Anabiel woke up feeling refreshed even before her alarm went off and padded off into the bathroom for her normal routine. When she was fresh and squeaky clean she stood in her closet debating on what to wear. She had been wearing an awful lot of pant suits lately and she wanted to wear something... flowy.
She grabbed a black and white stripped skirt with a fluffy tulle petticoat underneath. She decided on a white button up shirt to go with it. Setting down her choices, she went over to all her shoes, picked out a nice pair of white heels, and set them next to her outfit.
Glancing at her clock Anabiel had a few choices. Throw on gym clothes and work out but she threw that idea out almost instantly. She didn't want to get sweaty and scummy. She could get dressed for the day and do research until it was time for her first appointment. Then there was the last option. Say screw it and stay in to unpack the rest of her boxes. After leaning heavily to third option she ended up getting dressed and went to her office to do research.
The rest of her house was sleek and modern looking but this room, her beloved office, was all rich woods, brown leathers, and brass. It reminded her of a Victorian gentleman's study. Right down to the globe in the corner and the butterfly spreads hanging on the walls.
Anabiel sat down behind her desk and booted up her computer. What Cobblepot had mentioned bothered her. Did he really pull all the strings with the construction companies? Had she been working with him all this time? What about the alcohol? She was going to need it for both her bar and her casino. Was she going to be run dry if she didn't pay him.
Not if she could help it.
Several hours later, after dredging through dead ends and shell companies, Anabiel came to the conclusion she was silently praying against; Oswald Cobblepot was indeed the king of Gotham. In fact he was sitting on a nice little empire, his fingers in all kinds of honeypots all over the city, ranging from mundane to exotic.
It would be a shame if some one started making waves.
Anabiel's phone started ringing violently on her desk. A quick glance told her that it was Dion, before she answered. "What is it?"
"You might want to get down here girlie. The construction crew is trying to leave. They're saying that their boss is pulling them out." Dion's voice was frantic.
"Let them." Anabiel said calmly as Dion was ranting on.
"What?" It was clear that Dion thought she had lost her mind.
"Let. Them. Leave." Anabiel enunciated each word to reiterate her point before she hung up.
A second just as panicked call came almost immediately after from her casino manager. Anabiel told her the same thing she told Dion and hung up.
Anabiel paged tom as she went into the kitchen and grabbed a breakfast smoothie. She packed her briefcase with essential paperwork and paced around the apartment her heels clicking as she did so.
Cobblepot moved almost as fast as she did. Under different circumstances she would have been impressed and possibly offered a business deal but fate had a different idea. Regrettably for him though, she was a queen at going with the flow and already had a plan that would also be great press.
Anabiel got the page that Tom was at the door and waiting for her so she grabbed her briefcase and left. In the hallway though she couldn't shake the feeling that something was kind of... off.
Ignoring it she punched the button for the elevator, waiting a few moments for the doors to open. When they did they revealed a man already inside. She briskly entered and pressed for the lobby, watching him from the corner of her eye.
The guy sent up warning bells in her head. He was completely bald almost to the point of spit shine and dressed all in black. She saw the outline of the guns under his jacket, concealed weapons. Great.
The guy caught her looking at him and she had to come up with a cover on the spot, "That's a lovely jacket. Mind if I ask where you got it?"
"I've had it for a couple of years. I don't remember where. Sorry." He gave her his full attention. "Might I say you look quite lovely yourself."
The look he gave her made her skin crawl. He looked at her as if she was a meal and he was starving. She gave him a quick, cordial thank you as the elevator doors opened and headed for the lobby doors.
"Where to Miss." Tom asked like he always did as she sunk into the back seat
"To the temp agency." Anabiel stated. This caused Tom to give her a quizzical look in the rear view mirror. "I have to create a construction company and employ all of the workers by tomorrow if I wish to keep ahead of schedule."
With a knowing nod of his head Tom carefully merged with traffic. While Tom navigated the jungle that was Gotham's traffic, Anabiel navigated the minefield that was Gotham's politics. Creating a business in a single day was near impossible but the key word is near. She was going to build this company and do it in record time just to spite Cobblepot. She was just sad she wouldn't see his face when he heard the news.
When she finally reached the temp agency her thumbs felt like they were going to fall off from all the messages she had composed. She had her personal assistants running around like their heads were on fire and their asses were catching, getting all the forms and such filled out and filed with the proper authorities. On a side note she was the happy new owner of Gotham's largest cable company.
With a sashay to her hips she trotted right into the temp agency. It was the first company she set up in Gotham and business was booming. Plus the Intel and connections it acquired was a juicy little bonus.
The receptionist behind the desk gave her a dirty look when she saw her. "Can I help you?"
"Yes you may." Anabiel subtly corrected her greeting, earning a pop from the receptionist's gum in response. "I need to speak to Marge right away."
"Yeah...She's busy." The receptionist flipped through a magazine on the desk in front of her.
"I didn't know that this agency employed psychics. Please do tell me what your future is going to look like if you don't tell marge that Miss Di Antonio is here to see her." Anabiel gave the receptionist the sweetest sarcasm filled smile she could muster.
"No need. I can tell ya for 'er. She's gonna be rather unemployed quick as a flash." A stout woman said coming up to the two of them.
"Ahh Marge. Good to see you." Anabiel held out her hand.
"So ta what do I owe this pleasure?" Marge asked taking it and giving a vigorous shake.
"I need every contractor, plumber, electrician, and carpenter we have files on employed into my new construction company. ASAP." Anabiel said with a smile.
"I thought ya were going to use the ones already in Gotham? Boost the economy and what not."
"I was. Until their boss decided to play games with me." Marge gave a short laugh. She knew Anabiel for a couple of years now and knew you don't play with her business or there would be hell to pay.
The two chatted as the receptionist was sent to gather all the files that Anabiel had requested. She made short work of it, earning Anabiel's surprise.
"Yeah. Has the attitude of the ass end of a fudder-rucker but works damn hard and knows her way around a filing cabinet." Marge said looking at the piles of folders on the desk. "The only reason she still has a job."
"Can I count on you to make the calls." Anabiel asked.
"Just need the company info and what not." Marge replied causing Anabiel to pull out her phone and message the information.
"You still need a general contractor to organize them all. We have a couple of small ones but no one with the experience to manage everyone. The receptionist said snapping her gum.
"You can leave that to me." Anabiel said heading for the door. "Thank you ladies."
When she got to the car she plopped down with an unladylike growl.
"Anything I can do miss?" Tom turned to look at her.
"Unless you can give me the name of a general contractor with a ton of experience I'm flailing in the water. Ugh I was so close." Anabiel leaned back into her seat and covered her face with her hands.
"As a matter of fact I play cards with a couple of my mates every week. One of them was a contractor with a large company until the mob shut him down." Tom said with a toothy grin. "Would you like me to give him a call?"
"Tom. You are a god send."
