father, Reginald Bettencourt.”
My father extends his hand, and she’s not sure if she should take it.
“Really?” she questions, looking at him skeptically.
“He’s not dead,” I confirm for her.
“Yeah, I can see that,” she mutters. “Let’s sit down and figure out what’s going on.”
We sit around a large table, and I watch my dad unravel an even bigger conspiracy beyond human trafficking but also drugs, gambling, prostitution, and much more.
I’m stunned. “How did you figure this all out?”
He smiles. “It’s amazing what you can figure out when everyone thinks you’re dead.”
Marci looks at her watch. “It’s after four thirty. We need to loop our friends in with the FBI. Let me see who can come over. This conference room is going to get tight.”
She leaves and is gone all of fifteen minutes. When she returns, two agents are with her. There really isn’t room for me, so I excuse myself. As I leave, I look at my dad, seeing he’s really nervous. “Dad, I love you. I’m going to meet someone from work. I’ll be back.” He visibly relaxes, and I walk into the neighboring conference room and call Mason.
“Is everything all right?” Mason asks.
“It is. I just had a huge surprise. How about a beer? I’m in the financial district.”
“I’ll be right there. How does McCoy’s Pub sound?”
“I’ll be there waiting. What’ll I order you?”
“How about a Guinness.”
“See you soon.”
I let the receptionist know where I’m headed. They’re going to be a while, so I walk the two blocks to the bar. The wood paneling and small front windows make the bar dark, but it’s perfect. I see an open booth in the back and take it. When the buxom waitress arrives, I order two pints of Guinness and wait. This place is going to be crazy busy in less than a half hour with people stopping on their way home from work. Mason joins me just as the two glasses are put on the table.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry I just left today. I needed some fresh air and went for a walk to Starbucks. I was approached by a man who,” I lean in and whisper, “is my father. He’s alive.”
Mason sits back and whistles. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. It’s
my dad after all.”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just stunned.”
“Me too. He’s meeting with Marci and the FBI. He has more information on more than the human trafficking ring. He’s been sleuthing around and asking questions. He’s uncovered a much larger criminal enterprise.”
“Holy shit. The world thinks he’s dead, so they may just keep him that way,” Mason warns.
I hadn’t thought of that. “I hope not. I don’t want the seat on the board, and I’m not interested in living in the house I grew up in, even if it has been in my family for generations. We have something good going. I want to see where it goes.”
“We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry. And you need to do what you need to do.”
We’ve just finished a second beer when my cell phone pings.
Marci: Come on back.
Me: Be right there.
“I need to get back. Keep this between us for now.”
“No problem. I’ll lock up your office, and unless I hear from you, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Can you do me a favor? Can you please put some pressure on Jim to get me Quinn’s contact information? I need to, if nothing else, let her know I love her. If she doesn’t want to be with me, I can deal with that but not knowing is killing me.”
Mason nods. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I walk into Marci’s office, and my dad’s not there. “Where did he go?”
“The FBI has him in a safe house. I’ve called Jim, and your bodyguard will be here in twenty minutes. While we wait, let’s talk about what we decided.”
She leads me back to the conference room. “Your dad is going to remain dead for the time being. He has uncovered a lot with his network of friends—”
Enchanted: (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #8): A Fake Fiancée Romance Page 24