by Maggie Thom
“You’ve got a few things that you’ll need to sign right away. One is a legal form agreeing to taking over your father’s position temporarily. The papers are on your desk; please review them and sign them. If you have questions, ask me. There are some other forms that need to be looked at. And you have—”
Tijan tuned her out. It was all a lot of babble. It reminded her of listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher in the Peanuts series. It was nothing but noise.
“I’ve set you up on the system. You can use your father’s computer to access it. You’ll be able to access all of the general business and company files. You won’t, however, be able to access your father’s files unless you have his passcode.” Mary stopped and gave her a pointed look.
Tijan smiled. It was almost as though she was asking if she had it. A young, tall, well-dressed man walked in from the main office.
“JT.” Mary’s voice had a warning in it.
He smiled at her but turned to Tijan with an intense look of sorrow. “Tarin. I’m JT. I’m the Manager of Finance but soon to be CFO. I’m really sorry to hear about your father. I don’t know how it happened. We have the best security. Honestly. To think he got shot just outside our building... We’ve doubled the security, just so you know.”
“Thank you.” Tijan nodded at him but stepped around him, disconcerted when he stepped in front of her again. It seemed like quite a leap to go from Manager to CFO. She’d have to ask Tarin if that was normal or if this guy was praying for something that wasn’t likely to happen. Tempted to look over her shoulder for August, she refrained. She was quite sure if she did catch his eye, the panic that was setting in would be obvious, so she kept walking.
“JT, mind telling us exactly what happened? We’ve had the gray version from the police.” August stepped in front of them.
They had just entered the lobby. A waterfall covered one wall, the water racing over an etched, rippled glass design. Lights at the bottom gave it a soft, rainbow hue. It was a scaled-down version to one in the hotel lobby. The sound of water flowing almost had Tijan believe that if she closed her eyes, she would feel like she was back in the country. Mary’s large oak desk had a raised privacy panel and jutted prominently into the wide-open space, separated only by a heavy glass partition. It was the first thing Tijan had seen when she’d gotten off the elevator. Other than the waiting room to the left, the only access to the main offices was around Mary’s desk to the right. She wasn’t sure where the door to the left went. Had Tarin told her?
Tijan was quite sure that no one got past Mary without her permission.
“Please let’s go into the office; you can talk there.” Mary hustled them through the door to her father’s office.
Tijan moved to sit on the far sofa, only to find JT seating himself beside her. She looked at August, who sat on the other leather couch across from her. He held her gaze for a moment. She hoped he understood that she was in way over her head. This stupid plan she’d come up with was really slapping her in the face.
“Why are you here?”
“I’m the new Manager of Transportation and I’m here at Tarin’s request.”
JT’s face hardened as he glared at August. Tijan frowned as she sensed an undercurrent of anger between them.
“Gray version?”
Even though JT was essentially asking August what he meant, he looked at Tijan for an answer.
August replied, “The version where there are more questions than answers.”
“All I know is your father was leaving work. For some reason, he stopped in the parking lot out back and got out of his car. That’s when someone shot him.” JT reached over and took Tijan’s hand in his.
Her first reaction was to pull it back but he was firmly holding on. It took too much effort to fight him; curious where this was going, she left it.
“That’s more or less the version we got. Thank you, JT.”
“You’re meeting is in thirty minutes, Tarin. JT, you have work to do.”
Tijan had totally forgotten about Mary but was thankful for the distraction. Tijan removed her hand from JT as she stood. JT stood beside her and she stepped back to put some space between them.
“I think I should be in that meeting with you.”
“Thank you, JT, but I can handle it. And I have August here to help me.”
JT turned to August. “When exactly did you get hired?”
“The same day that James told you that you weren’t getting the job.”
The furious look came and went quickly across JT’s face but it was unmistakable. Tijan’s eyebrows rose as she looked at August questioningly.
They’d agreed that August would be the new Transportation Manager of the hotels’ vehicles, overseeing maintenance, the drivers and purchasing and Tarin had signed forms giving him that role. All the paperwork was in place should anyone snoop. Tijan wasn’t sure if August was goading JT or if there was something else going on. It wouldn’t surprise her. She wasn’t sure that anyone had been honest with her since she’d arrived.
August smiled. “If you don’t mind, JT, we have work to do. As I’m sure you do.”
The glare that JT gave August obviously wasn’t for her to see. When he turned to face her, he had nothing but a sincere, concerned expression.
“If there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to call me. We should sit down and meet soon, anyway. We have lots to go over. I am the Financial Manager after all. Soon to be CFO.”
He really seemed to want her to get that he was moving up in the company. She wondered if any of it was true or if he was hoping she’d be an easy boss to convince to give him the promotion he wanted. “Right, JT. Thank you.” She nodded, hoping he’d leave soon. She had the feeling he was going to reach for her hand again, so she casually slid her hands into her pockets.
“It’s a good thing I know a lot of the inner workings here. You can come to me with any questions.”
As soon as he left, Mary checked to see if they needed anything else. “Again, I’m sorry about your dad. He’s a good man. I can’t imagine this business without him.”
After she’d closed the door on her way out, August immediately opened his phone and began playing music at a high volume.
Tijan flopped onto the sofa, dropping her head against the back and closing her eyes. The music reminded her to keep her voice low as they had no idea who could be listening. “People say that business is like a hamster wheel; things just go round and round. But this is like being on a carnival ride. I feel like I’m spinning and going up and down and sideways and have no idea where I’m going to stop. This is crazy and the circus act hasn’t even started.”
She felt the couch dip beside her but refrained from opening her eyes.
“You did fine. We’ll get through this.”
Tijan rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes. She was surprised by how close August was sitting. His gaze fixed on her face. There was a moment of awareness as she found herself pulled toward the gold flecks in his tawny eyes. It was when his pupils dilated in response that she realized what was happening. It immediately had her shooting to her feet and striding to her father’s desk.
Her butt hit the seat of her father’s chair and something deep down shifted. She was sitting where her father had sat. He’d been doing it for years. It wasn’t something new she should just be finding out. She should have had a lifetime of knowing it.
Why had she been excluded from his life?
That beat her down more than anything she’d ever dealt with. It reminded her of calving season; there always seemed to be one calf that the mother would abandon. Not that Tijan minded, because she always got to be the surrogate mother—feeding and nurturing the baby calf to stand on its wobbly legs, take its first steps and to know that it was wanted. In this case, it wasn’t the mother who had rejected her; in fact her mom couldn’t have been more loving but just like that calf, her father was not part of her life—had never been part of her life, at least
not that she remembered.
But why?
There was a knock on the door. Tijan lifted her head and stared at it for a minute. In one part of her brain the sound registered and there was some niggling feeling that she should do something but she couldn’t manage to do more than keep her eyes glued to it. She missed the odd look that August gave her but she was aware of him opening the door slightly. After a brief conversation, he stepped back. Mary moved passed him.
“Sorry to bother you but there are two men here to see you.”
“Can we reschedule?”
“This isn’t a meeting that can be rescheduled. I really think you’d better meet with them.”
Tijan looked at the woman as she wondered if she looked like she felt; the five-year-old sitting in her dad’s chair, trying to pretend she belonged in his world. “Give me five minutes and show them in.”
“If I may, Tarin? Do not give them anything that will have them snooping into your father’s business. Your father is a good man. I know those two men are government officials of some sort. Your father deserves your loyalty.”
Tijan wasn’t sure how to react so she didn’t. Mary soon left but Tijan felt like she’d just been scolded. She stood and looked at August. He looked like he was wondering what had happened as well. “I’m really good at this job; I didn’t even ask who they were. I mean I know they are CSIS but—”
“You’ll do fine. Not that I’m sure all that Mary was telling you but I do agree; don’t give any real answers.”
Taking a deep breath and trying to get some solid footing under her, she moved away from the intimidating desk and over to the leather sofas. Not having a clue who she was meeting with, she at least hoped she’d feel a little more in charge in the more casual setting.
Chapter 33
“Hello, Ms. Roth. And you are?”
August squared his shoulders and for a moment Tijan thought he was going to punch the guy. Not that she could blame him, his tone was very condescending. Their dark suits were too cliché—black, identical and not a wrinkle in them.
August thrust out his hand. “Mr. Renner. I’m the Director of Transportation.”
Tijan tensed immediately, as if she hadn’t been tense enough. What had made August lie right away baffled her.
August strode toward them as if he owned the place. Tijan wasn’t sure what he was doing but didn’t want to take her eyes off the men who seemed quite focused on her. She brushed her hand down the beige suit she was wearing. At least she looked every bit a businesswoman. But with her hair down and draped over her shoulders and her big blue eyes blinking at them, she was determined to use whatever tricks she could to throw them off. Of course, Tarin had to show her how to dress and behave, but the two men seemed a little dumbfounded, so hopefully that meant it was working.
If it wouldn’t have given too much away, she would have stood by August for moral support. As if queueing her, he cleared his throat.
Tijan blinked a few times as she soothed her frayed nerves. She pasted on a smile and walked toward the two men, who were standing a bit awkwardly by the leather couch. She thrust out her hand.
“I’m Tarin. And you are?”
“Ms. Roth—”
“Please. Tarin.” She stretched her smile further.
“Tarin. We’re with the CSIS.”
“Yes, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Can I offer you a coffee? Tea? Whiskey?” Tijan gave the men a full-blown smile.
“No. But we need to meet privately, so if your friend will wait outside?”
“No. He stays. Have a seat, gentlemen.” Although she hadn’t appreciated being abducted by her father, she was thankful she had previously been in that office; at least there was a tiny bit of familiarity.
Once everyone was seated on the leather sofas, Tijan sat on the edge with her hands resting on the couch by her hips, gripping the leather tightly. She didn’t let her gaze waver, although she now understood how her horse felt when it got spooked and bolted. Tijan wished she had that option, and it made her consider her offer to step into Tarin’s shoes. This was not her world.
“Do you mind turning off your music?”
August smiled and shook his head, much to the other man’s annoyance.
“We have proof that your father, James Madsen, is involved with organized crime.”
Tijan wasn’t sure what her reaction was supposed to be. If she hadn’t already had the pleasure of meeting her father, she would have been shocked.
“What proof do you have?” August sat forward, his elbows on his knees.
“I’m sorry but we can’t share that. Ms. Roth, what we’re here to tell you is that we will be pursuing legal action against your father.”
Tijan swallowed forcefully, wishing she’d gotten herself something to drink even though the others had declined. “And you’re telling me this because?”
Suddenly, a thought struck her. “Why are you here today? My father is injured and in the hospital.”
“We’re aware of that.”
“I’m sure you are. But you see, he only went in yesterday. So was this meeting originally set up with him?” Tijan didn’t give them time to answer. “No, you didn’t. You came here hoping to get answers from whatever schmuck you figured my father had put in charge. Did you wait at least five minutes before deciding on this meeting before you made the call?”
“Look, Ms. Roth. We came here to inform you—”
“No. Let me tell you something. I’m not an idiot. And I don’t appreciate you showing up, mysteriously, the day after my father is shot and put in the hospital. Did you guys shoot him?”
“What? No.”
“Let me see your search warrant.” She had no idea if they would need such a thing, and she doubted it as they hadn’t asked to see anything. But she was going to grab for anything she could to throw them off.
The two men looked at each other.
“Ah. You don’t have one. So, you are here fishing. Well, your fishing expedition is over. Please leave.”
“You might want to work with us.”
“Well, I don’t. If you had enough evidence to show that my father was indeed involved with organized crime, you’d have charged him. And you’d have a court order for search and seizure. Now leave.”
“I don’t think—”
“She asked you to leave.” August was standing by the office door, holding it open.
“And I trust that none of this ends up in the news. I’d hate to have to call one of the judges or government officials that I know that can make your life difficult.”
The look on both their faces became hard. They looked like they wanted to punch someone but instead, stood up stiffly and moved toward the door. “You’ll hear from us soon.”
“I’m sure I will.” She was sure they hadn’t heard her as August, who had followed them, slammed the door as soon as they crossed the threshold.
August started clapping. She flipped out her right hand before dramatically bringing her right forearm to her waist and bowing.
Tijan burst out laughing. “Oh my God, that was fun. That’s not supposed to be fun is it? But wow. Those guys were so intense. I felt like telling them to chill, they acted like they had a pole up—” She pressed her hand to her mouth as she realized what she was about to say.
August chuckled. “Yeah. They were a little over the top with their intimidation stuff. What do you think about their allegation?”
Tijan walked over and opened the drawn blinds. Looking over the city, she imagined her father doing just that. For her it was an interesting view; she could see a lot of Toronto from the twentieth floor, but to be honest it made her dizzy. For her father, she was quite sure it had a different appeal. He’d struck her as power hungry. She was sure this view was a metaphor to him, as if he was lording over everyone, that they were beneath him and had to look up to him.
She sensed rather than heard August come to stand beside her. “I’m not sure. I’ve only met the man a few
times. He loves being in control. Would he use organized crime to do that? I have no idea. I wonder what Tarin knows? Or if she does? And what is she going to think when she hears that I threatened our national security? I don’t even know if my father knows people in high places. I’m assuming so.”
“That was just a bluff?”
Tijan shrugged. “Yeah.”
August burst out laughing. “They seemed to back off right away when you said that. So obviously, they were bluffing as well.”
“Tarin is going to be so pissed at me. I may have just created so many headaches for her.”
Lowering her voice, she turned to face August. “How do I tell her that our father may be a criminal?”
Chapter 34
“What happened with the CSIS?”
Tijan took a deep breath and eased out the back door, ensuring that no one was in the area to see her leave. She’d never been claustrophobic but was feeling a strong case of it coming on.
“They had an interesting accusation but really were full of hot air. They left but not happily. It appears that they’re after Father. Do you know anything about his past dealings?” Tijan held the phone tight to her ear, as she looked around to ensure her privacy.
Tarin sighed. “Not really. I know he has poured his life into the hotel. I can’t imagine him being crooked but then again, I can. He’s always had this mentality of him against the world. Or maybe it was the world against him. He started his business to really piss off Grandpa.”
Tijan tried to muffle her indrawn hiss but knew she’d failed when she heard Tarin gasp.
“Oh, Tijan. Are we ever going to be able to straighten everything out? Someday I hope you can meet Grandpa. He’s a wonderful man. I hadn’t met him myself until just a few years ago. I’d been led to believe he was a bad man, worse than our father, but he’s nothing like his son. He’s big-hearted and he helped me to keep Dad in line once before. But he’s in his eighties and I can’t bring this to him. I don’t want him to know. I think father has hurt him enough.”
“Could he be behind any of this?”
“Grandpa? No. He wouldn’t do anything underhanded. I think all that he did wrong was put in a lot of hours and hard work when our father was a kid and so he wasn’t there for him. At least, that’s what I understand. I never met Grandma but I think she had a lot of mental health issues. I don’t think she was an easy person to live with. She’s probably the one who soured Father on life. Anyway, it’s all stuff we can talk about later. We really need to get you out of there. Thank you for standing in for me but let’s get you out before it gets too serious. We’ll figure something out from this end.”