Re-Organizing - 8. Chapter 8

As our small motorcade pulled up in front of the Baronial office building in Pittsburgh’s strip district, I was once again amazed at how vampires remained unnoticed by human society. Here stood a six-story brick building that housed the OBR (Office of Baronial Records), the BRS (Baronial Revenue Service), the BDJ (Baronial Department of Justice), the BSS (Baronial Social Services), and the BHR (Baronial Human Resources), to name a few. Of course, there were no exterior signs indicating what the building housed, and the entrance was controlled by a very polite receptionist who screened visitors and turned away any humans who lacked knowledge of our world, explaining that this was a private condo, and visitors were not allowed without the permission of a resident.

When we walked through the door Johnny held open for us, the young vampire at the desk looked up. “May I help you?”

“I am Lord Steward White,” Billy said with a smile. “Baron Fowler, his mate, his Council, and I need to visit the OBR.”

At the reception desk sat a boy that looked like he was still in high school. The startled young vampire jumped to his feet and almost tripped over his chair as he tried to bow. “Of course, My Lord. I will call for someone to escort you up immediately,” he said as he reached for his phone.

When he hung up, Tommy said, “I am Chief Marshal McNiel; why are there no Marshals on duty with you?”

“I am Marshal Thomas Davis, Chief Marshal,” the young vampire replied, pulling out his badge. He nodded towards the back and added, “My partner is in the restroom.”

Tommy nodded. “While I’m here, I’d like to stop by the BMS office and introduce myself.”

“I’d like to stop by the BDJ if we have time,” Chris added.

I looked from Tommy to Chris, then to the others and asked, “Any other alphabet bureaus you want to visit while we’re here? And do I need to visit any of these?”

“Unless we run into problems, My Lord, there is no reason for you to visit any of these other offices,” Jake answered. “These offices answer to your Council, who in turn, answers to you. Chris is the head of the BDJ, Tommy is the head of the BMS, Trevor is the head of BSS, and Brian is the head of the BRS. Those duties are quite straightforward, but we will need to discuss who the other agencies fall under. From what we’ve found, the previous Baron let his Lord Steward handle the management of all the Baronial agencies.”

I nodded. “At our next meeting, please give me a list of all the agencies and their areas of responsibility. We can consider whether the current Council is adequate or if we need to find additional Council members to handle these other issues.”

Our conversation was cut short by the opening of the elevator doors. We all turned to face the vampire who approached us. After a bow from the neck, he said, “My Lords; I am David Peterson, head of the OBR for the Barony of Pittsburgh. May I ask what business you have with our office and which Barony you represent?”

Before I could reply, Jake said, “Baron Fowler is the new Baron of Pittsburgh, officially recognized by Prince George at his court yesterday. And our business involves several issues, none of which are properly discussed in the lobby of an office building.”

Looking properly abashed, Mr. Peterson said, “Forgive me, My Lord. I haven’t received any official notice of a change in administration. Might I ask who you are?”

“I am Jacob Jackson, Adjutant General of the Barony of Pittsburgh which, if I’m not mistaken, makes me your new boss,” Jake replied with a smirk. “And you haven’t received the official notices because I have them in my hand.”

“Of course, My Lord, my apologies,” Peterson said in a rather submissive voice. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at us. “Unfortunately, our elevator is only large enough to accommodate six people at a time, My Lords. If I may, I will escort the Baron and four others up to my office then return to bring the rest of you up.”

Tommy spoke up, saying, “If Marshal Davis would be so kind as to escort Cadet Marshal Fletcher, Reserve Marshal Jefferson, Marshal Lieutenant Riva, and me to the BMS office via the stairs, I believe you would only have to return to the lobby once, Mr. Peterson.” He turned to Jonesy and added, “You stay with the Baron; Riva or Johnny will relieve you when they’re finished so you can update your file.” Jonesy nodded.

“Unless Mr. Peterson can deal with all of our issues at the same time, it might be best if Chris, Trevor, and I stop by our various offices,” Brian suggested. “Could you show us to those offices via the stairs as well, Marshal Davis?”

After Marshal Davis led the others to the stairs, Scott, Billy, Jake, and I joined Mr. Peterson in the elevator. As I stepped off the elevator, I realized that all government bureaucracies are the same. There were benches lining the wall for vampires to await service, and there were two clerks behind glass panels, supposedly there to assist the citizens of the barony. One was busy talking on his personal cell phone while the other was painting her nails. Both had signs in front of them saying ‘next window please’. Behind these two were six office cubicles where six desks sat cluttered and ignored while three workers gossiped in the break room. Several times I saw Jake shaking his head as he took in the level of productivity. He held his tongue until we were behind the closed door of Mr. Peterson’s office.

“Is there a reason that both your customer service windows are closed?” Jake asked in an artificially calm tone.

“My Lord, it is break time. I can’t ask these people to work through their breaks,” Peterson replied indignantly.

Jake nodded as he sarcastically observed, “That explains the clutter on the desks. I’m sure none of that mess was there until they went on break. And gods forbid they rotate the times of their breaks so there is always someone available to assist a vampire in need.” He looked around, then asked, “Do you even have computers here? Or are they hidden?”

Peterson sat straighter in his chair and said, “I realize this office isn’t a shining star of efficiency, My Lord, but are you aware of the budget we work with? Did you count the bodies out there? I have six desks but only enough money to pay for three clerks and the two assistants working the windows. In 1900 when I started here, there were OBR offices in every major city in the Barony, as well as one in the seat of the smaller Baronetcies. We used to take care of the needs of two thousand vampires: as of last count, I’m responsible for the records of almost twenty-five thousand vampires. As I’m sure you’re aware, Pittsburgh Barony is the largest Barony in the country, My Lord. And to answer your question, no, Baron Evans didn’t see fit to budget for computers for any Baronial agencies. He said we got along fine without them before.” He glanced at me and went on, “Begging your pardon, My Lord, but I’m hoping you’ll consider an increase in our budget so I can set things to right here. I’m embarrassed to have you see this.”

Jake looked at me and when I nodded, said, “You have until the first of the year to come up with proposals, Mr. Peterson.”

“Proposals for what, My Lord?” Peterson asked, confused.

“Locations and staffing needs for satellite offices of the OBR, staffing needs for this main office, and include a list of all the equipment you’ll need to set these offices up; desks, computers, printers, tables, chairs, water coolers, everything. We’ll need to coordinate with the Baronial Communications Authority for the networks and phones, but that won’t be a problem,” Jake explained. “I intend to fix this agency, Mr. Peterson; am I going to do that with you, or without you?”

Stunned, Peterson stated, “I’m prepared to work around the clock, My Lord, if you provide the means to make the necessary changes.” His expression changed to unease, and he asked, “Is this why you came here today, My Lords? A surprise inspection? Or is there something we can do for you?”

“We did not plan on inspecting anything, Mr. Peterson, I assure you,” I said. “I was changed from human earlier this summer and haven’t taken the time to come get my identification. In addition to that, several of my Council need identification. We also need to file the adoption papers for my son, my writ of conquest for the Barony, and several other items.”

“I will put everyone on it, Sire,” Peterson replied.

“While I appreciate your intent,” I said, “there are three vampires out there still waiting to be served. My time is no more important than theirs. Please see to them before you start in on our paperwork.”

“As you wish, My Lord,” he replied. “If you would like, I will get the forms that we need filled out and you can work on those while I see to these others.”

“That would be fine,” Scott said. “In order for you to get the proper forms, I need to update my passport, while everyone else will need new passports, as most of them are changelings. All of us will need the paperwork to allow for concealed carry of a firearm.”

“One of my Council is still human,” I said. “Will you be able to accommodate him in some manner? We will also need to do some creative paperwork in his case, but we can go over those details once you’re finished with the others.”

“Bill specializes in human paperwork, My Lord. I will have him join us when he’s free,” Peterson said as he stood. “If you would excuse me a moment, I will get the forms we’ll need.” After giving a slight bow, he made a quick exit, and we watched as he ran to the break room. His gestures and the expressions on the faces of his co-workers told us he was sharing the news that there was a new Baron, and everyone was needed ‘on deck’ as it were.

“I think we shook him up,” Jake said with a smirk.

“I would agree,” I said. “Do you think you can work with him, Jake? Or do you need to clean house and start over?”

“I’m not sure, Greg,” Jake said after a pause and a sigh. “I honestly think I’ll need to work with him, regardless of how I feel, at least until I get a better feel for the situation. I didn’t realize we had so many vampires in the Barony.”

“I’m more concerned about the other tidbit he shared,” I said. When everyone looked at me and waited, I asked, “Why is Pittsburgh Barony the largest in the country?”

Before anyone could reply we saw Brian and Chris stepping off the elevator with Johnny, accompanied by a man and woman who both looked like typical government bureaucrats. Johnny led them to the office and said something to Jonesy, who headed for the elevator.

Chris looked at Brian and, after getting a nod, said, “My Lords, may I present Julie Meadows of the Baronial Department of Justice, and Kevin Delwyn of the Baronial Revenue Service.”

Delwyn bowed while Julie curtsied as Chris introduced them. I nodded, then looked to Chris, who turned to Brian who closed the door behind him before saying, “Kevin and I were looking at the tax rolls, My Lord, and if my memory serves me, we may have a problem.”

“Give us the short version, Lord Simpson, as I am assuming the long version may take hours,” I said.

“I believe that the previous Baron was less than honorable in his reporting the tax income of the Barony, My Lord,” Brian said. I raised an eyebrow, and he continued. “Ms. Meadows is an accountant with the BDJ and is an expert in forensic accounting. I would like her to assist Mr. Delwyn and me in exploring if this is true and, if it is, to what extent.”

“This falls within the purview of your office, as well as that of Lord Barnes; why do you need our approval?” I asked, confused.

“Due to the terms of his will, if Baron Evans did indeed skim from the Barony, we would need to determine the extent of the damage,” Brian replied.

“And I would need to seek guidance on seeking reparations, My Lord. It may affect your personal financial situation,” Chris added.

I was stunned. Everything we had looked at so far seemed to indicate that Baron Evans was meticulous in keeping his personal finances separate from Baronial finances. His personal assets and income, while vast, showed no signs of having come from Baronial sources. I didn’t know what the right thing to do was, but I knew I needed to do something, I could ignore this and cover it up like most human politicians would do. I could say that I’m not responsible for the actions of my predecessor, accept things as they are, and move forward doing the right thing, or I could dig into this, find out how much had been stolen, and return it to the Barony. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of time to consider the outcome of each of these paths. I went with my gut.

I said, “Mr. Delwyn, Ms. Meadows, the two of you will accompany Lord Steward White to the Marshal’s office where Lord White will introduce you to Chief Marshal McNiel.” I looked at Billy, “Lord White, you will instruct Chief McNiel to appoint a Marshal who has no ties to myself or our Council, and who had no close ties to Baron Evans. This Marshal is to accompany Lord Barnes, Lord Simpson, Mr. Delwyn and Ms. Meadows to the castle where they will take custody of any and all financial records, both Baronial and personal, they feel relevant.”

I looked at Ms. Meadows and added, “I will seek guidance from Viscount Chester on this issue as soon as practicable. Until then, you will work with Mr. Delwyn and the Marshal assigned. It is possible the Viscount or Count Morrison may assign others to work with you or even replace you. If either happens, I expect you to cooperate fully. If you have need of staff or equipment to accommodate your investigation, I will personally ensure that you get it.”

“There’s another issue, Sire,” Brian said. When I looked at him, he explained, “If this were anyone else, we would freeze the assets of the individuals involved until this is sorted out, to prevent them spending away funds that rightfully belong to the Barony. I cannot freeze the Baronial accounts; if I did, every function of the Baronial Government would come to a stop. And I don’t know if I have the authority to freeze your personal accounts.”

“My Lords, if I may be so bold?” Mr. Delwyn interjected. I nodded, so he went on, “With all due respect, Baron, I would suggest you quickly finish what business you have here, then we all go to the castle to look at the records you have. A few hours of work should give us a feel for how much money we’re talking about. Once that’s done, we can discuss options, but I agree with Lord Simpson; we cannot freeze the Baronial accounts.”

“Neither I nor my Council can be directly involved in any way,” I argued. “If we are, it will appear we’re guiding the investigation away from facts or covering things up.”

“While I applaud your integrity, My Lord, I would advise against ever allowing it to be known that a Baron absconded with tax money,” Ms. Meadows stated firmly. “It could be disastrous.”

Jake nodded. “They’re right, My Lord. I agree that we need to investigate the extent of the crime—”

“We need to investigate if it IS a crime,” Chris interrupted. “There may be some obscure line in the tax laws that makes this legal.”

Brian argued, “Regardless of legality—"

“Enough!” I shouted. Every head turned to me. “We will move this conversation to my office. Once there, someone will explain to me exactly what the former Baron did. Chris, get in touch with Merrick, I want him there. Billy, call Viscount Chester and ask if I can have a few minutes of his time via telephone later this evening.”

I looked up and found Mr. Peterson waiting patiently outside the closed door to his office. I waved for him to enter and when he did, I said, “Something has come up and we need to leave immediately. We will return on another day to finish our business.”

“If I may, My Lord,” Peterson said, timidly. “Bill and I can come to the castle at your convenience to assist you with your needs.”

Before I could reply, Billy said, “That would be best. I can only assume another visit by the Baron would only be an inconvenience and distraction for your office.”

“Just so, My Lord,” Peterson replied, handing Billy a business card. “My mobile number is on here, contact me at any time and Bill and I will take care of all your needs personally.”

With that resolved, we stood headed toward the door. I watched Jake whisper something to Peterson, then I asked Johnny to lead us to the Baronial Marshal’s Service office. We exited the elevator on the second floor and followed Johnny to a conference room where we found Tommy speaking to a group of vampires who I assumed were supervisors of some sort in the Marshal Service.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Baron Fowler, your new Baron,” Tommy said, pointing me out as we entered. They all stood and bowed, then Tommy introduced us to the Marshals he had been speaking with.

“I would love to visit a bit, unfortunately, we have an issue, Chief Marshal,” I said, causing every ear to perk up. “Am I to assume these are the most senior Marshals in the Barony?”

“These are most of them, yes, My Lord,” Tommy replied. “How can we be of assistance?”

I looked around, then said, “If you would all give us the room for a moment, I need to speak with Chief McNeil. Please stay close, as he will likely need your advice when we’re finished.” Once the Marshals had left, I explained the situation to Tommy, along with my desire to appoint a Marshal to oversee the investigation whose loyalties were unlikely to be questioned.

Tommy thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t need to ask anyone’s input, Greg. I know exactly who to assign.” Ms. Meadows and Mr. Delwyn seemed shocked at Tommy’s use of my name, but they remained silent. “Thomas Davis, the young Marshal who was working reception when we entered the building is the perfect candidate for this. In his first life he was one of the first investigators with the Bureau of Investigation, now known as the FBI, in Washington DC. After forty years with them, he retired, faked a death and renewed, then attended Georgetown University where he received a dual doctorate in law and international relations. This set him up for another career at Justice in the office of the Inspector General, where he again served close to forty years. In 1992, after another renewal, he attended Wharton School of Business, where he received his MBA, following this up with work at the Department of the Treasury, investigating money laundering by terrorist organizations.”

As I listened to Tommy laying out Marshal Davis’s resume, I did some quick math. Confused, I asked “If he renewed in 1992, why does he look like he’s younger than me?”

“I didn’t ask much about his personal life, Greg. I will add that all his time with the Federal Government means that he has been part of the Prince’s Marshal’s Office, so until he moved to Pittsburgh last month, he had no ties to Baron Evans.”

“Please have him come here, Tommy. He sounds like the man for the job, but I’d still like to speak to him first,” I said.

Tommy stuck his head out the door and said something to the Marshals in the hall. Five minutes later there was a knock and Marshal Davis came in. “You wanted to see me Chief Marshal?” he asked.

“Actually, I’m the one who asked you to join us, Marshal,” I said.

Giving a slight bow, he asked, “How may I serve, My Lord?”

“I need an independent investigator to look into something that we’ve discovered, and Chief McNeil says you’re the perfect candidate,” I explained. “Before I go into the issue, I’d like to ask a personal question. Please know that you are free to respond that it is none of my business, and that response will not affect things, but I’m just curious about why you renewed so recently. If Chief McNeil’s account of your career is accurate, you should have looked to be in your mid-thirties when you did?”

“I met my fated mates, My Lord. Brandon just turned eight and Jessica will be seven next week. I chose to renew further than I ever have in order to look their ages,” Marshal Davis explained.

I smiled, nodded, and said, “Well, that explains why the reception desk was manned by a boy that looks like he’s still in high school. I assume the move to Pittsburgh was for them?”

“It was, My Lord,” he replied. I waited so he explained, “We met while they were in DC, exploring the Smithsonian. I staged a car accident and moved to Pittsburgh three weeks later. Is my apparent age an issue?”

“Your experience is much more important than your appearance, Marshal.” I glanced at Tommy, then said, “As of this moment, you are relieved of all current duties. You will accompany us to the castle where we will go into the details of what you will be investigating.” I introduced him to Ms. Meadows and Mr. Delwyn, then told the three of them to contact their mates, inviting them to dinner at the castle this evening. I asked Scott to contact Andrew Mellon and ask him to join us for our meeting.

An hour later we walked into my office. Once everyone was in, I realized how right Billy’s observation about the size of this office was. With my entire Council here, as well as Ambassador Mellon and the three newcomers, having a meaningful conversation was all but impossible. We moved the meeting to the formal dining hall where Tommy stationed two Marshals outside each door, ensuring our privacy. After the footmen served drinks and left us, I asked Brian to go into details.

“No offense, My Lord—” Brian started.

“Standard rules apply, Brian,” I interrupted. I then turned to the newcomers and explained. “In private meetings, and in most situations, I prefer using my name.”

“Sorry, Greg,” Brian smiled. “As I was saying, no offense, but I’m going to try to put this in the simplest terms. If anyone needs clarification or has something to add, please feel free to speak up.” He looked around the table and when everyone nodded, he explained.

“In simple terms, the Baron is entitled to two dollars for every one hundred dollars of tax income the Barony receives. This is a large part of your compensation for administering the Barony and having it as a percentage of tax income incentivizes you to work to grow the Barony. Twenty-three dollars is sent to Viscount Chester. Of that, six dollars stays with the Viscount, four goes to the Count, and thirteen to Prince George. I haven’t explored what they do with that money, but most vampire services are provided by the Baronies.”

Tommy spoke up, saying, “I can’t speak to the Viscounties and Counties, but Prince George has a Continental Marshal’s office, as well judicial clerks and several Human Resources offices.”

I grabbed a legal pad from the stack Billy had in front of him and made a note to ask what Human Resources did in vampire society, then looked up as Brian continued. “That leaves seventy-five percent of total tax income to be spent by the Baron, providing services to those in the Barony. When I looked at the books here at the castle, it appeared that Baron Evans was doing just that, but when Kevin showed me his tax records, some of the numbers didn’t match those I remembered from the books here. In short, the Baron was collecting one hundred dollars, pocketing twenty, then reporting that eighty as the income of the Barony, taking a further two percent for himself, giving the Viscount, Count, and Prince their percentage of the eighty, leaving seventy-five percent of eighty for the Barony.”

Billy’s hotline rang and he answered, “Baron Fowler’s office, Lord White speaking.” Pause. “Of course, Excellency, one moment.”

I took the phone Billy offered me and said, “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on such short notice, Excellency. I’ll get right to the point; my Council has found evidence that the previous Baron may have been underrepresenting the Barony’s tax income in order to personally profit. I’ve started an investigation and—” I listened as Viscount Chester interrupted me. I simply replied, “As you wish, Excellency. My Council and I will stop investigating immediately.” After listening to his next statement, I said, “Understood, Excellency. I look forward to seeing you at your Court in January.”

I looked around the table and said, “Viscount Chester strongly suggested I drop the investigation. As I’m sure you heard me tell him, neither I nor anyone on my Council will continue to investigate this matter. That said, I am appointing you, Marshal Davis, as an independent investigator, assisted by Ms. Meadows and Mr. Delwyn. You are charged with determining if money was improperly diverted from Baronial accounts to the private accounts of Baron Evans. You are empowered to seize any assets you deem properly the property of the Barony. If you feel arrests need to be made, I ask that you advise me prior to making such arrests. If anyone interferes with your investigation, you will report this to me. Do you understand and accept your charge, Marshal?”

“I understand and accept, My Lord,” Marshal Davis replied with a bow. He then got a stern look on his face and said, “In my capacity as special investigator, I hereby freeze all assets of the Baron of Pittsburgh; any and all payments from these funds are to be approved by me. I further order that the Barony not make any payments to the Baron without my direct consent; his Council, staff, and expenses of the Barony can continue to be funded from Baronial accounts.”

Jake, Billy, and Brian started to object, but I cut them off. “I expected that, Marshal, and I ask for a compromise, in the interest of not overwhelming you with managing the finances of my household.” He nodded, so I said, “We have estimated that the Baron’s personal estate is worth upwards of $5 billion dollars, and there is evidence that before arriving in Pittsburgh, Gareth Evans was already quite wealthy. Would you agree to allowing us access to a lump sum of $500 million? From that, we will pay the expenses of the Baronial castle, including the salaries of the staff at the castle and our personal Marshals. We are also in the process of refurbishing the castle and would like to continue that. If you later determine that the castle is to be forfeit to the Barony, we will renounce any claim to funds used for this work.”

Marshal Davis nodded, saying, “I can see the logic in your proposal, Baron, and I agree. You may retain access to $500 million in cash and negotiable stocks and bonds. I will insist that any real estate transactions be approved by me, and all funds from such sales be reinvested in real estate that is held in trust until this matter is resolved.” He turned to Andrew Mellon and said, “From this moment on, you are acting as a trustee; you will set aside the monies I have spelled out for the Baron, but all other investments will be treated as a blind trust. You may continue to invest as you feel beneficial to that trust, but you may not consult the Baron on these investments.”

“Understood, Marshal. I will do as you ask,” Mellon replied.

Chris said, “I believe the first thing we need to do is—”

“With respect, My Lord, the Baron has declared that you and your office are prevented from doing anything in this matter,” Marshal Davis said, cutting Chris off. “But I agree with what I think you were about to say. The first thing I need to determine is whether the alleged skimming is even illegal. If not, all other issues are moot.”

Chris nodded and said, “Thank you, Marshal, you are correct on both counts.”

“He is not correct,” I stated, shocking everyone. “To be clear, whether the practice of skimming is legal or not, it will not continue under my reign. Taxes are collected to provide services for the vampires in the Barony, not for the personal profit of those chosen to serve. While you are free to determine the legality of these actions, you are to discover their extent and determine a course of action that will serve justice, not legality.” A thought crossed my mind, so I added, “From this moment forward, the acceptance of any funds from the Barony not spelled out in law is a crime, punishable by forfeiture of all assets and imprisonment for twenty years.”

Scott asked, “How can you imprison someone, Greg? We don’t know if Dracul even has a prison system.”

Before I could reply, Marshal Davis responded, “I don’t know much about it, but I do know that there is a prison somewhere. Prince George has sentenced people to imprisonment before so there must be, right?”

I nodded. “I will inquire about that when I discuss this with the Prince.” I looked around and asked, “Are there any questions?”

With no questions, Andrew went to arrange dinner while we went to the east sitting room to greet our dinner guests. Marshal Davis introduced us to Jessica and Brandon then Mr. Delwyn introduced us to his wife. When I turned to Ms. Meadows, she explained that her husband from a previous life had met his fated mate and she was still single in this, her third life. I turned to Ambassador Mellon who said that after his disastrous marriage to Nora McMullen, he has remained single. He did admit to dalliances with both men and women, and said he hoped to find something like Scott and I, and Marshal Davis and his mates shared.

After dinner, Marshal Davis took Kevin Delwyn, Julie Meadows, Ambassador Mellon, and Brian to Billy’s office to begin his investigation. The rest of my Council and I headed to my office to prepare for tomorrow's meeting with the Baronets. Originally, this meeting was set for today but, due to our trip to California, Billy had wisely moved it to Friday to allow us time to prepare.