Page 14 of Smoke Screen
“Also,” Percy said, “a retired librarian came through and suggested the president should read Vikram Seth’sA Suitable Boy.She felt strongly it would make a,”—he made air quotes—“positively enormous contribution to the classic literature exhibit.”
Oh my.As part of a challenge offered by her English professor, Maddy had read the book in college. At 1,488 pages,A Suitable Boyheld the dubious honor of being one of the longest single volume books published in the English language. Her professor had basically dared the class to read it for extra credit.
A-plus in that class, thank you very much.
“I’ll suggest it to President Thompson,” Maddy said. “With the size of that book, it’s a good thing he’s retired.”
Percy laughed, then shifted his gaze to a twenty-something couple stepping off the escalator.
“Good afternoon,” he called. “Welcome.”
Maddy nodded. “Hello. I’m Maddy Carmichael, the acquisitions manager. Do you have questions?”
The man gave Maddy a once-over, his gaze lingering on her boobs.
Men.
His girlfriend followed his gaze, noting his fascination with Maddy’s knockers. At which point, the girlfriend grabbed the guy’s arm and led him into the exhibits entrance.
Alrighty then.
Maddy went back to Percy. “I’ll see you later. Thank you, Percy.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
After completing her walk-through, she made her way to the executive suite, where a wall of spotless floor-to-ceiling windows framed double glass doors.
The glass wasn’t a coincidence. Nothing about this building’s design was. Windows conveyed transparency, and until the robbery, that’s what the Thompsons wanted.
No secrets.
Maddy lifted her left hand. Most wore their keycards on a lanyard around their necks. Not Maddy. She wore a stretchy bracelet with her keycard attached.
She swiped her way into the executive suite and nodded at the Secret Service agents standing in reception. Both President and Mrs. Thompson were still entitled to protection and the agents had become a routine sighting for employees.
Seated at her desk was Aileen, their full-time wonder-girl of an assistant.
“Hey, Maddy. How was lunch?”
“Good. They have a pecan salad today you might like.”
A die-hard foodie, Aileen enjoyed sampling the new menu items and reporting back on the flavors and textures. She’d become the litmus test for the food and beverage manager because if Aileen found a dish lacking, most others did as well. Which nixed the item from the menu. All part of the attention to detail the Thompsons demanded.
“President Thompson is here and wants to see you. They’re in the conference room.”
“They’re?”
“Louis and Frank.”
Frank was the Center’s director and Maddy’s immediate supervisor. Louis would be Louis Pierre Junior, President Thompson’s half brother and the CEO of Pierre Ltd, the world-renowned jewelry company started by his and President Thompson’s father.
During the robbery, three of their most famous—and expensive—pieces were stolen.
Whatever this meeting was, it had to have been impromptu because Maddy had nothing on her schedule.
She hustled down the hall, stopping at her office to toss her purse and keycard on her desk. While there, she grabbed her portfolio, a leather one with her father’s initials embossed on it. Mom had surprised Maddy with it on her college graduation day, ten years after a car accident took her father from them.
Now, Maddy used it constantly, taking it to meetings or important events. All the time, somehow feeling as if her father were with her.
