Transparency

  Transparency

  By

  Jeanne Harrell

  Copyright 2014 by Jeanne Harrell

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published by Jeanne Harrell

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  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  * * *

  Thank you for downloading my book! I am happy that you have made it part of your library.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or publisher. No part of this publication may be sold or hired, without written permission from the author.

  Dedicated to the one I love…

  Special thanks to my editor, Pam Kilrain.

  Other books by Jeanne Harrell

  Rancher’s Girl

  Whisperer

  Always and Forever

  Being Emma

  The Darkest Hour

  Riding the River

  Persuaded

  http://www.jeanneharrell.com

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  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  About the Author

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  Prologue

  The sun was blazing on the hot streets of Mesquite. People in their cars had air conditioners turned up as high as they would go. Sweat was dripping off faces of those unfortunate enough to be out in the noonday sun for too long. Even though there was a slight breeze fanning the tall palm trees lining the street, no breeze was wafting through the building where an important meeting was being held. There was no relief of any kind. Period…

  “So that’s the bare bones of it, I’m afraid. Are there any questions?” The tall man, obviously upset, took out his handkerchief from his pocket to mop his brow. He glanced around the large room filled with people he’d known for many years. They weren’t just employees, they were his friends.

  “Bill, I just don’t understand how they can close the place down like this. Why, your father started this lumber company forty years ago and it’s been profitable all these years, hasn’t it?” A man in the front row asked a question that many had.

  Bill mopped his brow again. “It wasn’t up to me. I have a board to answer to and it was their decision to sell out.” He looked angrily toward the back of the room. When he saw someone he was looking for, he spat out his words.

  “Of course, if the Las Vegas Financial Trust hadn’t bought the majority of our shares and obtained control of the company, we wouldn’t be in this pickle.”

  “…So a company in Vegas bought it?”

  “Yeah, Sue, that’s right. It’s an investment company that specializes in takeovers of companies.”

  “…But why this company? Mesquite Lumber and Supply is hardly big. How’d they set their sights on us?” asked a man a few rows back.

  Bill blew out a breath and shook his head. “My dad bought the best piece of property in town years ago for this company. It’s really increased in value…” He kept shaking his head. “It appears a big retail company wants to build here, so we got maneuvered out.”

  “But this big company won’t be able to build for a year or more, right? What will we all do for jobs in the meantime?”

  “…I have no answers for you, Sam. We’ll all just have to do the best we can.”

  Gasps from many in the audience… “This isn’t that big a town, Bill, and Vegas is over eighty miles away. That’s quite a commute for many of us.”

  “I know it, Bob. There’s nothing more I can say. I’ve tried to do the best I can for severance packages and giving everyone an extra month’s pay in addition to that.”

  “We appreciate your generosity, Bill,” asked a woman in the back. “What are you and your wife going to do now?”

  Bill smiled slightly. “I was afraid someone would ask me that. We’ve decided to move up to Reno.” More gasps from some people in the audience. “Cindy’s too upset to stay here.”

  “So we’re losing the business and your family?”

  As Bill nodded, many began to tear up and reach for tissues. It was all too much, coming all at once. Bill wiped an eye as well. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

  “That’s about it. If there are no more questions, please see my staff in the office for your severance packets. Again, I’m sorrier than I can possibly say.”

  It was over an hour before all the employees had picked up their packets and said their goodbyes. Lots of tears, handshakes and best wishes for the future… A future in a small town like Mesquite, Nevada with one fewer local business in it would be a dimmer future, for sure.

  Bill’s shoulders sagged as he wearily walked into a small office where another man sat. The handsome man waited for him – He was tall and slim, dressed in an expensive business suit with dark hair neatly combed to one side. Bill leaned against the doorframe.

  “All right, Mr. Barron. It’s all done. One hundred employees let go and the company’s assets ripe for plundering.”

  Bryce Barron stood up and smiled at him. “Good job, Bill. You’ll be hearing from my company soon, but everything looks on track for the buyout.”

  Bill folded his arms across his chest and stared at him.

  “Nothing about that scene bothered you?”

  Bryce stared back, unblinking. He shook his head.

  “One hundred employees, friends of mine, are now without jobs in a town that can’t support more unemployed.”

  “…No.”

  “These are people with families. Families need to eat and live somewhere. What happens to them now?”

  Bryce packed up his briefcase and prepared to leave. “Not my problem.” He walked to the doorway and Bill moved to block his exit. “Bill…”

  “Tell me why none of this bothers you. Have you been a rich boy all your life? Born with a silver spoon in your mouth?”

  “…If you’ll excuse me…”

  Bill angrily stood his ground.

  “Please tell me how you can live with yourself knowing you’ve forced my family out of our home and sent all these peopl
e to the unemployment lines?” Bryce stared him down. “Huh? How in the world can you live with yourself?”

  “Like I said, it’s not my…”

  “…problem…” Bill finished for him as he stepped out of Bryce’s way.

  Bryce looked at him long and hard. “I really am sorry…”

  “No, you’re not…but you should be.”

  And with that, Bryce left the building. Walking purposefully to the parking lot, he opened the door of his new Mercedes, got in and slammed the door shut. He took several calming breaths, started the smooth engine and drove as quickly as the speed limit allowed back to Las Vegas.

  He needed to get that small, dusty Nevada town out of his sights just as soon as humanly possible. Many thoughts crammed his mind as he drove away. Most of them unwelcome…

  Bill’s words had hit the target -- A nagging memory crept in and around his brain, parking itself in full view at last. With the air conditioner on full blast, his seat in a comfortable position and the CD player belting out a rock tune, Bryce’s nagging memory took him back to Carson City, Nevada. Another small town, this time in northern Nevada, thirty miles south of Reno… He’d grown up there and graduated from high school before attending the University of Nevada in Reno. Bryce had gone on to San Francisco State after that for a business degree and had tried hard to leave small town Nevada behind him. Somehow, those unwelcome memories wouldn’t stay put…

  Bryce changed the CD in his player and squirted some windshield wiper fluid to clean off his windshield. He tried about every gadget on that fancy new car to take his mind away from where it was going.

  Back.

  Way back… He took a sip of water and reluctantly let the scenes play out as they would.

  No… There was absolutely no way he would let happen to him what had happened to his father.

  Bryce’s grandfather had been a Basque sheepherder in northern Nevada and had helped Bryce’s father start his own Western clothing store in Carson City. But his dad hadn’t been the best businessman in town and wound up losing the store to a larger retail chain. It broke his father’s heart and he never recovered from the strain. Bryce’s father had had a heart attack and died when Bryce was barely out of high school.

  Back in his new Mercedes with the rock music blaring, Bryce took another swallow of water and waited patiently for it to go down his throat. But there were quite a few things stuck in his throat today and the water just wouldn’t go anywhere. He ended up rolling down his window and spitting it out.

  No… NO! Not a trip down Memory Lane… It was nowhere he wanted to go. Bryce tucked his memories, along with his conscience up inside his new sports cap and stepped on the accelerator. He and Sylvia had tickets to a concert tonight and he didn’t want to be late.

  Screw Memory Lane…

  * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Las Vegas was the most populous city in the whole state of Nevada. But coming in at nearly two million people didn’t make it a major location, the nickname Sin City did… The city sat in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by dry mountains. But ‘hot’ didn’t just describe the landscape and temperature -- It was a hot financial market as well. In fact, it was cooking…

  Bryce had come over to Las Vegas after getting his business degree, lured by the promise of fast and easy money in the investment markets. He’d wanted to make a killing and on the West coast, Las Vegas was a lucrative place to start. Las Vegas Financial Trust was the second investment firm he’d worked for in the last six years and the value of his personal portfolio had risen as rapidly as had Bryce’s reputation. He was a rising star and was already receiving offers to go back East to New York to do some major damage. He almost licked his lips at the prospect of wealth beyond his imaginings.

  He pulled into the street to the gated community where Bryce owned an opulent condominium in the most prestigious part of town. His neighbors were bankers, doctors, lawyers and even a judge or two. He felt comfortable and confident with his current station in life. The scene in Mesquite was already behind him…

  Punching in the code at the entrance, a heavy gate swung open revealing a scene of beauty and elegance. Tall palm trees met his gaze as he glanced around the street. Neat xeriscaping with rock gardens, small Sumac bushes and low colorful flowers lined his drive. Slender, green Palo Verde trees dotted the yard outside his garage. Clicking the remote, the garage door opened to reveal a parked Lexus and Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Bryce liked his toys…

  His condo was large, expansive. He walked through to the main entrance with its grand spiral staircase leading upstairs to the master suite. Sylvia was already dressing for the night’s event. Her dark green cocktail dress was thrown casually on the bed and she stood in the bathroom in her lacy underwear putting on her makeup. Bryce came in, took off his jacket and tossed it on the bed by her dress. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, admiring the view in front of him.

  “… You look gorgeous, Sylvia…As usual…” He smiled at the tall, willowy blonde. She finished putting on a stroke of eyeliner before responding. His eyes traveled from her beautiful face, to the low-cut nude bra to her barely there panties and shapely legs. She wore only the sheerest and most expensive lingerie and underwear.

  “You need to change, Bryce.” She cut her eyes over to give him a quick once-over before returning to her reflection in the mirror.

  He walked behind her and put his hands on her hips. “Sylvia…”

  She shook her head. “… Don’t even think about it. If we don’t leave in thirty minutes, we’ll be late…”

  Bryce kept his hands on her hips and nuzzled her neck. “Why don’t we just stay home and scramble something, hmm?” He teased her neck with little puffs of air. She pushed him away…

  “No. We did that last time and I really want to see the concert tonight.” She returned to putting on her eyeliner and shadow. “Besides, aren’t we meeting your boss and his wife someplace afterwards?” Bryce blew out a breath.

  “…Fine. What should I wear?” He walked over to his huge walk-in closet with multiple shelves and compartments. Several racks of quality suits were lined up and he brushed a hand through a few of them to contemplate his decision. He felt textures of wool, cashmere, cotton and silk.

  “Wear the Ralph Lauren that you bought over at the Bellagio last week,” she called out. “It looks terrific on you.”

  So Bryce picked out a light gray pinstripe suit with a white shirt, gold cufflinks and silver tie. His double pleated pants fit him like a glove as did the jacket – The suit had been custom made for him. Bryce took a quick shower, dressed and was about ready to go when a phone call interrupted the Windsor knot he was tying in his tie. Sylvia, needing him to zip her cocktail dress, glanced around irritated.

  “We need to go…”

  “It’ll just take a minute,” he said while balancing his cell phone between his chin and shoulder, as he tried to zip her up at the same time. His tie remained untied for now.

  “Hello… Yes, sir. We’re heading over there now…All right… That sounds good…See you there.” He clicked off the phone and tossed it on the bed. He finished zipping Sylvia and continued tying his tie.

  “Who was that?”

  “Nick.”

  “… And…”

  “He and his wife will meet us at the concert. We’ll all go for dinner afterwards.”

  “Where to?”

  “…Le Cirque on the Strip.”

  She raised her eyebrows while reaching for her Jimmy Choo heels. “Nice choice.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Nick likes the best…”

  Driving over to the symphony hall, Bryce remembered something.

  “Tell me again why I’m going to a classical music concert?” He gave her a pained expression.

  “First, it looks like you might have good taste.” He winced when she said that. “…And second, it’s very nice music.”

  “I prefer my rock...”

&nb
sp; “Yes, I know, but quite often you make contacts at these things, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  He glanced over at her as she was checking her lipstick in the overhead mirror. “You’re more interested in my career than I am sometimes. Have you noticed that?”

  She shrugged. “It’s the tie that binds, Bryce…”

  That gave him pause. Was it really? Was his career really the main reason they were together?

  Before he could really dive into that thought, they had arrived and he gave his keys to the valet who was parking cars. Walking into the beautiful crystal and gold auditorium, Bryce and Sylvia said hello to a few people and chatted briefly with a state senator they knew. The usher showing them their seats in the orchestra area handed both Bryce and Sylvia programs of the night’s performance. After they’d been seated, Bryce’s boss and his wife arrived and they exchanged pleasantries. Then he relaxed and took a look at the program.

  “The San Francisco Piano Quartet? That’s what we’re listening to tonight?” Bryce tried to refrain from rolling his eyes as Sylvia gave him a pained look.

  “It’ll be beautiful… Can you just cool your jets? You can go see The Grateful Dead some other time.”

  Bryce smiled. “I don’t think they’re touring anymore…” She fluffed her hair and in a huff started to read the program. Bryce did as well, since she was obviously pissed at him already.

  The four musicians who would be performing tonight were on leave from the San Francisco Philharmonic. Bryce raised an eyebrow. Wow… Credentials and talent… He turned to the pages listing each musician, their instruments and where they’d trained and performed. Glancing at their photos, he took a second look at one in particular. The pianist would be Beth Lane. Beth Lane… Beth Lane? He sat up straighter and smoothed his tie. Looking around him, Bryce took another good look at the pianist’s photo. My God… This was one small world -- That was Beth all right. Beth from Carson City… Beth his former high school girlfriend… Beth who he’d pretty much run out on… Jesus… Beth…