As Soji escorts Alvin out, I sit down, logout and login. The system prompts me to change my password. Then I logout and login again.
Open and delete an email message from Margaret asking if I can read this. Compose a reply asking her to route any calls from Alice Hawkins to Tony George. Open a message from Mei with details about the threat her parents received on Saturday and forward it to Tony. Tell Le that Tony George accepts the security chief position at eighty thousand. He starts tomorrow afternoon and reports directly to the CEO, which is Ume, for now. Tell Alvin to delete the two session items from my menu since I will use the keys.
The phone rings. Margaret says Tony George and his wife Suli are calling. Ask her to stay on the line.
"Jill, I discussed your offer with Suli. She wants to talk with you. Go ahead, Hon."
"Hi Jill. First, I want to thank you. I'm glad Tony's out of federal service and into the private sector. It's much safer."
Translation: the pay is better. "Hi Suli," I tell her. "I'm glad too."
"I just received my broker's license and a job offer from Merrill-Lynch here in Salt Lake," continues Suli. "I don't want to stand in the way of Tony's career but I don't want to dump my career for his. You know what I'm sayin'?"
"Sure, Suli. Margaret, pull Le into this call, please. Suli, Le is president of Pere, Inc."
"Le."
"Le, Tony George has accepted the security chief job at Pere. Suli, his wife, is on the line and wants to talk to you about a broker position."
"Give this call to me, Margaret," says Le.
"Thank you, Jill," say Tony and Suli in unison.
Disconnect and the phone rings.
Margaret says, "Tony George has formally accepted and will arrive tomorrow afternoon at three, Jill."
"Good. Lease him a Cadillac and park it in Baron Ranch guest parking. Did you find them a furnished apartment?"
"Yes," says Margaret.
"I asked Alvin, the IS tech, to put together a packet of reading for me, Margaret. Would you ask Lloyd to bring it home, please?"
"Sure. Hold on, Jill. Le wants you."
"Ume and I are putting the S&A and banking groups in office suites on the Chief Financials side," says Le.
"So?"
"Well, we're putting the brokerage group downtown Reno in leased office space under a different company and an exclusive contract to provide brokerage services for Pere."
"Why?"
"We want to put them on a hundred percent commission and let them shop their own benefits so we can sell the whole damn contract any time we want. That brokerage business is just too damned volatile and the players are just too slick. Bunch of lying, thieving sons of bitches, every one of them."
"Hey," I say, allowing my voice to reveal my shock at her bad language, "I thought you were a good little girl."
"Working with Ume," murmurs Le.
Still troubled by something that Mei told me earlier, I say, "Change of subject, Le. If this banking deal and the other revenue come out as we expect, you and Mei will get rich."
"Oh yes, we'll each make a quarter million this year. Taxes will be a bitch for a windfall like that. We're looking at socking the money away off shore to reduce our personal tax liability."
Now I remember what was troubling me a while ago. Mei and Le seem to be quite close. Are they lovers? "I'm still wondering why Mei didn't break off and start her own company, Le. Mei said she couldn't raise the capital to float this loan for the bank. That's reasonable but I suspect there's more to it than that. Do you know the real reason why Mei is staying at Pere and not breaking out on her own?"
"Yes. Mei and I are together now, Jill."
Goddamn it to hell! Why didn't they tell me, and why didn't Ume tell me? I tell myself to discuss this calmly. Taking a deep breath, I release it slowly as I relax, tightening only the hara, the area just below my navel. "Are both of you happy about it?"
"Ecstatic. We're in love."
Instant rage again'breathe deeply, relax. "Did you think I'd be upset if I knew?"
"No, Mei just doesn't want her parents to know. They are staunchly traditional and expect her to follow their orders."
"What about you?"
"I haven't quite gotten used to the idea myself yet, but I can't begin to tell you how happy we are, Jill."
"Perhaps you and Mei will come over for lunch today. Do you agree I have a right to ask?"
"Of course."
"Sure, I'll confirm it with Mei." She pauses. "Jill, if we did anything wrong, I'm sorry."
"For. . . ."
"Not telling you and Ume sooner."
So, Ume doesn't know either'officially. "When was the earliest you could have told me?"
"About a month ago. The weekend before you drove over from Utah for your interview at Doc's."
Five weeks they've kept this from Ume and me. "The two of you be here at twelve thirty. Alright?"
"Alright. Jill?"
"It's okay, Le. Wait until lunch."
I'm pissed but the situation's not that bad if I act quickly. Disconnect, remove the headset, stand up slowly and walk carefully into the bathroom. When I come out, I'm feeling better. Find Soji in the garage, smoothing a bowed strip of wood. Looks like maple.
"Le and Mei are coming over for lunch at twelve thirty, Soji."
"Carter's?"
"Yes, please. Ask them to fix up something light but really nice, okay?"
"Okay. Bad news?"
Guy reads me like an open book. "I hope not, Soji."
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