LETHAL OBSESSION by Carey Regenold Read Free Book Online

meeting of the board this evening.
The assembly would be broadcast by telecommunications to CEOs in other states.  They
had a right to know as much detail as possible concerning their future at Anderson
Enterprises.
          Ellen's
intention was not to make any major changes.  Mark had tutored her well
concerning the ins and outs of how the various corporations operated. Anderson
Enterprises was a large umbrella under which various smaller companies were viable. 
Mark was very proud of the fact that all products sponsored by his corporation
were manufactured in the United States. He believed in recycling and
sustainable energy, a lover of our planet.
          The
CEOs were hand-picked and everything was running like a well oiled machine. 
For that, Ellen was extremely grateful.  The last thing she wanted to do was
step into her husband's shoes.  Mark always said she had a head for business
but Ellen didn't believe that about herself. 
          She
took a deep breath.  "Well, here goes nothing," she said to herself. 
Just then her cell-phone vibrated making her startle.  She pulled it from her
pocket checking the display. With a slight frown, Ellen took the call.  Where
did he get her number?
          "Hello
Gene," she put the phone to her ear while gathering her paperwork.
          "Hi
Ellen, just checking in to see how you're doing today. I sure did enjoy those
muffins yesterday morning."
          "I'm
glad you did. Actually I'm just getting ready to go into a business meeting." 
          "Well
I won't keep you then.  You sound busy."
          "Good-bye
Gene."
          Ellen
looked at her cell trying to figure out what she was feeling.  She owed Gene
for getting her into the crash site, but her life was shattered.  Ellen wasn't
ready for this man or any man to enter her world. Perhaps this was just a
courtesy call, but she knew better. Sheriff Stone was a busy elected official. One
call to see how she was doing after they visited the site should have been
sufficient.  Daily calls from him seemed weird. It was time to put the sheriff
out of her mind.  There were much more important issues to tackle. Ellen
switched off her cell phone so no call would come in during the meeting.
          Even
though she knew these people, her heart was erratically beating.  How does one
talk about a tragedy like this?  She could barely face it herself.
          Ellen
stood in front of a sea of suited, serious faced men and women.  The silence
was deafening as everybody watched her and waited.  For mere seconds Ellen
couldn't think of a single word to say to these loyal employees. The tension in
the room felt like pea soup. Ellen took a deep breath and spoke from her heart.                      
          "I
miss him too.  You can't imagine, or maybe you can. I know very few details of
the crash but I'll tell you what I know."
          "Carl,
are we online?"  She spoke to the telecommunications engineer.
          "Yes,
Mrs. Anderson.  You're good to go."
          "Thank
you Carl.  There was a freak, violent thunderstorm around Asheville, North
Carolina on the day Mark was coming home from a meeting in New York City.  He
called in a May Day after his right engine was struck by lightning and caught
fire.  That's when the Ashville airport tower lost Mark's jet from radar." 
     
          "The
FAA is conducting an investigation.  I don't know how long this is going to
take.  I did go to the crash site.  I didn't get permission but just sort of
crashed the site if you know what I mean.  She could feel the execs relaxing,
looking more human, more emotional.  I needed to see it for myself.  I plan on having
a memorial service at some point. I will let everybody know when."
          "I
guess what's really important here is not how Mark died.  We know he's gone. 
What's important is where do we go from here?  For that I will need your