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“Even your sister, Derrick,” Henry said. “I was talking with Rog and we have combined the security teams. She is linked to you guys and with all this craziness there is always a chance someone could target her as well.”
Derrick mulled it over. “I agree,” he finally said, begrudgingly, “but she is going to hate that.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Taylor said.
“And one last thing. I am going to need access to Preston Corp.”
“You always have access to Preston Corp,” Derrick reminded him.
“No, I need it uninterrupted.”
Taylor looked confused. “What do you mean uninterrupted?”
“I need the building empty.”
“You want to close Preston Corp?” Derrick asked, completely taken aback. “There is no way,” he balked. “That’s an insane idea. The stocks will plummet.”
“Yeah Henry,” Taylor agreed, “I’m not sure—”
“I know that closing is not a good business call,” Henry agreed, “and I am not asking for a long time. But I need to get in there, really check out things, without workers in the way. I want
to look at Tappen’s office and see if there are any answers to his actions, something the police may have dismissed. Things in plain sight that they would not have looked at because they found someone to pin it on and didn’t need a deeper reason than a business vengeance.”
Derrick watched Taylor take it all in as she rubbed a finger over her bottom lip. “You’ve got it. Preston Corp is closed effective immediately and until you tell me otherwise.”
Derrick was astounded. “Taylor, what are you going to tell people?”
“We’ll say we need to update the security system,” she said thinking quickly.
“But wasn’t it just updated when Henry took over?” Derrick asked. “Won’t that look suspicious?”
Taylor looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe,” she said finally, “but I think in light of people trying to kill us, twice, double-checking our security won’t be that bizarre.”
“You’ve got a point,” Derrick said, “but Charlie and Todd are going to flip.”
Taylor shrugged at her husband. “Check it out, Henry,” she said. “You have access. But Henry?”
“Yes, Taylor?”
“Don’t let anyone catch you, okay?”
Henry smirked. “They never do, Taylor.”
* * *
After Henry left,Derrick looked over at Taylor. “You trust him?”
“Yes,” Taylor answered, but his query made her question her gut instinct for a split second. “You think that I shouldn’t?”
Derrick shrugged, “I just am not sure closing Preston Corp is the right call.”
“And what call is better?” Taylor asked. “Sitting around and waiting for another onslaught from the actual attacker?”
“I just think you are putting a lot of trust in him,” Derrick defended.
“You’re right,” Taylor agreed. “I am putting a lot of trust in him. He has earned that trust, Derrick. He is the one who got you out of the gala so quickly that you survived. Who got me to the hospital so I could be with you. Who got Marty out of there and home safely. I think that Henry has the right background to get to the bottom of this,” Taylor said. “Closing Preston Corp was my call and it is not going to make the world fall apart.”
“Totally your call,” Derrick agreed. “I just don’t like it.”