The Orphan
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 7
Nicholas teleported to the basement gym and practiced martial arts on the new heavy bag. He immediately felt the difference and could kick and punch with more force. Combinations were easier because the bag didn’t move as much. Then he moved weights with his mind, returned to his room, showered, and dressed. Nic went to the kitchen and, while eating breakfast, he asked Kelli to send pictures if Robert was there. She laughed and left for the office.
When he arrived at the law office at 9 a.m., Tammy, the receptionist, told Nicholas he missed all the excitement. Sharon arrived early, and a man wearing only underwear emerged from the stairway. She sprayed him with pepper spray, and he retreated to the stairs. Sharon called the police, and they found him at the bottom of the stairs, unconscious. The police arrested the man for indecent exposure and assault and took him to jail.
Nicholas said he was sorry he missed it and went to Kelli’s office. She told him the same story, adding that no one recognized Robert, and they laughed. Kelli asked about the items he brought, and Nicholas explained the devices’ functions. He swept the office for audio bugs and cameras. It was clean except for the nanny cam. Nicholas left Kelli to work on the civil lawsuit and went to his office.
David entered his office and asked Nic when the new access control and camera could be installed. Nicholas told David he had ordered them and should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. So, he could install them on Saturday, and David said, “Great,” and left his office. Nic checked his cloud account and found the files for Gavin Carroll, CEO of Greenburgh Investments. While checking out the photos and videos, Nicholas wondered what it was with CEOs cheating on their wives.
Gavin was married and had two daughters who looked to be in their late teens. His girlfriend looked the same age, so Gavin liked them young. Nicholas anonymously sent several photos and videos to Gavin’s wife, Peggy. That should spice up his life and occupy some of his free time. Nic logged out of his cloud account and completed the homework for his online college courses.
Robert Collins woke up in the hospital with restraints on his wrists and feet. He couldn’t remember what had happened over the last 24 hours. The nurse entered and said Good, you’re awake. I’ll notify the doctor and left before he could ask any questions. The doctor returned and told Robert he suffered a severe concussion, had three broken ribs, and severe damage to his testicles. You will also need plastic surgery on your nose as the fall damaged it too much to reset.
Robert asked why he was restrained, and the doctor said,” You’re under arrest.” I don’t know for what, and you’ll have to ask the police or your attorney. When you’re stable, the police will transfer you to jail. I’ll notify them you’re awake, and the doctor left Robert with questions and no answers. The nurse returned and showed Robert the call button and the pain medication button. Robert said he needed to pee, and the nurse said Go ahead, you have a catheter. For the other, push the call button and use a bedpan. Robert moaned, pushed the pain button, and fell asleep.
Gavin Carrol, CEO of Greenburgh Investments, wasn’t having a good day. Harold Watson, a board member at Croft Industries and an employee at Greenburgh Investments, called Gavin. Harold told him their accounting contact had taken 30 days of medical leave, so we lost our ability to obtain advanced earnings reports. Gavin said, shit “The podcast is already scheduled, and we need that report.” Harold said there’s no way to get it until our contact returns, and hung up.
Then Gavin’s wife, Peggy, called and told him not to come home. She was filing for divorce, and he could stay with his girlfriend. Peggy said you’re a pervert for having sex with a girl our daughters’ age, and I’m going to make you pay for it. She said Enjoy your teenage girlfriend and hung up laughing. Gavin knew he was screwed because he didn’t have a prenup. They married when he was a junior stock trader, so it wasn’t necessary. Now she’ll get half of everything, and he wondered how Peggy found out.
Kelli entered Nicholas’ office when he finished his homework. She said, “Let’s go to lunch,” and they left the office. The first stop was a photo shop for pictures for his passport. Kelli said that with her being made a partner, she may have to travel internationally to meet clients. The next stop was the post office, where she filled out the passport forms. Kelli paid for express processing, and they went to lunch.
While they ate, Nic asked why he needed a passport. He could stay here while she traveled and have a party. Kelli laughed and said You’ll be coming with me. Besides, seeing other countries will be good for you. Also, your language skills will make you an asset when dealing with clients. Plus, a woman going to certain foreign countries is unsafe, so with you along, it won’t be a problem. Nicholas asked whether he would get hazardous-duty pay, and they laughed.
They returned to the office, and Kelli said the civil lawsuit is ready to be filed. The lawsuit includes the podcast, Raleigh Market Watch, Hillside Fund, Greenburgh Investments, and its CEO, Gavin Carrol. I’ve also included Harold Watson, a Croft Industries board member and an employee of Greenburgh Investments. The plan is to file the lawsuit tomorrow morning and have everyone served on Wednesday.
But we’ll serve the Hillside Fund CEO, Douglas Heyen, with the lawsuit. I’ll offer him a chance to avoid being added to the lawsuit if he cooperates and supplies his emails to and from Greenburgh Investments and its CEO, Gavin Carrol. If he does, we’ll get an agreement signed and get his emails. Then I’ll notify Henry Croft and David Kroft. Then the shit storm will start, and we’ll be buried in meetings. Nicholas asked why he was included, and Kelli said for his support on the technical issues.
So, we’re going shopping for new wardrobes now. I’ll let Tammy know we’re gone for the day. Nic groaned and asked why he needed more clothes. Kelli laughed and said, “You’ll need two or three more suits for the meetings.” I’ll also need to update my wardrobe, so we’re not wearing the same clothes when attending multiple conferences. Nic asked why David won’t be attending, and Kelli said he may, but she will discourage it unless there’s a problem.
They spent the next four hours shopping at the Beverly Center. Kelli got six new outfits with accessories to change her appearance. At Brooks Bros, Nicholas was measured for four new suits, with shirts and ties. They stopped for Italian takeout on the way home. While they ate, Kelli said Greenburgh Investments will want a meeting immediately after being served with the lawsuit. They have a lot to lose if it goes to court. When they finished dinner, they said goodnight and went to bed.
Nicholas ran around the neighborhood early Tuesday morning, thinking about the lawsuit and what was in store for them in the coming weeks. Returning to the house, Nic was surprised by how long he’d run. He showered, dressed in a suit, and went to the kitchen. Kelli joined him, and they went to the law office after breakfast.
They spent the morning reviewing each lawsuit to ensure everything was correct. Nicolas asked how she would guarantee that records, emails, and text messages weren’t destroyed. Kelli thanked him for reminding her, and she added a notice to preserve all physical and electronic documents to the lawsuits. When they finished, Kelli said, “Let’s get lunch and then go to the courthouse.”
She notified Tammy that they would be gone for the rest of the afternoon. While they ate, Kelli said that depending on how busy the court clerk was, it could take several hours to file, get copies, and arrange service of lawsuits. She said we need to meet Hillside Fund CEO Douglas Heyen, arriving at work tomorrow morning. That way, we won’t have an issue seeing him without an appointment. He’ll meet with us in his office once he’s served and his options are explained.
After lunch, they went to the courthouse and filed the lawsuits. Four certified copies of each lawsuit were made, and they then arranged for the papers to be served, starting with Greenburgh Investments and its CEO, Gavin Carrol. Kelli requested that the lawsuits be served in the late afternoon. On the way home, Kelli stopped for Chinese takeout and called Henry Croft, CEO of Croft Industries. She requested a confidential status meeting at 11 a.m. He agreed but asked why others were excluded. Kelli said he would understand when they met.
While they ate dinner, Kelli asked Nicholas to bring his audio/video detector and white noise box to the Croft meeting. She said there’s a chance his office is bugged, and other employees are on Greenburgh Investments’ payroll. Nic said the items are at the office, so we’ll need to leave early to pick them up. Kelli said we’ll leave at 5 a.m. and get breakfast on the road. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.
Nicholas teleported to the basement gym at 3:45 a.m. He did his martial arts workout and moved weights with his mind. Returning to his room, Nic showered, dressed in a suit, and went to the kitchen. Kelli arrived, and they drove to the law office. Nicolas picked up the detector and white noise generator. They stopped at McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast and ate in Hillside Fund’s parking lot.
The meeting happened as Kelli planned, and Hillside Fund CEO Douglas Heyen agreed to their terms after being assured that he personally wouldn’t be sued. He signed the cooperation agreement and gave them his email correspondence with Greenburgh Investments CEO, Gavin Carrol. Kelli was happy about leaving the Hillside Fund and said she would be surprised if a settlement wasn’t agreed upon by next weekend.
Nicholas thought she wanted to take the case to trial. Kelli said she did, but getting a court date could take six months or more. It’s up to Henry Croft, but the threat of a trial and the publicity will force Greenburgh to want it settled quickly. When they arrived at Croft Industries, they were immediately ushered into Henry Croft’s office. Henry began to speak, and Kelli put her finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.
Nicholas swept his office and found two audio bugs. He removed them and put them in a glass of water. Then Nic activated the white noise generator, and Henry said, “Wholly shit.” Kelli said our precautions were necessary to keep the information confidential. Then she gave him a copy of the lawsuits and said We have an excellent case of stock price manipulation against Greenburgh Investments, CEO Gavin Carrol, and their subsidiaries.
She told Henry that the evidence discussed today must remain a secret, or it would jeopardize their case. So, the three of us know what evidence we have, and Henry agreed. Kelli told him about the evidence and making a deal with Hillside Fund’s CEO, Douglas Heyen, for his emails. Henry said I can’t believe you’ve got the case ready for trial in such a short time. They discussed going to trial and the time and expense.
They agreed to pursue a settlement, and Henry presented his conditions to Kelli. She verified the lowest amount he would accept and said they would ask for significantly more and negotiate. Kelli said she felt they could settle somewhere in the middle. She warned Henry that the lawsuits were being served this afternoon. If anyone wants information, tell them your attorney is handling it. Also, be aware that they are monitoring your office and possibly your cell phone, so we’ll only discuss the case in person.
Henry shook their hands goodbye, and they returned to Collins and Kroft’s law offices. Kelli and Nicholas entered David’s office and closed the door. She held a finger to her lips, telling David not to speak. Nicholas swept David’s office, and it was clean. He turned on the white noise generator and noticed David’s assistant was banging on her phone. Nic told David that his assistant was monitoring his conversations and phone calls.
David looked shocked, and then Kelli told him about the lawsuits she had filed the previous day. She told him everyone would be served this afternoon, and Henry Croft was advised. Kelli said that the details can’t be discussed here due to the sensitive nature of the evidence and leaks pointing to his assistant. But they have a solid case and expect settlement negotiations to begin shortly. Kelli said if he wanted more details, he would have to buy them dinner at a nice restaurant.
David laughed and said to plan on dinner tonight. Kelli told David to make reservations away from the office so their plans would remain a secret. She gave David copies of the lawsuits and asked him to secure them after his review. Kelli told David Henry’s office was bugged, so they would only communicate in person. So, if anyone asks, tell them I’m handling the case and you don’t know the details. When they left, Kelli told Kim David’s assistant that monitoring conversations and phone calls was illegal.
Kim turned red, and David called her into his office. A few minutes later, they saw Kim leaving with a box, crying. UPS delivered the access control and camera systems, and Nicholas put them in his office. He opened the access control system and saw that photos were recommended for the access cards. All he needed was a digital camera, so he needed to get one before the weekend.