Sweet Promise Read online

  Looking into his father’s crystal-blue eyes, Jacob wanted to tell him everything. His father had cared about him before anyone else had, and Jacob was grateful for that goodness. It pained him to tell Vico that by accepting him into the family, he had unknowingly embraced disaster.

  “It doesn’t seem fair, Vico, that after all you’ve done for me…everything that my family means to me…that I have to bring bad news.”

  “If it’s bad news, then we’ll face it together.” Vico took a gulp of whiskey and leaned back in his chair, as if ready for anything.

  “When is the last time you saw Carl Hahn?”

  Vico’s eyes widened. “Not since you were a boy. I haven’t laid eyes on him, nor have I spoken to him since the day I took you home from that state facility.” He sighed. “I told him then that I would make sure he couldn’t hurt you anymore.”

  Jacob gripped the arm of the chair. “Well, he’s back. And he intends only harm.”

  Vico shook his head. “What now?”

  Jacob proceeded to tell his father about the recent events, including the implications made about his adoption. He’d already informed him of Daniel Kenyon’s vendetta against him, and now he explained how that strain of evil had seen fit to connect with Carl.

  “It’s unbelievable,” Vico said. “To locate a bum like Carl takes extraordinary effort. A man, without a stable career or residence, isn’t easy to find. And all this time, he didn’t attempt to find you, when he could have.”

  “Carl didn’t want to find me. He only does now because he hopes it will be profitable,” Jacob said. “He has dollar signs in his eyes. That’s what this is about.”

  “The man will drink himself to death if you give him money.” Vico raked a hand through his hair. “Not that I’d mourn over the loss of that heartless bastard.”

  Jacob drank the last of his whiskey and looked into his father’s eyes. “I could go away, Vico…to Europe or some other continent. I could disappear, and of all this heartache would go with me.” He took a deep breath. “You provided safety and protection when I needed it most.”

  Vico just listened.

  “You are my true father, Vico…the only father in my heart. You will always be the only father to me, not Carl. And I cannot let my family’s reputation be ruined after all of your kindness and love.”

  Jacob gathered his strength. “You could find another, equally capable man to run the company. I should leave before I bring shame to you.”

  Vico considered his son’s words, then leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “No, Jacob, don’t do that. It would break your mother Sophia’s heart, and your real mother’s as well. Flora still watches over you, and I promised her that I’d look out for you.”

  As he listened, it felt as though an iron fist squeezed Jacob’s heart.

  “You are my son, Jacob. I depend on you,” Vico said. “I don’t want anyone else running the company.”

  His father continued, “Family sticks together. You are a Rinaldi, and you have our support.”

  “I’m relieved to hear you say that, Father.” Jacob, unburdened now, shared more. “And I have Vivienne in my life now, too. I don’t know how I’d go on without her. She’s a part of me.”

  Vico smiled. “I understand. That’s how I feel about Sophia.”

  “I can’t part with Vivienne…not now,” Jacob said. “But I won’t allow her to be used as leverage against me. I’m going to battle, and I’m going to beat those assholes at their own game…before they create irreparable damage.”

  Vico looked directly at him. “We’re behind you, son. I know you’ll do what’s right.”

  Jacob stood and gave his father a hug. He was grateful, and felt blessed to have such a father. Maybe good didn’t always win, but this time Jacob was going to do everything in his power to see that it did. Vico’s love and generosity would be rewarded.

  On the way home, Jacob rested his head against the back seat. He was in a position similar to when he was just a young boy. Once again, he was being bullied. It was happening all over again. It always went back to Carl, a man who made his way through life by abusing others.

  The brute targeted those he considered weaker, but Jacob was no longer weak. Life wasn’t going to repeat itself and leave lasting scars. This time Carl’s abuse would be his undoing; Jacob would see to that.

  Chapter 7

  That evening, Vivienne met Jacob at a bar in Midtown for an after-work drink. It was a cocktail lounge behind a nondescript door near the entrance to a Japanese restaurant. The interior was as exotic as the cocktails. A wall-sized mural of angels, painted in a Renaissance style, was above the bar. A row of lights spotlighted the artwork and illuminated the bottles of spirits on glass shelves below, making them look like crystal sculptures.

  Jacob had just come from seeing Vico, so she couldn’t wait to talk to him. He had a booth by the window, and had started drinking without her. When Jacob spotted her, he smiled and held up his hand. Vivienne went over and slid onto the leather seat across from him. His expression didn’t give anything away.

  “I can’t wait to hear,” Vivienne said. “You talked to Vico?”

  Jacob nodded, then flagged the waiter. “What do you want to drink?”

  “I think I’ll vary from my usual, and try one of the rum-based drinks they’re known for.” Vivienne perused the menu, and when the waiter came by she ordered a Japanese-inspired cocktail made with two kinds of rum, sherry, and matcha powder.

  The bar was humming, but Vivienne wasn’t in a party mood. She wanted to know what had happened with Vico, since his support meant so much to Jacob. “So tell me…how did it go?”

  “Probably just as you expected,” Jacob said. “My father isn’t one to cower, especially not from the likes of Carl Hahn. He stood up to him years ago, so he isn’t going to back down now. He’s behind me all the way.”

  “I thought he would be,” Vivienne said. “But it’s a relief to hear you say so.”

  The waiter brought her cocktail, and Vivienne tasted it. “This is really good…potent too. You may have to carry me out of here.”

  Jacob laughed. “That would be my pleasure.”

  Vivienne raised her brows. “So what now?”

  Jacob twirled his glass on the shiny table. “It occurred to me that information about my adoption wouldn’t have been easy to obtain.”

  Vivienne continued to sip her drink, intrigued.

  “Let’s say Kenyon noticed that I supported organizations that assisted abused children,” Jacob said. “It was no secret that I made large donations at the fundraisers, and even the amounts wouldn’t have been difficult to find out.”

  “That’s true.”

  “His conjecture that I donated because of personal experiences was an obvious connection to make. But…how did Kenyon know about Carl?”

  Vivienne pondered that. “Interesting,” she said. “How could he have known?”

  “That’s the thing. Vico didn’t speak about the adoption. He accepted me as his own son, as if I’d been born a Rinaldi,” Jacob said. “Plus, it all happened so long ago. It puzzles me that Kenyon pursued the story now.”

  “I see what you mean.”

  “The information about my abusive situation and subsequent adoption wasn’t spoken about. The details were known only to a few,” Jacob said, and took a gulp of his bourbon. “And that tells me something.”

  “What’s that?”

  Jacob glanced at his empty glass, then back at Vivienne. “I’ve thought this for a while, but now I’m even more convinced. Kenyon has an inside source.” He paused. “But…who is it?”

  That question went unanswered as the waiter came by to offer another drink. Jacob accepted, but Vivienne continued to nurse her first cocktail. “Did his stepfather know?”

  “I’ve considered that.” Jacob frowned. “I suppose that Sam could have told him about the adoption. He was friends with Vico then. But that doesn’t explain Kenyon deciding to bring Carl in
to all of this. Friends or not, I doubt that Vico shared such a private family story. He wouldn’t have revealed details about the incidents involving Carl.

  “And Kenyon’s attack centers around the attempted murder charges.” Jacob hesitated. “Vico didn’t tell anyone about that, except Sophia. Not even my brothers know.”

  “So who told Daniel Kenyon? How did he know about it?”

  “That’s what I need to find out,” Jacob said. “And when I do, it’s bound to lead me to more answers about this mess.”

  Vivienne could see the story unraveling. There were unresolved questions, but there had to be answers. She had faith that Jacob would find out the truth, because he wouldn’t give up until he did. “Kenyon can’t hide anymore,” she said. “He started this by targeting you. His lies and underhanded dealings will come to light. I’m sure of it.”

  *****

  The next morning, Jacob decided to call Sam Williamson. There was one way to find out if he was the source of his stepson’s information, and that was to ask. The receptionist knew Jacob, and put his call through.

  “Hi, Sam.”

  “Jacob…I’m sorry about what’s happening.”

  “So Daniel told you about his intentions? You know his plans?”

  “I know he’s made contact with Carl Hahn, your natural father,” Sam said. “And they are making allegations.”

  “Were you the one who told Daniel that I’d been adopted?”

  “No, Jacob, I didn’t. Vico and I were friends, still are friends. There’s no way I would violate a trust. I didn’t even tell my wife about that. I mean…why would I?”

  “Well, if you didn’t,” Jacob said, “then who did?”

  “I don’t know, Jacob. I wish I did.” Sam paused. “I can’t stop Daniel from this vendetta. I’d fire him, and risk my wife’s disapproval. But the damage has been done. He knows about your past, and he will use it against you, no matter what I do.”

  Jacob raked his hand through his hair.

  “I have no love for my stepson,” Sam said. “I want you to know that I don’t condone what he’s doing. And he knows that, so I’m sure he hasn’t told me everything.”

  “Yeah, probably not.”

  Jacob hadn’t learned much, but he knew that Kenyon wouldn’t get support from his stepfather. But there was someone helping him. And Jacob wouldn’t quit until he discovered who the traitor was.

  *****

  Walsh had kept Jacob informed throughout the investigation. Every day, sometimes twice daily, the reports came in. Often, there wasn’t much new, but sometimes there was. Little by little, the pieces began to fall into place.

  Jacob was obsessed with getting justice. It went beyond defending his reputation; the audacity of the crooks that sought to blight his family’s good name and had no respect for Vivienne fueled his commitment to stop them.

  Some very enlightening information had been uncovered about Carl Hahn, evidence that Jacob could use. And he would. Then a clearer picture of Kenyon’s activities began to form. The last few reports from Walsh had provided a lot of insight.

  There was just one more thing that Jacob had to figure out. He hired an independent accountant to assist in deciphering the data. It was important to work with a reputable firm that had no connection to Rinaldi Imports. The reason for that became starkly clear to Jacob, and he wondered that he hadn’t seen it before.

  Right then, Jacob wasn’t sure whom to trust, so he’d consulted with Walsh. His newly hired CPA firm was checked out before an appointment with the senior accountant was set. On the afternoon of the meeting, Jacob arrived early. He was anxious to find out if what he suspected could be substantiated.

  Jay Lawton was in his mid-fifties, and entered the conference room wearing a conservative business suit. His graying hair and glasses gave him a mature appearance, plus his solid reputation in his career field boosted Jacob’s confidence.

  The introductions were made, and the men were immediately on a first-name basis. There was no need for excessive formality. The nature of the discussion was likely to be unpleasant enough. Over coffee, the accountant went over what he’d learned. “The last few days, I’ve reviewed all the documents you sent to me,” he said, and pushed his glasses up.

  “I have my own ideas about what it all means,” Jacob said, “but I’m not an accountant. I need your expertise. And I can’t take this to my usual firm.”

  “Yes, I can see why,” Jay said. “May I ask…how did you obtain this information?”

  Jacob shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He wasn’t about to tell the accountant how valuable Walsh was, or about the techniques he used. “Let’s just say that I have good resources.”

  Jay shuffled some papers. “Well, considering the issues at hand, I suggest we keep this private. I don’t like to malign another accounting firm, but you must know that the company you’ve been using for Rinaldi Imports has shared information…just as you thought.”

  Jacob nodded. “Yes, you’ve just confirmed what I figured out…I’ve found the traitor who sold me out.”

  “And in regards to the other set of books,” Jay said, “I’d like to go over my conclusions in detail. It’s smart that you brought this to me. Not every accountant would have the expertise to see what went on here. But let me show you.”

  The meeting lasted for a couple of hours. Jacob wanted to hear every last detail. Once he understood the scheme, he thanked Jay for his clever audit and left. Back at his office, he proceeded to come up with a plan. He went down to investigations to go over it with Walsh, and make sure he hadn’t missed anything. It was vital that the strategy was effective, and the result deadly.

  Jacob proceeded to secretly make the arrangements. Days later, when he placed the call to Kenyon, he made a point to disguise his confidence. For a while longer, he would play the role of victim. “Daniel.”

  “I thought I’d hear from you, Jacob. And you’ve nearly run out of time. I’m not a patient man, you know.”

  Nor am I. “Yes, well, I’ve had a lot to consider.”

  “That’s fair enough.”

  Kenyon’s consistent arrogance was one of his most obvious personality traits. Jacob enjoyed listening to him, and couldn’t wait to see the haughty smirk wiped off his face.

  “If we’re going to do this, I want to meet with you and Carl Hahn at the same time. Can you arrange that?”

  “Of course,” Kenyon said. “We can meet at my office.”

  “I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Jacob said. “I suggest my attorney’s office. After all, there is a sizable amount of money involved here.”

  Kenyon hesitated for a moment, and Jacob could sense the wheels turning in his mind. Of course, he knew Carl had admitted that he was being paid to speak out about the injustices of the past. It had to be for a sizeable sum, or it wouldn’t have been enough motivation for Carl. If he could sober up long enough to collect.

  “Okay, that’s agreeable. When?”

  “I don’t see any reason to put this off,” Jacob said. “How about tomorrow morning at nine.”

  “We’ll be there,” Kenyon said, and hung up.

  Jacob could just imagine the exhilaration that Kenyon felt. He anticipated an announcement about Jacob’s resignation from Rinaldi, and would gladly pay Carl for his assistance in achieving that aim. He would give up the idea of a scathing attack on Jacob’s reputation as soon as he had what he wanted.

  Jacob leaned back in his chair and smiled. He looked forward to how this was going to play out…if all went well.

  *****

  That night, Jacob came home with a smile on his face. Vivienne was glad to see it, since recently he’d been so worried. “Is something up?”

  “Can’t I smile when I see the woman I love?”

  Vivienne put her arms around his neck. “Yes, of course you can.” She kissed him. “But you have to tell me why you’re grinning like that, because I know it’s not the look of love.”

  Jacob opene
d a bottle of wine, and they sat on the sofa to talk. “I figured it out,” he said. “First of all, our own accountant betrayed us.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I’m sure of it. It’s disheartening, but it’s better to know than be in the dark,” Jacob said. “I’m encouraged that it wasn’t a Rinaldi employee who turned traitor. But even so, our company has used this firm ever since Vico ran the company.”

  “Why would he turn against you?”

  “He was paid to turn over information,” Jacob said. “That’s how Kenyon got hot on my trail.”

  “What did the accountant tell him?”

  “When Vico saved me from the state facility, it wasn’t without cost. He hired an attorney who handled juvenile cases, and paid for my defense. Even without going to juvenile court, there were papers to file and legal matters to handle.”

  Vivienne took another drink of wine. This was getting interesting. “And?”

  “All those financial records were with the CPA firm. I provided all the records to an independent firm recently. I had gone over a lot of it on my own, but more was uncovered by the new accountant.”

  “Like what?”

  “In the files, there was mention of the attempted murder,” Jacob said. “That makes sense, because the attorney had been retained to take care of that issue. And to assist with the proceedings for my legal adoption.”

  Jacob looked at her. “It was all there. Everything. And Kenyon bought off my accountant to get those private financial records. I’m sure he didn’t know he was going to hit the jackpot…even Carl Hahn’s name was there.”

  “That explains it,” Vivienne said. “Then all he had to do was find Carl.”

  “Yes, and I know how he did that.” Jacob proceeded to fill her in. He told her all about how Kenyon had done his dirty work. But even more than that, he relayed what Carl had been up to all these years. And, most surprising, what Kenyon’s real motive was.

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe it.”

  Jacob leaned back, looking very satisfied with himself. “And that’s not the best part,” he said. “I have a meeting set for tomorrow with both of them…at my attorney’s office.”