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“That’s what terrifies me. I don’t know and that’s what I need to find out which is why I want to get to the bottom of this acquisition deal.”
“I don’t agree with you doing that, but I’m not going to be able to stop you, am I?”
“No, you can’t,” I admitted with a sigh. “I need to get to the bottom of whatever this mess is.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Cassie said with a heavy sigh. “But promise me you’ll be careful. This man has already killed someone in front of you. There’s no telling what else he’s capable of.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised, finally reaching for a slice of pizza I didn’t actually want. “I just need to understand why me. Why has he been watching me for years? What could possibly be so special about me or Prescott Vantage that warranted this level of… obsession?”
Cassie took a sip of her wine. “I’m not sure but if you’re going to do this, there might be a way for you to find out.”
“What do you mean?” I was curious about where she was going with this.
“Where do most people keep important documents? Work, personal, etc.”
“Their office. At home or at work…” I said as the path Cassie was walking down started to illuminate. “Dana mentioned that I was referenced in acquisition documents from two years ago. Those documents have to exist somewhere in their system.”
“Exactly,” Cassie said, leaning forward. “And you have access to Ashcroft Group’s systems now, don’t you?”
I nodded slowly. “Limited access. But I could potentially find ways to… expand that.” I reached for my phone as the idea formed in my head.
“Wait, Sutton. What are you going to do?”
For the first time in what felt like forever, a smirk formed on my face. “Buy an Amtrak ticket and contact Mr. Cain Ashcroft.”
19
CAIN
The email I received just before nine in the evening a couple of days ago was surprising to say the least. Sutton’s message was brief, professional, and something I hadn’t been expecting.
Cain,
Since you wanted to have a video conference on Thursday, I thought it would be a better idea for us to meet in person. That would also give me an opportunity to see Ashcroft Group’s headquarters. As the new head of Prescott Vantage, I believe getting a glimpse of the parent company’s operations would be beneficial.
Sutton Prescott
No pleasantries. No small talk. Just a direct request to meet with me and to tour our offices.
I leaned back in my chair and studied the Manhattan skyline through my windows. I’d given her “space” after I flew her back to D.C. after the gala. I was still tracking her, but I’d backed off to calm her nervous system down a bit before suggesting to Nancy that we should have a video conference call. I didn’t expect her to make such a bold move, but I was also content with being pleasantly surprised by this new development.
The idea that she would willingly come to me was intriguing to say the least. But I knew the idea didn’t come out of thin air. And given what I knew about the timing of her message to me, I figured it had something to do with her best friend who was visiting her at the time she sent the message. What were they talking about that got her to send me that email?
I pulled up her schedule on my monitor. Outside of when she left to get home in time to hang out with Cassandra “Cassie” Perry, she’d been working late hours since returning from New York. And by late, I mean later than usual, even by her standards. But nothing was shouting at me the reason why she’d reached out to me.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t get to the bottom of it. I just wanted to give her the ability to think she would achieve her goal before I trapped her.
I replied to her email almost immediately:
Sutton, I look forward to showing you around Ashcroft Group’s headquarters. I’ll have Nancy arrange everything for Thursday. I can send the jet to bring you to NYC.
Cain
Almost immediately, I received a response:
That won’t be necessary. I’ve already booked my ticket. I’ll be arriving Thursday morning and can be at your office by 11 a.m.
I was completely and utterly intrigued that she’d already made arrangements, which meant this wasn’t a spontaneous decision. She’d been planning this, perhaps even before she sent the initial email. Sutton was making a move and I found myself eager to see what game she thought she was playing.
