by Rory Pralte
Jeannette sent Michael a simple message by fax. “Meeting confirmed.”
JAPAN
Patrick’s meeting with Motu Trading did nothing to spoil the run of bad news that was coming his way today. Kanji Toba was courteous but explained that he had not been able to get any feedback over the memory cards and the proposed licensing of Motu that Patrick had discussed. Patrick was reluctant to force things, but discussed with Kanji Toba what timescale might be possible. Toba promised an initial answer in one week and Patrick left the meeting more depressed than he had been for a long time.
On returning to his hotel he remembered the fax and the problem over the video. He rang England and spoke to Anne at the Staines offices. After the normal pleasantries Anne said, “That bloody woman Jeanette spoke to me this morning and made herself an appointment for ten o’clock tomorrow. God knows what she wants to see me about. She says you’ve been meeting with Michael Shoner. Is it all sorted out yet? I’ve got to tell the bank something concrete today or we could be finished.”
There was a pause. “Are you still there, Patrick? Is there something the matter?”
Patrick spoke clearly and matter-of-factly. Well, this had brought it all to a head so all he had to do was tell the facts as best he could.
“Anne, listen, please don’t say anything until I’ve explained. The position is that until today, the meetings I’ve had with Taduii from Watanabe Trading over a settlement appeared to be going really well. I have not met with Michael. That Jeanette bitch is lying, however today the whole picture is falling apart. I’ve just been offered $70,000 in settlement.”
Anne butted in, “That’s no good, it won’t even pacify the bank, Patrick.”
“I know,” he replied, “but it gets worse. There is a solution but it’s going to take an awful lot of guts and belief from you to pull it off. Please listen.”
Patrick then proceeded to tell Anne about the set-up with the girl, the video and blackmail and, apologising over every word, explained that he thought that Jeanette was coming to see Anne tomorrow to expose him.
Anne’s answer surprised even Patrick. “You bastard, you stupid bastard. How could you be so gullible? I hate you for this but, Patrick, I have bigger problems right now than your infidelity. I’m not losing my house. If you don’t get this settlement with the Skymar people it will be gone. What do you think we should do?”
Patrick breathed in deeply. “The only way we can get a settlement is to appear strong. If Michael from Skymar has any idea we are in a weak position he won’t settle, he’ll wait. Darling, I’m so sorry about the girl but what I told them when Taduii threatened me regarding my sleeping around was that it would not make any difference. You’ve got to go along with that when you meet with Jeanette. Please. If we can do that I think I will be back in a strong position and can get a settlement in two days’ time. Will you also contact the bank today and speak to Chris Merton, the Area Director, and tell him I need five more days to conclude some licensing business that will bring money with it?”
“OK,” replied Anne. “I can deal with the bitch Jeanette. Don’t make any more stupid mistakes and I’ll cut your balls off when you get home. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.” Patrick rested the phone down lightly on the receiver. That wasn’t too bad. Now he had to either contact Taduii or wait. To show strength he’d have to wait; they knew where he was.
It was at ten that evening that Jumbo Kiwakura tried to telephone Patrick Chase. There was no answer. Patrick was in the bar at the Squire Hotel enjoying a few glasses of Sapporo Dry beer. He returned to his room at eleven and, answering the indicator light on the phone, rang through to reception. He took his message to ring Kiwakura, looked at the time and rang the number. After a few rings it was answered.
“Moshi, moshi, Kiwakura-San.”
“Kiwakura, it’s Patrick Chase. You rang?”
“Thank you for returning my call, Mr Chase. Michael Shoner of Skymar has asked me to contact you directly regarding our proposed settlement that was discussed with you by Taduii-San. Michael has asked me to confirm that the settlement is final and we will execute all parts of it, so I am arranging to meet with you tomorrow at three o’clock to sign and pay the $70,000 and return to you the interesting film!”
Patrick’s answer was short. “No.”
“Mr Chase,” Kiwakura continued, “tomorrow morning at ten U.K. time your wife will be presented with a video of your escapades with a young lady. You and I know that you do not want this to happen. So please be sensible. What time can you meet tomorrow to conclude? Is three o’clock OK?”
“No,” replied Patrick, and he continued, “my wife is fully aware of the existence of the video. She is aware of my behaviour. There is zero value in your blackmail threat. Further, the offer put to Taduii for settlement of $350,000 and one per cent royalty is only open for acceptance for less than two days now. If it is not accepted - and you know it is a fair and commercially viable settlement for Skymar - then I will do everything in my power to ensure a just settlement takes place eventually. I think you know what the consequences of that might be.”
There was silence at the other end of the phone. Kiwakura was thinking fast. Was this Englishman really responsible for Pyo’s death and all the information that had come through on the fax to Skymar? Were they or Michael misjudging the strength of the video threat?
“Are you there, Kiwakura?” Patrick said quietly.
“Yes,” replied a faintly hesitant Kiwakura.
“I think we had better meet tomorrow morning at 9, Kiwakura. I’m fed up with messing with Watanabe’s Taduii. He obviously does not understand. I will meet you and Michael here at 9 in the lobby. Don’t be late.” Patrick hung up. That should sort something out, thought Patrick. He smiled. God, what a mess. He could only bluff it out and hope. Now for some sleep. God, he was tired. He thought about the previous night. It wasn’t surprising he hadn’t slept that much!
Kiwakura was not going to sleep much either. At 1.30 he was woken by a telephone call. It was Michael. “Get round here fast, Kiwakura.” Michael’s voice was tense. “Taduii is on his way. This Englishman is really crazy! I can’t say more, just get here.”
Michael Shoner was a very worried man. All the years of deceit and double-crossing, the lies and cheating, were slowly taking their toll. At fifty-three his nerves were not good. Now they were in tatters and he was really worried, nor for his precious money and business but for something much more important – his life!
At 1.15 a fax had been delivered to his suite, sent from Jeanette in London. It was a short note with a photocopied fax on the bottom:
‘Michael Shoner – Hand Deliver Immediately.’
‘Michael,
Following fax just arrived here. Sent from Germany.
First Pyo – Next You! Enough is enough.
Patrick was fast asleep in his room. Little did he know that a tall, blond, passport-less German in Frankfurt had just faxed the most timely message to Skymar’s London offices. It was time Lady Luck changed sides and Patrick was to be surprised in the morning at his meeting.
Anne would also be surprised when at ten o’clock next morning London time there was no visit from Jeanette. No video. What had happened? She would no doubt learn from Patrick.
Kiwakura entered the Imperial Hotel at 2.15am. He had called a cab but it had not arrived for twenty minutes. The large lobby area was almost deserted except for some hotel staff and, sitting in one corner, Ichiro Taduii. Taduii rose and greeted Kiwakura. Both men, although dressed in their dark business suits, looked slightly asleep. They made their way to the bank of lifts and were soon knocking on the door of Michael Shoner’s suite.
Michael opened the door. He was dressed in a towelling robe, white in colour, with hotel sandals on his feet. He was unshaven, with the appearance of an unkempt man. His eyes were bloodshot. He had a large tumbler of whisky in his hand.
“For Christ’s sake come in. Where the hell have you been? Come through and sit down. Oh and get yourself a drink. We’re in big trouble.”
Taduii and Kiwakura walked through to the lounge area of the suite, a whisky bottle was on the table, opened and a third empty. Taduii got two glasses and some ice and soda water from the refrigerator in the small kitchen off one side of the room. He returned to the table and sat next to Kiwakura.
Michael was standing, pacing. Taduii was surprised, both by Michael’s appearance and his manner. He had seen him angry before but it was always a controlled anger. Now he looked slightly out of control. The manner of his dress and unshaven appearance added to this impression.
Michael turned towards the two men, pulled a piece of fax paper from his pocket and threw it on the table. “Look at that,” he blurted out. “That guy Chase appears to know my every move. He’s threatening me from bloody Germany now! I’m not even there yet. How the hell does he know my movements? Taduii, I hope to Christ your mouth has not been out of control again. It’s all your bloody fault. We’ve got to silence this madman. Your pathetic attempts at blackmail have got us nowhere. What the Christ are we going to do?”
Michael looked desperate. The two Japanese looked at the fax. Taduii’s eyes widened as he read it. “Pour me another Scotch, neat,” Michael barked at Taduii. He poured a large measure into Michael’s glass, handing it back to him.
Kiwakura looked at the fax again. He thought for a moment, recalling his discussions of a few hours earlier with Patrick Chase. What had Chase said? The threat of blackmail over the video was certainly rebuffed. His mind went back to Patrick’s statement which had stopped him during the phone conversation. What had the Englishman said? “I think you know what the consequences might be?”
Kiwakura turned to Michael. “I have spoken to Chase . He was adamant and serious about a settlement of $350,000 plus royalties. He knows the financial implications for Skymar far outweigh this , Michael and I think you have to accept this. I believe if we pay up quietly then the matter will be over. Chase is not going to be screwed by us, Michael, and he is obviously prepared to do anything to ensure he isn’t, but he is not a madman. Michael, I think you have to swallow your pride and pay up. I firmly believe all the threats will then evaporate.”
“Are you crazy, Kiwakura? I’ve told Taduii what the answer is, get rid of the Englishman. I’m not paying someone all that money and he can continue to threaten my life.” Michael looked wild and frightened.
Kiwakura beckoned to Michael. “Sit down Michael. I understand your feelings but think about it quietly if you can. You know Chase. You dealt with him for over a year. Is he a violent killer? No. He may be threatening you now, but why? Let’s face facts. Skymar has tried to steal his technology. He doesn’t like it. He’s a man of principle not a lunatic. Remove this theft by settlement and it will be settled. Believe me.”
Michael sat back in the chair. He took another large slug of whisky. He felt tired. His eyes were sore. His hand shook slightly. There was no way he was going to Hanover the next day with this threat hanging over him. But he had to go. He had meetings with four very large customers and was expecting to sign contracts with them worth over $20 million. Jesus.
He turned to Kiwakura. “If you really believe you can settle this for money it must be before I leave for Germany tomorrow. There is no way I’m going anywhere near the place with this threat hanging over me. I’ll go straight back to California first. How much do you think he’ll settle for?”
Kiwakura looked Michael straight in the eye. He actually felt superior to Michael Shoner. It was a very unusual and nice feeling. He felt in control.
“Michael stop, you are being threatened with big commercial problems by this Chase guy and now, if you do not settle and keep pissing him around, with maybe your life. Chase wants $350,000 plus royalties. Don’t let’s fuck around with this matter anymore. I will meet with him as early as possible tomorrow morning. He has asked for a meeting at 9. I will ring him and confirm it will be at 7.30. He’ll meet anytime. He asked for a meeting with you and I. I can only think he said 9am as he obviously knew you’d have to leave for Narita by 11.30. I will meet him on my own and get a signed agreement. We will have to give him a company cheque. He’s bound to ask for a bank draft but there’s not time for that. OK?”
Michael sighed, raising himself wearily to his feet. “OK. Do it. And make sure the agreement is worded to cover all liabilities Chase might think we have. Kiwakura, come here as soon as you have concluded. I want sight of the signed agreement before I step onto any plane to Hanover tomorrow.”
He turned to Taduii. He spat the words out at him, like a verbal, venomous machine gun.
“This is all your fucking fault, Taduii. You owe me some very big favours now. Rest assured you’ll pay heavily for this in future. Your perks will stop immediately if this isn’t put right in a big way, very quickly. Now fucking get out of my sight.”
Taduii coughed slightly. It was nearly three in the morning, he was tired and, like Michael Shoner, a worried man. He had done enough fiddling of dubious contracts through Watanabe to lose him his job and maybe put him in jail. But he had no way off of this particular railroad. He was stuck on the tracks now. He rose, quietly said goodnight and left the room. By four o’clock he was in his room, fitfully trying to sleep. It certainly wasn’t the sleep of the just.
Before leaving Michael’s room, Jumbo Kiwakura rang through to the Squire Hotel. “Patrick Chase, please,” he spoke to the night receptionist. “He’s expecting a phone call from me, urgently.” The girl transferred the call to Patrick’s room. -3.30 am. Strange time to be getting calls, but these foreign businessmen often got calls from their home offices at all sorts of times. She continued with her embroidery. She always brought this to work on night shifts. It helped to pass the time. She was just beginning to embroider the snake’s tail.
Patrick was dreaming, or was he? The ringing sound became clearer and as he approached semi-consciousness his brain suddenly reminded him, it’s the phone. He awoke, or half awoke, and fumbled in the dark on the bedside table, found the phone, half knocked the receiver off the base but managed to recover it. He dragged himself up on one arm and pulled the receiver to his ear.
“Mr Chase?”
“Who the hell is this?” Patrick replied. “It’s the middle of the bloody night.”
“Mr Chase. It’s Kiwakura. Our meeting tomorrow…” Patrick butted in. He was now wide awake.
“Kiwakura. We have a meeting at 9am. If you’re ringing to change things again I’m not interested. All this delay. Delay is just one of Michael Shoner’s normal tactics. It won’t work. It’s not acceptable.”
“I understand,” Kiwakura tried to sound as consoling as possible. “I do want to change the meeting. But it’s to your advantage, believe me Mr Chase. Can we meet at 7.30am? I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.”
Patrick was puzzled. They wanted to bring the meeting forward. Christ, how was that to Michael’s advantage? He thought for one second. “OK, 7.30 in the lobby downstairs. Don’t be late and it’s with you and Michael, don’t forget. I only want to talk to the horse’s mouth. See you then.”
Kiwakura put the phone down. Strange expression, ‘horse’s mouth’. He could understand Patrick did not like Michael Shoner, but he’d never heard that English abuse before.
At the Skymar offices in London the next morning, following Jeanette’s fax to Michael and a return fax confirming that the video was not to be taken to Anne Chase at the Staines offices in the morning, final arrangements were being put in place for Skymar’s attendance and meetings at Hanover Cebit Messe.
HANOVER - GERMANY
Hanover, like many German towns, had a large purpose-built industrial exhibition area which hosted certain national and international exhibitions. In March of every year, probably the largest electronics exhibition of world stature
took place, occupying 14 or 15 exhibition halls and extending over a full ten days. All the world’s leading companies attended Cebit Messe and it was an ideal place to show new products, discuss deals and sign up new business partnerships. This did not happen accidentally. Companies spent many months prior to the Messe setting up meetings, arranging demonstrations with important and potential customers , oiling the wheels to help conclude business during the period of the Messe.
Skymar was no exception.
Bill Blatch, Skymar’s V.P. European Operations was in charge of these arrangements.
At 12 he took a telephone call from Germany. “Hello, is that Mr Blatch? My name is Rolfe Krabbe. We have not met. I understand you are at Hanover Messe and I wish to make an appointment to see your President, Michael Shoner.”
Bill Blatch sighed. “That’s going to be very difficult, Herr Krabbe. Michael’s already got a very busy schedule and he is only here for two days. Can I help at all; I shall be present during the whole Messe. Can you tell me what your business is?”
“Electronic software for the scanning industry,” the German replied. “Let me explain. My company is small but we have developed some very fast memory software applicable to the scanning and digitising industry. I have asked around some of my colleagues in bigger companies and they have said that your company, Skymar, has been able to exploit technology with Japanese companies. We need to do this because that is the source of most scanning and digitising. So I need to meet to explain and explore any opportunities.”
“That sounds like it might be interesting,” replied Bill Blatch. “Can we meet to discuss? If it looks good then I can try to see if Mr Shoner can see you. When can you make it to Hanover?”