“Sex trafficking?” I blink, staring ahead blankly. I want to be as smart as he thinks, but I’m too taken aback to piece anything together on my own right now.
“Since I’m the creator of the program and one of the top employees of the company, my reputation and career would be seriously harmed if this information came to light. Which is what brought us to the aid of your father, Theodore Nickelson.”
His name hangs in the air like a plague. I hate the sound of it.
“I can’t say I’m making that leap with you,” I confess. “What does any of that have to do with my father? Or better yet…me?”
“How much do you know about him?” Liam asks, slightly stunned.
“Nothing,” I shrug. “I told you. I’ve never even met him.”
“Ah,” I see the shadow of his brow wrinkling in the light as his head drops. “As I said, we don’t have much time, but have a seat. I’ll explain what I can for now.” He motions to some nearby shipping crates and follows me over to take a seat. “Your father, Theodore Nickelson the Third is the only grandson of one of the Jameson Automobile Company’s founders.”
I shake my head vehemently, excited to finally be getting some kind of real information. I’m so wrapped up in every word he’s saying, I can barely process the scope of it.
My father. One of the Jameson Automobile bigwigs.
“Therefore, he inherited a quarter of the company’s shares,” Liam continues. “But in the early 2000s, he mismanaged millions of the company’s funds. He had used the money to fund his own private gambling problem. So, the Elites cut him off. He tried to go public with Marissa Jameson’s affair with the gardener, which only got him blacklisted at every public establishment, sued for every penny he had, and his entire reputation was completely tarnished for good.”
“Wow,” I marvel out loud, still hanging from his every word
. “All of that for a gambling habit.”
“He fled town with your mother, Lala,” Liam continues. “Theo trained as a private detective on the West Coast, but he could never let go of his hatred of the Elites. He built his fortune from the ground up through stocks, purely out of vengeance. And he vowed to come after the Elites in whatever way he could to make them pay for taking away all that he had.”
“Seems ridiculous,” I blurt out dryly. “It was his own gambling problem that put him in that spot. And he ended up making it all back anyway, so…why not just let it go?”
“Maybe you can ask him that yourself one day,” Liam replies dismissively. “But for now, you can see why we would want to work with him.”
“You both hate the Elites?” I offer.
“If this sex trafficking and pedophilia thing breaks, it could be a huge federal case,” he barks, growing impatient with my seeming lack of interest. “All of the Jameson founders could be found guilty and sentenced to life in federal prison. But we need a verbal confession to really tie the case together. The evidence now is compelling, but it could be overwhelming with such a confession. And according to Massachusetts recording laws, it’s illegal to record someone without their consent. This is the only reason there hasn’t been any movement forward. Thomas Jameson isn’t stupid enough to go to other states and say ‘Yes, I’m the one who has done these horrible things’.”
“So that’s why the Elites are trying to get him to back off?” I think out loud. “They know he’s not going to stop until he puts them all behind bars.”
“Precisely,” he nods, scratching his fingers across the five o’clock shadow on his chin.
“Well, now the Elites are up my ass,” I commiserate, rubbing my bruised shin. “So you can tell my dad he has to respond to whatever ultimatum they gave him or else they’re going to make me pay.”
“I’m sorry they’ve been so cruel to you,” he says softly, his face grimacing at the bruises shining in the moonlight. “They are ruthless. And will stop at nothing to protect their power and money. Which is why this situation is so perilous. I can’t be dragged down for their wrongdoings, but that is exactly what they will make sure happens if we don’t build a strong enough case against them.”
I nod, believing all too well that the Elites will stop at nothing to protect their own asses. I would be scared too if I was in the Hendersons’ position.
“Well, this has certainly been enlightening,” I grunt as I stand from the shipping crate. “But I still don’t see what any of this has to do with me. How am I supposed to help?”
Liam grows quiet in deep thought for a moment, leaning forward and running his palm to the back of his neck with what looks like remorse. Regret. He’s sorry for something.
“Your father is sorry he hasn’t been involved in your life,” he offers as he stands, pacing in front of me. “But he wanted you to understand what was going on. So that maybe…you wouldn’t feel so…helpless. He hoped the context would help.”
His words suddenly sound more menacing. Something is about to happen, and the fear I was numb to before is creeping in full force. “Help with what?” I ask softly, taking a few steps back.
He answers with a silent smirk, nodding to Malcolm. “You can take her home now.”
I pull away from Malcolm at first, wondering if he really plans to take me home or if something terrible is about to happen. I don’t have a good feeling about any of this.
“But wait!” I shout, jerking away. “I still don’t understand. What is it that I’m supposed to do!? If he doesn’t do what they want, the Elites are going to kill me. They said they’ve sent him messages, but I don’t know what they’ve said or what they’re trying to do.”
“They’re likely telling him to back off,” Liam deduces, tucking his hands into his suit jacket.