Chapter 1
Chicago, Monday Morning, 10:30 a.m.
Zoe exhaled as she smoothed her hands over the skirt encasing her hips. Her generous figure was reflected against the mirrored elevator wall, confirming her professional look. Her red hair was tamed into a slick bun and her tortoiseshell glasses dampened her mischievous pale green eyes into a much-required seriousness.
Taking a deep breath, she looked into her face and said, “You can do this, you can be a spy... well, not exactly a spy, more like an undercover agent. Oh yeah, baby, like a female kick-ass James Bond... no. Like the Black Widow. Oh yeah!”
Her one-sided conversation calmed her frayed nerves. She had been to Afghanistan and Iraq, accompanying US soldiers on dangerous missions as their interpreter, but somehow, this undercover mission, apparently easy, was getting to her and she couldn’t put her finger on why. So far, her talent with languages and why she had been hired had been pretty straightforward. What Beatrice asked required Zoe to be more than an interpreter. She had to lie, and it wasn’t something she particularly enjoyed. But a man’s life and safety were in the balance, and a dear friend had requested her help so there she was.
Summoning her inner super-heroine one last time as she reached her floor, Zoe was ready to rock and roll... well, almost.
For the selling event, Archer Blackwood had taken over the penthouse of a posh building in the Chicago Loop, the business district, and transformed it into his own private base. And when the elevator doors opened, Zoe realized that she was about to step into a totally different world.
The lobby didn’t show signs of anything temporary. The decor was professional and classy, as if they had been there for years, and behind the cute receptionist, the Blackwood Corporation’s lettering shone like onyx.
Hoisting her bag, Zoe plastered a smile on her face and headed for the girl manning the phones. Two fascinating fawn eyes looked up at her, very much like Bambi in her opinion.
“May I help you?”
“Yes, I’m Zoe Somersby, I have an appointment with Ellen Harrington.”
Bambi blinked and finally seemed to get into gear. “Yes, Ms. Somersby, you are on the list. Please be seated, I will announce you.”
Zoe ignored the chairs and instead went to the large windows overlooking the city. On the twentieth floor, Blackwood Corporation offered an incredible view of the city as spring neared to summer. The sky was swirling with fast-moving clouds and it smelled like rain. At least the Brits here wouldn’t be too homesick.
She had been told that Ellen Harrington had been Archer Blackwood’s executive assistant for years now. Dedicated, incorruptible, loyal, she was like Cerberus at the gate and Gabrielle had told her that she was the one she needed to convince. If she could pass the test, Zoe would have the job.
“Ms. Somersby?”
Zoe turned to see a middle-aged woman standing at a side door. No more than 55, she had short platinum blond hair, a pin-striped suit and smart black pumps. Zoe smiled and offered her hand. “Ms. Harrington, I presume.”
The woman’s smile was genuine, but Zoe didn’t miss the clear assessment in her eyes.
“Yes, welcome to Blackwood Corporation. Well, at this temporary Chicago location at least. Please follow me.”
As she suspected, even behind those doors, everything looked as if it was a Chicago-based company and not a temporary relocation from London. Ms. Harrington steered Zoe into a spacious office with white walls, wide windows, and interesting modern art on the walls. Blackwood appeared to want all the luxury, even if it was only a temporary office.
“Please take a seat.”
Zoe sat as Archer Blackwood’s executive assistant rounded her desk and typed a few words on her computer. “You’ve been highly recommended by your superior at the US Department of State. Why did you request a sabbatical?”
Zoe was glad to have prepared this background story with Gabrielle. “Working for the Department of State required me to travel extensively as an interpreter, to dangerous locations. My last assignment had been more difficult than expected and I needed a break. However, I have bills to pay, so I can’t take a simple vacation. With the consent of my supervisor and his superior, they granted me extended leave. I decided to dip a toe back into the corporate world.”
Ms. Harrington nodded and typed a few notes before turning back to her again. “You have an impressive list of languages you can interpret. I found it quite unusual for someone so young.”
Zoe maintained her smile. “I’m well in my thirties, Ms. Harrington.”
“Even so. And many languages on the lists are not common. How did you learn all of them?”
Tricky, Zoe thought, and that was one question she needed to tread carefully with. “From an early age I had talent with languages, and after college I was recruited immediately by the Department of State. It’s where I completed my training.”
She seemed to like her answer. “Good. It’s rare to find somebody able to translate those languages. Not that you will be required to, but Mr. Blackwood had requested someone who would know them.”
Zoe nodded. “I have to admit that I find myself wondering why so many were necessary for this position.”
Ms. Harrington seemed to hesitate before answering, confirming to Zoe that there was much more happening than met the eyes. “Mr. Blackwood is about to sell part of his empire. That much I can tell you as it has been published in the press. And being very thorough, he researched the various backgrounds of each buyer and the languages they speak. Mr. Blackwood can manage several of them but wants to make sure that he doesn’t miss any information due to his lack of understanding when he meets and negotiates with them.”
“Very understandable.”
