The Caspian Wine Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Series

by Maggie Thom

  Mary’s words kept playing in her mind, which made her wonder if they had anything to do with the instant dislike she felt. Eleanor attempted to appear warm but something rang false. The woman was exuding power—her actions, her stance, her look, all said you’re not good enough to be here. Even her dark royal blue suit with its prim white lapel trim screamed I’m a professional and you’re not. Her shoes matched perfectly as did the necklace, bracelet and stud earrings she wore—navy blue with a touch of white. She was polished and hard, causing Tijan to feel like she was a dowdy country girl, something she’d never minded being until then.

  She’d dealt with men tougher than Eleanor though. Pushing away her thoughts, she met Eleanor’s direct gaze.

  “What can I do for you, Eleanor?”

  The woman walked to the desk but didn’t follow suit and sit. Tijan got the feeling it was intentional. The woman already stood at least five foot eleven in her two-inch heels. Those few inches gave her an edge while Tijan was standing but now she had an even greater advantage.

  “Nothing. It’s what I can do for you. I’ve worked with your father for years, so I’m quite familiar with his business dealings. In fact, I negotiated most of his contracts. There isn’t much that he does that I don’t know about or haven’t been involved with.”

  Tijan nodded though she had no idea what the woman was trying to tell her.

  “So since you’ve really been out of this for a while, I mean you have a three-year-old son now.”

  Her smirk made it clear she was not congratulating her on her son but intended to be condescending. Tijan wanted to spit at her. She couldn’t imagine what Tarin would do if she’d heard her.

  “I can look everything over and let you know what needs your immediate attention and what I can handle for you. I can set up remote access so I don’t even have to be in your way to look after this stuff. Your father and I have done that many times in the past.”

  Tijan leaned forward, locking her eyes with Eleanor and resting her forearms on her desk. “I really appreciate that but I am my father’s daughter.”

  Eleanor nodded but her face shifted ever so slightly, like she had something distasteful in her mouth. “Well, if you change your mind? I’ll continue to work on the acquiring of Caspian Winery. Oh dear. I’m sorry. You do know about that, don’t you?”

  This woman was not only tough as the white teeth she liked to flash but was insincere as well.

  Tijan smiled. “He’s always trying to retain one company or another, isn’t he?” She felt like she was being studied under a microscope, but just as she thought her forced smile would remain frozen on her face, Eleanor turned away. She wanted to sag with relief but she held herself together. At the door, Eleanor stopped and gave her one last, lengthy stare.

  “We’ll talk soon.”

  “Sounds good. For now though, hold off on any acquisitions until I establish priorities. Caspian Winery will always be there. Thank you. Good day.”

  The woman’s jaw clenched as she seemed to straighten to her full height. Although the words weren’t spoken, the look she gave seemed to be telling her where to go. She obviously didn’t take well to being given orders, at least not by a woman. Finally, she nodded, turned elegantly and efficiently and walked out without another word.

  After the door closed, Tijan counted to forty before picking up the phone and calling Mary. “I don’t want to be bothered for the next hour.”

  “Okay, I’ll make sure there are no interruptions. Especially Eleanor. Although now that she’s shown her face unscheduled, you probably won’t see her again. I try to keep her out but sometimes it’s easier just to meet with her and then send her on her way. I know it’s not the time or my place but you might want to discuss with your father about finding a new lawyer.”

  Tijan was taken aback at the hardness in Mary’s tone. Was it just professional annoyance?

  “Did you have a chance to sign those papers?”

  Tijan looked at the desk. She’d made sure there was nothing on the desk when the CSIS were there and now she mentally retraced her actions to figure out where she’d put them.

  “I’ll get to them, Mary. Thanks for the reminder.” She hung up before Mary could answer. The way she was handling things was making her sick but Tarin had told her that in business you don’t ask, you tell—especially when you’re the boss. Tijan was sure she’d never get used to this cold, calculating world. The signing of those papers would have to wait.

  Chapter 37

  August stood at the street corner, which wasn’t an easy thing to do. The number of people constantly waiting and moving was like being in the middle of a salmon run. There was just a mass of bodies with each person going their own direction, pushing and shoving to get there. While he tried to determine if he was being followed or if he should simply go, the choice was soon taken out of his hands. He’d managed for a couple of lights to sidestep and retain his place hugging the lamp post but that suddenly changed. At first, he was a bit panicked, thinking the bad guys had found him but then he realized the foot traffic had swelled so that he was just being taken with it. Getting into sync with everyone, he let himself be carried to the other sidewalk and then he deliberately pushed his way through, heading for the coffee shop that was supposed to be a few blocks off the main drag. As he made his way down the busy side street, he realized why everyone looked so darn miserable. For a few moments, he’d felt totally out of control as if he had no say as to where he was going. It was not a feeling he liked, especially the few seconds of near panic. The only other time he’d felt so helpless was when his mom squeezed his hand for the last time and he knew no matter what he did he couldn’t save her.

  Stopping at the end of the block, he stood next to the building so he was out of the flow of people. Casually glancing around, he almost burst out laughing. Guy and Graham had instructed him on making sure he wasn’t being followed, spending a good forty minutes telling him what to do, what not to do and what to look for. It had all made sense as they had coached him but now that he was supposed to be using those skills, he realized he really sucked at the whole spy game thing. All he saw was a mass of people hurrying to get somewhere. There was a crazy number of vehicles driving at different speeds, amid incessant honking, tires squealing and the occasional ‘asshole’. He’d been in several cities but he’d never seen anything quite like this ordered chaos.

  If someone was following him, they deserved a medal for being able to track him in that bedlam. A few people looked at him looks blankly he wasn’t sure they even saw him—nless he got in their way, and then he got a dirty look. Pushing away from the building, he just hoped that he had lost whatever tail he might have picked up.

  He walked three more blocks and then another four as instructed. He even walked around the block just to see if he recognized anyone or saw anything suspicious. Would he see a familiar face or recognize something that was there that shouldn’t have been? As he strode, trying to act like he didn’t have anywhere to be, he let his gaze wander over every person he passed as well as every building and car. With cars, he could note not only the model but could pretty much guess the year. There were some old Chevys, Fords, Chryslers, Saturns, Kias, Toyotas, Hondas and there were a few fancy sports cars—Camaros, Jaguars, Mercedes and one Lamborghini. Other than that, everything looked the same, yet different to him.

  Realizing he’d reached his destination again, he shook his head as if to clear it as he took one last look around. He did not see a tail or anyone who seemed interested in him.

  The dimly lit, raucous coffee shop was a noisy reflection of the street. His shoulders slumped a bit as he had been hoping to shut out that monotony of racket. The place was packed. There was a long line up to the counter and there didn’t seem to be an empty table. He didn’t see the two guys, so he stood in line and bought a cafe macchiato.

  Just as he picked up his coffee from the delivery area, someone bumped into him. He turned to say something, only to realize it
was Guy. He shook his head as he grabbed a couple of creams before making his way to a back stairwell. August waited a few moments before he followed. Once up the stairs, he realized it was just a small balcony with four tables, all of which were empty except for one. Guy and Graham were sitting at a space against the back wall. August made his way to them and sat down.

  Graham immediately placed a barrier along the stairs that stated the area was closed. August wondered who they knew to have this kind of preferential treatment.

  “Well, I don’t think anyone followed me.” August leaned back, feeling rather proud of himself.

  “Yeah, that’s what Pam said, too,” Guy smiled.

  August leaned forward. “Pam?”

  “The person we had watching out for you.”

  “Oh. Good.”

  Graham started laughing. “You didn’t see her, did you?”

  August thought about bluffing and found himself waving his hands palm upwards. “Uh... well...” He snorted. “Didn’t have a clue. I don’t know how you do this. A guy could have passed me twenty times and I wouldn’t have known.”

  A look passed between Guy and Graham before Guy spoke up. “Actually, we did have Pam do that to you. We just wanted to know what you observed.”

  “Well, that sucks. I failed abysmally. Every face blended. People are pushy. Man when they have somewhere to go, get the hell out of the way or you’re going too. It’s a little unnerving. I could have been stabbed, ripped off, beaten up and I’m not sure anyone would have noticed.”

  “It is a little overwhelming. The majority of people are good just not in good moods. You get used to it.”

  “No thanks.” August drank some of his coffee.

  Graham smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “If it’s any consolation, she’s very good and to be honest, I often can’t find her and I know her. Besides, she said you did well, you paid attention to what was around you. You stopped a few times; you didn’t just put your head down with the goal of getting from A to B, which is what most people do.”

  Feeling a little mollified, August leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “So what’s going on? What do I need to know? To watch for? I only found one bug in the office but I am sure there are more. I checked all the usual places you suggested—the lamps, under the edge of the desk, behind the edge of the furniture. That’s where I found one, on the backside of the liquor cabinet.”

  “Good job. We’re dealing with pros that do this for a living so don’t beat yourself up. We’ll need to send someone in after hours to see what they can find.” Guy kept a close eye on the door to the coffee shop.

  August wished he knew how they would know if a bad guy came through the door. Someday he wanted to learn more about the skills that these two gentlemen seemed to have.

  Graham pulled out his phone and scrolled through a few things. “First, Tijan needs to get in touch with us so we can set up remote access to her dad’s computer. That way we can search all that’s stored on there and keep an eye on everything. We also need a list of employees so we can do background checks. And who are the lawyers they’re using? That should give us a good idea of who we’re dealing with.”

  “Alright. I’ll see what I can get.”

  “Be careful; these people don’t fool around. Tell Tijan that whatever her dad was involved in, they may figure they can get it through her. They may try to kill her, too. Stick tight to her.”

  Graham jumped in, “That’s why this was such a bad idea. I mean, if Tijan hadn’t done this then Tarin would have had to. And there’s no way I wanted that to happen. This is serious. No holds barred, people could die.”

  August was a little startled by the intensity of what they were saying. The thought of someone killing them hadn’t entered his mind. For some reason, he’d only thought of them as keeping an eye on the place. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come then. She’s all by herself at the hotel.”

  “No she’s not and neither are you, but you still need to be aware of who and what is going on around you.” Graham put away his cell phone.

  “Time to go. Head back the way you came. No detours.”

  “Pam will escort me?”

  Graham smirked. “Don’t like being tailed by a woman you can’t see?”

  “It is a bit unsettling, man or woman.” August stood up. “Thanks guys. I think.”

  He headed down the stairs being sure to pull the barrier across. Looking around intently as he made his way out of the cafe, he saw some really interesting, some ordinary and some rather different individuals but he did not see anyone he recognized from when he’d arrived. Sighing heavily, he made his way out to the street. Hoping that Pam was somewhere in the vicinity, he made his way back to the hotel, finding himself moving much faster. The talk with Guy and Graham had really instilled in him the gravity of their situation. It was one of those things he’d known was serious, but at the same time, it was so outside of his world that it didn’t seem real. Now he was realizing just how dangerous it was.

  By the time he reached the hotel an hour later after taking every side street he could, he felt a bit like an owl searching for prey. His eyes were wide open taking in every little detail, even if he didn’t know what he was really looking for. His head felt like it had been on a swivel stick.

  Just as he arrived at the hotel and went through the large glass revolving doors, he noticed a black sleek car pull to the curb. It looked suspiciously like the one that had stopped beside Tijan at the hospital. Glancing around, he tried to determine if the bodyguards Guy and Graham had hired were visible. But again, he had no clue. It could have been the doorman that greeted him, the runner that looked terribly out of shape or even the old guy pruning the plants as well as any one of the hundred others coming and going.

  Shaking his head, he raced to the elevator to reach Tijan before she might have company.

  Chapter 38

  Rushing to the door, Tijan locked it before making her way back to her desk. Eleanor had said she had remotely accessed files, which was something Tijan was supposed to have arranged so Tarin, Graham and Guy could snoop through the computer. Checking her texts, Tijan had received several inquiries from Tarin regarding a time, as Tijan had to be at that computer when they set it up.

  She dialed her sister and it wasn’t until Tarin answered that she remembered she wasn’t to talk freely in the office. There might be too many ears listening.

  “Hi, Betty. Can you just give me a minute? I forgot something in my car; I hope I don’t lose you. If I do, I’ll call back.” Tijan made her way to the door that led to the parkade. Once out in the cemented area, she realized immediately that wasn’t going to work. Her sister was cutting in and out. Going back into the office, she debated about using the bathroom but figured that would be the first place she’d place a bug.

  “Betty, I’ll call you right back.” Where the name Betty came from, she had no idea. It just seemed like the right thing to do. The only Betty she’d ever known was the one on cartoon The Flintstones. She clicked off before Tarin could argue. Grabbing her keys on the way past her desk, she headed out of her office, only to stop dead as she almost collided with JT.

  “Well hello. Nice to see you’re in a hurry to see me.” He gave her his megawatt smile that really made him appear like a good-looking guy that was a little too in love with his own looks to be hitting on her. He made her really uncomfortable. This was not a complication she needed.

  “JT? Right?”

  His suave smile dimmed a bit.

  “I’m in a hurry. Make an appointment with Mary and I can meet with you tomorrow.” She closed her office door. Standing so he couldn’t see, she tapped in her alarm code.

  “Is there anything I can help you with? I really do know this business. In fact, your father was about to announce that I was going to be the new VP.”

  “Really? I thought you told me CFO?”

  His eyebrows drew together. “Well James didn’t want to put me directly into CFO because that mi
ght cause some problems for others. So I’m becoming VP and then will be CFO by the end of the year.”

  “Hmm. How long have you worked here, JT?”

  “A few years. Why?”

  “And what’s your background?”

  “I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Master’s Degree in Communications. Along with my experience, I am really well qualified.” He moved a little closer. “I could be an asset for you.”

  “Thank you, but I’m good for now. I really do have to run. Bye.” She sidestepped him and almost ran for the elevators. “I’m out, Mary. Thanks,” she said to a startled receptionist as she raced by.

  Trying to make sure no one followed her, she took the express elevator to the lobby, changed to another one and rode it to the second floor. Careful to lose anyone that might be following her, she exited the elevator and headed for the stairs.

  “Ms. Madsen. Excuse me?”

  Tijan kept walking but when a hand touched her arm, she whipped around and stepped back with her arms up, ready to defend herself.

  The woman in the housekeeper’s uniform stepped back startled, her hands immediately coming up, palms forward, to show she was harmless.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Madsen. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Tijan pressed her hand to her chest as she looked at the woman. She had to be in her forties and had dyed her hair a flaming red. She looked familiar but Tijan couldn’t place her. “I’m sorry; I was lost in thought. Can I help you?”

  “Yes, Ms. Madsen—”

  “Ti-Tarin please.”

  “Thank you for setting up a smoking area for staff. We all really appreciate it. Not just to smoke but to be able to take our lunch outside on nice days. I just wanted you to know.”

  Tijan was a little taken aback that it had happened so fast. “Good. I hadn’t heard it had been completed. Glad to hear it has been. Sorry, what’s your name?”

  “Jill.”

  “Jill. Can I put you in charge of it? Will you do up a set of rules or do you think we need that?”

  “I can. Uhm. I think that we should politely ask everyone to keep it clean.”