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“Exactly. She’s a rising star in her organization. And she doesn’t always play by the rules. A gambler, really. She sent a letter to the shareholders outlining our efforts to acquire the Indianapolis asset. Oh, not just the shareholders. She sent the letter to the mayor, the city council, and the governor. It’s a full-court press.”
“She sounds very thorough.”
“Oh, she is. She’s working every angle she can think of.”
“The acquisition effort was bound to come to light sooner or later.”
“It was, but we were going to be the ones who leaked the news to the media. We wanted to maintain control of the narrative. We lose control, and all will break loose down south.”
“So, do you want to know more about Tyra?”
“I need to know more about her. I’d like to know if she has any vulnerabilities or liabilities. Are there any pressure points or flaws in her armor? I’m especially eager to learn if she loves money or power. With the right offer, I can bring her on board.”
I tried to think of some way to help, but I couldn’t.
“I’ll have to pull her file and do some major digging,” I said. “Of course, you might ask some of the people on your team if they’ve ever met Tyra.”
“I did ask, and no one admits to meeting or talking to her. That would seem impossible, given the details she knows. I would love to track all the phone calls that have been made recently. That’s pretty much illegal, isn’t it?”
“Yes, if it’s their private phone. The company can examine all the calls made on phones the company pays for. There’s no assumption of privacy there.”
“I’ll take a look, but if someone is dumb enough to talk to Tyra on a company phone, they need to be fired.”
I nodded, but we both knew some people simply couldn’t see very far ahead. Perhaps, they believed that everyone else was as reckless as they were.
“Digging into Tyra’s history will take some time. Have any idea how many days we have before there’s an implosion?”
He shrugged. “Not as many as we would like. If we can’t do something, the project goes down the drain. My career goes with it. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t care so much, but I like Chicago. I like where I work. But, enough of business.” He smiled. My heart skipped a beat.
“I’m guessing you’ve already got plans for Christmas.”
I nodded. “Heading back to North Carolina. Emily needs to see more of my parents, and I promised Wayne’s mother she could spend some time with her granddaughter.”
“I thought so, and I certainly don’t wish to intrude on family times. I haven’t made plans to visit my mother in Phoenix, but I think I will. I’ve never been what you would call a dutiful son. I guess family never meant that much to me. That’s changed. I’ve come to believe that family is very important. Taking care of family obligations should be a top priority.”
I sensed that Codrin was sincere in his wish to grow closer to his family. I wasn’t at all sure that those aspirations would fade as soon as another project reared its head. He was like Wayne in that respect. There would always be another deployment.
“I’m sure your mother will love to see you,” I said.
“She will. So, Christmas is taken care of. What about New Year’s?”
“What about it?”
“Are you busy?”
I couldn’t read his face. I simply felt an overwhelming yen to please him.
“No, I’m free for New Year’s.”
“Great. Get a babysitter. You and I will go someplace and have a good time. We’ll listen to music and dance and toast with champagne at midnight. What do you say?”
“Sounds like a date.”
“Oh, it is. I think we can officially call it that.” He paused. “Look, I know that you are now a widow. I read that Queen Victoria of England wore nothing but black after her husband died. Forty years of wearing black and mourning for the man she loved. She never really got over his death. That seems like overkill, but people are people. If this is too soon for you, just say so. I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better. New Year's is generally pretty safe, as there are always crowds. If you don’t like the person you’re with, you simply drink a bit more and hang with some buddies.”
I laughed. “That is so like a man. I haven’t dated in so long that I’m not sure I remember how. I loved my husband with all my heart, but I reconciled with his probable death some time ago. I still hoped, but my hope wasn’t rational. And relying on the safety of crowds isn’t just a guy thing. Women often arrange for a phone call during a date that will allow them to run to an emergency.”
“Ah, yes, I’ve heard of those, although I’ve never experienced one.”
