Halfway to the Truth (7 page)

Back at her desk, Reese’s phone rang. It was Doug and he wanted to see her right away. He sounded upset. She guessed Bobby went straight to his office and told him about the forklift incident.

When she got there, Doug, Shelley, and Bobby were waiting.

“Are you alright?” Doug asked escorting her to a chair. “Bobby told us you were almost knocked down by a forklift. He doesn’t think it was just an accident.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she assured everyone. “Bobby never said a word to me on the way back here about what he thought,” she said, giving him a cold stare. “I think the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.”

“But Reese,” Bobby defended, “if it hadn’t been for Nick Drakos pulling you out of the way, I think you would have been hit.”

“Maybe,” she said, “but I wasn’t! And, if you thought it was anything but an accident, why didn’t you discuss it with me?”

“Okay, the two of you calm down and tell us what happened,” he said, returning to his chair and sitting down. “You first Bobby.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you. We were working our way toward the red zone warehouse all afternoon. When we got there, Reese positioned herself near the building and I took a snapshot of her with it in the background. The sliding doors were open just a little bit but you couldn’t see anything inside. The guy who was driving us around told me I’d taken enough photos for the day. Reese was going to come over and talk to him when Nikolaus intervened. Then this forklift comes zooming out through those doors and nearly takes her out. But Drakos managed to drag her out of the way. The operator stopped about fifty feet away from Reese, but never came back to see if she was alright, apologize, or anything. Nick yelled at him and sent him on his way. The whole affair smelled like a setup to me.”

Doug turned to Reese. “Is that the way it happened?”

“Yes, everything he said is true except about it being a setup. How could it be? They didn’t know we were going to be there at that exact point in time.”

“Mr. Williams,” Bobby said, “Drakos told us they had been storing chemicals in the building and that there was a fire. He said they were cleaning up the mess made from it and didn’t think it was wise for us to go inside.”

“That part true as well?” Doug asked Reese.

She nodded that it was.

“Continue,” he told Bobby.

“You know as well as I do that, if you’re storing hazardous materials, the law requires you to post signs so people know what’s in there. That building didn’t have any markings on it. And there were two fifty-five gallon drums on the front of the forklift, neither of which had any markings as well.”

“I didn’t notice that,” said Reese. “But then again, I was kind of preoccupied with surprise.”

“I’m a photographer,” Bobby said, “and I pay attention to things like that.”

“Okay, all that is well and good,” she said, “but it still doesn’t make it being done on purpose.”

“Then why didn’t that driver come back to make sure you weren’t hurt?”

“At least he stopped!” she countered. “He looked right at me and could see that I was fine. And when Nikolaus yelled at him and sent him on his way, that also was a sign to him I was okay. Look Bobby, I thank you for your concern, but it was an unfortunate mishap – nothing more.”

“Alright people let’s close the book on this,” Doug proposed. “No one was hurt, but did you get your story?” he inquired looking at Reese.

“Yes, I’ll type up my article this weekend and have it in your hands on Monday. I think you’ll be pleased with it.”

“Bobby, you going to have those photos by then as well?”

“Yes sir. I think I even got footage of the forklift incident and maybe a picture of the driver on my hidden camera. You can look that over and maybe you’ll see the same thing I did,” he said, looking in Reese’s direction.

Reese wasn’t sure why Bobby was so adamant about that incident being a setup. If it was, Nikolaus could have been hurt as well. He doesn’t strike her as the kind of guy that would take chances with himself. She decided to remain professional and put it behind her.

“Bobby, I know you were concerned about me and I really appreciate that a lot. We obviously have a difference of opinion on the matter, but I hope there’s no hard feelings?”

She got up and went to shake his hand adding, “You did a great job for me and I appreciate that as well. It made my job a lot easier.”

“Enough of this,” Doug finalized. Now everybody get out of here and go do whatever it is you do on weekends. I’m letting you go early. Just make sure I get your material in time to make a final edit so we can run the story in Tuesday’s edition.” He shooed them from his office.

Outside, Shelley, who hadn’t said a word the whole time, grabbed Reese’s arm and pulled her in the direction of her office. “We gotta talk girl.”

When safely behind her own office door, they both sat down. Shelley was the first to speak.

“What the hell was all that about?”

“I don’t know. Bobby just saw everything different than me. But we never did find out what is going on inside that warehouse. Maybe there’s nothing to know?”

“I’m not sure I agree with that. Anything referred to as a red zone has to have something dangerous behind it,” Shelley offered.

“I still have this Greenfield fellow that Scratch told me about to track down. He may have been the operator of that forklift, and if Bobby did get some pictures, they may help me.”

“You didn’t mention that to Doug. Why not?” she persisted.

“He knows about Greenfield and with the way Bobby was carrying on, I didn’t want to make matters worse.”

“I’m sensing that you’re protecting Nikolaus a little bit,” said Shelley. “You wouldn’t be starting to like that guy now would you?”

“Hey, he did me right by letting us go there in the first place,” she said indignantly, “and I feel he went out of his way to protect me. I can’t believe he’s in on some dark secret. The man invited me to meet his father for crying out loud.”

“Whoa! Did you just say Drakos junior wants to take you to meet Drakos senior?”

“Yes, that exactly what I said.  Anything wrong with that?
It’s just dinner
Shelley,” Reese tensely responded.

“Fine!” Shelley imparted raising her hands in front of her. “Who am I to tell you who you can see and who you can’t? I didn’t mean anything by it. Just be careful, that’s all. I like you as a friend and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Let me change the subject. My sister has asked me to come out and visit her next weekend. How about you go along with me. We can stay at her house; she has plenty of room. You can introduce me to this Chief Daniels.”

“I don’t know if the timing is right,” said Reese. “I’m just getting started here.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun. After today, you deserve a short break and it’s only two days. What do you say?” she pleaded.

Reese thought for a second. “I say alright. It would be good to see everyone again, even if I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Great! I know we’ll have a good time,” said Shelley, pumping her fists.

The phone call between Nikolaus and Reese was short. He told her that they were expected for dinner at his father’s house Thursday evening. She suggested to him that they meet at Bistro Bistro at 6
P.M.
and have a drink before they went over there. Her real reason was because she felt uncomfortable inviting him to her apartment. He didn’t appear to object.

When Thursday rolled around, she had a difficult time picking out the type of dress she wanted to wear. It couldn’t be too formal looking, but yet, not part of her everyday look either. She tried on six outfits before settling on a sleek black dress and a black waist-high jacket that she could take off it she needed to. She planned to put on undergarments that would help minimize the amount of cleavage revealed believing that it wasn’t appropriate for the occasion. But she also didn’t think that would prevent Nikolaus from noticing anyway. And after all, she thought, isn’t that what a woman wants – to be noticed.

After selecting her clothing, she drew herself a bath, pouring in a good dose of scented bath oil, and slipped into the water. She sponged the fragrant liquid across her neck and shoulders, as her mind drifted back to the dock when Nikolaus pulled her away from the path of the forklift. Even though it happened so fast, she could still feel his arms around her, holding her tight. It felt good in a way that was hard for her to describe. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been with a man in quite a while. Or, maybe it was because she was succumbing to his charm like, she believed, so many other women had done before her. Either way, he was in her thoughts daily and she knew there was room for further exploration on both their parts.

When she arrived at Bistro Bistro she was five minutes early, but even so, Nikolaus had still managed to arrive first. He was sitting out front in a yellow Corvette that had the top down and was talking on his cellphone. The vehicle clearly parked in a NO PARKING zone.

When she approached, he terminated his call and got out to meet her.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, taking her in with his hungry eyes. “Excellent choice of attire — not too flashy but the hint of sensual at the same time.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek then adding, “Let’s go inside and have that drink.” 

She looked over her shoulder to where he was parked saying, “Aren’t you worried about getting a ticket?”

“Not really, it’s my way of helping the city meet its budget every year. I even think the police are tired of giving me tickets because I haven’t had any lately. Besides, one drink and we’re outta here.”

They went inside and were greeted by a short, dark-haired hostess.

“We’re just going to have a seat at the bar,” said Nikolaus as the woman escorted them to a seat.

“Where’s Gino?” asked Reese to the hostess.

“It’s his day off ma’am. He usually goes to visit with his mother. Hasn’t missed a Thursday visit with her since I’ve known him. Let me know if either of you need anything.” She dismissed herself from their company.

“How about we have an Ouzo aperitif? It will help prepare us for whatever my father is serving.”

“I’ve never had Ouzo,” she replied. “I hear it tastes like licorice.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied and then ordered two Ouzos with water.

She took a sip and puckered her lips as the bartender watched.

“You don’t like it?” Nikolaus asked.

“It’s okay. Maybe I can get used to it.”

“Why don’t you try a
Greek Chrysanthemum? It’s probably closer to a cosmopolitan,” he said indicating to the bartender to make one.

Reese watched as he poured a mixture of Dry Vermouth, Benedictine, and Ouzo into a shaker with ice cubes and shake it. He sprayed an orange peel into a martini glass and then poured the mixture into the glass, garnishing with the peel. He served it to her hoping for her approval.

Taking a reluctant sip, she acknowledged to the bartender, “This is much better, thank you.”

Then turning to Nikolaus, she solicited, “What’s your father like? Before I form my own opinions, I’d like to know what you think of him.”

“Overbearing, demanding, hard-hearted are a few words that come to mind,” he replied taking a drink of his Ouzo.

“He can’t be all that bad,” she said.

“Well that’s the way I see him and probably a lot of others as well.”

“Are you an only child?”

“As far as I know I am. But I suspect I might have half-somebodies out there. He never married my mother, or anyone else for that matter. He probably didn’t want them attaching themselves to his money.”

“Where is your mother now?”

“She lives in Athens. She felt she had to move away from her family’s village after my father dumped her. A pride thing, you know? Anyway, at forty she married a carpenter. They do alright for themselves, but my father provides her a healthy annual income. I think he’s trying to ease his conscious about getting her pregnant and leaving us when he came to the states. But she sends most of it to me. She knows I don’t get much help from him and I don’t think she wants his money anyway.”

“So you were raised by your mother?”

“Yeah, until she met the carpenter. I was fifteen when she told my father it was his turn to take care of me.”

“Do you hold that against her?”

“This may surprise you,” he said, “but I don’t. I blame him for everything. He ruined our lives equally and she’s remained good to me. With him, I have to work for everything I get.”

“Is there something wrong with working to get ahead?”

“No, I’m not saying that. You can call me spoiled because I had more than most people but, when you’re as rich as my father, you expect to be treated a little different. I think we need to be going,” he suggested, throwing a $100 bill on the bar. “We don’t want to keep the old man waiting.”

The drive to the Drakos Estate took twenty-five minutes once they crossed over the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. Nikolaus was quiet most of the way, but Reese could see he had something gnawing at him. She wondered if her questions about his upbringing had anything to do with it. She wanted to feel sorry for him but, unlike herself who grew up without parental love, he did at least have his mother. And while Viktor Drakos doesn’t seem to lavish riches on him, he still grew up in luxury.

The Corvette slowed making a right turn onto a long driveway. The vehicle came to a stop in front of large, wrought iron gates with the initial D welded to each gate and a mansion beyond.

Nikolaus pushed a button opening the gates and continued toward the home. His Corvette pulled into a semi-circular brick driveway that was lined with a well-manicured lawn and garden.

“Here we are,” he announced. “Showtime!”

Reese didn’t notice Nikolaus getting out of the vehicle. She was too busy gaping at the grand marble staircase that rose up to the crystal stained-glass, double-front door.

Turning and looking past where Nikolaus previously sat, she observed another garden with a huge water fountain sitting in the middle of it. Jets of water were gushing toward a large, carved-stone feature sitting at the top. It was an image of the fabled Poseidon holding his Triton.

Nikolaus came around and opened the door for her to get out. Seeing that she was awestruck with the mansion, he said, “If you think this is something, wait until you get inside. My father spared no expense building and furnishing this place. I’ll give him credit for having good taste.”

He grabbed Reese’s hand and helped her out of the Corvette.

She accompanied him up the stairs and tried to regain her composure, that is, until she stepped inside the entrance hallway.

“I’m sorry for staring,” she said, “but I have never seen anything like this. It’s like going into a museum.”

Viktor’s manservant arrived to meet them. “Your father is waiting in the drawing room sir. Dinner will be in a half-hour.”

Nikolaus escorted Reese down the hall and turned into a room on the left. An older gentleman was sitting with a book in hand which he promptly put down and rose to greet them.

“Father, this is Reese Summers. Reese this is my father, Viktor Drakos.”

His father grabbed the hand that Reese extended and kissed the back of it making Nikolaus bristle.

“Come,” he said, indicating toward a sofa, “sit down and tell me about yourself. My son hasn’t told me anything other than that you work for the
Savannah Daily
. By the way, that was a very nice story you did on our longshoremen. You really were able to capture the essence of the hard work that goes into moving goods into and out of our port on a daily basis. Was that story your idea?”

“No sir, it was my editor’s,” she replied. “Doug Williams. I think you know him.”

“Oh yes, we go back quite a ways. Has he talked to you about me?”

“Not in so many words. If you’ll forgive me, I don’t think he likes you.”

Nikolaus headed to a bar across the room. “Anyone want a drink?” he asked over his shoulder as he helped himself to an expensive Scotch.

Both his father and Reese ignored him.

“No, Miss Summers he doesn’t, but I appreciate your bluntness. Mr. Williams has changed since we were younger. He thinks he has to tear me down for some reason and uses that newspaper to do it. Over the years I’ve given him plenty of good writing material.”

Reese’s face sported a puzzled look as Viktor had hoped.

“You see, in the shipping business there are a lot of rules and regulations. I’ve often had to deal with litigation regarding personal injury either by dockworkers or merchant seamen. But when you have as many employees as I do, that are performing dangerous work assignments, you’re bound to have some issues. Mr. Williams has mostly seen fit to publish only the negative side of my business whenever he could. Your article was the first in a long time that was positive in nature and I appreciate it. That’s why I’m surprised it was his idea. But you did all the leg work on it and that’s what counts.”

Reese decided to push the conversation further. “Why do you think he has this vendetta against you? You were close friends at one time weren’t you?”

Nikolaus had been left out of the conversation long enough. With the Scotch giving him some backbone he entered the discussion answering her question before his father. “Because he’s ruthless and he’ll squash anyone who gets in his way. Right father? Isn’t that one of your many qualities?”

Reese was taken aback by the affront Nikolaus gave his father in his own house. But she was even more surprised by Viktor’s reaction.

Viktor was actually glad that Nikolaus helped deflect him from having to provide his own answers to her question. “See, even my own son has misgivings about me,” he said. “So it’s not much of a stretch to see why others, including Mr. Williams, may think the worst of me. You can’t build a business like Drakos Shipping without having stepped on some toes. Admittedly, I’ve done that and more. But now that I’m at the top of the game and getting older, I want to change. I don’t want to be remembered for being the asshole I was while climbing to the top. And, I think you can help me with that Miss Summers.”

“Me? What can I do?”

The manservant entered the room and announced dinner.

“Let’s talk about that over a good meal,” he suggested and helped her up from her seat. He then guided her in the direction of the dining room with his son following behind them.

During dinner, Viktor purposely stayed away from their earlier conversation, instead he pressed Reese for more information about herself. She told them about losing her parents at a young age and staying in foster homes until she was old enough to set out on her own. It was the first time Nikolaus had heard about her upbringing, so he was glad his father had changed the subject.

“You had a tragic childhood my dear,” consoled Viktor. “No silver spoon was given to you,” he said, glancing at his son. “I’m sure those experiences from your youth made you who you are today. That and doing the things necessary to make yourself successful. You have an inner strength that shows in spite of your circumstances. That’s why I’m going to make you an offer.”

He signaled for his manservant to take a note over to Reese.

Nikolaus was bewildered by his father’s intentions and watched as the note was delivered to her on a silver tray.

Reese took the note from the tray. “What’s this?” she asked with a surprised look.

“Open it!” said Viktor

She opened it up and read its contents. Then she looked at him with her mouth open.

“What’s it say?” Nikolaus almost demanded.

“Mr. Drakos, you’re offering me a job?”

“What?” yelled Nikolaus dropping his fork onto his plate?

Ignoring his son’s outburst he replied, “Yes, Miss Summers. I’d like you to become my company’s Public Affairs Officer. Your salary will at least double from what you’re getting now. I believe you were guided to Savannah for a purpose more meaningful than doing news stories. So, I would like you to use your talents to help turn my image and the image of Drakos Shipping around.”