They went past the security guard, who waved, then did a double take at Dar, who just rolled her eyes and headed for the elevator. ”I’m damn glad it’s early,” the executive commented dryly. The trip up was quiet as Dar leaned against the wall, and Kerry fussed a bit with her lapel, which bore a pretty, filigreed rose pin, with delicately traced leaves. ”Did I mention how much I like this?” she murmured.
”About six times.” Dar allowed a grin to cross her face. ”You’re welcome.” They exited the elevator and proceeded down the hall, with Kerry getting a pace ahead to open the door as they reached Dar’s office. ”Well, here we go.”
Maria glanced up as they entered. ”Buenos Dias. Dios Mio, Dar!”
The secretary stood up and stared at her boss as Dar maneuvered into the office. ”What happened?”
Kerry walked ahead and opened the inner office door, leaving it open. ”Rough weekend,” she joked faintly, holding her casted hand up.
”Ended up shorter than expected, as a matter of fact.”
Dar exhaled. ”Long story, Maria. Let’s just say be ready for all kinds of crap to hit all kinds of rotary air movement devices today.” She paused in the doorway and half turned. ”In addition to the usual Monday disasters, I’m sure Mariana will be in here as soon as she gets in. We made a mess of things.” She turned back around and moved towards her desk, sitting down in her comfortable chair with a sense of relief and setting her crutches down on the floor next to her. She flipped on the computer and leaned back, hearing Kerry’s low voice in the outer room as she filled in Maria on the weekend. Her mail program came up and she winced, watching the new messages scroll rapidly down the screen.
Hurricane Watch
117
It used to be fun, she recalled. She used to even look forward to Mondays, when most of the really interesting disasters lifted their ugly heads. Now, she had other priorities. One ear focused on Kerry and she sighed.Her phone rang and she punched the button. ”Yeah?”
”Dar.”
”Mariana. Good morning,” Dar replied, lacing her fingers together and leaning back.
”Not very, it isn’t. We’ve got real trouble,” the personnel VP stated quietly. ”The police are on their way here. Fabricini pressed charges.”
Dar sat up and leaned on her elbows. ”Pressed charges? For what? I didn’t touch him!”
”Not against you,” Mariana replied, ”against Kerry, for assault. She broke his nose.”
”Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” Dar snapped back disgustedly. ”He can’t be serious.”
”Dar, I’m not kidding, and he is serious. I’ve already talked to him and he’s not backing down. He’s going to press charges for assault and file suit against her for pain and suffering.” Mariana’s voice was very tense. ”I don’t know what he’s after, but...”
Dar gazed across the office quietly. ”I do,” she answered. ”I know what he’s after.” She exhaled, then nodded once. ”All right, thanks Mari. I’ll tell Kerry what’s coming.” She disconnected the call, holding the knowledge inside her as Kerry poked her head into the office.
”I’m going to run downstairs for coffee, want some?”
”Sure.” Dar mustered a smile. ”I’d love some.” She watched Kerry leave, then she studied the top of her desk for a few moments. Fifteen years. Her eyes strayed to the gilded clock resting on the shelf across the room, her ten year marker. Fifteen years. She took a breath and dialed a number, waiting for an answer. ”Get up here,” she stated quietly when it was answered, then hung up, and simply waited.
It didn’t take long. Fabricini walked into her office, his face half obscured by a white bandage and his skin covered with blotches and smears of lotion. He sat down without being asked and tossed a folder on her desk, with a quietly triumphant air.
Dar opened it, regarding the contents with an expressionless face, then glanced at him. ”What do you want?”
He didn't even pretend not to understand her. ”You out of here,” he answered with vicious satisfaction.
Dar gazed quietly at him. ”All right,” she answered, very simply.
”You call the cops and withdraw your charges, and you’ve got it.”
”Oh no, Dar. I want my pound of flesh out of that whore of yours,”
Steve replied, with a smile.
”You withdraw the charges, or no deal,” Dar answered, ”and you get countersued for sexual harassment.”
He kept her waiting for a long moment. ”Do you know how sweet this is?” he purred. ”It’s perfect. You’re sitting there, completely 118
Melissa Good
helpless and I’m loving every second of it.” He paused. ”All right, Dar.
I’ll leave your little piece alone, but I want you out of here today.”
Dar glanced aside at her mail, which had just finished downloading four hundred new messages. ”All right,” She agreed, handing him the handset of her phone. ”Call.”
She listened to him speak charmingly to the police, then hang up.
”Goodbye, Dar. It’s been a pleasure working with you.” He got up and left. Dar closed her eyes briefly. Now came the hard part. She picked up the phone and dialed Mari’s extension. The personnel VP answered immediately. ”Mari.”
”Dar, oh, good, glad it’s you. Listen, I was brainstorming with Duks, maybe we can find a way to—”
”I fixed it,” Dar interrupted her. ”He dropped the charges.”
Silence. ”Oh.” Mari was obviously startled. ”Well, I...I didn’t think he’d back down, Dar. I...”
”He didn’t,” Dar stated quietly. ”I just gave him what he wanted.”
She took a breath. ”I’m resigning.” A soft sound made her look up to see Kerry standing in the doorway, staring at her in shock. ”I’m going to put the paperwork in, just get it through, Mari,” Dar finished, then hung up. ”Shut the door.”
Kerry did, then she came right around the desk and put the coffee down, kneeling at Dar’s side and putting a hand on her arm. ”What do you mean you’re resigning?” she asked in utter confusion. ”Dar, what’s going on?”
Sad blue eyes regarded her. ”The police were coming here, Kerry.
He filed charges against you for assault and battery and filed a lawsuit for pain and suffering against you.”
”So?” Kerry sputtered. ”Let him! Dar, don’t you tell me you resigned because of that. I’ll...I’ll... How much trouble would I get into for punching him anyway? What are they going to do, sentence me to prison time for that? In Dade County? I don’t think so. You have to kill someone to even be booked in jail here.”
”Kerry, I’m not going to have that on your record, have you go through all that crap with the police and being charged, and taken down there, and go to court. God knows he could probably get a jury to award him who knows what in damages.” She cupped Kerry’s cheek.
”No, I can’t stand by and watch that, knowing it was my fault and I could have stopped it.”
”Dar, you can’t let him win like this.” Kerry argued fiercely. ”I’m not going to let you do it.”
Dar sighed and pushed the folder over to her. ”We don’t have a choice.” She nudged the folder. ”One of us would have had to leave anyway.”
Kerry stared at her, then she opened the folder, her eyes falling on a stack of 8” x 10” pictures. Her and Dar. Walking, shopping, standing on Hurricane Watch