The Recluse

"Don't want to put you in a conflict of interest situation, Angeline, but there is some underhanded stuff going on between some folks at James River and at least two members of our board. I'm trying to figure out where the vine climbs to!"

"So, I was premature in my self-congratulatory illusions about you seeking me out for other reasons. This is strictly a military operation after all! Well, Brad, I'm not waving any white flags today, or bras either. I thank you for the lunch and now if you don't mind I need to get back to work."

"Sorry for the seeming deception, Angeline, but I do enjoy spending time with you, so this was not quite as nefarious as it might seem. In fact, it was due to the rapport that I thought we had enjoyed last week that I felt I could trust you enough to even broach these questions. While I now have to accept that whatever I tell you will perhaps get back to your bosses, I feel I need to warn you that what some of the board members have been up to may end up with conspiracy and attempted fraud charges being laid, not to mention that your president's brother is going to be under investigation for insider trading. I'm hoping you aren't involved, and I don't want any of the shrapnel to hit you when this bomb goes off. Again, sorry I've offended. Have a nice day and say hi to your sister Trish for me if you can."

Angeline was sitting back in her chair, open mouthed, listening anxiously. Slowly her head began to shake from left to right in denial, then her eyes closed briefly and she took a deep breath. She looked up at me for a moment before responding. "Andrew Foster is a good friend of Terrance and Arnold Sadler's. I think they all went to school together at Virginia. This is about a property in Colonial Heights, right?"

"Partly, but it is more about a property that we own in Fairfax County. A property that someone in your firm knew was right in the middle of a major road expansion and a new civic centre. A property that they conspired to virtually steal in a mis-appraised trade for the Colonial Heights property that you guys own."

"Oh, we don't own it! We have an unexpired option on the property that runs out in about a month, but there was never any real question about closing on the option, it is too rich for our current cash flow. You just said someone knew about a road expansion, would that be a Federal Highway?"

"Yes, where Arnold Carrollton just happens to sit on the committee that decided the routing and expropriation plans. As for the civic centre, Conrad Sadler is on the board of Commissioners for Fairfax County. Ring any bells?"

"Look, Brad, all I know about any of this is that Tommy Hill came to me a few weeks ago and told me to run cash flow projections for the next six months and see where we could tighten up enough to free up about an extra $5 million to finance an acquisition. Since then there have been heated meetings between John and Tommy almost daily. Conrad has been in twice in the past ten days, which is pretty unusual, too."

"So, how the hell was James River going to trade land it doesn't even own? Angeline, this is getting worse by the day! I am beginning to think they were planning to steal a $50 million tract of land and leave us with $5 million!"

"Well, maybe, but we don't really have $5 million right now. We are deeply involved in the rail-yard redevelopment project in Virginia Beach, and it is stressing our cash flow. I am supposed to be making a presentation to a new bank on Wednesday to try to secure additional funding."

"Let me guess, that would be Citizen's Bank in Fairfax. Are you meeting with Richard Perkins, by chance?

"Richard Perkins? I don't know about the bank, but a Richard Perkins is John Carrollton's father-in-law."

"You ever met him?"

"Yes, once. Let me think, ah, about five foot nine or so, a bit dumpy looking, sandy brown hair brushed straight back. Wore dark framed glasses and dressed conservatively."

"Yup, that's our banker, who until last Friday also sat on our board of directors."

"I think I've said too much already. Brad, I need this job, I just bought a new condo and I don't come from a rich family. I've actually been helping my folks out financially the last couple of years. Tell me, is James River going to get wiped out?"

"I don't know, maybe. It depends what they find, I guess, but there's enough smoke here to assume someone is going to get burned pretty badly. It was supposed to be us, and could have been, but they got so damn greedy that it is all blowing up in their faces. Can I ask a favour, Angeline?"

"Ok, ask, but I'm not promising anything."

"Fair. Can you find out exactly when your option on the Colonial Heights property runs out?"

"I can tell you that easily right now. All the funds documents are in my computer and the option on Colonial runs to sometime early next month because I know we have only one more payment to make before it expires. It was part of the cash flow crunching I was doing. The option is costing us $60k per month."

"That sound pretty good for a property worth $18 million. What is that 4%?"

"Well, it would be but that property is only valued at about $12 million and we are paying 6% for the option."

"Angeline, I hate to tell you this, but I think you need to distance yourself from James River Holdings as fast as you can. I think this is going to get really ugly. By the way, one last thing, have you ever met my brother Karl at your offices?"

"No! I would have told you that last week if I'd known him. I've only met Andrew Foster one time when he came in to see Terrance, but I think Conrad and Terrance might have had meetings with him at Virginia Beach."

"What makes you think so?"

"The project we are doing, that rail-yard re-development? Well, Terrance said something to Conrad as they were walking out on Thursday afternoon. He said 'Andrew is going to help us get past the hold back issue.' I know Thomas was concerned because the mandatory 7% holdback on the project is hurting us. The whole project is running about three months behind schedule and it's chewing up cashflow. It's the biggest single project we've ever attempted and everyone was ecstatic when we got it, but there's been a lot of grousing lately."

"Angeline, do you need to get back to the office?"

"I should already be back. If you give me a minute, I'm going to call my secretary and book out for the afternoon. I don't think my stomach will let me walk in the door right now."

"Look, Angeline, can you give me fifteen minutes and meet me around the corner on Lombardy? I need to talk to somebody about this briefly."

"Ah, better idea, there's a book store just about a block up Park Avenue. I'll go browse there until you come for me." Angeline rose from her seat, biting her lower lip.

"Angeline, thank you for your candour. I know it wasn't easy. I promise you, you are going to come out of this ok!" Who was I to make promises? I hardly even know this woman, a few kisses and a kayak ride and I'm getting involved in promising stuff I have no idea about. Well, if nothing else all this crap is giving me some great ideas for a story plot!

I hope Angeline found some good books to browse through because my conversation with Uncle George and Louise lasted well over half an hour. I wasn't the only one with news. Ruth Greenberg, our deputy CFO under Mark Hurd had come up to George's office with a copy of the demand note from Citizen's Bank that Mark told her needn't get forwarded except to Karl, who had called in sick today. Louise shared the news that she had already met with her friend Charles Armbrewster, and he was very interested in seeing our financials. Now the issue was whether Mark Hurd could be trusted to deliver them. Louise suggested having our auditors call him directly and bypassing our finance department as long as possible. My news about the Colonial Heights property was met with amazement, but my other news regarding Andrew's involvement with the Sadler brothers brought only silence from my uncle.

Angeline and I strolled along the North Bank Trail in Byrd Park, enduring the heat of the afternoon and trying to discuss anything but the subject that was consuming us. Angeline took my hand as we walked.

"We should at least look like a couple if we're going to parade around out here in the heat like idiots. It's really the only excuse we have."

I chuckled and grasped her hand more firmly. "Ang, how hard would it be for you to take some time off?"

"What do you have in mind, Mr. Willis?"

"I know where there are a couple of Kayaks that need exercising. Though you might like to get away for a bit and join me at the lake."

"As much as it may have seemed otherwise last Tuesday, I really don't do casual very well. I admit I am attracted to you, and the flirting was fun, but I'm not ready for a romp between the sheets Brad. If that's what you have in mind I think I'll pass."

"I had no nefarious agenda to get into that lacy white stuff I first saw you in, not that the idea doesn't have a lot of appeal. I have four bedrooms in the lake house and you can choose to sleep in any one you desire. They all have locks, by the way, and if you'd like, why don't you invite Darla or Trish to come keep you company if you'd feel safer?"

"Oh, I think I'm old enough not to require a chaperone, Brad. I just wanted to clarify expectations up front. I have vacation days accrued, that wouldn't be an issue. I would need to go in tomorrow though and make certain arrangements. How long is the invitation good for?" Angeline smirked at me suppressing a quiet giggle.

"I'd say you should plan to come for about ten days! We should have a pretty clear picture of how this is going to play out in that time. A week from this Friday will be our shareholders meeting and after that a lot more will be clarified. I'll probably have to make a few trips into the city while you are out, so we'd get a chance to get civilized in between kayaking!"

"So, I take it you want me away from James River, am I under house arrest?"

"No, I don't even own a set of handcuffs!"

"Now that's a pity, I thought things were just starting to get interesting!"

"You know Ms Turner, I am beginning to think you are just messing with me!"

We both laughed and decided to head over to Rosie Connolly's Pub for a different take on comfort food and a pint of Guinness. Agreeing that Angeline would drive up to the lake house on Wednesday I took my leave and headed for home.

Chapter 5

At Uncle George's direction, Franklin Carmody engaged an outside firm of Appraisers to evaluate to two properties involved in the proposed swap. In the meantime Franklin also prepared a report for the Fairfax County Police Department of our suspicions of a conspiracy to commit fraud and highlighting the actions of a member of the County Commissioners in instigating and perpetrating the fraud.

The various actions of each suspected participant were enumerated, including the members of our own family. The report was then given to Karl and Andrew for their review. The result sounded off a melt down reminiscent of the twin towers crumbling at 9-11.

Karl walked into Uncle George's office, threw down the file on his desk, ranted and swore vengeance, and finally threatened a law suit. Uncle George calmly asked him who he intended to file the suit against, which had Karl flummoxed for a few seconds before he marched back to his own office down the hall, slamming both doors in his wake.

Andrew, upon receiving the documents from his father had immediately phoned his good friend Terrance Sadler to inform him of their dilemma. That call resulted in the much anticipated effect at the offices of James River Holdings, where an emergency board meeting was hastily convened with the four officers of the company who were in the building at the time. As Angeline described it to me the next day, it seemed that bedlam was not too strong a term to employ. Thomas Hill, who had seemingly not been an active member of the plot to defraud Willis and Foster resigned immediately, returned to his office and cleaned out his desk, but not before copying all his correspondence and the latest financial documents to his laptop, which he carried out with him.

After Andrew's panicked phone call he walked over to his father's office requesting a meeting. Sitting in George's office, Andrew asked what he could do to make things right. Uncle George, with tears in his eyes answered with one word. "Resign."

Andrew bowed his head in defeat, then nodded.

"One question, son." George asked. "Why?"

"Karl and I have been investing outside the company for some time. I knew these guys from university, they were old friends and they got themselves in over their heads in Virginia Beach, reclaiming the old rail yards. They desperately needed an infusion of cash and with it there was a great chance to make a killing. But the idiots screwed it all up, mismanaging the project, causing expensive delays and threatened penalties. We stood to loose millions! By using the land deal we'd have freed up equity and redeemed the rail yards project, effectively putting us in control of their whole company. Karl and I could have each pocketed over twenty million and all of it in capital gains so the tax rate would have been negligible. It was too good to pass up. Doing nothing meant probable personal bankruptcy for me and a huge loss and big embarrassment for Karl."

"And you would have stolen all of that money from your own family!"

"No, not really, dad, not in the long term anyway. I mean, well, whatever Aunt Pamela might have lost in short term asset value would have been half Karl's anyway, and I will inherit from you when you retire or pass on, so it was just taking an advance, sort of, besides we planned on the deal eventually generating revenues for W&F as well."

"And Bradley and the rest of the shareholders?" George asked.

"Damn it Dad, what does Bradley do to earn anything. He sits out there in his isolated country log mansion like some recluse and graces us with his presence ever month or two! He writes stupid novels that earn him a killing, while Karl and I earn him more money day in and day out every year! If he ended up with a couple of million less, he still has more than he deserves!"

"He, and the other shareholders, including this company's pension fund are owed the safe keeping of the assets of their stock! You have been paid very handsomely for your contributions. I hope to hell you have put some of that money away safely, because after today those pay checks stop are going to stop! Now maybe you are going to find yourself in the position of hoping that somebody else takes better care of this company than you planned to do, because your stock value will depend on it."

"What about my stock, Dad?"

"What about it?"

"Will you buy me out? If I have no future here I'd rather not be invested in the company any longer."

"I'll tell you what, Andrew. After the shareholder's meeting next Friday I will give you an answer, but not before."

"Are you really going to send that report to the police department? You know that if you do there is a good chance that both Karl and I will be charged, don't you. I'm still your son, dad."

"Yes, you might be. Tell me Andrew, were you really going to rip me off for $15 Million dollars? Your own father? I can't answer you right now. I have to talk to the other board members, those who will still have seats after next Friday, which I suspect will be a very small group!"

I received the phone call at six fifteen Tuesday night. Uncle George had been shot several times at the entrance to his driveway as he drove home from the office. He was in surgery in Georgetown University Hospital. By the time I arrived Aunt Anna and Andrew were already sitting morosely in the emergency waiting room. I greeted Aunt Anna warmly but ignored Andrew. It took nearly two hours before a doctor appeared to inform us that George, baring complications, was expected to make a full recovery, albeit with hip surgery to replace his shattered hip joint. He would, however be in hospital for several weeks due to the severity of his other wound, which had caused considerable damage to his abdomen.

Angeline showed up late in the morning on Wednesday, the day after all the fireworks. I was busy making lunch and the crazy buzzer reminded me that I had again forgotten to leave the gate open for her. If this keeps up I'm just going to get her a gate card of her own! After lunch Ang left me to clean up while she search out which bedroom she preferred. She returned to the great room wearing nothing but a very brief pair of tight shorts that highlighted a very nice derrière. Ang melted into my arms and I got to enjoy those ample breasts of her up close for quite a while before Ang sat back, breathing heavily, a big smile on her flushed face.

"Time out, Tiger! Need to slow down for a bit and try to gather my wits! I know I am teasing, Brad, but I think I really like you, and this may go further, but I need to catch my breath!"

I refilled our wine glasses and we sat on the deck, both still topless, overlooking the lake and comparing notes. Well, Ang was looking at the lake, while I was preoccupied looking at those gorgeous tits just out of reach. It looked to Angeline like James River Holdings might be dissolved or face bankruptcy. The principals were scrambling to make off with whatever cash they could free up, but it would all be for nought once the courts got involved because of the cross guarantees and covenants the bank held.

Speaking of banks, our good friend Richard Perkins was no longer at Citizen's Bank. It seems someone had a chat with two of board members and dear Dick was asked to remove himself from the bank forthwith. The demand for re-payment of our loans was rescinded, but we had already found probable alternate lending, along with a very promising new board member.

For a few days my brother and cousin supposed they might have gotten a free walk past the gallows because Uncle George would not be out of hospital before the shareholders meeting, and Andrew assumed that he would be in line to vote his father's shares if George was still incapacitated. That illusion went up in smoke when Franklin Carmody informed Andrew that Uncle George's shares had been assigned to me by proxy immediately following the last board meeting. Neither of them bothered to show up at the meeting, both having resigned their board seats and their executive positions in the company.

We never did send the suspected conspiracy report to the police, as the intended fraud had been circumvented and all parties had been dealt with financially. Karl and Andrew both resigned quietly, the announcements of the highway expansion and the new civic centre came out within days of each other, and Conrad Sadler, after a brief discussion with Franklin Carmody, resigned as County Commissioner rather than face an investigation of leaking confidential documents. Arnold Carrollton just kept his head down for a while but still remains employed in the Federal government. With all the graft down there in Washington how would you ever notice one more crook?

Uncle George, Louise, and I decided to allow mother to keep her seat on the board. From what we could determine she really didn't know anything about the fraud planned by her son and nephew, she was just being what she thought was a supportive mother to her eldest son. After she found out all the facts, she started calling me more often, mostly, I think, because Karl moved his family to the west coast, and she now claims I am the d'facto head of the family. As I've said, no good deed goes unpunished!

The police never did arrest anyone for the shooting. It was pretty clear that someone involved in the fraud plan had to be behind it to keep Uncle George from using the shareholders meeting to kill any chance of salvaging James River Holdings, but proving it was another thing. Because we never pressed charges or released our findings it made their job much more difficult. Uncle George was adamant that he didn't want the family totally destroyed by ending up with two family members in jail, so it would remain an unsolved attempted homicide. Andrew swore that neither he nor Karl had any knowledge of the attack. Uncle George believed him, or at least wanted to enough to destroy the files. Yes, technically that was a criminal act on our part because we were suppressing evidence of a conspiracy to commit a crime.