An Old Enemy

‘I’ll take your word for it, for now,’ Giana fixed her gaze on Kira. ‘Next question, how do you know so much about Austyn McCarthy?’ ‘Giana! Were you eavesdropping on my conversation just now?’ Kira feigned indignation. Giana pulled a face. ‘I wasn’t eavesdropping. The two of you were talking in a public place. I just happened to pass by. I’m glad I took the detour today. How else would I catch you shaking down your classmate?’ Kira fake-coughed. ‘I wasn’t shaking down Janessa. It was a fair trade. You should really work on your diction. I have a dictionary to recommend—’ ‘Don’t try to change the subject,’ Giana cut her off. ‘Tell me the truth. How do you know so much about the man even professional newshounds can’t get to?’ Not for lack of trying. It wasn’t that difficult to get the deets on a high-profile figure like Austyn. But the man valued his privacy. Once he gave the word, the media was muzzled. No one dared defy him or his family. Lifting Kira’s chin with her index finger, Giana looked her best friend in the eye. ‘I know you. You’re not a gossip like Janessa. Why have you taken such an interest in a man like McCarthy?’ ‘I haven’t—’ ‘Do you have the hots for him? Is that it? Is that why you’re hoarding information about him like a groupie?’ Kira almost choked on a mouthful of noodle soup. This time, she coughed for real. ‘Spill!’ Giana was relentless. Kira tried to stop her friend’s verbal onslaught. ‘I don’t have the hots for him. I’m not obsessed with him. I swear!’ ‘You’re crossing your fingers behind your back, aren’t you?’ Kira was speechless. She raised both hands in the air. ‘I’m not.’ The black Hummer had stopped on the other side of the street. In the car, Kai glanced at his boss in the rearview mirror. Austyn was in the backseat, perusing a stack of documents. Kai contemplated for a while, then he said, ‘Boss.’ ‘Speak,’ Austyn said without raising his head. Kai pointed outside the window. ‘That girl over there. I think she’s the missus.’ Austyn paused, pen in hand. He looked up in the direction Kai was pointing. Sure enough, there was his wife at a roadside noodle stand. Kira was seated across from a tall, slender girl. Her head was bowed like a misbehaving student getting chewed out by the principal. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but decided not to. As the lecture continued, Kira gave a perfunctory nod now and then. But Austyn knew she wasn’t paying much attention. Her big round eyes were darting around, like a sly fox looking for a way out of the hunter’s trap. Austyn withdrew his gaze and snapped the file shut. ‘Have you found out who took the photos last night?’ ‘I’ve located the paparazzo,’ Kai said. ‘Get rid of him. I don’t want to see his face in Stamford ever again. Give the mayor’s office a call. Ask them to lean on the TV station. Investigate the station for tax evasion. Stall their application for license renewal. Just throw the book at them. They’re not to be let off the hook without my say-so.’ ‘I’ll get right on it.’ Kai stole a glance at Austyn, whose face remained, as usual, inscrutable. ‘Boss, there’s something else. The TV station released the photos because they had help.’ ‘Who?’ Austyn raised an eyebrow. Kai cleared his throat. ‘Liam Cane.’ Austyn’s nostrils flared. The look in his eyes was hard enough to cut glass. ‘Liam Cane,’ he spat out the name that left a bad taste in his mouth. Kai had been with Austyn long enough to know his boss was on the verge of going berserk. He slid down on his seat, trying not to draw attention to himself. Austyn sneered. He gave a throaty chuckle that made Kai’s hair stand on end. The traffic light turned green. Kai inched the car forward. He ventured, ‘Boss, do you want to give Mrs McCarthy a call? We can pick her up along the way.’ Austyn fastened his eyes on his assistant. ‘You talk too much.’ Kai slapped himself in his mind. ‘Sorry.’ ‘Call her. Ask her to come out.’ ‘Huh?’ ‘If you talked less and listened more, you wouldn’t be asking me to repeat myself. You have ears. Use them.’ Despite his tough guy appearance, Kai was a sensitive guy. His face remained impassive like that of his boss, but he was crying a river inside, injured by Austyn’s biting criticism. As he dialled Kira’s number from his Bluetooth hands-free phone, Kai thought to himself, ‘They say women are fickle, blowing hot one second and cold the next. Wait till they meet my boss. He scolded me for suggesting a call to his wife, then he ordered me to call his wife. Even if I had an extra pair of arms and ears, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my boss’ whims.’ But Austyn was the boss. Kai recited to himself rule number one for a model employee—the boss is always right. In the case the boss was wrong, see rule number one.