“Yes, didn’t I tell you?” Carolyn smiled to herself. She knew she’d never revealed this secret to anyone. Not even Mark. “I set up a dummy corporation in order to avoid drawing attention to myself. There really wasn’t much to it.”
As much as she valued Mark, never again would she allow a man to influence or control her future. However, she realized that in order to enlist his help, she’d have to disclose her financial success.
“How in the hell did you manage that?”
“I guess he was feeling generous when he offered me the opportunity to invest.”
“Generous? Mort? What did you do, exactly?”
“I know how politics can make you queasy, so let’s just leave it my little secret. All right?”
Mark hesitated. “Promise me you’ll be careful and that you won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
“Mark, there are some risks worth taking, and you know it.” Carolyn heard him sigh.
“I just worry about you, that’s all.”
His concern warmed her. “I know, and I appreciate it. But seriously, I need your help.”
“For what?”
“I own about five percent of the project, and-”
“My God, you must have made millions! That company has grown exponentially Warner must be thrilled.”
“He doesn’t know,” she admitted. “And I don’t intend to tell him. At least not yet. For now, this is strictly between us, okay?”
“Of course. I’m just surprised. Although I probably shouldn’t be. You never cease to amaze me.”
“That’s sweet, Mark, thank you.” Carolyn smiled. “Mort sends me regular corporate updates. I believe he’s being honest with me, but I need to be sure. I want you to do some follow-up work, look into Mort’s finances and verify the reports I’m receiving. With a privately held corporation, it’s easy to play with the numbers.”
“Do you think an investigation is really necessary?”
“I have to be sure the projections are accurate. Mort won’t admit it, but he leveraged himself substantially to fund this project, that’s why he gave me the opportunity to invest. He needed investors. Now, I want to be sure the company is financially solvent.”
“He’s one of the richest men in the state.”
“On paper that’s true,” Carolyn said. “But even rich men leverage their assets. Mort may over-finance this company to start his next venture. He’s built his entire empire that way. It’s not a problem for him because he has cash flow from other businesses, but I can’t afford to tie up my funds long-term. I need the money from this project for Warner’s campaign.”
“I don’t like this, Carolyn.” Mark’s voice was tense.
“It won’t hurt to check out his future projects to be sure he can cover his bets. If it looks like he’s over- extending himself, I want to sell my equity.”
“How do you propose I do this without Fields knowing? He’s not the kind of man you play around with.”
“I don’t play around, either,” Carolyn said. “I’ve got a lot of money on the line, and I need to protect it. I’m sure Fields has run checks on me. It’s the way things are done.”
“I’m not comfortable with this, and I don’t understand why I should be involved.”
Carolyn softened her voice. “Because I need your help. I trust you, and I certainly hope you trust me.”
There was a pause. Carolyn guessed that he didn’t know how to respond, so she continued. “We’ll use Winston Cain’s investigative firm.”
“You want to use
“Of course.” Carolyn said, surprised by the defensive note in his voice. “Contact him and hire more of his people. Oh, and Mark, make sure they’re thorough. I don’t want any surprises. Use the campaign account to hire the resources we need.”
“Carolyn, I-”
“Please.”
“First of all.” he said, switching to a measured tone of logic and reason, “we can’t use campaign funds. It’s illegal. And second, what if Fields finds out you’re investigating him? I’m sure he’d be offended, to say the least.”
“Does this assignment offend you. Saint Mark?”
“Yes, it does. It’s not right.”
“But it’s not wrong, either. I’m trying to protect myself, and I need your support. Mort won’t find out, and if he does, it’ll come back to me, not you. That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Warner’s future depends on my ability to anticipate problems and to deal with them effectively.” She respected Mark’s integrity, but she was sure that if he truly understood the situation he’d side with her.
“I’m still not comfortable with what you’re suggesting,” Mark insisted.
His obstinacy surprised Carolyn. He rarely questioned her. “Look. I know he’s a friend of yours, but this is a necessary part of politics. It’s reality. Besides. Cain’s excellent. He’s not your run-of-the-mill investigator; he’s got access to a highly trained workforce. Edmund’s used him extensively. Mort will never find out about it. And as for using the funds to hire more investigators, well, technically this is a campaign expense, so I’d argue that it’s perfectly legal.”
“Fine,” he said.
“Thank you.” she replied, but the line was dead.
She replaced the receiver and sank back in her chair.
“Damn it.” She hadn’t expected such strong opposition from Mark. Was he jealous of her commitment to Warner’s success? Probably, but she had to get around his emotions.
Mark was the necessary intermediary for her dealings. He’d solidified her position with the big-money men in Missouri. A critical maneuver that allowed her to demonstrate her ability as a savvy political player by influencing local government officials and accommodating the professional needs and concerns of the power brokers. So far she’d delivered on all requests, applying subtle pressure on the pulse points necessary to motivate people to cooperate with her wishes. Now, those same money men sought her out, assuring her that they supported Warner for the Senate and possibly for higher office.
She and Warner were going to have to continue to prove their political value to these people over the long haul to insure their support and Carolyn looked fond to the opportunity to do just that. It was how the game was played, and she liked the game. Liked it a lot.
Mark sat with the phone to his ear.
Edmund Lane answered the call himself.
“This is Mark.” he said without waiting for a greeting. “We’ve got some problems. Mort Fields included Carolyn as an investor in his software company.”
Mark expected the outburst. “That’s the investment she’s alluded to, but until now I didn’t have any details. She owns five percent and holds it in a dummy corporation. But that’s not the worst part. She wants me to hire Cain to investigate Mort. I tried to discourage her, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Don’t worry about Cain. I’ll handle him.” Edmund said, then hesitated for a few seconds. “Mort Fields is another matter. He should have revealed his partnership with Carolyn to the Council. I don’t like secrets.”
“Or surprises,” Mark interjected.
Edmund continued as if Mark hadn’t spoken. “If he’d been honest with us, we could have planned accordingly. Now, it’s like we’ve been caught with our pants down in a convent.”
“Mort has also compromised our control.”
“A problem we can contain.” Edmund said. “We may need Carolyn as a first lady, but she can’t be allowed to broaden her support base. But we’ve got to be careful. We’ve got to operate without her knowing, because we can’t afford a power struggle with her, either.”
“Should we call a meeting to discuss the situation?”
“No,” Edmund said. “I’ll handle Mort.”
“What about Carolyn?”
