#76 Ego Part 2 - Ego Cuid 2

Jones and Smith rushed to his side unsure of whether they were hired to protect their boss from himself. After a second of thought the two burly men pried Monroe from the mounted T.V.

"This is slander!" He shouted. "All of this is a ploy from my competitors to attack our business." He shook his men off him and dusted his jacket off.

The crowd may have believed his feeble excuse but I knew exactly what he was thinking as he scanned the room. I ducked behind a suited journalist who furiously scribbled in his notepad.

Unsatisfied he went to the table searching for a remote or anything to turn the film off. "Do something!" He shouted at the crew.

Few of them heard as they watched Monroe draw his gun and point it at my chest. I looked away and several in the crowd shrieked as the sound of a gunshot went off.

The screen went blank.

No one moved.

Frantically searching for the television remote Monroe jolted upright. He turned to the room filled with shocked employees and reporters.

On our drive over, Frankie – much to Lyle's annoyance – placed bets on what Monroe's reaction would be. It was his way to lighten the mood although the thought spun my stomach into a knot of angst. Among his guesses were violence to the televisions. Check. Verbal assault. Check. And eventually utter silence. Check.

But what Frankie did not bank on, or even venture a guess toward was what happened next.

The sharp sound of two hands forced together rang throughout the silent room. Monroe clapped vigorously, a phony smile spreading to his face.

"The fuck." Lyle whispered. "Is he having a stroke?"

Running his fingers through his slicked back hair a few pieces fell onto his forehead. "The magic of cinema," He waved to the televisions. "They even had me going for a bit too. You got me!" He held up his hands in a joking surrender. "I am a bit of an actor. This-" He motioned behind him to the screen unable to hide his disgust. "Was a play we performed last week, some wires must've gotten crossed."

Shooting another glower to the camera crew he turned back to his father in law. While he spoke another image faded onto the screen.

They were words this time.

On April 4th, 1994 Richard A. Monroe killed Charlotte Ellis, a woman he had been having an affair with the year before. Previously, Monroe paid Miss Ellis to leave the city after becoming pregnant with his child. Charlotte, deciding to returning the money was killed by Richard Monroe in order to preserve his marriage and ascension to the top of X-Enterprises. During his time with the corporation, Mr. Monroe also engaged in corrupt practices diverting surplus cash to private bank accounts. Richard A. Monroe is a murderer and corporate thief.

Oblivious to the accusation Monroe turned to his father in law. "Come on let's sign it and let these people go on their way." He folded a pen into the elderly man's hand.

The former CEO look of disbelief encapsulated the feelings of the entire crowd. "What have you done?" He choked out looking the man up and down.

"This is all lies. You cannot be so weak as to believe this drivel." It was then that he saw the truth written on the screen. The fake confidence that he so easily smothered his face in every morning faded along with the color in his well tanned cheeks.

Suddenly the crowd began to shuffle as four police men made their way to the glass room.

"We need to go." Lyle pulled at my hand and this time I followed. Casting one last look at Monroe who was holding out his hands in a futile stopping motion to the police; we wove our way through the crowd until we were at the elevator. A clear path opened up in the middle of the floor for the officers, but we traveled along the wall.

No one was watching as we boarded the elevator and clicked the button for the lobby.

Just as the doors were closing more of the bystanders pulled back from the middle of the room. Escorted by the police, his arms no doubt uncomfortably folded behind him in handcuffs, Monroe emerged. He held his head up high delicately balancing his dignity on the tip of his nose.

The ding of the elevator drew his attention and we locked eyes for a split second before the metal doors shut.

Frankie was already out of the building when we made our way across the street. With his equipment tucked neatly into his messenger bag there was no way to tell he had just hacked a multi-million dollar corporation.

"Got great timing, haven't I?" He smirked patting his bag.

Lyle punched him in the arm but then conceded and wrapped her life-long friend into a hug. I joined too. We turned to watched the chaos that had broken out across the street. Every television and computer in the building broadcasted the same video and were still displaying Monroe's crimes.

Passersby gathered outside and peered into the glass walls hoping to catch some of the action. Reporters suffocated the doorway until finally a group of police pushed their way through to hold them back.

Monroe was ushered out the door in a hurry with his head down. Questions and the flashes of cameras overtook the street corner.

"Is it true that you killed your illegitimate daughter?"

"How long have you been laundering money for?"

I couldn't catch the rest as the police pushed the journalists back onto the sidewalk and folded Monroe into a squad car.

"You must have written one hell of a tip." Lyle mumbled in disbelief.

"Probably owe her a lot after this, especially since you got a hole in her vest." Frankie jested with me alluding to his friend on the force who he'd done work for the in the past.

"I can't believe it."

Frankie laughed. "You have to hand it to Monroe, he did all of the hard work."

"Yea, he called the Big Ten." Lyle finished.

I nodded. My eyes were out of focus as I stared across the street at the building and the man who had ruled my life.

"Let's go home." Lyle took my hand and we followed Frankie to the car.

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