I wanted to scream. Right there on the airplane. Make a disturbance, get myself arrested. If I'm in jail I can't be working on Elma. Hey, sorry, James, something came up. Did a little time so I couldn't help you. Heh, heh. Catch me again, later.
But James is a good businessman. We've got to separate that fact from his moral failings-meaning an occasional murder. If everything goes his way there won't be a problem. Everybody wins. Including my father. Everybody is happy. My father forgives me when he sees I was right.
The sun rises in the west.
Chapter 27 ELMA-2
"I'm going back to work next week."
Arrow and I looked at each other, but the news was not unexpected. My father looked better each day. His color had returned and he had started walking with Jacie, although more slowly and not as far as before.
I had asked to join them during Arrow's daily briefing because…to be honest, because I was afraid to speak to my father alone. I couldn't remember that I had ever convinced him of anything by myself or changed his mind on an issue.
Arrow was the buffer between him and me. I could speak more freely with her there, even though she might not agree with me-probably wouldn't agree with me.
She had the floor first and talked about various corporate issues. Among other things, she gave the latest official figures for Tartan's holdings of Dionysus stock. It was obvious that James was still acquiring the stock in the open market, but not in blocks large enough to cause the price to jump. The stock had gone up in the last week, but whether any of that gain was due to increased activity on Tartan's part we didn't know since Arrow's figures were weeks old.
Arrow saved the best for last. She pulled a piece of paper out of an envelope, with a flourish, and said, "Richard, I thought you'd like to see this with your own eyes. It's Elma's signed proxy, giving you the right to vote all of her shares at the meeting." She handed the paper to him.
My father smiled the broadest smile I had seen from him since his stroke, reached over and gave Arrow, who was sitting beside him on the couch, a big hug. It's a good thing Jacie wasn't in the room.
It was my turn to speak. I felt as if my team had just gotten the ball for the first time, behind by a score of 40 to nothing. My idea was to discuss the advantages of selling the company to James from an "objective" point of view. I even had notes; in fact, I had put together a written outline.
If I could convince my father of this course of action, then of course I wouldn't have to convince Elma, especially since he had her proxy. But I could tell from my first words that the momentum was against me. My father had won and he wasn't going to listen to an opposing point of view.
He interrupted me before I had made a single point and said, "I don't know why all of a sudden you're taking James' side on this, especially after what you and Arrow found out in London. But let me tell you right here and now that James is the last person I'd sell out to. I'd rather sell to Microsoft, and you know how I feel about Bill Gates."
I tried again, stumbling along, fighting against reality, and attempting to make my arguments sound plausible.
This time Arrow interrupted me. She said, "Karl, maybe you're just trying to play devil's advocate, but this is a strange time to do it. The decision has been made to fight James. Elma has given Richard her proxy. In fact, the fight is over because James can't buy enough stock in the open market to ever have more than a minority interest. The best he can hope for is perhaps one seat on the Board of Directors. If he will be satisfied with that, fine. If not, he'll probably sell the stock at some point."
When the meeting concluded I walked Arrow out to her car, hoping to mend fences. I said, trying to speak lightly, "It might not be so bad, working for James. He thinks very highly of you."
"Ha! About as high as any woman is going to get with James is receptionist, and only because most of the people he deals with are men. He needs someone with short skirts and nice legs to distract them until he can get in their pants."
How did she know about the receptionist? "I guess Elma is firmly in Richard's camp now."
"You saw the proxy form."
"You've done your job, it appears."
"Karl, you're acting very strange today," Arrow said, with a puzzled look on her face. "Maybe you need a vacation."
"Tell me again why you asked me out to dinner-not that I'm complaining."
Elma sat across from me with her green eyes smiling. She wore a dress that matched her eyes and complimented her red hair. Her freckles on an almost unlined face and youthful figure completed the picture of a woman who couldn't possibly have three grown children.
"I'm not satisfied that everything possible is being done in the investigation of Ned's death," I said, making it up as I went along. "I was just hoping that in talking to you I could pick up some clue that maybe…perhaps I could pass along to the police."
"I'll help you and the police all I can; you know that. But I've told about everything I know that I thought might be of use-which is practically nothing. However, I really appreciate the opportunity to eat a genuine steak for a change. Since I've been cooking just for Sarah and me I've made mostly salads and vegetarian stuff. And she eats practically nothing. I'm worried about her-I’ve been reading up on anorexia."
Elma chewed a bite of meat slowly, swallowed it and added, "It certainly helps the ambiance to have a handsome young man seated across the table from me."
"Thank you. Er, did Ned have any friends in San Francisco-other than James?" I asked, trying to sound offhand.
"None that I know of. Why do you ask?"
"No Asian friends, then?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
Even if the police had told Elma about the gun Ned had, they wouldn't know where it had come from. I couldn't very well say to Elma, "Did Ned have a female friend who he knew well enough to leave a gun with?"
Whoever this mysterious woman was, nobody but Pat Wong's uncle would even admit to knowing her, and even he wouldn't give her name. I was at a dead-end on that alley.
A live piano player tinkled the tune "Born Free" in the background. Although I had brought Elma here, intending to try to convince her to revoke her proxy to my father, somehow, the more wine I drank the less important that seemed.
I picked up my wine glass and said, "I would like to make a toast to a beautiful woman with a ton of courage."
With a impish grin, Elma said, "I'm afraid I don't know the lass you be toasting, but I'll drink to anyone with those attributes." And she drank from her own glass.
At least I could tell James I had tried. "James, I took her out to dinner, but she beguiled me the same way she beguiled you 30 years ago. Since you know what I mean I'm sure you will understand."
"I understand, Karl. I understand that you're a worthless shit. Stan, give your men the signal." Bang. Bang. All's well that ends well.
When I escorted Elma to her door she invited me in. I had enjoyed being with her and savored the prospect of a few more minutes. We had conversed easily on many topics, something Esther and I didn't do, and she didn't talk business, like Arrow. In fact, I had been so entranced conversing with her about non-business subjects I had never found a way to bring up her proxy.
"Sarah's on a sleep-over at a friend's house," Elma said as she ushered me in. "Tomorrow is a school holiday for some reason or other-perhaps it's national political correctness day. Why don't you sit in the big chair and I'll make us some tea."
She indicated the chair I had seen her sitting in before. I protested mildly, but she playfully shoved me into it. Since I was feeling no pain I went easily. I was glad I had driven the few miles back to her house very slowly and reflected that I could use the additional time and tea to sober up for the drive home.