After leaving The Reunion, Swithin took Amy back to her apartment.  He helped her into her favorite pajamas and tucked her into bed.  Then he borrowed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for himself and crawled into bed beside her.  At the peek of Amy’s high, Swithin held her as she restlessly snuggled into his arms.  Some time around ten o’clock Amy started to come down.  Wanting to sleep but having a hard time doing so, she left the bed, pulled two Vicodin out of her top dresser drawer and washed them down with a cup of water.  Swithin watched on nervously.  Half an hour later, Amy fell asleep, spooned securely in Swithin’s arms. 

In the morning, about nine o’clock, Swithin dressed, kissed Amy goodbye as she slept and left the apartment.  He drove home and parked his car.  On his way from the garage to the front door of the guesthouse, he heard someone call his name. 

Swithin turned around, holding his rolled up blanket in his hands. “What are you doing here?” He asked in a slightly agitated voice.

“I’m sorry,” Megan replied as she approached.  “I wish I didn’t have to come here like this, but I had no other choice.”

“This is my home,” Swithin commented as he turned his back to Megan and continued walking up to his front door.  “You have no right to be here.”

“Please,” Megan pleaded as she followed at a distance behind Swithin, “I need to talk to you.”

Swithin stopped at his front door and turned around.  “How did you find out where I live?”

Megan pursed her lips. “I followed you.”

Swithin’s face went pale.  “When did you follow me?”

“Last Thursday,” Megan replied nervously, “after you left work.”

“Have you followed me since?”

Megan hesitated. “No.”

Swithin huffed.  “You need to leave.”

“Look I’m sorry.  But I needed to talk to you.  I had no other choice but to come here.”

“You had no other choice?” Swithin snapped back as he rolled his eyes.  “You could have approached me at the office; you could have gotten my phone number and called.  I’m not a fool.  You followed me because you thought I’d lead you to Mr. Bennett.  And I don’t believe for a second you only followed me once.” Swithin pulled out his keys, turned his back to Megan and unlocked his front door.

“You’re right,” Megan commented from behind Swithin, the pleading tone gone from her voice. “I didn’t follow you once.  I’ve followed you every day since Thursday afternoon.  And, although you didn’t lead me to Dave, you did lead me on a goose chase that strongly suggests you’re up to no good.  But, if you talk to me, I could forget what I saw.”

Swithin opened his front door and paused.  “You didn’t see shit.”

“Are you willing to risk that?”

Swithin paused again and took a breath. “Come in,” he said, without turning.  “Shut the door behind you.”

Swithin set his blanket down and sat on his bed facing Megan.  “Mind if I sit down?” She asked pulling up a chair.

“Feel free.” Swithin replied.

As Megan sat down, she glanced around the room.  “Nice space,” she said in a pleasant voice.

“Thanks,” Swithin said as he raked his fingers through his hair and tucked it behind his ears. “Can we cut to the chase?” 

“Sure,” Megan replied as she leaned forward in the chair.  Her face stiffened.  “Where’s Dave?”

“In all seriousness, I don’t know.”

“When did you talk to him last?”

“Late Thursday night.”

“In person or by phone?”

“In person...  I was settling into bed when he knocked on my door.  We didn’t talk long.  He told me to keep my phone by my side, on account he might call at an odd hour, and that he was going away for a while.  He didn’t tell me where and I didn’t ask. ”

“I had a feeling he’d show up here,” Megan said knowingly under her breath. She looked to the floor. “I should have stayed awake.”

Swithin huffed.  “How much of a loser are you to sit outside my house all night?  Couldn’t you have hired someone to do that for you?”

Megan looked up and flashed a smile at Swithin.  “It’s complex.  But the short answer’s no, I couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t afford it?”

“I couldn’t afford my father finding out.”

“Finding out that you’re a looser?” Swithin questioned sarcastically.

Megan leaned forward in her chair, closed her eyes and started to rub her temples. “I can’t afford my father finding out that my crook boyfriend’s wasting away the investor’s money.  Investors who also happen to be my father’s two best friends.“

“I haven’t known Mr. Bennett long,” Swithin commented, “but one thing I can say for sure is he’s not a crook.  He’s an idealistic guy; I’ll give you that.  Perhaps even a bit risky when it comes to money.  But, a crook, I don’t buy it.”

Megan stopped rubbing her temples and looked up.  “Dave’s idealism isn’t the problem, neither is his risk taking.  The investors are willing to accept risk in exchange for equity share in KitschCreations—that was established from the beginning.  The problem is Dave hasn’t been using the startup capital to build the company.  I’ve tracked the records.  To date, he’s spent most of the money on travel, weekend getaways, expensive dinners, parties and busloads of other things completely unrelated to getting KitschCreations off the ground.” 

Swithin wiped a hand over his mouth.  “I didn’t know that.”

Megan continued.  “Until recently, neither did the investors.  Dave’s status reports and assurances led them to believe the site was complete, that employees had been hired and the company was days away from launching online.  But, then I came to learn Dave was lying all along.  The infrastructure was nonexistent; you’re the only employee and the site’s months away from an online presence.”  Megan took a breath.  “What’s worse, I was standing beside Dave, watching on as he wasted the investor’s money.  Thinking all along it was his money we were spending.” 

“How did you find out about the employee situation?”

Megan laughed.  “You mean the lack of employees?”

“Yeah,” Swithin sheepishly replied.

“At the Monday morning meeting Dave was put on notice.  He was told to step up and set things straight or his control of the company would be reallocated.  To my surprise, Dave came clean. He promised to infuse his own money into the company and get things back on track.  Even more surprising, the investors agreed to give him a second chance—with conditions.  The major one being, I work with him and monitor his progress.  Dave agreed to the conditions and he and I left the meeting together.  In the main lobby, he excused himself to go to the restroom.  I waited nearly thirty minutes before I realized he wasn’t coming back.  I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”

“Have you called him?”

“He screens his calls, and I’ve left dozens of messages.”

“If all you say is true, and you have evidence to support it, why don’t you just go back to the investors and tell them what you just told me?”

“Its not that simple…  Dave’s got me by the balls, as it were.  My reputation and my father’s name are on the line.” Megan huffed.  “Hell, I thought the walls were coming down last Monday.  But, then Dave pulled a hat trick and we got a reprieve until August 20th.”

“What happens then?”

“Dave and I need to report back to the investors with a revised business plan.  I’ve worked out most the details, but I need Dave to stand beside me for the meeting.”        

“What exactly do you do for a living?”

“I’m a lawyer.  I specialize in business law.”

“Then how did you get into this situation?”

Megan smiled.  “Are you suggesting I should know better?”

“Pretty much.”

“First of all, no one is above making a bad investment.  Second, I believe in Dave’s ability to make this company work.”

“Bullshit!  You’re out on a limb.  You believe in his ability to save your ass!”

“Spare me...  I may not know the specifics of what you’re up to on the side.  But I’m sure it’s not on the level, and more than likely illegal.  So don’t even think about throwing judgment my way.”  Megan paused, glaring at Swithin.

Swithin took a breath.  “Fair enough.”

“Besides,” Megan continued.  “I’ve put my reputation and my father’s name on the line for Dave’s startup money.  Without me he wouldn’t even have a company to run into the ground.”

Swithin pinched his temples with index finger and thumb.  “I still don’t see what any of this has to do with me.  I’m just an assistant.  What you’re saying is all news to me.  I don’t know shit.”

Megan stood up, walked over to the bed and sat beside Swithin.  “Dave trusts you.”

Swithin scooted away from Megan and huffed.  “So you want to use me to find him?”

“I’m trying to help Dave and keep the company in his hands.”

“You’re so full of it!”

Megan took a breath. “Do you like working for Dave?”

“I love working for him.  He’s the best boss I’ve ever had.  He pulled me out of a go-nowhere job and handed me the opportunity of a lifetime.  I owe him.”

“Then let me put it to you this way.  If I don’t find Dave soon, the investors will pull his control of the company.  In essence, he’ll be fired and you’ll be out of a job. You get that?”

Swithin scowled.  “Got it.”

“Good,” Megan rose to her feet and pulled out a business card.  “Here’s my number, call me when you get a handle on Dave’s location.”

“Okay,” Swithin replied as he took hold of the card and looked it over.  “But no more following me around.  I mean it.  I can’t have you doing that.”

Megan smiled.  “No more following.  I promise.”  She pointed at Swithin.  “Just you make sure and call as soon as you know where he is.”

“I will.”

Swithin followed behind Megan as she walked to the front door, and held it open as she left the guesthouse. He watched for a moment as she approached the gravel road that wrapped around the side of the house. 

“I’m curious,” Swithin called out from a distance.  Who’s your father?”

“His last name’s DeBartolo,” Megan replied.

“Your dad owns the Niners?”

Megan stopped walking, turned around and smiled.  “There’s more than one DeBartolo in San Francisco.”

Swithin smiled. 

“Don’t worry about who my dad is.  Just make sure to call if you get a handle on Dave’s location.  Capeesh?”

“Capeesh,” Swithin replied still smiling, then whispered under his breath, “Bitch.”

Chapter 27: Coming 2/27/06 >>