Chapter 54

I didn’t recognize the voice. It was deep, sonorous even. It was also rather frightening.

“Hello sir, can you put Ms Mendez on the phone?”

“Hi Koby, I’m fine, I arranged this call,” she said, “Here, talk to him, I’ll be in the other room.”

“Do you prefer Koby or Mr Roberts?” the voice asked.

“I’m Koby to friends, are you a friend?” I asked, turning my truth skill on.

“I’m a friend to those who are friends to me.”

Well that was a vague, but truthful, I guess. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I waited.

“Let me introduce myself, my name is Andrew Carlton the Second. Please call me Andy.”

“Hello Mr Carlton, I want to thank your firm for the excellent work that Aida has been doing for me.”

“Yes, I’ve seen some of the work you’ve been doing for her, and it is quite excellent. My friends at the Bureau gave me a call as they were quite concerned about the level of available intelligence that suddenly went missing about a criminal.

“Imagine my surprise when I found that same level of detail available on myself, and my staff, as well as my friends at the Bureau in my new junior partners office, just stacked up in a corner.”

I had nothing to say, as I wasn’t sure how I wanted to play this, the silence went on, until I heard a slight chuckle from him.

“Well played, Koby. I guess I’ll have to ask a question before you will answer.”

That still wasn’t a question, so I started to wait, then thought of something, “I have a question for you sir, since I paid a hefty retainer to Aida, does that mean that I’m covered by the firm, or just her?”

“Legally, the entire firm, and myself are bound under the normal lawyer confidentiality laws and agreements. As managing director of course, I can choose to end our relationship, as well as fire Aida here. While there would be some expectation of that confidentiality to continue, I would have the option to end it should I perhaps discover several large boxes of stolen evidence with FBI evidence stickers still attached after she was fired.”

“I sold my services to Aida, what perhaps would you be willing to pay for my services?” I asked him, spending 20,000 positive points, triggering ask price, make counter offer.

“Ah, a shrewd tactic, let me put the phone on speaker, so that Aida can hear this,” he called out to her, “Come here dear, I’m in negotiation with the young Mr Koby, and I think you will be interested to hear this.”

“Koby,” came Aida’s voice, “I’m here.”

“Aida, I explained to Andy that you had purchased my services, and I asked him what he was willing to pay for my services as well.”

He responded, “A shrewd question, as it restates any possible conflict between us in a form where he is the beneficiary. Better my friend Koby if I ask you, what are you willing to pay for my continued silence.”

“I’m willing to not release the recording of this conversation. I’m willing not to arrange for a terrible accident that leaves you sitting feeble minded in a rest home for the rest of your life. I’m willing to not do a great number of things. Things that perhaps were best left to idle thoughts, and neither stated or accomplished. I think that my previous question is the better for us both, but most assuredly it’s better for you.”

“Ah, what creative threats. Very exciting. My friends at the Bureau were quite certain that you would run and hide before offering threats.”

“Well things have changed in these past weeks. I have resources that are unparalleled, but because of the bungling of your friends at the Bureau my identity has been outed to the public. I’m now relegated to an office job, and field work is no longer an option. As such, I’m not very happy, yet the full resources I can call upon are still available.”