Alex’s mind began to race, but it quickly became clear that Harbottle had continued to burn the midnight oil.
‘Ackroyd paid himself the outrageous sum of $500,000 a year as CEO, which also allowed him to reward his inner team with inflated salaries, thereby guaranteeing him a majority on the board.’
‘So if I were to pay myself a more realistic salary,’ said Alex, ‘say—’
‘Sixty thousand dollars a year,’ prompted Harbottle, ‘while at the same time insisting that all future expenses had to be signed off by you, I suspect that all three of them would resign fairly quickly.’
‘But that’s assuming I survive as chairman.’
‘Agreed,’ said Harbottle. ‘And after what I have to tell you, you may not be certain you want to remain in the post.’ Alex sat back again. ‘You asked me to visit the chairman of the Banking Commission, which I did yesterday afternoon. I can’t pretend he was in the giving vein. In fact, he made it quite clear after he’d studied the latest balance sheet that the entire Lowell Collection would have to be valued by a recognized dealer and lodged in the bank’s vaults before he would consider it as an asset. He will allow you twenty-eight days to fulfil this obligation, and I am to report back to him personally should you fail to do so.’
Alex let out a deep sigh. ‘Anything else?’
‘Yes, I fear so. He also made it clear that Mr Lowell had no right to leave you his fifty per cent of the bank’s shares, or even his fifty per cent of the Elena Pizza Company, and has insisted that those shares are also lodged with the bank as security. He went on to suggest that you might consider including your fifty per cent of Elena’s, to prove your commitment to the bank. However, he did add that you were under no obligation to do so.’
‘How very generous of him,’ said Alex. ‘Anything in the credit column?’
‘Yes. I wrote down his exact words.’ Harbottle turned a page of his yellow pad. ‘I am confident that anyone who could escape from the KGB in a crate with only half a dozen bottles of vodka for his passage and go on to win the Silver Star, will surely be able to overcome the bank’s current problems.’
‘How does he know about that?’ said Alex.
‘You clearly haven’t had the time to read today’s Boston Globe. It’s published a glowing profile of you in the business section. It makes you sound like a cross between Abraham Lincoln and James Bond.’
Alex laughed for the first time that day.
‘But be warned. Ackroyd is every bit as ruthless and resourceful as Blofeld, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he fed his cat on live goldfish.’
‘I can’t believe that you’re...’
‘Ah, I confess to being an admirer of Mr Fleming. I’ve read all his books, although I’ve never seen any of the films.’
The lawyer removed his glasses, placed the file back in his Gladstone bag and folded his arms; a sign that he was about to say something off the record.
‘Dare I ask how Mr Rosenthal’s trip to Nice worked out?’
‘It could hardly have gone better,’ said Alex. ‘With the exception of one painting, the entire Lowell Collection will soon be safely stored in a secure vault, to which only I and the bank’s head of security know the code, and which cannot be opened unless both of us are present, with our keys.’
‘That is indeed good news,’ said Harbottle. ‘But you did say, with one exception?’
‘And even that is now in my possession,’ said Alex, as he handed over Mrs Ackroyd’s letter. Once the lawyer had read it, Alex passed across a small painting to Mr Harbottle.
‘A Blue Jackie by Warhol,’ said Harbottle. ‘I must say, this restores one’s faith in one’s fellow man.’
‘Or even woman,’ said Alex with a grin.
‘But how did Mrs Ackroyd get her hands on the painting?’ asked Harbottle.
‘She says Ackroyd gave it to her as part of their divorce settlement.’
‘And how did he get hold of it?’
‘Evelyn Lowell-Halliday, would be my bet,’ said Alex. ‘A reward for services rendered, no doubt.’
‘Which gives me an idea,’ said Harbottle. He paused for a moment before saying, ‘But if I’m to pull it off, I’ll need to borrow Jackie for a few days.’
‘Of course,’ said Alex, well aware that there would be no point in asking him why.
Harbottle wrapped up the painting, and placed it carefully in his Gladstone bag. ‘I’ve wasted enough of your time, chairman,’ he said as he rose from his seat, ‘so I’ll be on my way.’
Alex was unable to resist a smile as he accompanied Mr Harbottle to the door. But once again, the old gentleman took him by surprise.
‘Now we know each other a little better, I think you should call me Harbottle.’
It wasn’t difficult for Alex to work out why Jake Coleman and Doug Ackroyd were never going to be able to work together. Coleman was so clearly an honest, decent, straightforward man, who believed the team was far more important than any individual. Whereas Ackroyd...
The two of them met for lunch at Elena 3, as Alex was confident that was the one place in Boston Ackroyd and his cronies would never patronize.
‘Why did you leave Lowell’s?’ asked Alex, once they’d both ordered a Congressman special.
‘I didn’t leave the bank,’ said Jake, ‘I was fired.’
‘Can I ask why?’
‘I felt someone had to inform the chairman that his sister’s gambling habit had got out of control, and that if she was allowed to go on borrowing indiscriminately, the bank would surely go bust.’
‘How did Ackroyd respond?’ said Alex as two sizzling pizzas were placed in front of them.
‘Told me to mind my own business if I knew what was good for me.’
‘And you clearly didn’t.’
‘No. I warned Ackroyd that if he didn’t inform the chairman of what was going on behind his back, then I would. Which was as good as signing my own death warrant, because I was fired the next day.’
‘And did you tell Lawrence the truth?’
‘I wrote to him immediately,’ said Jake, ‘even set up an appointment to see him. But he asked if it could wait until after the election, and as that was only a few weeks away, I readily agreed.’
‘And you haven’t been able to find a suitable position since?’
‘No. At least not at the same level I had at Lowell’s. Ackroyd made sure of that.’
‘I’m surprised he still has that sort of influence in banking circles.’
‘He has enemies, that’s for sure, but whenever I applied for a job, the first person they’d contact was the CEO of the last bank I’d worked for.’
Alex could almost hear Ackroyd whispering confidentially: between you and me, the man can’t be trusted. The one word in banking that would have closed every door.
‘So, if I were to offer you a job, would you consider coming back?’
‘No. At least not while Ackroyd is still on the board. I don’t need to be sacked twice.’
‘But if Ackroyd were to resign?’
‘Wild horses won’t move him while he still has a majority on the board, and while Evelyn owns fifty per cent of the stock, what’s the point?’
‘You may well be right,’ said Alex, ‘because I can’t pretend that my own position is all that secure. And even if that were to change, I still can’t guarantee the bank will survive. However, I am convinced that if you were to climb back on board, we’d have a lot better chance.’
‘What makes you so confident of that, when you don’t even know me?’
‘But I do know Bob Underwood, and Pamela Robbins, and if those two are willing to vouch for you, that’s good enough for me.’
‘That is indeed a compliment. So if you are able to get rid of Ackroyd and his cronies, I will be happy to continue in my old job as the bank’s financial officer.’