Daniel took a deep breath, his face flushed. “Put it away,” he said nervously. “This is no time to get crazy.”
“But I love you,” Neal said.
“Wait until we get home,” Daniel said. “Right now, we have work to do.”
Quickly Neal straightened his clothes and stretched back into the chair in front of Daniel’s desk. “Okay.” He smiled. “I’m ready.”
“Is the presentation we prepared for Jarvis about changes in the company still at the printer’s?”
“Yes.”
“Get all the papers back and take them home. Make sure you have all of them and then put all except two into the shredder. Any asshole who might get a copy could blow us out of the water.”
“You mean all the work we put into it goes down the toilet?” Neal asked.
“Not really,” Daniel said. “We’ll simply rewrite it from Shepherd’s point of view instead of Jarvis’s. The program is just as good for one as the other.”
“But Jarvis had the money to carry it off. How do we know how much Shepherd has left?”
“I figure that he has the money,” Daniel said. “He was too quick to move in during the meeting.”
Neal stared at him. “Do you think Shepherd had anything to do with Jarvis’s death?”
“I don’t think so,” Daniel answered. “I had a feeling that Bradley was ready to take Jarvis on at the meeting. The rest was coincidental.” He rose from behind his desk. “Now get on your horse, you can make the printer before he closes at eight o’clock.”
He waited until Neal had closed the door behind him; then he asked his secretary to find Siddely for him. He was located in Jarvis’s office, and Daniel reached him there by phone. “Sherman,” he said, “I think we have to talk.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Sherman answered. “I’ll be right down to your office.”
The attorney seemed to have regained his composure after the shock of the afternoon. He held his hand out to Daniel. “Congratulations,” he said effusively. “I am glad that Bradley has made the right choice.”
“Thanks, Sherman.” Daniel gestured toward a chair. “We still have some problems. The most important is if there will be any flap from Jarvis’s company or heirs.”
Sherman shook his head. “I’ve already been trying to get in touch with Mrs. Jarvis, but she’s traveling in South America, and nobody seems to know exactly where she is.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Daniel said.
“But there is another problem,” Sherman added. “Jarvis had two hundred million of his own, but it wasn’t enough, so he took an under-the-table partner to advance him another two hundred million to begin the deal with Bradley. He was also expecting another four hundred million to buy Bradley out. I don’t know where he was going to get that money.”
“That’s a lot of money. How could he hide it?” Daniel said.
Sherman looked at him. “Jarvis was a strange man. He kept things to himself. Even I don’t know who he was doing business with for that money.”
“Dirty money,” Daniel said flatly.
“Maybe,” Sherman said, holding up his hands. “But we don’t know.”
They sat silently for a moment; then Daniel said, “All I can think is that we have to sit tight.” He reached for his first cigarette in six months. Deeply he sucked in the smoke, then coughed and choked. Quickly he put it out. “Shit,” he said. He looked across the desk at Sherman. “Do you think that Bradley might have been tied into it?”
“I don’t think so,” Sherman said. “Bradley was tapped out.”
“Bradley seemed very sure of himself. Even before the explosion,” Daniel said quietly. “But there are two things I still don’t understand. Why were Judge Gitlin and Jed Stevens meeting with him?”
“Judge Gitlin is Bradley’s attorney from Oklahoma. Jed Stevens I know nothing about.”
“I know about Stevens. He’s the CEO of General Avionics Leasing Corporation,” Daniel said. “He must be sitting on top of at least six billion. He leases commercial airplanes to half the airlines in the world.”
“Do you think Bradley brought him in?”
“Anything’s possible,” Daniel said. “That’s just another thing we have to find out.”
8
BRADLEY SANK INTO the oversized chair behind his desk and looked across at Judge Gitlin and Jed, who sat in comfortable chairs opposite him. He pulled the white handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Jesus,” he said. “Jesus.”
Judge Gitlin looked at him. “We could use another drink.”
“Sherry—” Bradley spoke into his intercom—“the judge will have a shot of CC straight up. I’ll have a Glenmorangie on the rocks.” He turned to Jed. “And what will be your pleasure?”
“Coffee, black, with sugar,” Jed answered.
A moment later Sherry came into the office and placed the drinks before them.
“Hold all calls,” Bradley said, as she turned to leave. She nodded and closed the door behind her.
Bradley lifted his drink. “Cheers.”
The judge nodded and swallowed half his drink. Bradley spoke into the intercom again. “I forgot, Sherry,” he said. “The judge never takes one shot, he needs the bottle.”
Sherry returned quickly with the bottle of Canadian Club, placed it on the desk in front of Judge Gitlin, then left again.
Bradley sat there silently for a moment, then said to Jed, “I’m puzzled. You came in out of left field. What brought you into this game?”
“I was at your party last night,” Jed answered.
“So were almost five hundred others. But none of them came in with eighty-five million dollars.”
“That’s another thing I’m curious about,” Judge Gitlin said. “It’s the exact amount that was needed to keep Bradley in the company. How did you know about that?”
Jed smiled. “You have friends. I have friends. Friends talk. And I’m a gambler.”
“That’s high stakes,” the judge said.
“You don’t win with nickel bets,” Jed said.
“What do you expect to get out of it?” Brad asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Jed answered. “That’s what we have to talk about.”
“Even with the eighty-five behind me, it would still have been tough with Jarvis in the deal. But you came in with the money before anything happened to him,” Bradley said. “I still don’t know why.”
Jed smiled. “Maybe I like your style. You throw a great party.”
The judge refilled his glass. “You’re a young man,” he said. “Where do you get that kind of money?”
“I’m holding sixty percent of the stock of a company that I started: General Avionics Leasing Corporation, which has six billion in assets.” Jed looked at them. “So, gentlemen, you can see I can afford the game. Now, you just relax, I’m not going to take anything away from you. Maybe we’ll be lucky and make a lot of money together.”
Bradley turned to the judge. “What do you think?”
“You have no choice,” the old man said. “Besides, he reminds me of you. You’re both crazy.”
“Jarvis’s stake in this still worries me, now that his estate still has an option of forty percent of Millennium’s stock. How do we know what they’ll do?” Bradley said.
The judge spoke in a cold steely voice: “You got yourself into that problem. You’ll have to get yourself out of it.”
Jed turned to the judge. “Brad will work his way out of it,” he said. “I have faith.”
“Thank you,” Bradley said. “But we’ll have to talk some more after we have more facts in hand.”
“We will,” Jed said. “But right now I have to get back to my office.” He rose to his feet and placed several business cards on the desk in front of Bradley. “You call me or I’ll call you. We’ll set up some proper meetings. Lawyers, accountants, the works.”
Bradley looked up at him. “But meanwhile don�
�t you want a note for the eighty-five?”
Jed met his eyes. “Do you have the money to cover it?”
“No,” Bradley said.
“Then what difference will it make?” Jed smiled. “We’ll work it all out later.” He shook Bradley’s hand, then the judge’s. “Gentlemen, until later,” he said and left the office.
Judge Gitlin stared at the closed door. He turned to Bradley. “We better get a line on that boy. He’s too relaxed for my taste. Also, it’s hard to trust a man who don’t drink.”
Bradley shook his head. He called Sherry on the intercom. “Get me McManus at the Bank of America.” He nodded to the judge. “You met McManus at the directors’ meeting. He’s been on our board since I got into Millennium. He’ll check Stevens out for us.”
“When can we go home?” the judge said. “Don’t forget I’m an old man. I need some rest.”
Bradley laughed. “Then I’ll tell Charlene to cancel your dinner date.”
“A dinner date?” the judge exclaimed. “With who?”
“Zsa Zsa Gabor,” Bradley answered. “She likes older men.”
“I don’t want to change Charlene’s plans,” the judge said quickly. “I’ll be okay for dinner.”
* * *
JED TURNED INTO the parking garage on the street level of the ten-story green-mirrored glass building on Century Boulevard opposite the air-freight area at LAX. He left his Chevy Blazer with the valet and walked toward the elevators. He pressed the button for the seventh floor, which would take him to his office.
Kim Latimer, the attractive VP of Corporate Relations, and Jim Handley, the always worried-looking VP and Treasurer of G.A.L.C., were always waiting at the elevator door. It was crazy, but he could never get into his office without one or the other waiting at the elevator door. He was sure that they had paid off the parking valet.
“You’ve had a busy day,” Kim said.
“Kind of,” he answered as he started toward his office.
“What did you do with eighty-five million?” Jim asked. “It left us short on the payment to Boeing.”
“It’s safe,” he said. “Pay Boeing out of the Rental Reserve Account.”
They followed him into his office. He looked down at the messages on his desk. He shook his head. Uncle Rocco was always the same. He never left any messages.
Handley looked at him. “What happened to Jarvis?”
“He blew his top,” he answered wryly.
“Not funny,” the treasurer said. “Does it affect us?”
“I don’t think so,” Jed said. “I’m dealing with Bradley.”
“How do we fit into this?” Jim asked.
Jed shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not quite sure. I’m playing this one personally. I’ll repay the company from my own account tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Jim said. “I just want to protect you and us.”
“We’ll be okay,” Jed said. “Thanks.”
Jim left the office. Kim stood in front of his desk. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m okay,” he answered. He slid into his chair. “This has turned into a rough day,” he said. “I’m tired.”
She came around behind him. “Let me rub your neck and shoulders. It’ll ease the tension.”
“Good,” he said. Her hands were gentle and warm. He turned his head. “That’s like magic. It really helps.”
“Your Uncle Rocco called me on my private line,” she said.
He turned to her quickly. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
She shook her head. “Not in front of Jim.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that he will call you at home at midnight, your time,” she said.
“What else did he say?”
“‘Rico,’” she said. “They couldn’t get him in New York; now they’re putting together a grand jury to nail him in New Jersey.” She looked at him. “He wants you to have your phones debugged. And to sweep your apartment as well.”
“Get John Scanlon in Security and have him take care of it.”
“Are you in trouble?” she asked in a concerned voice.
“Not me,” he answered. “But I am worried for my uncle.” He watched as she called Security, then looked down at his messages. There was only one that was important. He picked up another phone. “Let me talk to Rudy Mayer in Purchasing,” he said to one of the secretaries in his outer office.
Rudy came on the line. “Yes, Boss.”
“What kind of deal does Aerospatiale want to give us on the A 300s?”
“It’s their new model. A 300-200. Stretchouts. It carries four hundred passengers. You order ten and place them on U.S. airlines, they’ll give you a twenty percent discount and a twenty-year finance plan.”
“They give you any idea of the figures?”
“No,” Rudy said. “They won’t give any numbers until you tell them that you’re interested.”
“Usually domestic airlines are cautious about foreign planes. But there is a market for them. Vacation season. Florida. Mexico. They’re always short of space.”
“What do you want me to tell them?”
“Tell them I’m interested. I’ll start talking to Eastern, American, Western, and Mexicana,” he said.
“Mexicana isn’t a U.S. line,” Rudy said. “Maybe they will be selling to them direct.”
Jed laughed. “The Mexicans have no money. I can guarantee Aerospatiale.”
“Okay, Boss,” Rudy said. “I’ll get on it. Just one question. What do you do if Boeing is pissed off because you short them on 727-200s?”
“It all comes down to money,” Jed said. “The A 300 has a better payload and uses thirty percent less fuel than the B 727. Maybe it’s time Boeing stopped believing they’re the only airplane in the world.”
He put down the phone and looked up at Kim.
Kim nodded. “Scanlon said he would get on it right away.”
“Good.” He smiled at her. “Come home, I’ll shower and dress up. Then I’ll take you out to dinner.”
“You have a deal,” she said. “With one exception.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I won’t ride in that pickup truck.”
“Okay. We’ll take the Corniche.”
“Lovely.” She picked up the telephone.
“Who are you calling?” he asked.
“Chasen’s,” she said. “Where else do you go in a Rolls?”
9
“WHY DON’T YOU come to bed?” Kim asked. “It’s almost two in the morning and you better get some sleep.”
“Uncle Rocco said he would call, and he will,” Jed replied.
“It’s five in the morning in the East,” Kim said. “He’s not a young man, he’s probably gone to bed. He’ll call you in the morning.”
“You don’t know anything about my family,” Jed said. “Uncle Rocco will call. He’s not called the Capo for nothing.”
“Okay,” she said. “Maybe he got tied up with something.”
The telephone rang. Jed looked at it in surprise. It wasn’t his private phone—it was the hotel switchboard. Slowly he picked up the receiver. “Stevens.”
The desk clerk sounded apologetic. “Your uncle is here to see you, Mr. Stevens. He didn’t give me his name.”
“My uncle doesn’t need a name. He’s my uncle.” Jed laughed. “He’s alone?”
“No, Mr. Stevens. He has two gentlemen with him.”
“Have one of the bellmen lead them to my bungalow.” He put the phone down and looked at Kim. “Uncle Rocco is here.”
“I’d better put something on,” she said.
“Take your time,” Jed said. “I’ll meet them in the living room. My uncle isn’t alone,” he added. “He’s with his secretary and his bodyguards.”
“Uncle Rocco must be quite a man,” she said.
“He’s old-fashioned,” Jed said. “The Godfather never goes out without his staff.”
“If he’s old-fashioned, w
hat will he think about me?” she said stepping into a pair of slacks.
“He called you, didn’t he?” Jed asked.
“Yes,” she answered, slipping on a blouse. “He wanted to talk to you.”
“He wouldn’t have called you if he didn’t believe you were okay.” Jed smiled. The door chime rang. “I’ll get it,” he said.
He crossed to the entrance hall and opened the door. He slipped the bellman a fiver and led his uncle into the bungalow. They looked at each other for a moment, then hugged and kissed each other on the cheek. His uncle was wearing a cashmere winter coat. “Welcome to California, Uncle Rocco,” he said. “Let me take your coat. It’s warm here.”
His uncle agreed. “I’m sweating,” he said as he slipped out of his coat. Then he gestured to the men with him. “You remember Danny and Samuel?”
Jed nodded and shook hands with the men. At that moment Kim came into the living room.
His uncle smiled at her. “You’re Kim, Jed’s girl. I’ve spoken to you on the phone several times.” He took her hand and kissed it as an old-fashioned courtier might.
He turned to Jed. “She’s very pretty,” he said, and then in Italian, “Siciliana?”
Kim laughed and answered him in Italian. “No, I’m sorry, my parents were Scotch and Irish.”
“That’s not too bad,” Uncle Rocco said.
“You must be exhausted,” she said. “Can I get you some coffee and sandwiches?”
“Just coffee, black and strong,” Uncle Rocco said.
“Right away.” She turned and went to the kitchen.
“You’re looking good, Uncle Rocco,” Jed said.
“At my age you have to watch your diet. Less pasta, less meat, more fish and green vegetables.”
“Vino?” Jed asked.
“Maybe later. You are surprised to see me?”
“Yes,” Jed answered.
“It’s family business,” Uncle Rocco said. “We couldn’t talk about this over the phone, so I chartered a plane.”
Jed looked at him silently.
“Do we have a place where we can talk alone?” his uncle asked.
“The den. No one can hear us in there,” Jed said.
Kim left two pots of coffee for them and closed the door behind her. Jed filled both cups and leaned back in the chair. “Okay?” he asked.
The Piranhas Page 14