Chapter 10

Miss Burns became all business as Brian gave her the green light to proceed.

"Mr. Trainer, first of all, Gary and you should discuss security for your group while you're here" she told him.

"Ok, Gary discuss away" Brian said.

"Mr. Trainer, since the attack on you three weeks ago, it was decided to provide you with security outside of any residences or your workplace. You had that extended to Miss Simon yesterday and we agree that both Miss Simon and Mrs. Trainer need to be fully covered. There's no use only covering you and letting the ladies be harmed or used as leverage" Gary stated.

"I'm so glad that you agree, but I'm surprised Brian had to suggest it" his mother said.

"Things have been moving very fast the last few days Ma'am. We've just been assigned to you since yesterday" Gary explained. "We'll get it all set up correctly today and have full coverage for all of your party going forward. I have female operatives being screened as we speak that will accompany each of you where ever you go, including any public washrooms. Please don't try and lose them, they are there for your protection and will be discrete."

"Sounds like you have made a good start Gary" Brian said. "I appreciate your diligence on this matter. Err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting all of us, including your personnel. I gather that money is not an issue with this Stacy?"

"No Mr. Trainer, you can afford the best and Gary and his team are the best in the business" she assured him.

"Good to hear it. Gary, secure us as you see fit, keep it as low key as possible and all of your personnel need to keep all of our activities to themselves and out of the public spotlight. I don't want to see stories or pictures of us in any tabloid or social paper, especially from an inside source" Brian told them.

"All of us have already signed a non-disclosure contract and anyone found breaking it will be punished severely and then handed to the authorities" Gary assured them all.

"Ok, anything else we need to discuss security wise Gary?" Brian asked.

"We will be providing everyone with miniature tracking devices to be hidden on your bodies in case you do go missing despite our best efforts" Gary informed them. "They would be activated remotely only if necessary so they won't be picked up on any normal scanning. We will also be providing you with secure phone and laptops so your conversations and computer activities can't be hacked or monitored."

"Ok, that sounds ok to me; any issues ladies?" Brian asked, turning to them.

"I'm fine with all that, as long as no one can hack into the tracking devices" agreed Heather.

"Not a chance Miss Simon" Gary assured her.

"Can you scan for listening devices and hidden cameras Gary?" Brian asked.

"Yes we can Mr. Trainer. Do you wish us to scan the residences while you are here?" he asked.

"Yes please, it may be a bit paranoid but you people seem to be thinking somewhat in the same direction with the phones and laptops" Brian replied.

"Not a problem, I'll have our specialist meet us at the Plaza" he informed them as he pulled out his cell and hit a button. He had a quiet conversation and then hung up.

"It' all set up Sir. That's all I have at this time Mr. Trainer, Miss Burns" Gary said.

"Thanks Gary" Brian said.

"Ok, moving on to your schedule for the next couple of days" Miss Burns took over immediately. "You wished to start tomorrow at eight at our offices Mr. Trainer. A car will pick you up at 7:45 and drive you down to us. We're actually just down the street a ways, just a bit too far to walk. Ladies, can I organize a sightseeing tour or a shopping excursion for you while Mr. Trainer is busy with us?"

"We will both be joining my son at your office Miss Burns" his mother informed her. "Perhaps we can set up any other activities while we are here for Saturday or later if we have to stay longer."

"Certainly we can do that Mrs. Trainer. I or anyone else in any of the three firms will be happy to assist in planning any activities you three might be interested in. Please just let us know" Miss Burns said.

"Thank you Miss Burns" Brian's mother said.

"Ok, we have you booked into your condo which is the Royal Plaza suite that has three bedrooms on two floors just down the hall from your grandparents. The floor below has four smaller condos with two left open as of now for your guests and two that have been leased out" Miss Burns informed them. "I was going to leave who stayed where up to yourselves and just give you the access codes for the security systems for all three open condos Mr. Trainer."

"That sounds more than adequate Stacy. We might be able to stay all in the one suite and let the others be used for other clients of the hotel" Brian mused.

"They are all your condos Mr. Trainer, we left them open for your use. If you decide not to use the bottom two empty ones, you can of course lease them out like the other two at any time" Miss Burns told him.

"Your Grandparents have invited you all for dinner this evening at six o'clock" Miss Burns continued. "For your information, it will be a semi-formal dinner, a suit and tie for you Mr. Trainer and dresses for the ladies would be appropriate."

"Thanks for letting us know, I might have made a fool of myself in shorts and a tank top" Brian said with a grin.

"Doofus" Heather and his mother said, almost in unison which caused them to laugh.

"Finally, here is a credit card to be used for your stay here. It comes out of the fund set aside to prepare for your trip here, not the other account we talked about on the phone yesterday. Please use it for anything you need while you are here. Just sign the back and it's good to use" Miss Burns continued.

"Ok thanks" Brian said as he grabbed the card and the offered pen.

He signed it and handed her back the pen. The card was a World Elite MasterCard in his name. He put it away in his wallet.

"That's it for immediate business Mr. Trainer, unless you have anything you would like to discuss or need?" Miss Burns asked.

"Ladies?" he asked looking at them.

"Nothing at this time" said his mother.

"Nothing here either" echoed Heather.

"Do we need to stop for some food and snacks for the condos?" he asked.

"Always thinking with his stomach" Heather said shaking her head.

"The fridges have all been freshly stocked this morning as well as all linens and towels. Anything that you have forgotten or need the hotel will be happy to provide you Mr. Trainer" Miss Burns informed them.

"Well, you certainly have thought of everything Stacy. Thank you for your all of your hard work to make us comfortable here" Brian said.

"You're most welcome Mr. Trainer, I hope you enjoy yourselves here" she replied.

They sat back and relaxed as Brian's mother showed Heather some of the sights out the window. Brian closed his eyes and read Miss Burn's mind again.

"Well, that went well. I just have to get them into their rooms and set them up for lunch in the Oak room and my job is done for the day. They don't seem overwhelmed or rushing to get their money. He didn't even ask about a limit on that card.

It's funny that the girlfriend and mother want to join him tomorrow. Maybe he wants some moral support. Well whatever he wants, he gets, so I've been told many times by the partners. At least he I probably don't have to sleep with him like they suggested — more like instructed me to do. He's not that bad looking or anything but I didn't want it to get to that.

I should get Heather a card too for a shopping trip so they can get whatever they want. I wonder what else I can do to make sure he keeps his money with the firm. I should see what they like in terms of entertainment and set them up with some tickets like a Broadway show or a sporting event. They might like to go to a nightclub for dancing or go to a concert. Ok, let's get some answers."

Brian kept his eyes shut and thought about what Miss Burns was thinking. Getting a card for Heather was fine; it made it easier than having to deal with them having to get his approval at each store. Some entertainment for Friday and Saturday night might be nice he thought.

Miss Burns spoke up "I just realized that we should get Heather a credit card so the ladies don't have any problems when they go shopping. I'll have it ready tomorrow and give it to you at the office ok?"

"Ok, thanks. Now you don't have to tag along all day Sweetie while we shop till we drop!" Heather said laughing.

Brian opened his eyes and smiled "That's a relief. But you better assign someone to carry all their stuff, maybe even a truck. They are some nice stores close to the Plaza on Fifth Avenue right?"

"Yes they are. They can walk to some of the finest stores in New York from the Plaza" Miss Burns replied. "I will get some helpers for the ladies and Gary will provide more than adequate security."

"Sounds good" Brian replied.

"What can I organize for your entertainment in the evenings; a Broadway show, a concert, a hip dance club, or a sporting event perhaps? We have connections to get prime tickets to anything you want to see or do. We can get you into most high end clubs without you waiting in line as well" Miss Burns informed them. "We can also set up some sightseeing — Statue of Liberty, Art Galleries, anything you like, any day you like."

"Ladies, do you have anything you would like to see or do?" Brian asked.

The two of them looked at each other for a minute. His mother took charge.

"We'll talk it over and get back to you later Miss Burns" she said.

"Very well, just give us a bit of notice, especially for anything Friday night" she replied.

They pulled up to the Plaza soon after. The driver opened the back door and Gary got out followed by the ladies, including Miss Burns. Brian came out last and they all followed Miss Burns into the fancy old hotel while the driver and the hotel attendants handled their suitcases. The lobby was elegant and everything screamed high class and opulence. They looked around in awe as they moved to the counter.

A snooty looking man was at the desk along with a very pretty young lady as his assistant when they walked up.

"May I help you?" the man asked a bit put off at their casual look and especially Brian's cap.

"We're here for the Royal Plaza Suite and the two Royal Terrence Suites for Mr. Trainer" Miss Burns told him. "Can we get pass keys, two for each room and the security codes for the alarms please?"

The man quickly changed his expression and couldn't do enough for them after hearing who they were.

"Certainly Miss" he said with a smile. "All three rooms have been fully stocked as per your request."

He quickly processed cards for each room and put them in separate envelopes.

"OK, this one is for room 2201 and the other is for 2202 on the 22^nd floor and both are the two Royal Terrence Suites. The security codes for each are in the envelope. This last one is for the Royal Plaza Suite 2302 on the 23^rd floor with the code in the envelope as well. Your bags will come up on the next trip and the elevator is behind the column over there. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked.

"Lunch for 3 in the oak room in say half an hour please" she stated.

"Certainly Miss. I will put the reservation under Mr. Trainer's name" he said.

"Good, that should do it. Thanks" she replied.

Gary was talking with another man who had a carrying case in one hand. They both joined them and Gary introduced them to Bob, the electronics expert.

Miss Burns led them behind a column to a secluded elevator and typed in a code into the key pad to open the door. The door opened and the three ladies entered the large elevator, followed by the three men.

They got off on the 23^rd floor and Miss Burns opened the Royal Plaza Suite. She entered the security code and let them all in. Bob put a finger to his lips and turned on a small machine and started scanning the walls, furniture and the various light fixtures and other equipment.

He quickly went through each room and then came back to them and scanned each of them, including Miss Burns before motioning them out.

"The place has is riddled with bugs Boss, each room has one in the ceiling light as well as a mini-camera in each bedroom. It will take me about an hour to clean them all out" Bob told Gary and the others.

"Ok thanks Bob, go ahead and get started and then we'll have you do the other two rooms afterwards. Miss Burns, it would be best that you take Mr. Trainer and the ladies to lunch and come back. I'll stick with Bob for now and make sure the bags are secure. This is not a good situation. We'll try and track down who might have planted these but it won't be easy. I suggest you have a discussion on this in the restaurant" Gary told her.

"Thanks Gary, we'll do that. Mr. Trainer, Ladies, shall we?" she said.

They followed her to the elevator and entered it when the doors opened. Heather started to talk but Brian shook his head and mouthed later to her. Brian read Stacy's mind quickly.

"What the hell is going on here? Who would want to spy on them, with microphones and cameras? Shit they all look royally pissed and I can't blame them. I wonder if it was the grandparents or maybe the partners at the firm. Maybe they were they put in by someone at the hotel for blackmail purposes when they renovated the rooms? I hope they can track them back to the source."

At least she had nothing to do with it Brian thought with relief. But who did it was a mystery. He didn't like being in a situation where he didn't know who the enemy was.

Stacy led them off the elevator and to the oak room where an extra chair was brought to the reserved table for her. They ordered some drinks and their lunch and then brought the topic up.

"Mr. Trainer, I know you don't know me or have any reason to believe me, but I swear I know nothing about those devices in your room. Unfortunately, I can't speak for the rest of the people in the three firms or the hotel staff or even your Grandparents" Miss Burns said.

"Miss Burns, you could be a very good actor, but you looked quite shocked when Bob found them, but you earlier didn't look worried when I asked for the scan. I don't trust you totally yet but I don't think you knew about them. I hope that we don't find out anything different later. If you know anything about any plans or less than perfectly honest behaviour by anyone I suggest you tell us now rather than it to be found out later" Brian said seriously.

Miss Burns sat for a bit and then said "All that I know is that the senior partners and the owners of the other two firms are desperate to make sure you keep your money with them. Obviously it represents a huge portion of everyone's revenue. I know of nothing inappropriate being done with any of the trust fund. They hired me in part to convince you, by any means to keep the trust fund here, even suggesting that I seduce you while you were here. I never agreed to do that, though to save my job I would have considered it as a last resort, though reluctantly. I was glad to see that you accepted my suggestion that Heather accompany you so that I had an excuse not to do that. That is the extent of my knowledge of any less than perfectly honest behaviour that I know of."

Heather and Brian's mom looked angry at her but Brian simply said "Thank you for your honesty Stacy. I suspected that was the case when I looked up your law firm and saw you were the newest and most junior partner. I'm sure you were picked for your beauty as well as your brains.

Now, I need some information from you. One, how much is this trust worth?"

Stacy answered quickly "The trust fund is worth over 500 million dollars and growing"

"500 million! Holy shit" Brian said looking and sounding shocked. "No wonder why they don't want to give it up. Their management fee must be in the millions for each firm. How did it get so big?"

"Your grandparents contributed five million a year from the day you were born" Stacy informed them. "The fund grew approximately ten percent each year so compound interest made it grow. The last ten years the fund started really diversifying and buying into buildings, real estate, companies, hotel chains and resorts, sports teams and film companies."

He looked at his mom and Heather who both looked just as shocked as he felt.

"Stacy, how much do you actually do with the fund?" he asked.

"I control the day to day running of the fund, and the properties" Miss Burns replied. "Major acquisitions get decided by the owners of the accounting and investment funds who present their choices to the law firm partners and they present it to your Grandparents for final approval. Then I handle the actual acquisitions. Obviously I have a lot of help with everything."

"How much do they pay you for your services" Brian asked.

"I make 200 thousand a year plus I'm promised a onetime 100 thousand dollar bonus if you keep the money with the firm" she replied.

"How do you feel about the law firm and how they treat you? Do you feel they will be loyal to you and how loyal are you to them?" Brian asked.

"They don't treat me very well at all actually. It's definitely an old boy's club. In addition to suggesting I sleep with you, a few have made less than gentlemanly proposals to me to further my career. In regards to the loyalty question, I won't do anything illegal for or against them, but I have no emotional ties to them and I know I will be fired if you move the trust fund away from them" she replied.

He decided that he needed Stacy on his side so he said "Stacy, I need you loyal to me while we go through this tomorrow and after the ownership is transferred to me. How about I double your wage and give you the bonus anyway and you would really be in charge of the fund including helping us make decisions on acquisitions. Would that be enough to ensure your loyalty to me even if someone tries to offers you a better deal later?"

"That would get me to be the mother of your child let alone my loyalty Mr. Trainer" she said seriously.

Heather coughed and looked perturbed at Stacy.

Brian laughed and said "I'll take that as an expression only Stacy. Heather doesn't seem to find that offer favourable."

"Sorry Heather, would you consider sharing?" Stacy asked with a smile.

"I don't think so Miss Burns" Heather said crossly.

"Oh well, you can't blame a girl for trying. So, no matter what, you have my loyalty from now on. I will stay on with them as long as you want me to and then I assume you would like me to help you manage your fund afterward?" Stacy asked.

"Yes, that would be the plan Stacy. Let us know of anything happening and always keep our best interests in mind. We will make sure you are well taken care of as long as you help take care of us. Do we have a deal?"

"You have a deal Mr. Trainer. This is something that can't be written down or admitted to obviously, so I'm going on trust here until after I'm fired or you decide to keep the money at the firm and instruct them to give me a raise. I would much rather work for you then the firm if I had my choice. I could save you a large portion of the management fee by managing it for you and hiring firms at a straight fee rather than a percentage" Stacy said.

"I believe you have just proven your loyalty by those statements alone. I thought that would be the case but I wanted to hear it from you" he said.

Their food came and they ate while everyone discussed what would a good plan on how to proceed. They all concurred that they needed Gary's team loyal to Brian so tomorrow they would make sure he was working for Brian, not the law firm. They also would have Bob to scan the two other occupied condos he owned somehow.

Tomorrow Brain wanted to meet with the other law firm partners to read their minds as well as the bosses of the accounting and investment firms. Stacy said that they would probably all be there to meet and greet him anyway when Brian asked her to set it up.

They went back up, again being quiet in the elevator, to find Gary and Bob just coming out of the suite.

The men waved them in and shut the door once they were all inside.

"Ok, we're clean in this suite but we're not sure how the hallways are so we'll talk in here" Gary informed them. "Bob found a total of ten, basically in every room. Whoever put them in would have heard and seen everything in this suite."

"Anyway to find out who put them in or where the signals are going too?" Brian asked.

"They have about a 250 yard range so anywhere in the building. No quick way to find out where unfortunately" Bob told him.

"That's too bad. Ok, can you check the other two empty ones downstairs please?" Brian requested. "We would like the two occupied one done as well if we can somehow do it without too much trouble."

"Sure we can do that Mr. Trainer, we'll get Bob started right away and then wait on your call on the next two. We should set up daily quick checks on each as well."

Stacy gave Bob the keys and security codes for the two empty ones and he went to get started.

"Gary, tomorrow we will make sure you work directly for us personally and we'll increase your fee to make sure you're loyalty is to the people in this room. Do you have any issues with that?" Brian asked.

"No Sir, Mr. Trainer, it makes it easier to know there are no hidden agenda — the people who are paying us are the ones we need to protect. Do we add Miss Burns to our protection detail?"

"Yes, but very discretely for now" Brian said. "She will be with us most of the time, I think even more than we first thought, so she can just be included in the normal security you provide with us. I want that beefed up starting tomorrow. If we could have her move into one of the condos downstairs we would."

"Ok, we'll have an operator assigned to her when she leaves here today" Gary assured them. "I'll go down and help Bob for a bit. Please come down if you want us to do the next two as well."

"Ok thanks Gary" Brian said.

Gary left the suite and Stacy immediately said "I don't need protection Mr. Trainer."

"You're part of the team now, you get protection and will move into one of the open condos permanently once we can be open about it" Brian said with finality.

"Yes Sir, thank you Mr. Trainer" she replied with a smile.

"You're welcome Stacy. Now how should we handle the last two apartments?" he asked.

"Fortunately, one of them is temporary empty as the lady is in Hollywood shooting a movie for your company" Stacy said. "I'll get the key for that one from the front desk. The other one is occupied by another of the actresses under contract with your film company. We would have to get her out of her apartment to tell her what we want to do".