Final Venture

'Perhaps we should discuss this in my office,' said Gil hurriedly.

'Why, certainly, if you like,' said Mauer.

The meeting broke up. Daniel strolled over to the small woman. 'Ms Mauer?'

'Yes?'

'Daniel Hall. I noticed you are a major investor in Beaufort Technologies. I just wanted to suggest that you should perhaps take your profits. The stock is due for a big correction.'

Mauer's eyes flicked up at Daniel. 'Why? What's wrong with Beaufort?'

'Nothing's wrong with the company,' Daniel said. 'It's just that the market's love affair with 3-D animation is wearing thin. It's going out of fashion.'

Gil was glaring at Daniel, but he had Mauer's attention. 'Thank you,' she said, and followed Gil out of the room.

'Talk about a death wish,' I said to Daniel as we made our way back to our office. 'You just about kissed goodbye to your career back there.'

Daniel smiled. 'Beaufort's going down. Lynette Mauer will remember I told her. And when it does fall, she'll be glad I warned her, and so will Gil.'

'Maybe. If we still have a firm by then. But if Bieber pulls out, so might some of the other investors.'

'Oh, Revere will survive,' said Daniel. 'And she saw right through Art, didn't she? That was just great!'

Maybe. Or maybe Revere was falling apart about our ears.

'Ayot, come with me! Gil's office. Now!'

It was Monday afternoon. I looked up from my work. Art was standing at the door to our office, his face was red, his short grey hair bristling.

John and Daniel turned open-mouthed. I slowly followed Art.

Gil was standing stiffly behind his desk as I came in, his weather-beaten face grim.

'Sit down, Simon,' he said coldly.

I took one of Gil's armchairs. The two older men seated themselves opposite me. Art could barely contain himself, his big forearms wrapped across his broad chest in an effort to suppress his anger.

Gil leaned forward towards me. 'Art tells me that you are responsible for a serious breach of confidence. Very serious.'

Oh Lisa, Lisa!

'Apparently someone has told the Boston Peptides management about BioOne's bid for the company. This has raised major difficulties with the negotiations, which were at a delicate stage.'

'You bet it has!' Art couldn't contain himself any longer. 'We've had to cave in to management's demands right away. We'll have to make a public announcement tomorrow morning. This is going to cost us money!'

'Art believes you were responsible for this leak. Is he correct?'

The eyes peered at me through those lenses. I wouldn't lie to Gil.

I nodded. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sorry!' screamed Art. 'I tell you not to do something, and you go right ahead and do it anyway! Sorry isn't good enough. Anyway, couldn't you have gotten your wife to keep her big mouth shut?'

'I did ask her to-' I said.

'And she took no notice. If you can't trust your own wife, you shouldn't have spoken to her! Stupid bitch.'

'Hey!' I rose from my chair, the anger boiling up inside me.

'That's enough!' Gil put his hand on my arm. 'That's enough, Art. I know you're angry but let's keep the personal comments out of it. Take it easy, Simon.'

I glared at Art and sat down.

Gil turned to me. 'What you did today was a serious breach of trust. The firm has gone out of its way to back you up these last few days. We expect loyalty in return. I expect loyalty in return.'

'I know. I'm sorry, Gil. It's just it was the kind of secret I didn't want to keep from my wife.'

'That's not good enough, Simon, and you know it,' Gil said. 'Art suggested that we should try to keep the whole deal away from you until it's announced publicly. I told him no. We're a small firm, and we have to be able to trust each other. Frankly, I thought we could trust you. And it's not a question of us making you lie to your wife. We were just expecting you to behave ethically and professionally. That's not unreasonable is it?'

I sighed. 'No, it's not.'

'OK. At many firms this would be enough to get you fired. But we don't work that way here. Let this be a warning to you. I don't expect to see any signs of a breach of trust in your colleagues again.'

'OK, Gil. And I am sorry'

I left his office seething. I marched straight back to my desk and picked up the phone, ignoring the stares of John and Daniel. I punched in a number.

'Lisa Cook.'

'You told Henry about the take-over, didn't you?'

There was a moment's silence. Then Lisa's voice, curt and crisp. 'Maybe.'

'What do you mean, "Maybe"? You either did or you didn't!'

'It was important to Boston Peptides. Henry told me he would treat the information carefully.'

'Well, he didn't, did he?' A small voice inside told me to calm down, get a hold of myself. But it was too late. It had been a stressful week for me too. 'Lisa, I can't believe you'd do that to me! I only told you about the take-over because I felt I had to. Because you're my wife, and I felt I could trust you. But I couldn't could I? The deal's blown wide open, Art's furious, and I just got a massive bollocking from Gil. It's lucky I wasn't fired.'

'Simon, I…' Lisa was clearly taken aback by my anger. I had never been that angry with her before.

'Yes?'

'I'm sorry, Simon.' Lisa's voice was cold now. 'I did what I had to do.'

'No, you didn't. What you should have done is keep quiet and wait for the news to get to Henry direct from BioOne. It's almost as though you place your loyalty to Boston Peptides above your loyalty to me.'

'And why shouldn't I, just for once? This is my career we're talking about. I started on this stuff long before I met you. Simon, I just don't think you understand that my job is as important to me as your job is to you.'

'Lisa-'

'Goodbye, Simon.'

And there was a click as the line went dead.

There was complete silence in the room as I stared at the receiver lifeless in my hand. Daniel and John were looking at me aghast.

'Don't tell me she forgot to fold your socks again,' said Daniel at last.

I smiled, deflated, and tried to go back to work.

That afternoon, Diane dropped by my desk. She was the only partner who managed to make her visits to the associates' office seem like informal chats, rather than missions to dispense orders or demand information. I hadn't spoken to her since her Cincinnati trip.

'How was Tetracom?' I asked.

'Fascinating,' she said. 'The product seems to do all they claimed. And the management team seems first class. I've got a good feeling about this one.'

'Excellent.'

'I'm going out there again next Monday. I'd really like you to come with me. I need some help, and… well, I'd like a second opinion.'

It was always flattering as an associate to be asked for an opinion rather than just spreadsheet time, and it looked as if Tetracom might go all the way to investment. Only a minority of the companies we looked at actually made it that far, and it was obviously smart for an associate to attach himself to a deal that eventually got done.

But, with Lisa in her current frame of mind, was it sensible to go on a trip with Diane?

Diane noticed my hesitation. 'It would be great if you could make it, but I'd understand if you have to be with Lisa.'

Be with Lisa? I didn't really have to be with Lisa. She could look after herself for one night. That bit about me thinking my work was more important than hers rankled. It simply wasn't true. She had betrayed my trust in her for the benefit of her career: I could go on a simple business trip for the benefit of mine.