The Link Pt. 03: The Huntress

"I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules," Victor said. Two of the men looked like they were annoyed at the interruption. The others were at least resigned to answer Victor's call and held comfortable smiles. "As you know, Mr. Corbett's assets have been held in trust." Some of the eyebrows lifted and more than one looked concerned. "Tomorrow, the press will reveal the beneficiary of that trust. We felt it best that you know before the rest of the world." Eyes shifted, I suspect looking at their respective images of Caleb and I. I stiffened my face, trying to keep my butterflies from fluttering about.

"May I introduce Ms. Teegan Fuller," Victor said, moving behind me. Unbidden I rose from my chair.

"What is this, Watterson?" one of the disgruntled men said. His gray eyebrows narrowed and wrinkles appeared on his forehead. "A secret love child?" I stopped Caleb from rising, internally and with a gesture of my hand. Now was not the time to come to my defense.

"I wasn't expecting crudeness, Mr. Finkelstein," I said. My voice was calm as my eyes traveled from face to face. Victor had thankfully exposed me to their pictures and had me memorize the names. It gave me a slight advantage. "Mr. Watterson has assured me that all of you are the best of the best, and the first thing I hear is a rude supposition about my birth." I watched Finkelstein blanch at my comment wrapped in a compliment.

"Think before you speak, Howard," the woman, Tracy Hardwood, said. She gave me a slight smile, probably happy to see another woman in the fray. I knew through Victor that she was very calculating with a brilliant mind that measured everything and always came up on top.

"I am not a blood relation to Mr. Corbett if that speeds things up," I said. "Suffice it to say that I somehow impressed him as a baby. Whatever his reasons, I am tasked with building his legacy."

"Forgive me," Lance Nelson said," you seem a little...inexperienced for the task at hand." His eyebrows arched with a grandfatherly concern. He was testing my resolve, and I had no intention of collapsing under his pity.

"You are correct, Mr. Nelson," I replied. "I intend to spend the next few years relying on Mr. Watterson to handle the day to day while I gain that experience. I expect each of you to assign me a liaison who will teach me the ins and outs of your respective parts of the business."

"You intend direct control?" Frank Calhoun asked.

"No, Mr. Calhoun," I replied, "I intend to eventually oversee your control, though that will take years. Barring extreme circumstances, you'll answer to Mr. Watterson with the same degree of autonomy you have experienced in the past." I had been going over my statements in my mind for hours. I hoped it didn't sound too practiced. Caleb thought it sounded strong. I wish it felt strong.

"And what if I come directly to you?" Mrs. Hardwood asked.

"My lack of experience doesn't mean I'm amenable," I replied, "I'll defer to Mr. Watterson until I deem myself capable of intelligent decisions." I didn't want any of them doing an end run around Victor. There can only be one king at a time. The queen's time will come.

"What if we disagree with Mr. Watterson?" Tom Kincade asked.

"If you're unable to persuade him, then you're out of luck," I said. "This isn't a democracy. It's business." I was surprised that Victor had been silent since introducing me. He was standing behind me as if he had my back. He was letting them know I was in charge, even it was indirectly for the near term.

"What do you expect out of these liaisons?" William Ranklin asked.

"Initially, a broad introduction to your business sector," I replied. Victor had given me a few words to use and I decided now was the time. "Then descriptions of your key metrics, competitors, and the main assets. In time, I will be taking a seat on the board and will depend on that knowledge to make decisions." I paused a moment and decided to add some of my own words. "Feed me garbage and it will come right back at you." Kincade and Hardwood laughed, and the rest grinned.

"Our valuations took a 15% hit when Corbett died," Calhoun said. "They've just begun to recover and tomorrow the investment world will find out Corbett Holdings will be controlled by a teenager. We're looking at another 10% drop, if not more."

"We're estimating 20%," I said, looking at Victor who nodded. "Since all the changes are purely on paper, and we will essentially be doing business as usual, it seems a good time to do some stock buybacks. I leave that to your good judgment." I said it with confidence, the way I had practiced with Victor. The raised eyebrows added to my pride. Corbett picked a good man to handle his, and now my, affairs. I especially enjoyed the pride in Caleb's mind. His vision of me was changing, still too sexy, but now peppered with intelligence and power. It took everything I had not to smile.

"Our bonuses will take a hit this year," Kincade pointed out.

"Death will do that," I said, letting them know nothing about compensation will change. Victor warned me that the topic would come up. To Corbett, a contract was set in stone, and employment contracts were no different. For better or worse, an employee was stuck with whatever they negotiated and that extended to CEOs as well. "If you manage well, it will all come back quickly. In a couple of years, you'll all be flush with bonuses relative to the increases in the valuations from the false lows we'll experience."

"Gentlemen and Lady," Victor chimed in, "We have to call an end to this meeting. Please submit an education liaison to me by the end of next week. They will need to be fairly versed in the workings of your line of business and can afford a couple of hours a week for the foreseeable future." Eyes dropped as they were obviously writing down the to-do. "I'm sending a briefing paper over that highlights the points we discussed and contains some language for the press to integrate with your own messages so that we have some semblance of consistency across all business units. We will schedule another meeting in a few months, possibly in person so that we can all get better acquainted."

There were a series of goodbyes as the faces blanked out one at a time. They all smiled when they said it, but it seemed more political than real. I sighed heavily when the last face disappeared.

"That went well," Victor said.

"You impressed me," Caleb added.

"It was like giving my grandmother life advice," I said. "They've all got to be laughing and working on their resumes."

"I don't think so," Victor said, "you've given them more autonomy than Mr. Corbett ever did. He used to tell them each 'no' once in awhile just to remind them who is in charge. You basically told them that you'll trust them in the short term. They'll strive to prove the trust is warranted so that you won't rescind it in the future. They all enjoy the power, and you gave them a bit more."

"I certainly hope so," I said, doubting Victor's reasoning. "I need them. I can't believe Corbett trusted me with all of this. You'd have to struggle to find someone less qualified."

"I can only give you some advice that Mr. Corbett gave me," Victor said, "When you're faced with a difficult decision, guess with confidence and never be afraid to admit you were wrong. Just don't tell anyone else you were wrong." Caleb found the logic hilarious. I added my smile as Victor successfully diffused my anxiety.

*****

Lunch was a relaxing meal. It was brought out to the large patio behind the great room. The grounds had many trees that attracted birds and squirrels in abundance. One of the squirrels, a gray one with a bouncy tale, came close to the patio, so I threw him a small piece of bread. He looked at it then back at me, trying to decide if the meal was worth the risk. His stomach got the better of him as he shot forward, stuffed the bread in his jaw and scampered off toward the closest tree.

"Well, he was easy to satisfy," Caleb said between bites of his sandwich. I smiled at him, knowing he felt the tiny burst of joy that accompanied feeding the squirrel. I reached out across the small table, and Caleb instinctively covered my hand with his. "I love you," he whispered. I mouthed a 'me too,' and our eyes made love in that simple way that removed all the complexity from the world.

"Have I come at a bad time?" Detective Cruthers asked as she approached. I looked up to see her smiling, knowing full well she had interrupted our moment. Caleb and I retracted our hands, and I matched Cruthers' smile.

"Of course not," I lied, "though we weren't expecting you for another hour."

"Well, I got a lead on Anthony Lewis and figured you'd want it straight away," Cruthers said as she walked around our seats to take an empty one unoffered. She placed a folder on the table and opened it as if she owned the place.

"Would you like some lunch?" Caleb offered, waving his hand over our fare. There was a platter of mini sandwiches and finger vegetables. Cruthers nodded and reached out for a carrot and began munching without so much as a thank you. Strangely, I didn't take it as an insult. It was just her way. Caleb was enjoying the way she acted like we had all been friends since kindergarten.

"Is there any more iced tea?" Cruthers asked as she spread out a napkin like a plate and pulled over a mini ham and cheese. I was about to go to the kitchen when I noticed Cathy coming out of the sliding glass door carrying a tray with an additional place setting and a pitcher of iced tea. She was an elderly woman with a cheery disposition. I wasn't sure her exact responsibilities yet, but serving breakfast and lunch were part of it.

"You read my mind, Cathy. Thank you," I said with a smile.

"You're welcome, Ms. Fuller," Cathy replied and quickly laid out a setting for Cruthers. I was surprised when Cathy also received a 'thank you' from the detective. Something told me Cruthers had authority issues, and my newfound wealth put me into that category. Cathy, on the other hand, was deserving of her verbal respect.

"What did you find out?" Caleb asked.

"Well, I was able to find out where Anthony Lewis went to high school," Cruthers replied between chews. "I've got a few other leads that point to me towards Seattle, but his life is somewhat a mystery. He pops up, then disappears. Somehow, your detective agency was able to acquire a few of his tax filings." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "Not sure how they did it and I'm afraid I'd have to arrest them if they told me."

"Is this causing you job problems?" I asked.

"Nothing I can't handle," Cruthers replied. "Like I said, he pops up and disappears. Not one tax form has the same address as another, and they are always apartments. He lists his job description as a consultant and all the 1099s are from different companies."

"Shouldn't those companies know how to find him?" Caleb asked.

"Not a one," Cruthers said, "each one claimed he was acting as an agent of other firms. Those firms list him as a one-time contractor, and since he was paid directly, they didn't require the normal personnel paperwork."

"Sounds fishy," I said.

"Very," Cruthers continued, "I got a sense from the HR departments that he was a one-time thing. A favor for someone beyond their pay grade. At least, from those willing to talk with me. Most weren't even sure what he was consulting on."

"So what's leading you to Seattle?" Caleb asked.

"A bunch of little things," Cruthers replied, shuffling some of the papers in her folder. "He attended Northwestern Military and Naval Academy for high school. The school is no longer in existence, but it was pricey. Not something an orphan could afford."

"Orphan?" I said.

"Yep," Cruthers said, "and a well funded one at that. A church was paying his tuition, one on the outskirts of Seattle. Ever hear of The Welcome Word of the Lord?" Caleb and I shook our heads. "Well, it seems they are a well capitalized, and very private church. When I called them, they responded by sending me to their lawyer. She turned out to be a high-priced brick wall."

"Maybe it was just a scholarship thing, you know, help the less fortunate," I pointed out.

"Givers usually like to tout their giving," Cruthers said, "What's the point of saving the world if you can't attract more money to save it some more."

"That had to be many years ago. What leads you to believe that he still might be near there?" Caleb asked.

"Okay, this is a bit tenuous," Cruthers said, "A lot of the firms he did work for, have executives that deal with or the company is outright owned by a holding company called WWL, Inc. Strangely, the website doesn't explain the acronym or give any public history for the firm. It also doesn't contain any contact information."

"The Welcome Word of the Lord," Caleb said, a second before I figured it out. I smiled at his intuition.

"That's what I thought as well. Luckily, your PIs were able to dig up information on them," Cruthers said, then filled her mouth. She seemed to enjoy making us wait. I tried not to make my impatience noticeable. I could feel Caleb inwardly smile at my attempt, so I sent him a burst of love to keep him teetering as well.

"WWL is wholly owned by one man. It used to be two, but one of the partners died a few years ago and bequeathed his half to the other." Cruthers paused again, adding a smile as she grabbed some more carrots and refilled her iced tea. "A Mr. Sabbatini controls all the assets and probably lives in a house like this." She looked up at the mansion. It still awed me so I can imagine what it did to her.

"Okay," I said, "but how does that lead us to Mr. Lewis?" Cruthers smiled and chewed. She had a piece of investigative work she was proud of. She wanted it to make an entrance, and I sighed audibly at the stalling.

"You're enjoying this," Caleb said to Cruthers. She nodded, smiling and chewing.

"I like making rich people wait," Cruthers said, once she swallowed.

"I've only been rich for a couple of days," I said, defending my poverty cred.

"Doesn't matter," Cruthers said. "You have, and I have not. I take my joys where I can." Caleb began laughing, and it took me a moment not to feel insulted. It was Caleb's joy that broke through my guilt at having money handed to me. Soon, he had me laughing at myself.

"So what's the next clue you chased down?" I asked.

"A blog called The Seattle Connoisseur," Cruthers replied. "Victor told me what he remembered of Lewis. It seems his love of cooking is real and not a cover. He had some onion soup flown in from Paris to please your mother, under Corbett's orders. I guess it was some secret formula that was served in the Eiffel Tower. Well, he posted the recipe on his blog and churned up a firestorm. Seems, he identified some modifications to make it better. He's not using Anthony Lewis on the site, but I'm sure it's him. The timing of the recipe's release was too much of a coincidence. If I'm right, it's the only thing that's been constant in his life."

"Do you think you'll find an address?" Caleb asked.

"Sure, given enough time," Cruthers said. "The trick will be to nail him down before he tries something else."

"Terence feels that we're secure in here," I said.

"I agree," Cruthers said. Caleb sent me some strength, knowing that I meant not to hide. A trip to Seattle might be in order. "Do be aware that it isn't just Lewis you need to worry about. He has a powerful organization supporting his actions."

"WWL," Caleb pointed out.

"Probably," Cruthers said. "The coincidences are pointing in that direction."

"What will you do if you find him?" I asked.

"Did you know my husband still loves me?" Cruthers said, changing the subject. "Most people don't know that for sure. They go through life and in some cases, find out their partner of twenty years is looking for an out or had already found one."

"Pardon?" Caleb interjected.

"Not me," Cruthers continued, "I know it for certain. I'm a little envious of your wealth, but I wouldn't trade the knowledge of that love for all your money. You gave me that...with that thing you do. I thought it was the mega thinking that was important, but when I got home, I could see what was important in his eyes." She smiled at the memory.

"I'm glad," I said, taking Caleb's hand in mine. Everyone should feel that connection.

"If I find him, I going to stop him," Cruthers said. "I'm not sure how, but you're here for a reason, and no asshole is going to get in the way." Blood rushed to my face. Wealth, legacy, and now Cruthers thought I was more special than I was.

"What if I stop him?" I asked, trying to use determination to lessen my blush. Cruthers looked at me, then toward Caleb. We were both determined.

"Can you?" Cruthers asked.

"Permanently," I said, "he had my brother shot and killed Jason." Caleb squeezed my hand, and I felt his strength in me.

"You have to see him coming," Cruthers said, ignoring the illegality of the situation. "I've been thinking about that. What if he changes tactics? Does something you don't expect."

"The sniper missing was a fluke," Caleb said, "I won't be caught with my pants down again."

"What if he ups the ante? There are ways to kill a person without being near them," Cruthers said. "Poison, gas, and bombs come to mind."

"He's not going to go that far," I said. "Is he?"

"If he has access to the resources of the WWL, then it may very well go that far," Cruthers said.

"He could kill hundreds," I said.

"We can't draw him out," Caleb continued my thought.

"Nope," Cruthers said, grabbing another mini sandwich, "you need to find him before he gets access to you."

"Will you tell us if you find him?" I asked.

"Only if he's outside of my jurisdiction," Cruthers replied. "Otherwise, he's mine." She filled her mouth and began chewing with gusto. There was anger in her, a determination I was slightly uncomfortable with. I didn't deserve the following I was gathering.

"Thank you," I said as I wondered what the weather was like in Seattle.

Chapter 13 - Caleb

Kato Tetsuzan stood before me with his hand out. My idol, the one I never thought I'd meet, was now a mere two feet away. Standing there like an idiot with my mouth open shouldn't have been my reaction. Teagan moved in with a chuckle.

"Welcome, Mr. Tetsuzan," Teegan said. "I believe you've caught Caleb off guard."

"Kato, please," Kato said, shaking Teegan's hand. "And you must be Caleb McGuire. The one who did the duet with the Sax." I nodded like an idiot. "I heard a bootleg of it on the net. I must say it wasn't what I expected."

"You heard it?" I said like a star struck teenager. Damn, I was.

"One of my colleagues pushed it off on me," Kato said. "Amazing is all I can say. The way you and that sax danced, well, it was so original and surprisingly pleasing to the ear. I'd love to hear it live." I finally held out my hand and closed my mouth. Kato smiled as we shook hands.

"I'm not really used to meeting musicians like you," I said. "You're kind of my idol."

"Then you're in a lot of trouble," Kato said, "I play for the fun of it, and I've got no idea why everyone else likes it." We shared a laugh, which was worth gold to me. Here was a musician, probably twenty years my senior, who had achieved everything I ever wanted musically. Without meaning too, I rudely turned away from Teegan and began walking Kato to the library. I was about 10 steps into it before I had realized what I had done. Teegan was smiling when I turned to apologize. She waved me on, sending me bursts of love and a message to enjoy myself. I accepted the gift and the love, then continued to the library.