Seduced By The Candidate (The Candidate, #1) (9 page)

For the first time Goulding looked up and instantly the smile
fell from his face. The men that stood facing him were Arthur Deane, Frazer
Martin and Larry Ackermann and together they represented the three managing
directors from Quest Realtors.

* * *

Cold panic coursed through Goulding’s body and at the same time
he felt sweat prickle his forehead. His palms itched as if they had been
exposed to a naked flame and he would have dearly loved to turn on his heel and
bolt for the door, but the jostling crowd at his back held him immobile and at
their mercy.

“Where the fuck was Jake?” he thought. “This is exactly what
I’m paying that useless bastard to protect me from.”

He scanned the crowd hurriedly and at one point he thought that
he could see the shinning pate of his head of security bobbing excitedly as it
fought against the tide of humanity, but then the sea of people pulsed almost
as one and it was gone. He was alone, exposed and only had his own considerable
wit and charm to rely on. Would it prove to be enough?

Goulding gulped loudly and turned to face the music. Part of
him had expected this confrontation all along, but another part had dared to
hope that if he ignored the threats for long enough they would simply
disappear.

“Gentlemen,” he said and was pleased to hear that his voice
sounded strong and even. “It’s been far too long. How are you all? Frazer,
how’s Margery and the kids?
All good I hope.”

“They’re fine Bill,” said Frazer coldly and then the four men
merely stood and stared at each other. Finally Frazer broke the silence.

“You know why we’re here Bill. We have something to discuss and
I think that it’s a piece of business that you would prefer we conducted in
private instead of under the noses of your loyal constituents.”

Goulding nodded and was just wondering how best he could
extricate himself from the hall when he caught site of John Lyndsey. Jake stood
next to him. When all three men locked eyes, the look of relief on their faces
was palpable. Jake made as if to launch himself back into the sea of people,
but Goulding hurriedly waved him off. Looking directly at John he mimed a
circular, rotating motion with his index finger and then drew that finger
across his throat. It was the pre-agreed signal for his team to wrap things up
if they got out of hand and instantly both John and Jake sprang into action.

“People, PEOPLE!” bellowed John in a voice that completely
betrayed his slight stature and made Jake proud. “The Senator appreciates your
support and everything that you have done for him tonight. He still has
additional business to attend to before he can retire for the evening and it is
getting late. Even the next President of the United States has to sleep some
time and we would humbly ask that you vacate the premises so that he can wrap
it all up and get to bed before midnight!”
    

Although there were a few grumbles of complaint, the main the
crowd seemed to accept the statement and John’s humorous entreaty as slowly
they began to file towards the doors. In a little over ten minutes, the hall
was completely empty except for John Lyndsey, Jake, Charlotte, Goulding and the
three men. Jake was clearly not happy at the position that Goulding had forced
upon them all and made as if he was going to walk over and confront Goulding
there and then. A steadying hand and a few whispered words in his ear from John
seemed to placate the big man and shaking his head, he chose discretion as the
better part of valor and left to check that the building was completely secure
and all of the exits remained covered or locked.

“I’m going to regret that tomorrow,” thought Goulding and then
gestured for the three men to be seated at a nearby table.

Goulding poured himself a glass of wine from a half empty
bottle, drained the glass in one gulp. Invigorated by the alcohol, he confronted
the three directors.

“Okay gentlemen. Let’s set niceties aside, shall we? You’ve
come here with a purpose and I have no intention of staying here all night. How
about you say what you need to say and then we can all go home?”

“That’s all we’ve ever wanted Bill,” said Frazer, who was
clearly the spokesman for the group. “We’ve watched your campaign grow and
blossom over the years and can’t help but feel that for the self-proclaimed
‘People’s President’, you seem to have forgotten all about some of your most
supportive constituents.”

“I’ve never forgotten what you did for me,” hissed Goulding
icily. “It has haunted me from that day to this and as much as I appreciate
your support, I rue the day I ever met you.”

Frazer grinned evilly and Goulding felt that he was in the
presence of an enemy far more threatening than anything that he had ever faced
in Afghanistan.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Billy Boy,” said Frazer.
“Unfortunately it is something that few of us are blessed with and something
that none of us can benefit from. You made your bed and you can lie in it.”

“Let’s get something completely clear here Frazer,” said
Goulding, his anger growing with each passing minute. “Our business was
completed a long time ago. You got the support you needed for your development
project and I got the funding I needed to further my campaign. Your...donation
was well received and fully appreciated, but it is a matter of public record. I
did nothing wrong and you know that.”

Ackermann reached into his jacket pocket and silently handed
Frazer a manila envelope.

“We do know that Bill, but we’re businessmen and you of all
people should know that in business, a successful entrepreneur never throws
away any advantage that he’s been dealt. This is a copy of a bank statement
that shows five hundred thousand dollars leaving our business account and being
deposited into your own.”

Frazer sifted through the pages in his hand and extracted
another, moving it to the top of the pile.

“This on the other hand is a copy of your own business account
showing that the same amount of money arrived in your account a day later.”

“And?” said Goulding defensively. “I’ve never denied accepting
contributions from supporting local businesses. I told you that.”

“You did,” said Frazer. “What you didn’t do was pay any
particular attention to how your accountant filed that...‘donation.’”

“Maggie?” said Goulding. “Maggie was a consummate professional
and always did everything by the book.”

“That she did Bill,” said Frazer. “She kept meticulous notes,
maintained highly detailed records and filed all of the right paperwork.
Unfortunately, in this instance she simply ‘forgot’ to declare to the relevant
parties that this was party donation and not merely a personal pay-off.”

Goulding blanched, all of his previous bravado forgotten.

“She wouldn’t...she couldn’t. Why would she do that?”

“Ah...now you begin to see what we’re getting at Bill. As well
as being a little remiss in checking the manner in which your accountant
conducted her business. You didn’t bother to check her previous employment
history did you?”

“No...Madeline did all of that.”

“Yes, she did. If you had just once bothered to look, you’d
have seen that Maggie McDonald had previously spent seven happy years working
for Quest Realtors and that despite the slanderous accusations of nepotism, the
niece of our very own Mr. Ackermann performed in an outstanding fashion. It
really didn’t take a great deal of persuasion from good old Uncle Larry to
persuade her to mislay the relevant documents.”

All three men laughed heartily at this revelation, but Goulding
felt cold and nauseous.

“What’s the last piece of paper?” he asked shakily, although he
didn’t really want to know.

“Nothing really,” said Frazer wiping his eyes. “It’s just the
approval document you signed for us to flatten one hundred and fifty-three
acres of ancient woodland in order to build our luxury condominiums complex. It
really was
jolly
decent of you to give us the go ahead
after so many of your colleagues had refused point blank to even give us the
time of day. If you look at the bottom next to the signature you can see the
date is exactly the same as that of our bank transfer to you. Quite a
co-incidence really, isn’t it?”

“That’s just it though isn’t it, Frazer,” spat Goulding
bitterly. “It’s a co-incidence and the rest of it can be put down to
professional incompetency on the part of my former accountant.”

“Yes, it could,” agreed Frazer. “But do you really think that
with all we know about spin, persuasion and greasing a few palms we couldn’t
make this stick? With you so close to Election Day, something this unpalatable
would be pretty hard to swallow by the good Evangelists you profess to
represent. I’m pretty sure that it isn’t the Goulding change revolution that
they were expecting...what do you think?”
          

Goulding was a very poor loser and now he tasted the bitter
tang of a game, played and lost at the back of his throat.

“What do you want Frazer?” he asked.

“Just what we’ve always wanted Bill, we want to align ourselves
with the William Goulding band wagon. We want to see you win the Presidency
almost as much as you do and when you ride into the White House we want to be
at your side. You see, we are looking to expand our operations nationally and
would have thought that there was no one better to smooth our way past those
awkward red-tape roadblocks than good old President Goulding.”

With the full enormity of the situation outlined and in the
open, Goulding blanched. His past had not only caught up with him, but it had
dragged him from the saddle and began to jump up and down on his chest. These
men wanted to hold him as a pawn in their business strategizing and there was
no time limit, or limitation on the number of favors that they would ask of
him. He was trapped, a puppet dancing to their strings and he had no idea how
he could possibly cut the strings and be free.

“No need to make up your mind just yet Bill,” said Frazer with
a thin smile. “We’ll leave these with you, as well as an electronic copy on a
memory stick so you can see that they are the real deal and not merely
forgeries. Feel free to have them checked out. Although, I would have thought
that you might want to keep them to yourself! We expect a decision no later
than midnight on Election Day. We’ll either walk forward as business partners,
or when the newspapers should be proclaiming your victory, they will instead be
telling their readers about your indictment and arrest. Your
call
Bill...share
the dream, or see it become your worst nightmare.”

Without another word, the three men rose and walked towards the
door, leaving Goulding clutching the envelope and assorted papers, staring in
disbelief at their retreating backs. How could he have gone from such extreme
elation to such deep depression in barely fifteen minutes?

“Are you okay Bill?” said a voice that startled him out of his
reverie. Turning towards the voice, Goulding looked directly into the beautiful
eyes of Charlotte Turner and just for a second he felt safe, as if nothing else
mattered.

“What? Oh, yes, it’s fine.”

“Really?
Who were those men?”

“No one,” said Goulding suddenly angry. “It’s not something
that concerns you Charlotte.”

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, he immediately regretted his
outburst. Before he had a chance to remedy the situation, Jake appeared; half
marching, half dragging a disheveled and protesting man in his wake.

“Boss, I found this piece of shit skulking around the head
after everyone had left the building. I recognized him the minute that I saw
him and thought that you might want to have a quiet...word with him.”

“Jake, for fucks sake your timing is shit...okay, who the fuck
is he?”

Jake cast a cautious eye in Charlotte’s direction. As Goulding
silently bade him to elaborate he appeared to make up his mind.

“It’s the reporter I told you about before Bill. The piece of
shit with the story to write that won’t take no for an answer and who seems hell-bent
on nailing you one way or the other.”
              

Goulding turned to face the crumpled reporter sat sullenly
opposite him and regarded him coldly. He had quickly dismissed Charlotte, his
previous rudeness forgotten in the face of this new turn of events and Jake had
retreated to a position by the door so that Goulding could have some privacy.
Part of him wanted nothing more than to let Jake loose on this man and see how
eager he was to dig up some dirt on him after a five minute ‘conversation’ with
the big fella, but deep down he knew that this was something that he would have
to handle himself.

 
“Who are you and why are
you here?” said Goulding, steeling himself for any further revelations.

At first the man said nothing, but when he caught Goulding
looking in the direction of Jake, his resolve cracked.

“Look, I’m happy to talk to you. Just keep that big brute away
from me.”

“Jake’s a pussy cat,” said Goulding with a knowing smile. “You
think he’s hard work, but you’ve seen nothing yet my friend.”

“Okay, okay!” squeaked the reporter. “But I don’t think you’re
going to like it much.”

“Try me. Today couldn’t get much worse if you tried.”

“Really?” said the reporter, his interest peaked. “Care to tell
me about it?”

“You wish,” said Goulding, unable to admire the man’s tenacity
in the face of such an obvious threat. “How about I ask the questions and you
answer them, and you might just get out of here without needing to have a quiet
word with my head of security.
Deal?”

“Okay...what do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with your name shall we?”

“Brian Kennedy.”

“Good. Next, how about you tell me why you’re here and why
you’re snooping around?”