ADDICTED

11

JAMES

I watched Joan approach the room. Watched through the windows as her eyes slid over me and then Leah. Her eyes didn't move very far after that.

"Well, hello there."

Leah turned towards the voice, licking the coffee from her lips. She immediately smiled.

Joan made a very obvious show of looking the new meat up and down.

I cleared my throat. "Joan, meet Leah Harris. The newest member of the Muller Foundation and my personal assistant."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Harris." Joan grinned as she shook Leah's hand. "I had no idea James was bringing a friend. I've never known him to have assistants. He doesn't trust other people."

"We're working on that," Leah said, shooting me a smart grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you also, Joan. Your building is stunning."

To my surprise, the hotel mogul smiled brightly.

"I designed most of the decor and architecture myself. I prefer face-to-face meetings, given the confidentiality of these things, so we should have nice things to look at. Meetings can be unbearable otherwise."

"I agree completely." Leah took a sip from her coffee and glanced at me.

"Let's begin, shall we?" I suggested.

Joan's assistant, Mike, joined us and we started the meeting. I presented the information my intel had provided.

Joan hired me to find out about a potential scandal hanging over one of her investors. She was as anti-drama as any ultra-wealthy elitist could be.

Leah read the statistics I had drawn up for the investor's time, location progressions, and financial transactions.

"So we still can't prove that Landrum is importing heroine?" Joan asked.

Leah's eyes widened. Glancing worriedly at me, she bit her lip. She had no idea what we were trying to peg this culprit for or why. She was completely innocent of the reason we were truly in New York.

Joan would donate to the Foundation but it would merely be a disguised payment for my tracking services.

"I can't prove it," I told her, "but I have enough evidence that we can assume he is. My intel is actively observing him. If there is evidence out there to obtain, it will be delivered to us. In the meantime, we don't have legal grounds to expel his investment or claim in your company."

"Fuck." Joan closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "What about that thing I asked you about last month?"

I swallowed and closed my laptop. "I'm still working on that. It's something I want to investigate personally. I thought I could do so while I was in town."

She perked up at that. "How do you intend to get near him? Assuming my theories are true."

"Well, I have connections in SoHo. They have suggested that he frequents one of the clubs he owns. Leah and I will be going tomorrow night."

"Ahh, I didn't realize you would be personally investigating this," Joan remarked. Her gunmetal eyes flashed with suspicion. "Is there any particular reason for that, James?"

I didn't flinch or waver under her scrutiny. "I am afraid sending in one of my intel agents would risk exposure. Some matters I must attend to on my own. My connection also insisted that it must be me. There will be no loop back to you, Joan. You know I would never put a client at risk."