“It was one of the first projects I worked on when I becameassociatedwith Steers. This is the main location for moving her entire product into the U.S. I’ve been here so many times over the years I’ve come to know just about everyone who works here. A good crew. They work hard.”
Masuyo said, “They will need to learn to work harder.”
This comment drew another scowl from Lord.
Temple said, “The workers here really are top-dollar and loyal as they come, ma’am. When I visit I hand out cash to them for a job well done.”
Masuyo looked at him with a patronizing expression. “You clearly have a different management style than I do.”
Lord said sharply, “Well,hismethod appears to have worked remarkably well.”
Masuyo would not even look at him. She kept her pursed lips and stern gaze pointed at Temple.
Lord said, “I compliment you on your approach, Mr. Temple.” He paused, his eyes dancing with anticipation. “And now, I have a little surprise for you.”
Temple did not look happy. “Surprise? I’m not really into surprises.”
“Oh, you’re going to love this one.”
He nodded at two of his security detail, who hurried off.
A minute later they brought back to the office two people whose hands were shackled and who had hoods over their heads.
“Who’s this?” asked Temple nervously.
On a nod from Lord the men swept the hoods off, revealing Walter Nash and Victoria Steers with gags in their mouths.
CHAPTER
83
ASTUNNED TEMPLE BLURTED OUT, “WHEREthe hell did you find them?”
Lord smiled. “You may not be aware that I quite enjoy a rousing chess match, Mr. Temple. And in chess one must see the whole board, at all times. Every possible scenario. I knew that the reason for Ms. Steers selling her business to me for such a low price had certain components to it. She is a supremely smart businesswoman, so why be so generous to me? Despite what she had told me in explanation, I did not believe it. So I kept an eye on her. The attack at her home had nothing to do with me. That came from another.” He glanced at Masuyo. “Which caused me to lose her trail for a while. But we recently regained our advantage. Real estate paper trail, the home in New Orleans. Some CCTV at gas stations and other retail outlets reviewed by AI facial recognition software, and presto, there they were. I gave them a short leash because I wanted to understand their plans. We followed them to a hotel not too far from your estate, where I am sure they were busy planning how to do me harm. They of course could not go back to Ms. Steers’s estate, as they were possible suspects in the murders that took place there. And they well knew that someone wanted them dead and would be watching.” He put a hand on Nash’s shoulder. “And let’s dispense with the fiction that this man is Dillon Hope. Hello, Walter Nash.”
Nash looked wide-eyed while Temple said, “How the hell?”
“Isaiah York’s business? Transforming one man into another man? I believe that you, Mr. Temple, tried to do the same thing, with less successful results. You see, it all comes down to the smallest of details. I also had spies in your household. Fingerprints on a glass? Difficult to keep that totally secret. Plus you haven’t changed your email password in a very long time, and intercepting your phone calls was fairly easy.”
“Shit,” mumbled Temple.
“Your confrontation with Mr. Nash outside of Ms. Steers’s home was also duly observed when you told him you knew the truth.” He added leisurely, “I could have pulled the trigger at any time, but decided to wait until it was most advantageous for me.”
“And for me also,” added a gloating Masuyo.
Lord gave her a condescending look before staring back at Temple. “I have also come to learn that Ms. Steers has been working with a certain American intelligence agency to bring me and my partners down. This could not be allowed, of course, and I knew the time had come to end the chess match. So, acting on my orders, my men captured them and flew them here.” He looked at Temple. “Now, is there anything you’d care to add to this? As an incentive you should understand that I know they approached you with a grand plan that they hoped would deliver them to victory. I would just say that your telling me the truth is the only chance for survival that you have, small though it is.”
Temple glanced at both Nash and Steers with a defeated look. They stared back at him with hopeless expressions. “Well, since you seem to know pretty much all of it, yeah, they wanted me to work with them to get back at both of you.”
“And your answer to their proposal?” asked Masuyo, a thin smile playing triumphantly over her lips.
Temple shook his head. “They showed up at my house and threatened me with the truth about my father’s death while. . .I was there taking care of a little problem with my stepmother.” He looked at Nash. “I guess he guilted me. Even though my old man deserved it.” He pointed at Steers. “She had a plan that she laid out. Said it was foolproof. All I had to do was my part.”
“Which was what, exactly?” asked Lord.
Temple reached into his jacket and produced a recording device. “This.”
He tossed the device to one of Lord’s men, who dropped it on the floor and crushed it with his heel.