Page 97 of Token

“I’m fighting to get my job back and you’re being paid to help me. Hire whoever you need to back up my story. Do that thing they do with photos to color Miss Montgomery’s hair.” No denials, no nothing. He sounded as if he were making a logical request.

Dazed, Kennedy shook her head. The man was off his rocker if he thought this would work. “Th-that’s impossible. She’d be able to prove you’re lying.”

“Oh, come on. I’m sure you’ve done this kind of thing before,” he openly scoffed.

She had, but not like this. Never to impugn an innocent victim’s integrity. What he was asking was libelous, which was a crime.

Good lord, we do have standards.

Although, perhaps they weren’t high enough, if he thought her capable of this.

“It would be her word against mine.”

The gall of the man.

“No, Mr. Russo, it would be your word against hers and a number of other people who could back up her story. And do you truly believe the station will allow you to make up an employee out of whole cloth without someone coming forward to dispute the person ever worked there or, if he did, would be able to disprove he came to work with his hair dyed as you said?”

Joseph Russo made a gruff sound in his throat. “What if I told you that I have someone who is willing to say she came to work that day with her hair dyed?”

“I’d say you’re barking up the wrong tree. And if you do that, I’ll be forced to tell the public what we found. I am not going to be a party to this. My primary goal is to help diversify the workplace, not help men like you escape the consequences of your actions,” she stated indignantly but with a self-righteousness that was starting to ring a tad hollow.

“Funny, I was told you did exactly that,” he replied, a hint of derision in his tone.

Flinching, Kennedy felt more than a prick of conscience. It was a stab by a knife with a sharp, unforgiving blade. “If that’s the reason the station hired me, they were misinformed, and I’ll be more than happy to let them know.”

Fifteen minutes later, she did just that, severing the contract under the never-before-utilized morality clause. After she hung up the phone, she stared sightlessly ahead, her mind in turmoil, before burying her face in her hands.

Hours after Kennedy left his apartment, Nate had called her. When she didn’t answer, he’d left a voice mail. When she didn’t return his call, he’d texted her. Several times. She’d eventually responded via text and asked him to give her time, the request terse and simply worded. He’d reluctantly agreed, and in the following days he couldn’t get what she’d said out of his mind. He’d lost sleep over it.

Her accusations about Jack ate away at him. The idea that his friend had anything to do with the lawsuit was laughable. He wasn’t like that. He’d been with Nate every step of the way when it came to the programs and the diversity goals he’d set for the company. He’d been one of its staunchest supporters.

But Nate couldn’t dismiss Kennedy’s feelings. And he cringed every time he thought about accusing her of seeing enemies in every corner. She was the furthest thing from being oversensitive. That wasn’t her. In all the years he’d known her, she’d accepted her lot in life with a smile and a steely determination to change the status quo. To make things better for the underdog and the underrepresented, and she’d set out to do it without the billions he had at his disposal. Though some might question her methods, what they couldn’t question were her results. She was changing the demographic makeup of companies in New York City one company at a time.

What ifhe was wrong and she was right? Had his friendship with Jack blinded him to what was right in front of his face? Was the company being sued because of something in his leadership? A culture he’d contributed to? As much as trusting his gut usually served Nate well, the grievances expressed in the lawsuit had occurred over the course of years, not weeks or months. Which meant somewhere along the line, he’d either dropped the ball or taken his eye off it. Contrary to widespread belief within the industry, his instincts weren’t infallible.

Picking up his phone, he called the one person he hoped could help him get to the bottom of things once and for all.

A smiling and tanned Duncan Flynn arrived five minutes later. Marriage appeared to be treating him well. He looked younger and trimmer than the last time Nate saw him.

“Welcome back, Nate. It’s been a while,” Duncan said with genuine warmth.

“Hi, Duncan. Thanks for making time for me.” Nate motioned for him to take a seat.

“Pfft!I always have time for the guy who signs my checks,” his employee joked, reclining comfortably in the high-backed chair.

Nate offered a tight smile. “I wanted to talk to you about Alberta. I know you told Jack you didn’t promise her the project manager position during her last review, but that seems to be contradicted by the copy that’s turned up.” He treated Duncan to a level stare and prayed his gamble would pay off. This was literally all he could come up with to prove or disprove his hunch.

His project director’s eyes flashed with alarm as his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic change. He sat up straight, one hand white knuckling the arm of the chair, proof that Nate had hit a nerve.

“And before you say anything, think very hard about how you want this to go. Your job is on the line, so don’t lie to me.”

Duncan opened his mouth several times before sound finally emerged. “Jack told me there was a misunderstanding about the position, and he decided not to fill it. Next thing I know, Regina informs me I need to interview Brent for another position. After I went over the job description, I told her it was the same as the project manager position, and she told me to take it up with Jack. When I spoke to him, he said the old position had been revised to reflect a certification requirement, something Alberta didn’t have but Brent did. I thought that was the end of it, until I heard about the lawsuit. When I got the message, I called Jack and asked him how he wanted me to handle it, and he told me that since I hadn’t offered Alberta the position we ended up filling, her claim could never be substantiated, and I had nothing to worry about.”

“You’re talking technicalities and you know it. You promised her that position and then you hired someone else for it.”

“Nate, you have to understand the position I was in. Jack’s my boss. I was following his orders. He promised something else would come along for Alberta and I took him at his word. The company has been expanding like crazy. Positions are constantly opening up...” he said, his voice trailing off.

Nate stared at him and sighed heavily.

---