“And you happened to fall in love with her.”
“And I happened to fall in love with her. Love is not so easily explained, Detective.”
“So now two thugs threaten Lia. Why?”
“The major shareholders control the board, and they don’t like that position threatened. It's as simple as that. They cannot do anything about the contract. They just wanted to see whose name was on it. Once they saw that at Southampton, they came to Annabelle’s apartment to scare the hell out of her. Maybe they wanted to see if she’d signed it. Or maybe they intended to scare Lia so that Annabelle never would sign it. You’ll have to ask them when you arrest them,” Kalin adds with a tone of impatience.
The detective turns his attention to Lia. “The police report shows that the two men wore masks. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why would they ask for a contract if they already saw it and knew what was on it?”
“I don’t know.”
A flash of realization comes over Kalin. “Intimidation. They wanted Lia, and Annabelle, to know why they were there. The message was clear. Don’t sign the contract or you’re going to have some problems. It’s nothing more than brute intimidation. They knew Lia would mention the contract to Annabelle, and to me. They already knew what was on it from when they broke into the yacht, and they can’t do a goddamn thing about it.”
“Miss Marzella, did they say anything else to you that supports what Mr. Davis is stating?”
“No. I mean, that was it. The asshole dragged me around the apartment by my arm, telling me to get the papers. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. He slapped me in the face and told me to get them or he was going to cut my ‘pretty face’ off. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about again. He started tipping the furniture over, slitting the sofa open. A little dramatic if you ask me,” she kidded. “The other guy was rummaging through the desks and papers. I was crying and told them I didn’t know what they were looking for. Finally they left. I guess they believed me.”
The detective thumbs his ear. “It’s unclear to me whether this was intimidation or if they were really looking for the contract, a signature. There’s no evidence that they saw it in Southampton. The yacht was broken into, and the desk that held the contract was broken into. But nothing was taken. It also occurred two hours before they threatened Lia.”
“They knew exactly what they were looking for,” Kalin says. “Whether the thugs that paid Lia a visit knew what was going on is unclear. They could be compartmentalized in order to keep them in the dark under questioning. They may have just been ordered to get the contract and scare the hell out of Lia. But the purpose was intimidation, and we can't let them intimidate us. This is how they operate. If we let them control this company and this money, they will treat everyone this way. They’re brutes and thugs and will do anything to gain control of a two-billion-dollar company.”
“So do you two plan on getting married?” the detective asks us.
Lia turns her head with piqued interest.
“I’ve asked. It’s up to Annabelle now,” Kalin says.
“After what happened, I’m scared,” I add.
The detective flaps his notepad against the side of his hand. “Why wouldn’t they just change the shareholder agreement?”
“Any change in the shareholder agreement requires a unanimous vote on the board. They are stuck with the shareholder agreement as it stands. They are in a desperate situation using desperate measures to retain control of the company. It’s a nice checks and balances on the company. I doubt they would want to tamper with it too much anyway. Things could tip away from them just as easily. Corruption has a way of festering like that.”
“You seem to be a man who covers all your bases, Mr. Davis.” The detective ambles around his desk and takes a swig of coffee. He pauses with the same melodramatic effect of Columbo stopping before asking one final question.
“What happens if Annabelle experiences an unfortunate accident, and that accident is fatal, Mr. Davis? Does the stock revert back to you?”
“Now wait a goddamn minute.” Kalin presses up from the chair.
“Can you just answer the question, Mr. Davis?”
“Yeah, the stock reverts back to me. But that is not…”
“Holy shit, Kalin, when did you plan on telling me that?”
“Annabelle, this has gotten way out of control. If you think for a second…Jesus, I can’t even believe I have to say this. Annabelle, I have enough. I don’t need more money. If you’re so scared that something like that is going to happen, then you could run off with the money after divorcing me, and never see me again.”