“Wonderful!”
When they reached a T Intersection, Sam turned left. Michelle watched the landscape go by; it was flatter in this area, with the hills continuing to her right. There was a glimmer of metal and concrete off in the distance and Sam said, “We’re almost there.”
Michelle watched as they grew closer to the building. There was nothing spectacular about it; there were dozens of similar-looking structures on the outskirts of large cities across the country. This building was large, sprawling, appeared to be four stories in height and commanded approximately forty acres of land including the parking lot, which was filled to capacity. Sam pulled into the lot and headed toward the back of the building. Michelle’s heartbeat quickened. Despite her knowledge of what Corporate Financial was, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement at the thought of getting inside the building and scoping out its layout.
Sam pulled into a private parking slot and stopped the engine. Michelle grabbed her laptop and briefcase and joined Gary and Sam in the parking lot. She smoothed her skirt down briefly, regarding the building before her. Sam grinned. “Come. Let me take you inside.”
Michelle followed Sam and Gary down the walkway and into the building. They entered a well-furnished lobby. She followed Sam and Gary to the security booth, which was staffed by a young African-American woman. “We need a temporary ID with full security clearance for Miss Michelle Dowling,” Sam told the guard. “I called this in yesterday.”
The guard scanned a list and made a mark with a ball-point pen. She looked at Michelle, who tried not to look surprised when she looked back at the young woman.
My God she’s just like them!
The guard was young, maybe twenty-five, with high cheekbones, full lips, and large brown eyes. Her makeup was applied sparingly, yet it brought out her best features, which was her eyes and lips. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She was dressed in a blue security uniform and dark slacks. In short, she could have passed for a security guard at any large corporation or corporate building.
Yet her features were completely lacking in emotion. She had a flat, blank look.
This all came to Michelle the instant she saw the guard for the first time, and she ignored it and continued playing her part. She nodded at the guard. The guard said, “I can take her photo now or we can do it tomorrow morning.”
“Now would be fine,” Michelle said.
The guard nodded. “This way please.”
Gary gestured to a door near the security booth window and Michelle entered. “We’ll wait out here,” Sam said.
Michelle entered the security area, still carrying her briefcase and laptop. The guard led her into a small room with a chair and a large camera on a tripod. A large fluorescent light burned directly behind the camera. The guard stepped behind the camera. “Have a seat.”
Michelle sat down and once the picture was taken, the guard escorted her out. “I’ll have your permanent badge ready for you when you leave this afternoon,” she said. “In the meantime, I’ve already created a temporary badge for you.”
Michelle stepped back into the lobby and waited at the security booth for the guard to rummage through a file. A moment later, temporary badge pinned to her lapel, Michelle accompanied Sam and Gary through the thick double glass doors and into the central atrium of the building.
A large brick fountain was the centerpiece of the atrium. Extending four stories to a large skylight and decorated with lush vegetation, the atrium was attractive. Several people were either threading their way to and from various destinations or were talking in small groups. Michelle made a quick note of the atrium and then followed Sam and Gary to a bank of elevators.
Sam and Gary were talking and Michelle listened as they entered the elevator with two men dressed in suits. She noticed the men bore the same flat expression as the security guard. The people she’d seen in the lobby and the atrium had borne similar looks but it was hard to tell. Overall, the place was giving her the creeps, but she had to keep a stony face about it.
“I think once the final report for the day comes in we’ll have a better understanding of where our leverage will be tomorrow,” Sam said to Gary as the elevator went to the top floor. “Connie should have a final report from New York by now. And when the West Coast Stock Exchange closes this afternoon, Connie should have the final numbers within an hour of closing.”
“She can get those numbers to us via Blackberry, right?” Gary asked.
“Certainly,” Sam said. “That’s what the technology’s for.”
Michelle grinned as they chuckled and then she followed them down the fourth floor hallway to the executive suite, which was clearly evident by the large, polished walnut doors at the end of the hallway.
Michelle marveled at the sight of the executive suite lobby. Plush carpeting, oak paneled walls, ebony and marbled workspaces, large desks for the executive secretaries. Michelle took as much of it in as she could, noting several closed doors that could only lead to washrooms, executive dining rooms, or meeting rooms. Other doors clearly indicated that they led to offices—a few were open, and Michelle caught brief glimpses of men and women seated behind desks, some talking on the phone. Sam and Gary led her to an office at the southwest corner of the executive suite and Sam peeked in. “Bruce? We’re here.” He turned to Michelle. “Come on inside.” He gestured for Michelle to go in.
Michelle stepped inside and a rugged, handsome man was rising from a large walnut desk. He buttoned his suit coat, his features beaming. “Ms. Dowling,” he said as he stepped away from the desk and approached her, hand held out to be shaken. “So nice to meet you. Mr. Greenberg has told me so many wonderful things about you! Welcome to Corporate Financial!”
Michelle smiled and shook Bruce’s hand. “Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”
Sam and Gary were behind Michelle like proud parents. “Michelle can’t wait to get started,” Sam said. “We think it would be very beneficial for her to meet the rest of the executive staff this afternoon, and perhaps get acquainted with everybody at dinner tonight.”
“I agree.” Bruce had that same blank glaze in his eyes but his was more like Gary’s and Sam’s; he was more animated, more life-like, but Michelle could still tell there was something different about him. Maybe the executives had more power over their facial features and expressions; maybe they could fake being human. “Let me call Connie, Bill, and Tracy in,” Bruce said as he went to his desk. He pressed a button on an intercom system on his desk. “Tina, can you have Connie, Bill, Tracy, and Reginald come into my office please?” “Yes, Mr. Sullivan.”
Bruce leaned back in his chair. “How were your flights?” he asked Sam and Michelle.
“Fine,” Sam said. Michelle was attentive as Sam and Bruce made small talk about the flight. A moment later the door to Bruce’s expansive office opened and two men and two women entered the room. Michelle stood up as they entered and suppressed a gasp of shock as she came face to face with her mother, Connie Dowling, for the first time in twelve years.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
AT SOME POINT during dinner Michelle thought she was going to scream when Bruce casually mentioned that it was a funny coincidence that she and Connie shared the same last name.
Michelle took a sip of wine and wiped her mouth with the heavy white cloth napkin she’d placed in her lap. It was seven-thirty p.m. and they had a private booth at Brannigan’s, which was a very upper-class steak house. There were nine in their party, including Reginald Dwight, Vice-President of Operations, and Tina Young, Frank Marstein’s executive assistant. Frank Marstein was currently holed up in his executive suite at headquarters strategizing tomorrow’s plans.