Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Ethan sneered. “I am going to ruin him. In fact, I should do that this evening.”
“We don't need to do that tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Ethan pointed at the door. “In the ballroom, there are judges, district attorneys, the governor, and even several senators. I can have him behind bars before midnight.”
“And what if the loop repeats, then we would have to do that all over again.”
Ethan wore a wicked smile. “I don't mind that at all.”
“Note to self, do not get on your bad side.” I glanced down at the two guns on his desk. “However, we should put all of our focus on the killer. I don't think Horace, Claire, Bernard, or even Ryan did it.”
He quirked my brows. “Are you sure about that?”
“I'm certain. However, that now leaves my new assistant, Shi.”
“Interesting.” Ethan touched his chin. “I have a new assistant too.”
“Jackson?”
“Correct. Perhaps, there is a connection with that.”
“In what way?”
“Actually. . .” Ethan stared off in the distance. “God, I hope that is not true.”
I shivered. “What?”
Ethan put his view back on me. “You said your new assistant is named Shi?”
“Yes.”
“My old one was named Estelle.”
“Oh. So a female assistant.”
“Yes.” Ethan headed over to a shelf. “I believe I have a picture.”
“Good.” I followed him. “That could help.”
“Hmmm.” He lowered to a shelf with several metallic colored thin albums. “I believe the photographer caught her at the last MEI conference. That was when I began suspecting her of being a problem.”
“A problem.”
“I believed she might be insane.”
“Wow. Then, she’s definitely a suspect.” I kneeled with him. “But, first of all, what is the MEI program?”
“MEI stands for the Minority Empowerment Initiative.”
“Oh. I'm liking this already.”
“It is a unique charity business trip that aims to empower minority business owners by providing mentorship and interest-free loans from billionaire CEOs.” He lifted a thin, gold album and flipped through it. “So, I bring together successful business leaders, typically billionaire CEOs and I pair them with minority entrepreneurs on my island every year.”
Did he say my island? You can own an island?
He continued, “We stay for a week.”
“That is amazing.”
“This isn't the year.” He closed the gold album, placed it back on the shelf, grabbed a silver one, and began flipping through it.
I gazed at the other albums, probably representing other MEI years. I counted ten of them. “So, the week is a retreat full of mentorship and guidance?”
“Exactly.”
“During the week, we participate in a series of workshops and panel discussions on topics such as marketing, finance, and leadership. There's also tons of networking. Once they have their mentor, then weekly appointments are set up for the rest of the year.”
“Wow. So, these billionaires are meeting with the entrepreneurs throughout the year?”
“Correct.”
“And the loans?”
“That is what this party is about tonight. Fifty percent goes to the interest-free loans. The billionaires provide any remaining amount.”
“How long do they have to pay the loan back?”
“The repayment terms are designed to be flexible and supportive of the business owner's needs.”
“I really love this.” I shook my head in amazement. “This sort of program gives minority entrepreneurs real access to resources that the billionaires were probably born with.”
“That's what I was thinking.” He put the silver album back and grabbed a copper one. “Plus, this offers a unique opportunity for the billionaires to give back. Not all of the rich are evil bastards greedily clutching their gold coins.”
I chuckled. “That's good to know.”
“Yes.” Nodding, Ethan rose and headed back to the desk. “This was the year.”
I followed him over.
He opened the album to the middle and placed it on the desk. “Damn it. This isn't a good view of Estelle at all.”
I leaned over.
In the image, Ethan sat at a table with five men. Three were Black. The rest White. They all held up glasses of champagne and smiled at the camera.
Ethan pointed to a space behind them. “This is her.”
I looked to that section.
A woman with blue hair sat at another table by herself. Sunglasses covered her eyes.
“Hmmm.” Ethan flipped the book. “Perhaps, I can find a better one.”
“Why was she so far away?”
“She wasn't even supposed to be on the island that week. I told her to take off.”
“Why?”
“She. . .worked too much. Obsessively. I only needed her for eight hours each day, but she remained overnight, at times falling asleep on my couch over there.” He pointed to the leather one on the right. “The chef thought Estelle was working herself to exhaustion to solely please me.”
I widened my eyes. “So. . .she was obsessed with you?”
“We'll get to that part.” Frowning, he flipped to another page. “Here she is again.”
I gazed down.
This time, Ethan stood between an Asian woman and a Black woman. A White man flanked each of the woman's sides. Smiles covered their faces.
He pointed to a figure several feet behind them.