Page 72 of Justice Denied

She seemed to thaw a little at his compliment. “I’ll let Ms. Yasmine and Mr. Gene know about the photograph, then show you a couple of spots that might work.”

He waited while she sent the emails, then followed her back to the elevator. She took him not to the ground floor, but the fifth. “Right this way.” She moved to the left down a short hallway, then used a keycard to access a locked door.

Inside, Seth stepped into large open space. Skylights and large windows on three sides let in tons of natural light. The open floor plan held not cubicles but workstations where people wearing white lab coats worked on various mechanical objects. A low hum of activity filled the space. “The robotics department, I presume?”

“This is where the magic happens.” Ms. Stanhope’s words might have been flippant, but Seth interpreted them as sincere based on the woman’s rapt expression.

“It’s rather amazing.” He lifted his camera and snapped some photos, capturing the sense of accomplishment in the room. “This does have great natural light but it’s a bit too busy for a group shot of the siblings.”

“I have a few other places in mind too.” She motioned him to follow her. Back in the elevator, she punched the ground floor. “We have a garden between the buildings that might work for what you have in mind.”

“Great.” Seth let a few moments of silence build before adding, “I appreciate you taking me around to these spots.”

“You’re welcome.” Some of the stiffness left her shoulders.

“Given how long you’ve been with the company, you must have known the founder, Peter Topher.”

To his surprise, Ms. Stanhope sniffed as if fighting back tears. “I can’t believe he’s in the hospital.”

“Hospital?”

“He had a heart attack last night, or at least that’s what the doctors suspect. His wife found him slumped over his desk this morning.”

“I hope he recovers.” The timing of the elder Topher’s health crisis seemed a little too good to be true, but perhaps the man had a tricky heart. “Had he experienced heart trouble before?”

“Oh, my goodness, no. The man’s always been as healthy as a horse.” The doors slid open, and she led the way to a side door around the corner from the elevators. “Everyone’s shocked by the suddenness of this attack.”

Once she unlocked the door with her key card, Seth held the door open for her. “I imagine so.”

The sun shone on a well-tended garden, highlighting trees beginning to turn from green to gold, orange, and red. Fall mums added splashes of color to the flowerbeds while evergreen bushes, trimmed into submission, provided a backdrop. Wooden benches set back from the gravel pathways added to the charm of the space. “What a lovely oasis.”

“This was the senior Mr. Topher’s idea. He wanted to create beauty in the midst of all the brick and mortar of the buildings.”

“I’d say he succeeded.” Seth wandered around to scope out possible places for the photos. He found several areas he thought would work as backgrounds for the sibling photos. “I think this will work nicely for the pictures of the three Tophers.”

“Very well.” She checked her watch bracelet. “Mr. Topher can only spare an hour, so I’ll have Ms. Yasmine and Mr. Gene come here at ten-forty-five. Will that give you enough time?”

Fifteen minutes would be tight, but he could make it work. “Sure. I’ll go back and snap a few while Brogan wraps up his interview.”

Seth and Ms. Stanhope returned to Ryan’s office, where Seth rejoined Brogan in Ryan’s office to take some photos while Brogan finished his interview. He concentrated on capturing Ryan, tuning out his answers to Brogan’s questions as he worked. All too soon, Ms. Stanhope came back in to remind them of the time.

Brogan gathered his phone and notebook, Seth his camera and bag, then the four of them went back downstairs and out to the garden. Seth had Ryan sit on one of the benches for some solo pics while they waited for his siblings. Brogan asked a few additional questions to wrap up his interview.

Then an attractive woman, who Seth recognized as Yasmine Topher, appeared, wearing a dark-blue skirt suit and a white blouse. “Why on earth didn’t you cancel this, Ryan?” Yasmine glared at Seth, then Brogan. “We have the emergency board meeting at eleven-thirty because of Dad being unresponsive in the hospital.”

“Dad always put this company first, so I thought I would honor him by doing the same,” Ryan retorted with an edge to his voice as if warning his sister to be careful with her words.

“Since when do you care about the company?” Gene Topher strolled up in his own dark suit.

“I care, which is why I’m fighting to keep it in the family,” Ryan hissed between his teeth.

Seth stepped in before the siblings came to physical blows. “Gene, would you please join your brother on the bench? Yasmine, stand behind your brothers.” Seth situated the two brothers so that Yasmine was framed in the middle.

As he snapped a series of photos, Brogan asked Gene and Yasmine a few questions about Ryan’s leadership over the years. From their replies, Seth gathered the trio didn’t see eye-to-eye on how Ryan was running the company.

“I thought this was a profile of Ryan.” Yasmine followed Seth’s instructions to lay a hand on each brother’s shoulder.

“It was, but with the hostile takeover bid by Maxwell Industries, it has become a bigger story.” Brogan shrugged as if he had no control over that.

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