Behind the Shadows by Patricia; Potter Page B

Her voice shook slightly and her hand clasped the phone receiver. “This is Kira Douglas. I wonder if I can see you tomorrow. In the morning if possible.”
    â€œMore for the story?”
    She didn’t want to lie any longer, not even for a good cause. “No. In fact it’s ready. I’ll bring you several copies, but there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
    â€œYou can’t tell me now?”
    â€œIt will take a rather lengthy explanation. But it’s quite important that I see you in person.”
    There was a pause, then, “I have a riding lesson in the morning, but eleven should be safe.” Her voice was puzzled.
    â€œI’ll be there. Thanks.” Kira hung up before Leigh asked more questions. Her hands trembled as she replaced the receiver in its cradle.
    Max met with the president and CEO of Westerfield Industries. He served as a corporate attorney and a member of the board. He also controlled—in the name of the Westerfield trust—51 percent of the shares of the privately held stock.
    The CEO—Jack Melton—was not happy with the situation. If Max wanted to prevent one of Jack’s proposed acquisitions, he could. And he’d stopped this one after running the numbers.
    They had another fight today. “It’s an obsolete business,” Max said. “I checked out the financials. They just don’t meet our standards.”
    â€œ Your standards, you mean,” Melton said. “I want to go in, buy bad companies cheap, and turn them around with good management.”
    â€œSome bad companies can’t be turned around,” Max said. Jack was competent in running the company as it existed now. He had a knack for finding good people, but he also overestimated his abilities to save companies that had outlived their usefulness. They had lost money on the last two acquisitions.
    â€œYou’re tying my hands,” Jack protested.
    â€œI’m well aware of that, but Ed minimized risks. I intend to make sure the firm continues to do that.”
    â€œThat’s it?” Jack said.
    â€œBring me something more viable,” Max said.
    He saw the anger on Jack’s face, but he was not going to let the man take risks with the Westerfield legacy. Time to go, before Jack’s temper got the best of him.
    Max returned to his office to find the report he’d ordered on the newspaper reporter. He’d wanted more depth than a Google search, and he’d ordered a quick investigation by Parker and Carroll, the investigative agency the company used to do background checks on high-level hires.
    The report was twelve pages long. He skipped over basics, then hesitated when he saw that her mother was critically ill. Although her credit rating was good, her credit cards were currently maxed out. That was new. And she recently moved from a midtown apartment into her mother’s modest home on the city’s south side.
    The report also noted that she’d been on the newspaper ten years and had won several awards for reporting. She was currently on the city hall beat and covered Atlanta legislation in the Georgia General Assembly. She was an Atlanta native, had graduated from Georgia State University, and had two speeding tickets.
    It was the kind of report he liked to see on possible executives. Steady. Law-abiding. The maxed-out credit cards might be a warning sign, but the mother’s illness might explain that.
    He thought of that moment she’d turned into him, and his arms had steadied her. Blue gray eyes gazing up at him with momentary confusion, then a second of apprehension. She’d felt good.
    Hell, he’d been way too long without a woman.
    He punched some numbers on his office phone, reached the Atlanta Observer, and was passed through to Kira Douglas’s phone.
    She picked up on the second ring. “Kira Douglas.”
    â€œMs. Douglas, this is Max Payton.”
    A short pause, then,