The Inside Trade

He must have been waiting for her to show up. Kezrin had barely come within view of the AAMS’ office when a gravelly, familiar voice called out, “Miss Goldwick?”

She stopped with a long sigh and turned to see a middle-aged, well-dressed goblin walked up the boardwalk toward her. Trailing behind him was someone who’d fit in among Steamwheedle Bruisers.

“You’ve grown a bit!” he chortled as they came with conversation distance. “Not as scrawny as I remember. You remember me, of course?”

She mutely nodded. She hadn’t seen Brunz Lockspring since she’d left home, but it was hard to forget one of her father’s most trusted negotiators.

“Shall we go someplace a little more private and have a chat?” he asked, motioning slightly toward the AAMS building. “I’m sure a business like yours must have a conference room or two.”

“Right. Just follow me. Don’t even think about poking around anything.”

“Of course not.” He showed off his teeth with a smile.

She begrudgingly showed them inside, making sure to select the larger of the meeting spaces; the idea of being cooped up too close with Lockspring and his bodyguard made her nose twitch. He settled into the head chair without any prompting, the guard taking a position against the wall.

For her part, Kezrin deliberately sat a few chairs away.

Lockspring glances around the room. “Not a bad space. It seems you’ve done quite well for yourself.”

“Well enough.”

“I’m sure you have an idea of why I’m here. Your parents were very relieved to hear you were still alive. May I ask where the younger Miss Goldwick is?”

“Nowhere you’ll find her, I promise.”

“I’m only asking out of concern. You realize how distressed your family was when they lost not one, but two daughters?”

“Because they didn’t have anyone else left to sell?”

Lockspring tsked condescendingly, shaking his head. “You left them in quite a lurch, you know. Goldwick Candlery was practically bankrupt.”

“That was true before I left.”

“You’re the one who tanked the merger.” Lockspring leaned forward, tapping his fingers on the table. “Let’s put the cards on the table, Miss Goldwick. I’ve got enough charges laid against you that I’d be within my rights to drag you back to the islands right now.”

The bodyguard shifted his weight against the wall in the classic cliche of the not-so-subtle threat. Kezrin crossed her arms.

“Then why haven’t you? ‘Cause I’d like to see what good that’ll do you.”

“That’s the rub, isn’t it?” He chuckled as if expecting the question. “Simply locking you up would be largely punitive, of course. Can’t have you just breaking contracts whenever you wish. However, the Waxworths are now demanding extra concessions now that your fraud has been uncovered.”

“My fraud!”

“You haven’t been hiding out underneath an assumed name and identity? I didn’t think so.” He pulled a sheet of paper from a folder and consulted it. “Moving on, then, the Waxworths are demanding recompense. They are willing to accept fiscal compensation in lieu of time served. You also owe your parents financial compensation for their lost business, funeral costs, and emotional grief.”

“Emotional grief,” she repeated flatly. “Just how much are we talking?”

He grinned again, setting the invoice on the table and sliding it down toward her. Her breath caught at the amount.

“I could practically start a new company for that much!” She shoved it back at him.

“Most of that amount is paying Waxworth for the shares that would have been his if the marriage hadn’t been called off.”

“How the fel do you think I’m going to pay that?”

“We’ll accept a partial down payment, of course, followed by an installment plan at a reasonable interest rate. In exchange, we’ll drop all the charges.”

“Waxworth’s the one who should be sued. I only left because he was planning to kill me.”

“Was he, now?” Lockspring asked with no surprise. Kezrin was beginning to wonder exactly who he was representing. “Do you have proof? We could always take the contract into arbitration according to clause sixteen, subsection D. Of course you’ll still need to be held in custody until it’s determined there were extenuating circumstances. May be able to give you a discount on some of the fines.”

He slid the invoice back toward her. “I’ll give you a bit of time to assess your capital and resources. I strongly advise you don’t disappear again.”

“And if I did?”

“Right now we’ve negotiate for you to be under the parole of your employer. You wouldn’t want to cause them trouble. Nor is the AAMS the only company skilled at finding people, Miss Goldwick. I can always pay a visit to your sister in Hearthglen.” Lockspring stood from the table, gesturing for the bodyguard to come with him. “We’ll be in touch soon.”