The Aspen Account Read Online Free PDF Page B

Cooley, but I can’t promise anything.”
    Sarah looked at him with deep, sad eyes. “You were the best law student at Columbia, Andy. And some day you’re going to be a great U.S. senator for Colorado. I know you’ll do your best to help me—you know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
    “Just tell me it’s not something personal, okay? Just tell me it has nothing to do with Kurt.”
    She didn’t respond. Getting up from the table, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Andy, you’re a sweetie. I’ll talk to you soon.” Then she turned and walked back to the double doors and the glaring sun outside.

 
     
    7
     
     
     
     
    AT SIX O’CLOCK Friday morning, Michael walked through the eerie shadows of X-Tronic’s twentieth floor. Automatic motion sensors turned on a flood of lights in small sections ahead of him, twenty feet at a time, as if the building itself were an ominous life form watching his every move. He glanced at one of the many security cameras peering out of small black spheres in the ceiling and wondered if, somewhere in a gloomy security room, human eyes were even now watching him. 
    After only one day of work with his new client, he had already read through most of the documentation in the audit file. So far, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual with X-Tronic’s numbers other than the impressive increase in revenue over the past few years. Cooley and White had kept clean workpapers, so he found no red flags in the audit files. It appeared that Kurt was performing the audit tests in an unusual order. It probably meant nothing, but Michael made a mental note to look into it further.
    He went in the closest break room. Filling the coffeemaker, he heard a quiet shuffling behind him. He couldn’t believe that someone else had shown up for work this early. He had always prided himself on being the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the evening, but here was this old guy across the room, getting a tea bag out of the cabinet.
    “Good morning,” the man said, half glancing over his shoulder. He was in his sixties perhaps, but with an athlete’s strong posture. His silver hair was cropped close, and his impeccably tailored suit and gold cufflinks made a statement of quiet elegance.
    “Good morning,” Michael replied.
    “Not many people in this early,” the old man said with a warm smile. “In fact, I think it may be just us.”
    “I’m sure others will be in before long,” Michael said, turning back to the coffeepot. He was still thinking about the unusual nature of Kurt’s work and wasn’t really looking for small talk.
    “Mm,” the man mumbled to Michael’s back. “Don’t believe I’ve seen you around. Are you new?”
    “I’m one of the auditors. Yesterday was my first day here.”
    “Oh, you’re with Cooley and White. What’s your name?”
    “Michael Chapman,” he said, finally turning from the coffeemaker to face the older man.
    “Welcome to X-Tronic, Michael. My name’s Don Seaton. I hope everyone is being helpful in getting you what you need.”
    “Yes, everyone’s been great,” Michael said, mentally kicking himself for not recognizing the man. Looking more closely at the famous billionaire, he now noticed the same features he had seen in so many press photos: the youthful sparkle, the serious intelligence, the glow of confidence.
    “Good. Well, we’ve got some terrific people working here, so I’m sure they’ll help you however they can.” 
    Seaton finished brewing his green tea and left, no doubt already wrapping that brilliant mind around the many weighty problems he must juggle today.
    Returning to the conference room with his coffee, Michael was soon immersed in a pile of work. He had been at it for more than an hour when he heard two voices approaching. His two young audit staffers walked into the conference room. “Morning,” he said.
    “Morning,” they replied in unison.
    Dustin had thick,