Page 21 of Business Temptations

Tim’s fingers curled into fists. “Yes, I suppose that’s the crux of my anger.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm his fury.

Matteo nodded, ready to form a battle plan. He turned to Bailey. “Is it just a coincidence that my father suddenly appears at the same time that someone is trying to steal our product formulas?” he asked.

There was a round of stunned comments with that announcement, then several people offered suggestions and additional observations.

Finally, Matteo’s voice rose above the conversation, pulling everyone’s attention. “I think that the first step is to look into every employees’ financial situation to look for connections to my father.”

“Or Antonio,” Bailey interjected, referring to Matteo’s half-brother. “Rumors indicate that Antonio is the reason for Ricardo’s financial troubles these days.”

Matteo nodded. “You’re right, of course.” He turned to Mandy. “Can your people start that investigation? And do it quietly so we don’t spark a panic?”

Mandy straightened up and nodded, her intelligent gaze sharpening as she mentally worked through the details in her head. “Absolutely. I can get my team started first thing tomorrow morning. I’ve developed a good process for forensic accounting that will get you answers fast.”

Matteo nodded his thanks. Then he turned to Levi and Sean. “I think that the next step is to get intel on who is looking to buy or sell corporate secrets, specifically in the gas and oil industry. We could start at the club. Several of our members are CEOs of the largest oil and gas companies, both here and in Europe.”

Levi and Sean both smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly expression. Their smiles were…triumphant.

Levi turned to Zahir. “Are you any good at poker or other games of chance?”

The man, already dangerous looking with a straight face, transformed into a man ready to do battle. “Absolutely!” he replied. “I’m assuming that I’m going to become a member of a certain club that resides in the rural area of Pennsylvania?”

Zahir was referring to “TBC,” which most people thought was an acronym for “The Billionaire’s Club”. But in reality, the three original owners, Levi, Matteo and Sean, had been born illegitimate and had all been treated horribly by their fathers because of that status. The club was secretly called “The Bastards’ Club”, in honor of their birth status as well as the bastards who were members of the club. In one sense, the term “bastard” was used for familial legitimacy. In another sense, it referred to the generally unethical men who congregated at the club to gossip and share insider trading with each other, as well as to brag about their mistresses or complain about their families.

Levi and Sean both chuckled. “You guessed correctly.” Levi then turned to Matteo. “I think that you should remain scarce for a while. We don’t want the culprit to get spooked when you walk into the club.”

Matteo sighed, but then slowly nodded his agreement. “That’s fine.” He turned to Bailey. “We can work on discovering who the culprit inside the company is.”

Bailey nodded as well. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Kennedi lifted her hand and everyone turned to look at her. “Because of my work as a supply manager at the brewery, I can check in with some of my distribution connections and find out if someone is looking to ship secret products via the oil and gas industry channels. There have to be regulations on shipping this type of product, right?”

When Matteo nodded, Clarissa spoke up. “I can snoop around from my end and see if there are any factory permits that are pending. Everyone knows how difficult a permit to build a factory is to obtain. There are numerous levels of approvals.”

Everyone turned to Tim. He still looked upset about the whole issue.

Matteo spoke up first. “Tim, why don’t you have a few casual chats with your staff? Nothing official, but just find out if anyone is hurting for money or if something happened in the laboratory that might have caused resentment among the technicians.”

Tim huffed a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. “I pay everyone on my staff almost twice what they’d earn somewhere else. Other companies are cheap when it comes to scientific knowledge. I’m not! There’s no financial reason for anyone on my staff to sell out the team!”

Matteo shook his head. “That’s exactly why you need to talk with your staff. We don’t know if someone has a sick relative that needs expensive medical care or is dealing with some sort of financial crisis.” He looked over at Mandy, acknowledging her expertise. “Mandy will be looking at the finances of the team members, but perhaps there is a family member or friend that wouldn’t necessarily pop up on our radars, someone that suddenly needs a large amount of money.”

Tim frowned at Matteo, but quietly accepted his assignment. “Fine.”

Matteo turned to the newest member of their group. “And you…”

Zahir looked up from examining one of the muffins. He was obviously fascinated by their ingredients, but when he looked at Matteo, he appeared to focus on the present problem. “What can I do to help?”

“You can go with Levi and Sean to the club and play poker. With your presence, you might spur some excitement around the club and get people talking about possibilities in various industries. That could prompt additional conversations and confidences. Maybe someone will want to impress you with their knowledge. Or perhaps you might recognize the person that approached you previously.”

“I can do that,” Zahir replied. “But is that all you need me to do? Just show up and play games of chance?”

Levi chuckled, but it was Sean who spoke up. “You’d be surprised at how challenging it is to focus on a hand of poker while also listening to someone reveal their corporate secrets,” Sean explained.

Zahir stared thoughtfully at the man for a moment, then his grin widened. “I will relish the opportunity to expand my gambling skills.”

It seemed as if everyone might leave after that, but Martha set a beautiful, cheesy casserole in the middle of the counter along with a large serving spoon and forks. The entire group sighed with delight, and started digging in. The cheese and chicken were in a thick, creamy sauce with potatoes. It was delicious. Wine and beer were brought out and everyone continued brainstorming, tossing out additional ideas for capturing the culprit, as well as speculation as to why someone would commit such a crime.

Martha beamed happily, watching everyone enjoy her food. Zahir eyed the casserole skeptically until he tried a bite, then he was just as curious about the casserole ingredients as he had been with the muffins. Levi and Clarissa held hands under the countertop. Sean and Kennedi moved their stools closer so that Sean could put his arm around her waist while Kennedi rested her hand on his knee.

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