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“One more thing. Jenn, could you stay a minute?”
I took a seat again, while the others filed out.
Dennis closed the door after them. “I have something else to tell you.” He retook the seat behind his desk. “The trip I took?”
“Yeah?”
He sucked in a breath. “My cousin, Debbie, is alive.”
“That’s great. Where is she?” I had a million questions, but he stopped me.
“We can’t talk about it to anybody yet. We don’t know where she is, but we have DNA evidence that she’s alive?”
“What about your family? You have to tell them.”
He shook his head. “Dad and Vincent know, but we can’t tell the others yet.”
“Why not?” I waited for more. There had to be more.
“She was involved in a bank robbery, and we know she’s alive. But we don’t know any more than that yet. We won’t know the answers until we find her.”
I couldn’t make sense of it. Child kidnap victim, and now an adult bank robber.
“I needed to tell you, but we can’t talk about this. We can’t let it get out until we know more.”
I nodded. I didn’t agree, but it was his family and his decision.
As I walked back to my office, the import of the conversation struck me. He’d confided in me a secret he wouldn’t tell his brother or sisters.
Chapter 40
Dennis
(Ten Days Later)
It was lunchtime Monday,the last day of the whirlwind of shareholder meetings Jay had lined up for us.
Royce Capital had been the final shareholder on our New York list after our meeting at Barron Funds earlier this morning. After eleven of these meetings last week, I’d had enough. I hoped we were where we needed to be.
I followed the group out of the mutual fund building onto the busy midtown Manhattan sidewalk.
“Jay, how do you think that one went?” I asked.
He scooted farther from the door before answering. “He might have been on the fence before, but that guy doesn’t like Cartwright, is my read. He should go with us.”
“Hugh, what about you?
Hugh Stoner checked toward the door before speaking. “Just like the others. Once Jim told them Fidelity and Price were behind you, they had no choice.”
James Talbot agreed. “Bunch of sheep, the whole lot of them. Not a single one with the balls to cut away from the crowd and make his own decision. I think you’ve got it sewn up now. They won’t give Cartwright the time of day.”
Jennifer’s smile told me she agreed.
Finally we had the support we needed for Monday’s meeting with Cartwright.
Hugh checked his watch. “I’m due to meet Millie for lunch. Jim, you want to join us?”
“If you’re buying,” Talbot replied in his typical fashion.
