To Catch a Bad Guy (28 page)

Jake Andrews, Alex’s
boss, had begun to take a real liking to him, often inviting him to drinks after
work. Things had been going really well when Janet began investigating Borrelli
Capital. Shortly afterwards, Jake Andrews had summoned Alex into his office.
“Alex, you are now the lead on the Borrelli Capital case. It’s imperative that
you keep me in the loop on all the latest findings,” Andrews had said.

Alex got the hint
immediately. As per his boss’s request, he reported each and every finding that
Janet dug up.

Then one afternoon Alex
was surprised to find Andrew’s boss, Cornelius Finnegan, at the meeting.
“Jake’s been telling me about the wonderful job you’ve been doing on the
Borrelli Capital case, Alex,” Finnegan remarked.

Cornelius Finnegan had
an oblong-shaped bald head and a hefty body that made him resemble a giant
potato, but when Alex felt Cornelius’s narrow blue eyes fix on him, he
immediately understood that Cornelius Finnegan had not reached his position by
being a dimwit. “Thank you, sir. I’m glad to be of service.”

“I am glad to hear
that.” Finnegan rubbed his chin. “How would you like to have Andrews’s spot?”
he asked.

Alex shot a worried
look at Jake Andrews: Andrews was still his boss. Andrews merely nodded
benevolently.

“Relax, Alex,” Finnegan
grunted. “Jake and I have already discussed the matter. Jake is being promoted,
and I need a man I can trust to take over his spot. What do you say? Are you
the man for the job?”

“Yes, sir,” Alex
replied calmly. “As the head of the group, I will ensure smooth and efficient
operation.” He could barely contain his excitement: finally, he was graduating
to the big leagues.

“And most importantly,
you will keep your superiors appraised,” said Finnegan. “Let’s cut to the
chase, Alex. We’re going to close out the Borrelli Capital investigation with
no action.”

“And by the way, our
budget has been reduced. We’ve been told to make cuts. You need to select one
person to downsize,” Andrews added. “As the new head of the group, the decision
will be yours to make, Alex, but I hope that you will heed my input. My opinion
is that we should downsize Janet Maple.”

Alex felt his throat
tighten. Yes, he was willing to sacrifice his principles to get to the top, but
kicking Janet out would be a new low even for him. “Perhaps we could consider a
warning or a performance improvement plan?”

Andrews shot a fleeting
look at Finnegan.

“Alex,” Finnegan said,
placing his hand on Alex’s shoulder, “I think that you’re a very talented young
man. You could have an excellent career here. Now, please don’t make me think
that I’ve overestimated you. Do you have what it takes to get the job done?”

As Alex looked into
Finnegan’s eyes, which had turned into mere slits, he knew that his prospects
were hanging by a thread. This was his chance, but it could also turn out to be
his undoing. Judging by the way Finnegan and Andrews planned to dispose of
Janet, they wouldn’t think twice about doing the same to Alex. In an instant
Alex made his decision. “Yes, sir, I most certainly do. I realize that ability
to make tough decisions is part of being a manager, and I can make these kinds
of decisions, sir.”

The next day, Alex got
Andrews’s job. His first decision as the group manager had been to downsize
Janet. At least he did not have to tell her himself: Human Resources did the
dirty work for him. Getting to the top was not for the squeamish.

Several weeks later,
Alex found out from Andrews that Nicholas Borrelli, the owner of Borrelli
Capital, had given personal loans to half of Washington. Needless to say,
Borrelli was getting off the hook.

Alex cracked his
knuckles. For reasons he did not know and had no wish to find out, Muller had
Finnegan’s protection. Alex’s task had been made clear to him. He was to ensure
that the individuals responsible for the investigation were either frightened
into silence or dealt with accordingly, meaning fired. Alex had already
requested background files on all of his subordinates, and Janet Maple’s file,
along with that of Dennis Walker, were right at the top of the pile.