The Heart of Lies

chapter 4



First thing Monday morning, Lucas was on the phone to Mayor Sully Sullivan, setting up a time to meet later that afternoon. He collected his spreadsheets and renderings, ready to impress and hook the mayor to help him persuade the prosperous people of Paradise Valley to invest in the new ski and golf resort.

Showing up a few minutes early for his appointment, Lucas took the opportunity to introduce himself around the city offices and ingratiate himself with the employees. He knew his charm was sizeable and often irresistible. It was one of his many talents that helped him accomplish the things he did.

“The mayor is ready for you, Mr. Wakefield,” Sully’s frumpy, middle-aged assistant announced with a friendly smile. “Please, follow me.” She led him down a hallway, knocked lightly, and opened the door to the office.

“It was such a pleasure meeting you,” Lucas said, giving her hand a light squeeze, before walking into the Mayor’s office.

“Lucas, it’s good to see you again.” Sully stepped from behind his desk, buttoned his suit jacket, and extended his hand to Lucas as he entered. Sully had blonde hair, like his sister, but without the salon highlights. His blue eyes were warm and welcoming. “Have a seat, please,” he said, gesturing toward the two leather club chairs that sat across from his desk.

“I’d rather stand, Mr. Mayor,” Lucas said, holding out the renderings.

“Oh, yes, of course. Why don’t you spread those out on the conference table over here?”

Lucas followed his directions, spreading the artwork out on the table and made a sweeping motion toward them. “Have a look. I think you’ll like what you see.”

Sully hunched over and looked down at each drawing, placing his hands on the edge of the table. “You’ve done a superb job, Lucas. People around here will be lining up to get in on this project.” He looked up at Lucas with a big smile, showing his excitement for what this would mean for Paradise Valley’s economy as well.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” Lucas grinned widely. “What about you, Mayor? Would you be interested in one of these condos?”

“Oh, please, call me Sully. And as for the condos…I would, if it wasn’t for the huge mountain of medical bills I have.”

Sully’s excitement dulled.

“I’d love to do that for my wife, but I don’t see how right now.”

Lucas laid his hand on Sully’s shoulder and looked him in the eye with absolute sincerity. “I tell you what, Sully, since you’re Maggie’s brother, you’re like family.”

Sully chuckled.

It was a bit of a leap. After all, Maggie and Lucas had not been dating that long. Still, Lucas would work the angle.

“I’d be happy to work a special deal with you,” Lucas offered. Turning back to the table, he opened his briefcase and pulled out his spreadsheets.

“What kind of special deal?”

Lucas stopped and smiled to himself, hearing the interest in Sully’s voice. “What would you say if I sell you two of the condos at a greatly reduced price?” Lucas spread the papers out on the table, then straightened his posture and faced Sully. “That way you could resell them and make a healthy chunk of change to put toward your hospital bills.”

He turned back to his spreadsheets. “Here’s my calculations.” He tapped his finger on a column of numbers, watching Sully’s face for a reaction. “What do you think of that?”

“What exactly are we talking, Lucas?” Sully’s eyes lit up as his gaze hovered over the numbers.

“What if I sell you two of the three-hundred-thousand-dollar condos for two hundred each, then you can turn around and resell them for three hundred. That would give you a two-hundred-thousand-dollar profit. That should make a pretty sizeable dent in your hospital bills, wouldn’t it?”

“Sounds like a screaming deal. Only problem is I don’t have that kind of money to put down. Aren’t you asking for twenty-five percent?” Sully’s voice began to deflate.

“Yes.”

“That could be a problem.”

“I’d really hate to see you miss out on this opportunity, Sully, being Maggie’s brother and all. Is there any way you could borrow it from someone?” Lucas asked. “Or take an equity loan against your house?”

“I’ve already mortgaged my house to the hilt. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but a few more bad months at the golf course I own and I may be in danger of losing that.”

“Maybe you could take it from the retirement account or something?”

“The retirement account? You mean the city’s or mine personally?” Sully’s eyebrow quirked with suspicion.

“I mean yours personally,” Lucas replied. The truth was, though, he didn’t really care which account it came from, as long as it came. But since you mentioned the city retirement account…

“I don’t have that much in there anymore, not since my wife got sick.”

“Well then, since you brought up the city retirement account, perhaps you could borrow from it without anyone knowing. I could help you resell your condos quickly, even before they’re finished, and put the money back in. No one would be the wiser,” Lucas suggested, “and you’d make a tidy profit.”

If Sully got the money from city funds, it would actually give Lucas more leverage. He liked that.

“No, I couldn’t do that,” Sully said, shaking his head. “I’d be breaking the law and I could wind up in jail.”

“Not if you were careful and got the money back into the accounts before anyone noticed it was missing.” Lucas used a warm even tone, putting his hand on Sully’s shoulder. His studies in the art of persuasion over the years had taught him that placing a gentle but firm hand on someone’s shoulder created an atmosphere of confidence and care. Lucas gave a gentle pat, then shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter to him. “It’s something to consider, Sully.”

Sully gazed at the artist’s conception of the beautiful condos once more and shook his head. “I don’t think I could do that,” he said in a small voice.

“Yes,” Lucas said, nodding his head rhythmically, “I think you can.”

Come on, stay with me, Sully.

“It would help you tremendously.” Lucas continued to nod. His hand still rested on Sully’s shoulder and he controlled his voice to sound warm and caring. Was he succeeding in turning him?

He sensed that if he pushed too hard at this point, Sully might put up his defenses, so he backed off. “You don’t need to decide right now. Take a day or two to make up your mind and let me know. Consider what it could mean for you, Sully,” Lucas began to gather up his presentation, “and your sweet wife, Carolyn.” He was hitting where Sully was most vulnerable—his wife.

Now play the fear-of-loss card. “We have a presentation at the Hilton Hotel tomorrow night. I expect these condo units to sell out quickly, so let me know before then. I’m warning you, Sully, the window on this opportunity will be closing fast.”

“Okay.”

As Lucas stacked the papers, Sully was still eyeing the renderings, as if he was under their spell.

“I’ll let you know.”

Lucas slipped the spreadsheets into his briefcase, then slid the renderings into a large leather portfolio. “I wouldn’t have suggested this special deal to you if you weren’t Maggie’s brother. She means the world to me, Sully. She’s worried about you. So I’m just trying to be the good guy here and help you out. You understand that, don’t you?” Lucas nodded and tried to catch the mayor’s gaze, but he turned and walked back to his desk.

“I know,” Sully muttered. His eyes were lowered and he fidgeted, rearranging papers and pens on his desk. “I could really use that money—it’s just that I could get in a boatload of trouble if I got caught.”

“No pressure,” Lucas said evenly. Now give him the I-know-what-you’re-going-through line. “I know what it feels like to be drowning in debt, that’s why I’m offering you a lifeline, to help you get out from under it.”

“It is a tempting offer.” Sully sat down, still nervously moving a few more things around on his desk.

“Close your eyes, Sully.”

“What?” He looked at Lucas, noticeably surprised at the request.

“Work with me here, Sully.”

Sully rolled his eyes, then complied with Lucas’s request.

“Now imagine how free you’ll feel when you’ve taken your windfall and cleared your debts—gone, paid off, free,” Lucas chanted. “Go ahead, do it.”

With his eyes still shut, Sully leaned back in his leather chair and laced his hands across his stomach. He remained silent for a few moments. A smile spread across his face, then a rush of air escaped his lips as he released a long sigh.

“Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?” Lucas asked.

Sully opened his eyes and grinned widely at Lucas.

“Now remember that feeling. That’s what it’s going to feel like as soon as you sell those condos.” Gotcha!