But covering her ass was necessary if she didn’t want him closely focused on her private dealings. She needed a bottomless well of patience to set everything up properly.
And once she did?
The world could possibly be hers.
Later that afternoon, she checked her email on her personal phone and saw a brief message from Marco with a name and email address.
Smiling, she copied it into her phone’s contacts and settled back into her office chair.
Finally, progress.
After work, she headed straight to her father’s house, fully expecting him to ask her questions about her day. Almost hoping he would, knowing he would expect her to be put off by his knowledge of the meeting.
He was in his office when she arrived, and she walked around to kiss him. “Hello, Father.”
“Hello, sweetheart.” He stared up at her. “How was work today?”
“Oh, uneventful.” She sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “How was your day?”
“Did you have any meetings today?”
Hopefully, she wasn’t smiling. That would look suspicious. “Yes, I called Marco to talk.”
His brow furrowed. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting her to fess up. “Marco?”
“Yes. The investigator we used to use? You remember him, don’t you?”
He leaned back in his chair, his hands templed over his stomach. “And why did you call him?”
Time to play the penitent. “You will probably scold me for this, Father, but I would like to explore other revenue streams.”
The furrow deepened. “In what way?”
“We don’t currently do business with Russia. I read an article that they can be very lucrative partners if one approaches the proper parties. I asked Marco if he had or could develop unofficial contacts for me with people affiliated with the embassy.”
Her father slowly rocked his chair. “And that is all?”
Her turn to look confused, only her confusion was feigned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, specifically, what kind of contacts are you in search of?” he asked.
“Well, you always taught me to look for pressure points. I figured perhaps if I can find someone who works there who can give me information I might find useful in a negotiation, it’s worth the extra work, no?”
He wasn’t letting it drop. In fact, had he, she would’ve been worried he hadn’t bought it. “What kind of information?”
“I mean, you always taught me to look for things such as addictions, or infidelity, perhaps secret illegal dealings they’re involved in—that kind of thing.”
His chair stilled. “And that’s all?”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
He finally leaned forward. “You’re not, perhaps, expecting to find a new business partner for the cartel?”
Time for her to tread lightly. “Father, I am not involved with the cartel. You told me to stay out of that, and I have. Other than my relationship with Aunt Marciella, of course.”
“Of course.” His gaze narrowed. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“Call Marco and ask him. He doesn’t have any diplomatic contacts, unfortunately, but he will look for other helpful information that may be of use and pass along anything he finds.”
