Page 9 of Risk It All
Chapter Three
Max
Ihang up the phone after ordering a sandwich and coffee from the concierge. One of the perks of renting an apartment located in a hotel is room service.
I go back to my computer, checking the notes I've copied from the research I've done online. I'm physically ill by what I've discovered. Not only are children being forced to work, but they're dying from the dust created in the mining process. I also found disturbing information about the poaching of apes and gorillas. To think I'm profiting off these acts sickens me. Now, more than ever, I want Madeleine's research.
Good luck with that. There was no mistaking her belief that I wouldn't do anything with the information. She's wrong. It's surprising how a woman who can write such insightful, well-researched articles can be so judgmental. At first, I found her candor refreshing, amusing even. But by the time she stalked away, I was annoyed and angry at her attitude.
I suspect her assessment of me is based less on perception and more on a personal experience with another man. I'm man enough to own up to my mistakes, but I'm certainly not going to be punished for someone else's. So, the interest in Madeleine Hainsworth that started with an article she wrote, ended abruptly when she took me to task for wrongs I didn't know about.Typical woman.
A knock at the door shakes me from my thoughts. It seems too quick for my late-night meal and I wonder if one of the women from the benefit has followed me home. There was a time, years ago, that being rich and good looking was a perk when women showed up at the door. I try to look at it as maturity, not age, that has me finding it tedious now. After all, I've only just turned forty. That wasn't old.
Looking through the peephole, I stare into the amber eyes of Madeleine Hainsworth. My first reaction is anger. Is she here to poke at me some more?
I open the door. “Come to join the harem?”
Her eyes widen and she looks past me. I realize that she hasn't considered I might be entertaining, which is odd, considering she thinks I'm a player.
“I'm alone.” I open the door wider to let her in. “Did your aunt send you? Is she worried I won't contribute to her campaign anymore?”
Her eyes narrow. “No.”
“She knows I don't judge people by the company they keep.”
“Touché, Mr. Delecoeur. How long will I have to endure this before we can get to why I'm here?”
My lips twitch upward, despite my annoyance. Most women would be apologetic, but not Madeleine. She bites back. I must be a sadist because I like it.
“I don't know. Why are you here?”
“First, I want to apologize for the way I acted. I let my anger and frustration about the situation in Africa influence my opinion of you.”
“Really? I hadn't noticed.”
“Yes, you did. And I brought this.” She pulls a thumb drive out of her purse. “I want to see if you're willing to put your money where your mouth is.”
I look at the drive, then at her. “So, you spend the evening insulting me and now you want my money?”
One auburn brow quirks up. “I thought you said you didn't notice.”
“I lied.”
“Look, I don't like eating crow, but I'll do it if it helps people who are dying because of greed. Here is the information you wanted. What are you going to do with it?”
I study her feeling like I'm seeing the real Madeleine for the first time. It's not the change of clothes or the tussled auburn hair that she probably doesn't realize makes her more beautiful than the slick hairdo she wore earlier. It's the attitude. Earlier, she'd been guarded and ready to dislike me on principle. But the woman standing before me now is different. She still doesn't like me, but she's willing to accept that she was wrong about me and demand help. I admire her for that.
I motion to my laptop on the coffee table. “I've already been looking into your accusations.”
“And?”
“I haven't found anything that links SiliCo Mining to what you're saying, but—” I continue before she can argue. “I've read about the child labor and poaching, and how they relate to mining.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Right to the point. I like that too. It's not often I meet a woman who is willing to put everything out in the open.
I wonder what she expects me to do about it. I don’t know what I can do about it. I will, of course, make sure I don't do business with any companies that are involved, but that won't stop what was happening in Africa. My business isn't the only company that needs minerals to make their products, and Madeleine is right in thinking that most CEOs won't care. If I really want to understand the political, economic, and social issues that are leading to the death of children and endangered animals so that I can make a change, there is only one thing I can do.
