“Then I should be the one who should be making the apology. I’m not prone to using my authority on this island unless I’m left with no choice. I found it very distasteful to have to keep you here; still I must do what needs to be done to retrieve the artifact. Surely you can see my point, unless there is another reason you’re harboring a grievance toward me?”
Ginny gave an internal sigh. Allerton wasn’t buying her story that she didn’t remember going on the boat, and he was digging to find out if she’d seen what had happened to Manny and Gyi. The game of deception she was playing held her life and Gavin’s in the balance. Since it appeared her convincing wasn’t allaying his distrust, it was time to turn it up a notch, or two.
“I’m actually more knowledgeable about you than you believe. A friend of mine has made it her life’s mission to uncover those who abuse the Earth’s natural resources to make a profit. You, and many of your friends, are on her list.”
Ginny was thankful that she was able to hide her smirk after seeing Allerton’s bewilderment; accusing him of misappropriating charity funds was a direct hit.
“The list,” Ginny said gravely, throwing more sand in his face to confuse his thinking. Ginny gave the performance of her life, and she didn’t have to sing a single word.
“What list?” he demanded, his voice rising.
“The list that Zoey Mathers gives out as the worst offenders to the environment. Have you ever heard of her?” Ginny was unaware of everyone stealthily moving closer to overhear their conversation.
“No, I can’t say I have.”
“I’m surprised. She has over a million followers. You should subscribe. She’s amazing. She does podcasts, too, which are very informative. That’s how I heard about you.”
“Please, go on …” Allerton’s complexion turned an ugly, ruddy color as she provoked his temper. “I’d like to hear more about this woman.”
“She’s a life coach. I’ll give you her name and number if you want to talk to her. She’s not accepting new clients but, for you, I’m sure she’d make an exception. Zoey is very accomplished at what she does.”
Ginny felt guilty for throwing Zoey under the bus, but reasoned that Stump and the Predators would keep her friend safe. Besides, the podcast was open to the public and could be easily searched. Hell, Zoey would be so ecstatic that she mentioned her to Allerton—she might even give her a free session.
“She couldn’t have been very effective if she’s the one who convinced you to stop performing, especially when your popularity is on the rise.”
Ginny nipped Allerton’s snide comment in the bud. “Because I want to write, she suggested I should focus more on what I want to accomplish, which isn’t singing but songwriting. My voice is nothing compared to other voices that can bring my songs to life. Would you like her number?”
“No … I’ll pass.”
“I don’t blame you. She wasn’t very complimentary to you. Besides, you probably already have her public contact information in the petitions that she has filed against your charity. I signed three of them. I would have signed the last one, but Zoey’s website was so overloaded with traffic that I couldn’t get on.”
“Ready for another drink, Gabriel?” Desmond Beck inserted himself in the conversation by taking Allerton’s empty glass and replacing it with a full one.
Regarding her as if she was an alien from another planet, Allerton downed the full glass.
Desmond suavely gave her a half bow. “I didn’t think I would live to see the day someone could make Gabriel lose his temper. I hope I’m not on Ms. Mathers’ list.” Desmond used his charm to defuse the tense situation, giving Allerton time to regroup, which was exactly what Ginny didn’t want. She wanted his emotions in an upheaval. Allerton acted like a goldfish, all tiny and innocent on the outside, but Ginny’s goal was to poke the hidden monster beneath.
“I can’t say for sure. You’ll have to check.” Ginny shrugged. “But I can save George and Amelia from having to search, as well as”—she gave an imperceptible gesture toward two men who stood to her left—“Mr. Emerson and his partner, Mr. Varela.”
“What did we do to make the list?” Aaron Emerson walked closer to the expanding group of irate listeners.
Satisfaction poured through her veins as Desmond’s attempt of defusing Allerton’s temper was rekindled by her drawing his cronies into the conversation.
“Well, it was something about a mother and child being killed when they were forced to cross a road that you built for your water trucks. There was a well you dug for them in exchange for your company purchasing their water rights—which you use to make bottled water to sell in different countries.”
“That was a miscalculation, which was rectified,” Aaron defensively explained as he loosened his expensive silk tie.
Ginny’s blood boiled at the young mother and child being classified as a “miscalculation.”
“How? Did you bring the mother and child back to life? Did you compensate her other two children and her husband?”
“We built a well closer to their village.”
“I’m sure that eased her family’s grief.” Ginny stared at him disdainfully.
The group of Allerton’s cronies sidled closer to Aaron in a show of support, like flies gathering over a pile of shit. The very people who had gathered here to amuse themselves as she was being brought to slaughter were now on the defense.
“It always comes down to money, doesn’t it?” Aaron’s glass of wine shook with anger. “Will millions of dollars bring them back?
“No price can be placed on a person’s life,” she answered her own question for him, “but at the very least, it might make you think twice about drilling a well near to where people can use it and don’t have to walk for two hours to get clean water, which, by the way, your company promised to do before the rights were sold. Instead, you used a loophole, built the wells where you didn’t have to use expensive machinery and then you had the gall to convince them you did it all out generosity and concern. But in reality, you didn’t make their lives easier, you made their lives hell holes. And those are the lucky ones. Other islands and towns, you convinced them you’d build schools for their children and provide teachers for them. I’m sure those countries and towns thought they hit the jackpot … until the wells you built were again too far away, and the schools were closed because they were too far for the children to walk to. Saves you money when the schools closed and you didn’t have to pay for the teachers and supplies. And what did you do with all of those water rights that the locals couldn’t use? We all know the answer to that.” Ginny waved her hand toward the cart that a waiter was pushing around with cans of soda and different brands of water. Then she dropped her hand and shrugged. “Or that’s what Zoey said in her podcast about you.”
“I have built over two hundred schools!”
“Would you like to know how many are still in operation?”
Aaron Emerson was so angry he seemed ready to chew his tongue off. It wasn’t a good look.
His partner, Abbott Varela, was in better control. “This Zoey person should be prepared for a letter from our lawyer. As her friend, you may inform her that we don’t take negative publicity lightly.”