|
Synopsis
First, she gets the frightening phone call from her father. Hours later, the police tell her he's committed suicide. But Madison McKean suspects murder - because her father, CEO of a large Manhattan ad agency, refused a takeover bid by a ruthless agency conglomerate.
With her
father's death, Madison inherits his agency - and his enemies.
When she and her new friend, Kevin, zero in on the executive behind
her father's death, they soon discover an ex-CIA hitman is zeroing
in on them.
MADISON'S AVENUE takes you inside
the boardrooms of today's ruthless, billion dollar corporations
- to the white sand beaches of the Caribbean - to the high hopes
and low cleavage of the Cannes Ad Festival ... a world where some
individuals take the phrase 'bury the competition' literally.
|
Hanna
and Emily blushed, then began to laugh.
“That’s too bad,” Hanna said.
“Why?”
“We came up with a cool name and
theme.”
“For a male genital spray?”
“Yeah.”
“What?”
“UMPIRE ... FOR FOUL BALLS!”
Madison buckled over with laughter
and had to steady herself on a nearby chair. “I love it!
Stick that line over the photo of a male crotch, then show those
bozos!”
They smiled.
Suddenly, Madison sensed someone
behind her. Turning, she saw Elaine, her assistant, looking concerned.
“Your father’s on your
private line,” Elaine whispered. “He says it’s
very urgent.”
Her father, Mark McKean, didn’t
make urgent calls. He hadn’t made one to her since the day her
mother died six years ago. Madison excused herself, hurried down
to her office and grabbed the phone.
“Dad...?”
“Sorry to interrupt, Madison. But
I....” He sounded short of breath. “I still can’t believe it!”
“Believe what?”
“Someone at my agency sent me an
anonymous e-mail accusing me of misappropriating 8.7 million dollars
of company money. It’s absolutely preposterous!”
She was stunned. “Of course it is.”
Her father, chairman and CEO of Turner Advertising in Manhattan,
was the most ethical man she’d ever known.
“I haven’t taken a dime! Ever!”
“I believe you.”
“Our CFO just checked all
agency financial records. There’s not one red cent missing anywhere.”
“You’re fighting this?”
“With everything I’ve got! But the
memo demands that I resign now. I wanted you to hear all this
from me, and not through the agency grapevine, or worse, the newspapers.”
“Any idea who’s behind
this?”
He paused. “No, but the $8.7
million figure seems familiar. I saw it somewhere in the company
recently. In someone’s office, I think. On a file, or computer
maybe. But there’s so much happening so fast, I can’t
remember where. I’m even concerned my office phone may be
tapped. That’s why I’m calling you on my cell phone.”
Her dad, always cool-headed and unflappable, sounded very anxious.
“Dad, listen, I’m taking
the next flight home tonight.”
“That’s not necessary,
Madison.”
“I’m coming. Don’t
try to talk me out of it.”
He took a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” she
asked.
No response.
“Dad, what the hell’s
going on there?”
“I’m not sure. Just be
damn careful, Madison, please!”
“Dad...?”
The phone connection went dead.
|
