Chapter Nine: The Early Bird
"Ah, just as I thought." Elizabeth O'Hara saw the pattern clearly after glancing through only a few financial reports. Ever since her cousin Mary had taken over as CEO, Tudor Consolidated Industries had been losing money. Profits were falling because soft-hearted Mary was too slow to collect on debts. The new CEO was willing to allow struggling suppliers extra time. And the result was that she had to struggle to make her own payroll.
"Hey." The rough male voice was edged with menace.
"Oh, Mr. Maselli. Good morning." Elizabeth kept her voice cool, as though she were utterly in control of the situation. But she hadn't expected anyone to see her as she went through the secure database and read the company's financial reports.
"Up kind of early, aren't you red?" Marco Maselli was clearly not a morning person. His face was unshaven, and his eyes were half-closed. But the sleepy look on his sullen, swarthy features didn't disguise the suspicion in his shrewd dark eyes.
"I love getting up early," chirped the long-legged redhead. "Successful women don't sleep until noon."
"Yeah, the early bird catches the worm. Only it's a shame you don't have an office of your own." Marco leaned against the door frame, his broad shoulders filling up the narrow entry, looking massive and muscular in the early morning light. "Or are you just happier sneaking into Mary's office and using her computer instead?"
"This was my office once," Elizabeth said coldly. "And it will be again."
"Still, it could be kind of awkward if Mary comes in early one morning and finds you sitting behind her desk. Using her computer. Going through her files."
"Is there a point you're trying to make, Mr. Maselli?" Elizabeth hated the way the man got to her. Marco Maselli was nothing, a hood from the wrong side of the tracks. She wanted him to continue weakening her cousin, of course. But somehow, picturing him in bed with Mary only agitated her even more. "There's no need for me to worry, is there? I'm sure Mary won't be coming in early this morning."
"She won't," Marco grunted. "When I left her fancy mansion she was sleeping like a baby. It took me all night to get her calmed down after you fed her those ridiculous lies about me being hooked up with those meth labs we raided. What're you trying to do, scare her off me for keeps?"
"Just keeping you on your toes, Mr. Maselli." Elizabeth gave the tough hood her most arctic smile. "If even innocent Mary believes those stories, the Red Lake police certainly will."
"Sure, you can get me thrown back in jail. Maybe you can even beat a confession out of me. Your grandfather specialized in that kind of thing. But none of that helps you get Mary kicked out of the top job."
"Maybe I don't need your help," Elizabeth countered cooly. "Maybe the reports I've read will make her incompetence clear to the entire board."
"Maybe," Marco acknowledged. "But if any of those board members are male, and under eighty years old, I'm betting Mary can melt them."
"The way she melted you, Mr. Maselli?" Elizabeth's jab struck home. She saw the big Italian flinch, as though she had made a lucky guess.
"Just lay off the scare stories, red. Let me get hold of Mary's millions in my own way."
"You'll get what I promised you," Elizabeth stated bluntly. "No more and no less. After I'm back in charge here."
"You're in charge of the money, boss. But I'm in charge of Mary." Marco came forward, resting his massive paws on the polished oak desk. "You better remember that, or when I go back to jail it'll be for murder. Just like last time."
"Get out." Elizabeth didn't fear Marco Maselli. She had no use for fear. But her lips were pale and every freckle showed clearly on her face.
"Sure, I need to go open up the fitness center anyway. I'm just a working stiff, right?" Marco laughed, the low gritty sound sending shivers down Elizabeth's spine. "So long, early bird."