Barbara nodded. Ford's pollution-free cars sold faster than cigars at a Castro convention. The Lucid, the first model to come standard with the new converter, was last year's best-selling model.
"Every car maker in the industry is striving to duplicate the process,” Connell said. “Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Chevrolet are all releasing new models with the same technology. In two years, every new gas-powered car will have this feature — that's two ounces of platinum for each vehicle.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Some estimate that twenty percent of goods manufactured today either contain platinum or are produced by equipment that contains platinum. It's in all types of things from eyeglasses to jet engines to medical equipment to crude-oil refining machinery. Industry uses the stuff for its conductivity, resistance to corrosion and high temperature resistance. In addition, it's the metal du jour of the computer industry. Use of platinum in computers has increased at least a thousand percent every year since 1994, a span of growth unprecedented since the introduction of silicon.
"Unlike silicon, however, platinum isn't cheap. With the continued computer industry push and its increased use in the auto industry, the demand is through the roof."
Barbara suppressed a smile of maternal pride. She wondered if there was any informational tidbit about the mining industry her Connell hadn't memorized.
He continued. “On top of the increased demand, there's a possible supply shortage coming soon. South Africa and Russia are the main producers of platinum ore. There are only two substantial platinum sources in America — Stillwater Mine in Montana and the Weaver Creek mine in Arizona. Unlike gold, which many banks stockpile to sell when prices rise, the only known platinum reserves are in the Russian states. They dumped most of it in the late nineties, and most analysts think the Russian reserves are practically gone. What this means is that the demand for platinum is soaring while supply is still in the ground. The price is currently stable at 850 dollars an ounce. South Africa controls the majority of supply, and they'll ration production to drive up the price. My research leads me to believe that the price will shoot above 925 dollars an ounce by this time next year, and should continue to rise."
Barbara rolled the cigar in her fingers. She knew from experience that Connell's business instincts bordered on the uncanny; if he smelled a profit, that was good enough for her.
"Ore grade for platinum is usually very low, in the range of one ounce platinum per ten tons ore. The Weaver Creek site surprised the world's mining community with one ounce per six tons of ore. Above that, Stillwater mine in Oklahoma makes unproven claims of eight-tenths of an ounce per single ton of ore.” Connell leaned forward, gripping the edge of her desk.
"We may be on to a site that possesses a vastly higher grade. In fact, we may be onto the richest platinum vein in history. I'm leaving tonight for Salt Lake City to talk to the prospector who discovered this site. I need to buy him now before a bidding war erupts. I want to use Kayla Meyers."
At the mention of that name, Barbara's smile faded.
"We discussed this, Connell. You agreed we weren't going to use her anymore."
Connell nodded. “That was then, this is now. I don't know if the prospector will play ball or not."
"So throw a gob of money at him,” Barbara said. “If your hunch is that strong, take a chance. I'll authorize a million."
Connell shrugged. “Don't know if that will be enough, Barbara. I figure we've only got one chance to get the location, and we have to get it now. If the prospector even has an inkling of how valuable this find may be, he won't even blink at a million. If I throw more money his way and he's smart, he'll contact every mining company in the world and negotiate a bigger deal."
"So what? Last time I checked, we were a very profitable company. We don't need Meyers — we can match any deal."
Connell nodded again. “True, but negotiations take time. You and I both know that with today's technology, one of the other companies may discover his site before we can close a deal. On top of that, if he starts making noise about a platinum find, the South Africans could get involved, so could the Russians, even the U.S. government. I want to keep this very, very quiet. I need to close the deal with the prospector immediately, before word gets out. In order to do that, I need to know everything about this man, and I need to know now. I have to hit the negotiation table fully armed."
Barbara shook her head. “Look, Connell, that woman is bad news. She put that Crittenden Mines employee in a wheelchair."
"She was acquitted."
"Of the criminal charge, but we're still holding the bag on the civil suit. I'm still trying to negotiate a decent settlement. Or have you forgot we're on the hook for $10 million in damages?"
"I haven't forgot the lawsuit, but don't forget the copper mine in Moyobamba, and the bauxite site in Queensland. How are those doing?"
Barbara grimaced. She hated it when Connell played the smart-ass. Both of the mines were huge profit centers for EarthCore.
"You know damn well how they're doing,” she said.
"And we wouldn't have those sites if I hadn't used Kayla Meyers. And what about O'Doyle? Remember the security problems we had before Kayla told me about him?"
Barbara nodded.
"She's the best there is,” Connell said. “I need information and I need it pronto. She's the only one who can deliver."
"I don't care about all that, she's bad news. She was kicked out of the NSA, for crying out loud, Connell. We got our money's worth out of her, but we're not using her again."
"But Barbara, this could be the richest find in history—"
"No! And that's final,” she said, pounding her fist on the desk. “You'll have to close the deal without her. I'll call accounting, set up two million for you to close this deal, but we're not using Meyers. Understand?"
Connell sighed and looked away, but nodded.
He walked out of the room. Barbara smiled and took a big puff of the cigar. So he'd stumbled onto the richest platinum vein in history, eh? Knowing Connell as she did, she wasn't the least bit surprised. She had faith in him — he could close the deal without using that psycho Meyers.
That woman was downright scary.
Chapter Five
At 2:15 a.m. and back in his office, Connell worked the phone yet again. A sleepy voice answered the other end of the line after seventeen rings. Sleepy, but clearly irritated.
Kayla's voice was too deep to belong to a woman, yet still somehow sounded feminine despite the torrent of obscenities it usually carried.
"This had better be damn good,” she said.
"This is Kirkland."
"Mr. Kirkland?” Respect was suddenly audible in her voice. Or maybe it was just greed. “I'm surprised to hear from you. How can I help you?"
"I need dirt on a man and I need it now,” Connell said. “The name is Sonny McGuiness. He's a prospector. Right now he's at the Salt Lake City Hilton.” He heard Kayla scribbling furiously.
"Permanent address or phone?"
"Don't know. He operates out of Salt Lake City and vacations in Rio. That's all I know."
"What else?"
"I said that's all I know."
"You've got to be shitting me."
"I shit you not, Ms. Meyers."
Kayla's tone of respect gave way to one of annoyance. “Mr. Kirkland, that's not much to go on."
"He has his samples analyzed at Darker Inc., a Salt Lake City company run by a man named Herbert Darker. Darker may be your best source for leads."