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“I need a favor.”
“From me? What could I possibly do for someone of your stature and wealth?” His tone held sincerity rather than flattery.
“There is a very nice gentleman in Santo Domingo who will be in need of a job.”
“And how can I be of service?”
“He has meticulous management skills. Not necessarily in banking, but general office management. I was wondering if, by any chance, there might be an opening for an office manager in any of your branches in Santo Domingo. And if not, surely you must know someone at another bank?” Annie was businesslike but also kind.
“As you know there has been a mass exodus from Santo Domingo over the past two years. There must be some openings. How soon do you need this to happen?”
“Monday would be ideal.”
“As in . . . the day after next?”
“Yes, Mac, as in the day after next.”
“We close early on Saturday. That will give me about three hours to see who I can reach.”
“Please make it sooner. The man cannot go to his current place of employment on Monday.”
“Is he in some kind of trouble?” There was growing concern in Mac’s voice.
“No. Not him personally. I really can’t get into the details, but I want to protect him.”
Mac was envisioning guns. Annie could sense his trepidation. “Nothing violent, Mac. Let’s just say he’s been working for some very bad people who are about to get into a lot of hot water, and not from a tub. He’s an innocent bystander, but chances are they will close down the company he works for and he won’t have a job. He has a wife and family.”
Mac was relieved. “And you say he’s on the up-and-up?”
“You have my word,” Annie said. Even though she had never met the man, Alexis’s word was as good as her own.
“Alright then. I am going to need some information.”
“Yes, of course. Give me a few minutes and I will get right back to you. Mac, I truly appreciate what you are doing.”
“Countess, if this is important to you, then it’s important to me as well.”
“Thank you. Will be back in a flash.” Annie quickly phoned Fergus. “Hello, cookie.” She loved teasing him. “Can you send me the dossier you have on Alberto Segundo from the REBAR plant? I’ve asked Mac to get him a new job and he needs a bit more information than the man’s name and my word.”
“Right. Will send now. Talk later, my sugar plum.” Fergus gave it right back to her.
Annie snorted. “I just love that guy,” she said as she hung up the phone.
About a minute later a Word document appeared on her tablet’s screen. It was all there: Alberto Segundo’s full résumé and background information. He was an upstanding member of a small community outside of Santo Domingo. No criminal record. Married for twenty-three years, with two teenage boys. He volunteered at his church’s soup kitchen and coached his kids’ rugby team. Before REBAR he was a clerk at a big hardware supply store and became the section manager. Several years later he was offered a job at REBAR as the assistant to the plant manager. When the plant manager retired everyone moved up the ladder, including Segundo, who took on the responsibility of Plant Manager. According to the chain of command, he eventually became the person who made sure everything ran on time. Plant Manager. He was the boss. As much of a boss as he could be. He had no control of the size of the jobs, nor did he control where they were being shipped. But keeping the office operating efficiently was something he did control, and he did it well without bullying. He was respected and liked by his staff.
Annie finished reading. “I think he will be a valuable employee wherever he goes.” She forwarded the information to Mac.
Brooklyn
Donald Walsh hadn’t felt this level of excitement since his bowling team won first place in the Borough Bouncers League. He eyed his trophy. It was one of the few things he could call his own. Every stick of furniture came from a thrift shop. The mismatched dishes were from his mother and two grandmothers. He could barely make a place setting with all of them combined. But he didn’t care. He never had dinner guests, nor did he want any. There was nothing he cared to bring with him except his clothes and his television set. It was his one splurge: a seventy-five-inch Samsung Neo QLED 8K. It took up most of the wall. One could argue it was a tad too big. At first it was unnerving to see people on the screen with heads much bigger than your own. But he would just pretend he was in the front row at the movie theatre. Not ideal, but so what.
He knelt down next to the Early American–style maple bed, also from Goodwill. Two black nylon duffel bags were covered with dust. He remembered when he took his first trip to Santo Domingo. Fielder called him into his office and advised him to make sure he had respectable luggage. Right then and there Walsh wanted to punch Fielder in the mouth, but he didn’t want to smash the face of the man who was about to feed him. Walsh once again made a quick trip to a big-box store and purchased two inexpensive matching nylon duffel bags. They were presentable enough. At least they didn’t have holes in them.
It dawned on him he would need to wrap his television. He smiled at how clever he’d been to keep the original box just in case something went wrong with it. That, too, was under his bed.
He tossed the two duffel bags on the bed and began to pack. He decided to take only one of his blazers. Just in case. In case of what, he had no idea. Maybe he’d make a lady-friend down there. They said Southern women were the most charming and friendly. Maybe someone like Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham. It hadn’t occurred to Walsh that Durham was in North Carolina. Not Alabama. But like many people born in New York, anything south of the Mason-Dixon Line was the South to him.
He shook himself out of his daydream of meeting a beautiful woman, although the thought of meeting any woman hadn’t crossed his mind in years. He smiled to himself. Things were about to change. Little did he know exactly how much.
