Executive

…71

She quietly approached the house, engine idling, and low beams off. She didn't even pull into the driveway, afraid she'd wake them up. She took the printed email, scribbled on the back "What do you think?" and walked toward the front door. She was crouching to slide the paper under the door, when nearby she heard a cat purr. She turned left and looked for the source of the sound.

"Good evening," Tom said.

She gasped. "You scared me to death," she said, standing.

"I scared you? I was sitting here, on my lawn, drinking my tea, petting my cat, when you came around behaving like a burglar. You scared me!"

Alex laughed. "OK, I guess we're even, then."

"What brings you here in the dead of the night?"

"This," Alex said, handing him the paper.

"It's too dark to read, what's in it?"

"Hold on, I've got a flashlight." Alex went to the car and returned with a small light. "I need your first impression of the message, not through my conveyed version of it. Here you go."

Tom read the email message in the flashlight's dim beam.

"I see," he said, "interesting."

"What do you think?" Alex asked. "Is this foul play? It reeks of foul play to me, but why would he take this risk and send this by email, rather than tell her?"

"He is getting high on the fumes of power," Tom said. "People like him cannot conceive that they could be less than perfect, or that someone could not be awed by their power and charisma. They are the sociopathic narcissists, those who combine the total absence of conscience with absolute conviction they are God's greatest gift to humankind. It's an intoxicating combination, likely to lead him to make mistakes."

"So, do you think my gut was right to make me drive all the way here?"

"Definitely. This is not a benign email message. This email demands action and is riddled with poisonous sarcasm, the type of sarcasm someone like that would reserve for those who have deeply disappointed him. This email is manipulative and punitive, and at the same time, demands immediate action."

"What should we expect?"

"I would expect a seriously negative media exposure incident. Whether a TV newscast, a press article, or who knows what other media vehicle they might choose, this exposure will probably take place within two days," Tom said, hitting the page with a finger. The noise made Little Tom open his eyes for a minute or so, while silence fell in the dark garden.

"What should I do?" Alex asked, in a whisper.

"I think the time has come to cut Dr. Barnaby's losses. We need to move in for the kill. We need to close this case in the next forty-eight hours." Tom's hand was stroking Little Tom's back, causing his legs to stretch with every motion. His purrs were louder than their voices.

"Are we ready? Do we have enough?"

"Well, get what more you can in the next couple of days, then that's it. Be more visible in your inquiries, start making some noise. Ask uncomfortable questions, scare them a bit."

"Won't that get me in trouble?" Alex asked.

"Not if you're careful. Plus, we'll have your back."

She looked in his eyes, with a flicker of doubt.

"This time I really mean it," Tom said. "You know, I'm also smart enough to be able to learn from my own mistakes." He smiled sadly. He had beaten himself up numerous times about the error in judgment that caused him to abandon Alex in jail. He was determined to never let it happen again. Not ever. Alex read that determination in his eyes, although he didn't speak a word.

"But what's the benefit of making noise and raising potential questions?" Alex asked. She was missing Tom's strategy, could not grasp his thinking.

"Well, for some of these executives, we have enough incriminating evidence to recommend termination of employment and maybe even involve the authorities. The final call belongs to the client, because such court cases can tarnish the company name and public image. That's an aspect we need to manage carefully. As we move on to address the ones we can, those who know they did something wrong will start fearing exposure and will disappear on their own. Or they will make an incredibly stupid mistake."

"We're betting on scaring them off?" Alex asked. "It doesn't seem like a foolproof method to pull all the bad ones out of this mix."

"You're thinking like an honest person again," Tom smiled. "What if you were one of these crooks? What if you saw all, or most of, your partners in crime eliminated from the company, and you'd never be able to hear from them again? Wouldn't that scare you just a little bit?"

"More than just a little bit, I get it. You're right, this might work out just fine," Alex said. "Then we should be done and wrapped up in two days. I'll need your help figuring out my exit strategy, so we don't raise suspicions and cause the client any issues. I only wish I could find out which one of these bastards set me up."