Chapter 17

No one was home when Rob got back from class. He changed into his comfortable clothes then went in search of dinner. In the refrigerator, he found a container with a note attached.

Sweeting:
Dawn has questions that need answering
so I'm staying the night. We'll see you
tomorrow night. It will be your turn then.
We love you.
E&D

"Yeah, I bet she has questions," Rob said with feeling. "I can just imagine the questions she has."

He sighed then prepared his dinner, tossing the note to the table. Later, he crawled into bed feeling lonely for his girls. He discovered that the pillows each smelled of one of the women and pulled them close. He was soon asleep.

Rob awoke with a renewed determination to help Bob keep the headquarters goons off everyone's backs. He tried marshaling his resources in his head and kept coming up blank.

He pondered the situation all through breakfast and on until he arrived at work. It was while he was walking off the elevator that he noticed Barbara ruling her kingdom from the desk at the front of the office. He got an idea and went to her.

"Barbara," he said, "You wouldn't happen to have the direct numbers for any of the executive committee in your files, would you?"

"What do you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

He noticed that she didn't dismiss him out of hand, so he filled her in on what was happening to Bob.

"Those little bastards," Barbara hissed. "They're trying to steal Bob's thunder by making it look like it was their own diligence that got the job done." She pulled out a key and unlocked the bottom drawer to her desk. Rumor had it that that was where she kept the company's crown jewels, and Rob knew from that that she was serious about helping. She consulted a file and wrote down a phone number on a sticky note.

"You will burn this when you're done with it," she warned when she handed it over. "I'm not kidding. This is the personal cell number to the executive vice president of the company." Rob's eyes widened at the depth of information this woman had.

"Um, what's his name?" he asked timidly.

"'Sir, '" she answered pointedly. "But if you must know, his name is Jameson Kerck."

Rob gulped. "Ah, his middle initial wouldn't be a 'T', would it?"

Barbara frowned. "As a matter of fact, it is. It stands for Thaddeus. For some reason, he prefers to be called 'JT' by his friends. Why do you ask?"

"Jameson T. Kerck," Rob said with his eyes closed. He opened them and looked at Barbara. "You don't watch a lot of TV, do you?"

"No, I don't," she replied puzzled. "I don't have the time."

"So," Rob continued reluctantly, "You've never heard of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise?"

A look of understanding came over her face. "That's probably why he prefers 'JT', wouldn't you say?" Barbara asked rhetorically.

"What were his parents thinking?" he wondered out loud. Barbara shook her head.

"Thanks, Barbara," Rob said, tucking the folded paper in his shirt pocket. "I'll be careful with this."

He went to his office and prepared for the day. He took the sticky note and attached it to his monitor, then reconsidered and placed it in a drawer in his desk. He went to check on Jake then report to Bob.

Bob looked as though he hadn't gotten any sleep, what with his bloodshot eyes and baggy eyelids. Rob frowned when he saw him.

"They've taken to calling me at home now," Bob said. "I'd turn off my BlackBerry if I wasn't afraid that something important might come through." He closed his eyes and leaned back, looking as though he might fall asleep. His desk phone rang. "I can't take much more of this, Rob. Get this case settled for me." He reached for his phone.

Rob returned to his desk with renewed purpose. He opened his drawer and stuck the note on his blotter. After due consideration, he decided to use his cell phone so it couldn't be said he'd made the call on the company's dime.

He reflected that he might not have a job after this, but he dialed the number anyway and waited as it rang.

This is a personal line and I don't recognize the number. Explain please, the voice came through with clear authority.

"Am I speaking with Jameson Kerck?" Rob asked politely.

Yes, you are. And who is this?

"You don't know me, sir, but I work for the company. My name is Robert Zane."

You're wrong, Mr. Zane. I do know you. You're the newest rising star of the company. But I need to know something. How did you get this number?

Rob gulped and charged ahead.

"Sir, that's not important now. If you want to fire me, I'll accept that, but you need to know what's being done to this branch. It's about the Zeller case..."

What about the Zeller case? Mr. Kerck interrupted. Did something happen?

"No, sir, the case is going fine. It's what your people are doing to my boss that's the problem."

Explain.

Rob filled him in on all the calls and emails Bob was getting, including being contacted after hours. He explained the toll it was taking on his friend and how it would affect performance at the office soon if it didn't let up.

Tell me about the case, he demanded next.

Rob explained the details and what they were doing now.

So, let me see if I have this right. The only hold-up now is compiling the critical data. I'm aware of how long that can take. What resources do you have on it?

"Sir, our senior forensic accountant is on it with an assistant, and I'm mentoring the case myself."

You've put your best assets on this one case?

"Our current case load allows that, sir," Rob responded. "Should the need arise, assets can be reassigned."

Of course they can. No criticism implied. That's not the reports I've been getting. The line was silent as the man considered the situation.

You put your career on the line to make this call. You know that, don't you?

"Yes sir, I am fully aware of that," Rob replied. "Bob is the heart of this place and he's being abused. I couldn't just sit back and watch, not anymore. This is the second time in a month that headquarters has come down on us."

Explain, please.

So Rob told Jameson Kerck about the unannounced visit.

That was not authorized by the committee. I'll be looking into that. The line was silent for a moment. You show a lot of loyalty for Bob. The company could use a little more of that. Very well. I'll see to it that the harassment stops. The rest will be investigated. Is there anything else I should know?

Rob sat back in relief. It was looking like he was going to keep his job after all.

"No, sir," he replied. "That's all I have."

Thank you, Rob. I appreciate your candor and courage. Don't lose this number. If something like this ever arises again, I want you to call me. Is that clear?

"Thank you, sir," he answered. "Yes, that's clear."

Very good. The phone went dead with a click.

Rob picked up the sticky note and went back to Barbara's desk. He silently handed the note over and she dropped it in her shredder.

"You erased the phone's memory, right?" she asked sharply.

"I was ordered not to," he replied, relief making him drowsy.

"What?" Barbara asked with a hushed voice.

"He told me to keep his number, just in case," Rob said tiredly. "I think I need a nap."

Barbara gaped at him as he walked away. "Who are you?" she whispered.

Rob was awakened by the sound of his door opening. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the strain of the last couple of days had caught up with him. He lifted his head from the seatback cushion and shook it to try to clear it. Brenda was standing in the doorway, looking nervously at Rob.

"What is it, Bren?" Rob asked blearily. He scrubbed his face with his hands in an attempt to wake up.

"It's Bob," Brenda said. Rob was suddenly as awake as if someone had doused him with ice water. "He's in his office laughing his head off, and no one wants to go in and find out why. Do you think you could... ?"

"Hold on a minute," he replied. "I think I might know what it's about." He turned to his computer and logged on to the company site. A priority memo flashed on his screen.

"Come over here and take a look at this."

"Holy shit!" Brenda exclaimed. "Talk about bringing out the big guns..."

They were interrupted when Barbara walked into the room, marched up to Rob, and pulled him up into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered to his ear.

She let go and turned on Brenda. "You didn't see a thing," she hissed, "And you know nothing about this memo. You understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Brenda answered fearfully.

"Good," Barbara said, and then she marched back out.

"You?" Brenda said, looking at Rob with a new respect. "You got in touch with the second highest man in the company?"

Rob gulped. "Ah, who did you say he was?"

"What? You didn't know that Mr. Kerck is the son of the president of the company and next in line?" Rob shook his head. "Boy, have you got big brass ones. Maybe it's just as well you didn't know. Do you think you'd have called if you knew?"

"Yes, I would," Rob said humbly. "I had to ... for Bob."

"Yeah," Brenda said with her head tilted, "I guess you would have."

Brenda kissed him on the cheek and returned to her desk. Rob went out to check on Bob. He found him at his desk, still chuckling about the memo. When Rob walked in, Bob raised a glass with two fingers of a dark liquid in it. Rob suspected what it was but kept his mouth shut.

Office gossip being what it is, it still took an hour for the content of the executive order to become public knowledge, and another hour before the cause of that order got around. Rob found himself the center of the unspoken heartfelt gratitude of everyone in the office, with many of the women dropping random kisses on his cheek, and the men shaking his hand at any opportunity. Rob was thoroughly embarrassed by the end of the day.

While this was going on, Rob got a text message from Elaina stating that Dawn had called out sick from work for the next couple of days. She was going to stay with them during that time, and they were going to work everything out. Rob texted back his subdued agreement with the plan. Rob's spirits lifted knowing they were all going to be together.