Deadly Silence

Things were looking good for this year’s charity gala.

Every year something always went wrong in the week leading up to the event, causing a mad scramble to fix and get everything back on track.

Samuel Devreaux watched his people sorting through the supplies he’d had delivered so when the day came they could begin setting everything up without disrupting the birthday celebration that had reserved the room until mid afternoon of the same day.

It would be a tight squeeze with only two hours to clean it out and set up for the event, but Samuel knew his people were efficient. They would be done with minutes to spare if he had anything to say about it.

The theme song from Law & Order began to play and Samuel glanced down as he fished his phone out of a pocket. He knew without looking at the screen it was his lawyer, Charles Montague. “Yes?” He said once the call connected and he’d brought the phone to his ear.

“Samuel,” his lawyer returned in greeting, voice sounding like he smoked two pack of smokes a day when in reality he’d never so much as touched a cigarette. “Are you at the Bolivar?”

“Where else would I be?” Samuel asked in response, voice almost a little bored as he lifted a hand to correct someone who was putting the chairs in the wrong area of the storeroom. They would be the last thing to set up in the ballroom and needed to be at the back.

“Ah, good, good. I need to speak with you — privately — when I arrive.”

This statement picked at Samuel’s curiosity. “What about?” There were a number of things going through his mind as to what the nature of this meeting could be.

As owner of several luxury hotels and high-end restaurants Samuel had his fair share of good and bad press. Libel lawsuits had been an issue for about a decade, with people spewing rumours he was part of the criminal underworld that secretly ran the city.

It didn’t matter that he was, technically, not part of the criminal underworld but one of those in charge of it; rumours had to be squashed and his good name kept clean if he wanted to continue doing business in the area.

The cops liked to question him about various crimes that happen, but Charles was on point at running interference and making sure they found nothing they weren’t supposed to.

The lawyer was a shark and that was why Samuel paid his retainer’s fee and more — good legal aid was a must for someone in his position and he wasn’t about to skimp on it either.

“I’ll be there in ten,” Charles told his client before hanging up.

Frowning, Samuel looked at his phone for a second before slipping it back into his pocket.

Sweeping his gaze over the room, he then motioned for one of the more senior staff to come over.

“Yes, sir?” She asked, hands clasps behind her back as she stood in front of him.

“You are Claudia, yes?”

He could see some colour coming into her cheeks and held back a smirk. Learning the names of those who worked for him, on both legal and illegal sides of his businesses was part of the charm he’d cultivated around the Samuel Devreaux the world saw.

“Y-yes, sir, I am.”

“Good. I’m leaving you in charge; please make sure everything is sorted correctly or set up will be a disaster.”

“Of course, sir. Thank you.”

Samuel gave the woman a warm smile as he walked past her and exited the storeroom. It was only once no one was in sight that he let the smile disappear and the more comfortable expression of nonchalance settled in its place.