The Love of Money I – Chapter 25: Tying up Loose Ends

Helen and I had just begun to heal, and then I found a picture of her daughter talking to my would-be killer. Of course, she told me they hadn’t been close in a long time, but it was hard to believe that Helen didn’t know her daughter was talking to career criminals… especially when they worked for the same company. Surely, she would have known something about the kind of people her daughter was hanging out with! Hadn’t Helen been the one to assure me that her Ashlee had been cleared of suspicion on the day of the robbery? What kind of boss was she? Scratch that… what kind of parent was she?

What if Helen had been lying?

I stared at her hard, looking for even a hint of subterfuge, but I couldn’t find anything. All I could see when Helen stared back at me was genuine surprise and concern.

“Marcus, I promise you… I have no idea who that man is or what Ashlee is doing with him.”

I met her gaze without saying a word, unsure what to think.

“Marcus,” Helen said as she took a few steps toward me. Despite the concern in her eyes, she managed to keep her shoulders back and her head straight; her demeanor was calm and collected. “She and I can barely stand being in the same room together. I don’t know her whereabouts every moment of every day.”

“You said she’d been cleared.”

“What?”

“The day the news broke about me. You said Ashlee’s movements were all accounted for.”

“I… they were.”

“Then what’s this?” I said, throwing the paper down on the paper. “She met with the guy who tried to shoot me, Helen!”

“I don’t know! She was using a company car! We have the logs! We have the information from her cell phone! She went straight to the coffee shop and back!” I could see the desperation in Helen’s eyes giving way to frustration.

“What coffee shop?” Henry interrupted.

The question from the investigator took me by surprise, and it took me a second to remember the name. “Uh… The Blue Beans. It’s just down the street.”

“Nice, large establishment that seems to ride that fine line between hipster and avant-garde?” he asked.

“Something like that,” I said, unsure what avant-garde meant, but it sounded right.

“There’s a lovely little antique bookstore just behind the cafe. A nice lady owns it. A bit eccentric. She has five cats… in a place of business, no less.” He shook his head and smiled amusedly as he continued his story. “Dreadful smell. Frankly, I’m surprised she stays in business, but apparently, her store’s been there for a decade and a half.”

His smile faded, and he looked directly at me as if about to tell me my mother had just died. “She had a camera installed in the back because some vagrants kept dumpster diving, leaving the place an absolute mess. That was where I found this image.”

I looked down at the photo on the table, staring at Ashlee’s image. Her sunglasses were on, but there was no mistaking her. She was wearing the same yellow dress I had seen on her when she first propositioned to be my girlfriend. She must have met with Cartwright just after sweet-talking me. What if I had taken her up on her offer? Had she sent Cartwright after me because I turned her down? Jesus… hell hath no fury.

“It’s really easy to get answers, you know,” Erin said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Just buy her off. Helen, you know Ashlee’s all about the money. Wave enough of it in front of her, and she’ll sit up and bark for you.”

“Or,” Chloe said coolly, “We could just ask her without the money. If bribes work so well on her, you might not be able to trust anything she tells you.” She glanced at Henry. “We know someone who’s great at keeping people honest.”

I looked at her in surprise. Stories about the CIA were plentiful, but to be in the same room as a former member while she suggested torturing a young woman for information felt too real.

“No,” Helen said. “This doesn’t feel like Ashlee.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“She’s smart and manipulative, but this feels out of her league. This feels more like Roger.”

“You think Roger tried to have me killed?”

“He’s wealthy, connected to your grandfather, and has a motive.”

“Look,” Erin said, “I’m sure he’s not thrilled that Marcus is sleeping with his wife, but I’ve seen the bills. Marcus pays YPV way too well. Anyone savvy enough to make partner at that firm has a little more self-control than that. You’re making him sound like a Lifetime movie villain.”

Helen shrugged. “Maybe, but if Roger doesn’t need Marcus or YPV anymore, then why not? I don’t know every facet of Roger’s business. There could be a lot there that we’re just not seeing.”

“What are you thinking?” I asked Helen.

Helen’s lips tightened as she looked at me. “I’d play Ashlee’s game.”

“What?” Erin and I both said together.

“It makes sense,” Helen insisted. “If Roger is trying to have you killed, then he’s using Ashlee to get close to you.”

“Why, though? If he’s trying to kill me, then why send Ashlee to seduce me? Why not just have Cartwright or some other asshole wait in an ally and put a bullet in my head as I walk by?”

“I don’t know,” Helen admitted. “Maybe it’s not that simple. You’ve been a difficult target since you acquired security.”



I pointed to the photo. “That was before I hired Chloe.”

Helen pursed her lips and took a moment to think before saying, “This is exactly my point. You don’t know enough. I promise Ashlee isn’t driving whatever this is, and if it is Roger, then he’s withheld information from Ashlee.”

“So, what are you suggesting? I date Ashlee?”

Helen gave me a look that didn’t need any words.

“Seriously?”



“You should invite her to Vegas.”

“Fuck no!”

“Marcus-”

“I’m leaving town to get away from all of this! I’m not taking it with me!”

“It’s a good opportunity to isolate her,” Chloe said. “Cartwright and Roger won’t be around.”

I looked at Chloe like she had just stabbed me in the back. She simply shrugged at me.

“Chandler’s here,” Erin said, looking at her phone. “I need to go get him. Want me to bring him to your office?.”

“Yeah,” I said sullenly.

“I’ll come with you,” Helen said. She gave me a look. “Think about it, Marcus.”

Erin gave me a piteous smile as she brushed by me and trailed Helen out the door, leaving me with Chloe and Psalter.

“Henry, can you keep an eye on Helen while I’m gone?” I said as soon as the door shut behind her.

“Certainly,” he replied. “Is there anything specific you’re interested in knowing?”

“I just want to make sure she’s being above board with me.”

“And the girl?”

“Ashlee?” I asked. I looked at Chloe for guidance but got nothing from her except a stone-faced expression. “Maybe. I’ll let you know.”

After saying my goodbyes to the investigator, I returned to my empty office. A few minutes later, Erin entered, followed by Chandler and Helen. Chandler Grayson was all smiles as he walked in, bright grey eyes wandering and taking in the typical vibes it gave off. Considering I’d just bought an apartment and an airplane, the office decor at the Dunbar building wasn’t exactly high on my list of priorities and still looked like any random office you might see in marketing stock photos.

“Hello again, Mr. Upton! Lovely to see you again!” he said, stepping forward and extending his hand to me.

I stood up and grasped it, smiling back at him despite all my frustrations. I had only met Grayson once, but that was enough to decide I liked him; his friendly demeanor, easy smile, and bouncing gate made him seem more like a lovable uncle than a high-level executive of one of the most successful companies in the US. The fact that Helen trusted him made it all the easier.

“Chandler,” I said and gestured at him to have a seat, “it’s good to see you again.”

Unlike Psalter, he didn’t give me some weird story about murdering priests and altar boys before resolving to never sit in the presence of others again, which was another point in the likable column. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a seat as he thanked me. I sat behind my desk while Helen and Erin both took the couch. Fortunately, the smell of sex from earlier had faded to almost nothing.

“I’m terribly sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak to you after yesterday’s interview with Mrs. Lyons,” Chandler said. “You did rather well, considering you’re a new hand at this sort of game.”

“Thanks,” I said with a nod of gratitude. “There’s no need to apologize. I saw how busy you were. Everyone wanted a piece of you after it was over.”

“No doubt,” he said. “Yunger was quite taken aback by the change in the messaging, but he’s an old pushover. He’ll fret and fuss but ultimately fall in line. I dare say you’re going to give poor Mrs. Rodriguez a bald batch if you keep this up.” When he noticed my apparent confusion, he clarified.