Page 26 of Billionaire Corruption
She put down her phone and gave me a dazzling smile.
“I remember!” she said, leaning forward and hugging me quickly and forcefully. Her voice had a heavy Eastern European accent. I was sure she worked out with weights; her arms were like iron rods.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to see me. It must seem a bit weird,” I said quickly. “But you seem to know Paul quite well?” I asked, awkwardly.
Her smile disappeared. “Yes?” she asked, suspiciously.
She was rather intimidating, and I felt my time with her was running out. Quickly.
“I need to know if Paul McKinney is a good man,” the words tumbled out.
Her eyes became thin slits. “Why?”
She didn’t seem phased at all by my question.
“I can’t become involved with a bad man.”
There was now a hint of a smile on her lips.
“What is a…. ‘bad man?’” she asked, and it seemed to be a rhetorical question really. But at least, I had her attention.
Before I could say anything, she ordered us two glasses of wine.
I don’t usually drink wine in the day, but I thought it better not to contradict Irina.
“Why you ask me?”
I told her Paul had said nice things about her.
“You lie!” she laughed, and I knew I had said the right thing.
We ordered sushi and Irina asked me, “You ask if Paul is bad man. How would I know?”
I had the sense she was being careful, trying not to say anything incriminating.
“I assure you, I’m no reporter or anything, all of this is off the record. We have been out a few times and I like him.”
“So, what is problem?”
“I don’t know if you know about his company being investigated for fraud?”
Irina shrugged. I didn’t know if that meant she knew and didn’t care or if she hadn’t heard.
“I don’t want to get involved with someone who may be corrupt, you know, a fraudster,” I explained.
Irina waved her hand dismissively.
“Corrupt? Pfft… what do you mean?”
But my face must have given me away.
“I don’t think he kill anyone,” she considered thoughtfully. “Or have anyone killed.”
I shuddered at the thought that this was even a possibility. I was talking about doctoring some figures, not getting rid of bodies.
“Paul is good guy. He is always nice to me. Gill loves him. They have been friends long time. Help each other out, no fighting, you know?”
I nodded, pleased, grateful.
