Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to Jeff Eastin, USA Network et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.


Controlling Interest


The office was empty. Of course it had to be empty the one time you really, really needed somebody, Louis thought as he searched in growing agitation through file cabinets and drawers. It didn't help that he had only a vague idea what the start-up paperwork was supposed to look like. Chewing on his lip he thought frantically, had just started for the door to ask someone in the next office over when he heard Mr. Epstein's already dreaded voice:

"Louis!"

Groaning internally Louis hurried to meet him. This first day was NOT going well.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Epstein, I'll have the start-up papers ready in just a second..."

"What are you talking about?"

"The … start-up papers for Mr. Wilcox?"

"Who?"

"Mr. Wilcox. Mr. Roberts sent me to –"

"Wait. Who?"

"M-Mr. Roberts? The supervisor? He said the papers for Mr. Wilcox's account would take precedence to the financial packages and –"

"There is no one with the name of Roberts in this company."

Louis felt like he was falling and there was no bottom.

"But – but he was just there at my desk, he and Mr. Wilcox... I mean you went to speak to them yourself earlier in the lobby..."

Something changed in Mr. Epstein's face then. Something that frightened Louis. He followed meekly as his boss turned on his heel and strode down the hall. Stepping behind the desk Epstein turned the monitor roughly in his direction and feeling sicker by the minute Louis craned his neck to see past his arm. The screen showed information about one of the vaults. Information he had not called up. His face like stone Mr. Epstein turned off the monitor.

"You are fired."

For a moment Louis couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't believe this was happening to him. His boss just regarded him with cold eyes.

"You have ten minutes to leave the building."

But it was happening, Louis finally realized. He had left his desk and someone had accessed sensitive information because he had been conned and … and... He swallowed convulsively.

"Mr. Epstein... Mr. Epstein, I'm sorry, I... Please I..."

"10 Minutes." Mr. Epstein turned and walked away.

Louis could only stand there and stare after him, whispering one more time with numb lips: "I'm sorry..."