Homecoming (28 page)
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
Just got your message and it’s bad news, indeed. Frederick is very intent on that property. He’s in some Czech Schloss somewhere, but I’m empowered to act on his behalf.
Up the price to $4.2 million.
Paul
“Are you okay with that, Federica?” Wyatt asked.
“Mm,” she replied.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Paul,
This is going to be a long night. I just presented the Carson’s Bluff Town Council with our counteroffer. Looks like the Japanese are intent on having this property, too. They bid $4.8 million and will relieve the tax burden, which essentially puts the bid to over $4.9 million. What to do?
Federica
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
Offer $5.5 million.
Paul
“Damn,” Federica said. “It’s not working.”
It was 9:00 p.m. Jack and Wyatt had been to the Folly and back, Ellen had burned the suit and Newton had made it back in time to fix hot turkey sandwiches which neither Federica nor Norman had touched.
“Honey, eat something,” Jack urged gently.
Federica wrenched her eyes from the screen. “I couldn’t eat anything now, Jack,” she said. The thought of food made something roil queasily in her stomach.
Jack nodded at the screen. “Do you have enough money to cover that?”
“Mm,” she replied.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Dear Paul,
The bid from the Japanese has gone up to $6 million. Do we want to continue bidding? After all, the property is in a dreadful state of disrepair. I calculate it would take a million just in structural repair. The road up to the property is almost impassable and needs repaving. The roof is almost completely caved in and the flooring is gone. Is it worth it?
Federica
Jack nudged her. “Tell him about the black widows and giant rattlers.”
“Oh, you mean the ones big enough to carry off babies?” Federica looked up at him, tongue in cheek. “Later. We don’t want to shoot all our ammunition at once.”
She looked around. Ellen was dozing in a chair, her head on Wyatt’s shoulder. Lilly had long since gone to bed, pleading fatigue. She’d promised to come back early in the morning. Newton was in the kitchen and kept up a steady supply of coffee, which Federica drank by the gallon, and food, which she couldn’t touch.
Only Norman seemed to be happy, lost in his computer screen.
Jack got up and started massaging her tense shoulder muscles. They were hard as rocks. Well no wonder, she was risking everything she owned.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes.” Federica lifted her arm and hooked it around his neck. He bent forward to give her a kiss and Federica’s computer beeped.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
$6.5 million.
Paul
“Damn!” Federica said.
“You want to call this off, honey?” Jack’s voice was quiet.
“No,” she said, and bent over the keyboard.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Paul,
I made the offer, but it was turned down. The Town Council has now gone into night session and I get the impression that they want to wrap this up. The Japanese are now offering $7 million. They seem to be very determined, Paul. Do we really want it that badly?
Federica
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
Still can’t get in touch with Frederick. I’ll stay here in the office until I do. It’s midnight over here, ten o’clock in the morning in Prague. Sometime today he should be in touch.
I wish we could have wrapped this up sooner, I had tickets to the opera tonight. But never mind. We want that Carson’s Bluff property badly. We’ve had informal talks with George Luna, the film director, who wants to lease the property from us over a three-year period. The terms being discussed are very favorable. We want that property. $7.5 million.
Paul
June 9th, early morning
“Oh.” Federica sat up. “So that’s it.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes, feeling suddenly energized. The sheer financial weight of Mansion Enterprises had depressed her, but this required trickiness. There she was on even ground.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Paul,
Sorry you missed your opera date. I’m sorry also to be giving you bad news. The other day I was up at the property, looking a few things over, and two very L.A. types drove up. They asked if they could look around. I had the keys and saw no harm—there’s certainly nothing to steal at the property, it’s a real wreck—so I let them in.
I guess I should have warned them about the black widows, because one of the men screamed and sprained his ankle trying to jump back. I should also have warned him about the floorboards. They’re rotten, you see. The man put his foot straight through the flooring.
Luckily, I was able to call an ambulance on their cell phone, but a tree had fallen across the road up and it took the ambulance over half an hour to get there. We were all waiting outside for the ambulance to come and the two men were saying very unflattering things about the property.
I guess I should also have warned them about the rattlers. Local legend has it that the rattlers around here can carry off babies, but that’s an exaggeration. Actually, it was only a few feet long and I understand that if you don’t disturb them, they won’t disturb you. The men really shouldn’t have screamed that way.
Then the ambulance arrived. I must say, I always thought movie types were cool, but those two men were very agitated by the time they left. Now I understand what they meant when they said they wanted to do a Western trilogy.
The Japanese are offering $8 million.
Federica
“Eight million dollars,” Norman said, coming out of his trance. “That’s a lot of money, Federica.”
“Yes, it is,” she said softly.
“Are you…okay?”
“Mm.”
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
I was finally able to make contact with Frederick. I have him on the other line. Needless to say, he is very disappointed at the course of negotiations, as am I. We’re now well over double the amount we wanted to bid. But still, offer $8.5 million. We’ll be waiting online.
Paul
Federica could feel the sweat trickling down her back.
Dawn was breaking. The sky outside was a gentle pink. She felt gritty and longed for a shower and a bed. She felt as if she hadn’t slept in a week. Newton came in and poured her another cup of coffee and she smiled at him, wondering at what point she would start sloshing.
Lilly walked in and Ellen woke with a start. She pushed the hair out of her eyes and looked around groggily. “What’s happening?” she asked Wyatt.
“We’re at eight-and-a-half-million,” Wyatt said grimly.
“Federica?”
“Yeah?” Federica turned around. Ellen was looking at her with concern and sympathy.
“Are you going to be…all right?”
“Mm.” Federica took a deep breath. The sun slipped over the horizon and a ray of light shot into the room. “Okay, gang. Now is the time for the howitzers. Paul Cobb’s got Uncle Frederick on the line. I know the one thing Uncle Frederick hates most.” She looked around at all of them. Jack, Lilly, Wyatt, Norman, Ellen. Newton must have sensed something, because he walked in from the kitchen. All the people Federica cared about, here in this room.
There was absolute silence.
“This isn’t working,” she said. “There’s just one more thing I can try.”
She turned back to her laptop and started typing.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Paul,
I’ve just come from City Hall. The Japanese have raised the price to $8.6 million.
But
, they’re also offering to build and run a Children’s Wellness Center for the township of Carson’s Bluff. I suppose we could offer to do the same, but it could get very complicated, what with hiring doctors and staff and being involved with the vaccination programs, and the dental clinic, etc. I suppose there would have to be a lot of contact with social workers and the like. They have a whole plan laid out. Should I improvise? Maybe offer $9 million, a Children’s Wellness Center and, say, a mental health clinic? Please advise.
Federica
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Federica,
Just been in touch with Frederick. Under no circumstances are you to offer to open up a clinic, or Wellness Center or whatever. Stop negotiations immediately. We expect you back in San Francisco by late morning. You can leave for New York on the afternoon flight.
Paul
Everyone crowded around the laptop as the message appeared on the screen.
Jack gave a rebel yell and pulled Federica out of her chair, Wyatt kissed Ellen and Norman sat blinking his eyes, smiling. Federica lifted her mouth and forgot everything for a moment as Jack kissed her.
“Wait,” she said breathlessly, and looked into his eyes. What Jack felt for her was right there. Strong and steady and the best thing that had ever happened to her. “Wait. There’s one more thing to do.”
She pulled away and sat down in front of her computer.
EMAIL FROM: [email protected]
Paul,
I have just terminated negotiations with Carson’s Bluff, as per your instructions.
Federica
P.S. I quit.
Federica sat for a moment, fingers poised over the keys. She looked over her shoulder at Newton. He nodded and grinned.
P.P.S. Newton quits, too.
Jack hugged her fiercely. Federica jumped when she heard a pop and Wyatt started pouring champagne for everyone.
“Here’s to the liberation of Carson’s Bluff!” he shouted above the hubbub, and raised his glass. “I knew Federica could do it!”
Federica hated to say it. “It’s not over yet,” she said quietly.
Everyone stared at her over their glasses. Everyone except Norman.
“Norman? You want to tell them or should I?”
Norman pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. “I think what Federica means is that the Folly is still extremely vulnerable. Not to mention the fact that sooner or later Mansion Enterprises is going to figure out that it’s been had. It’s only a matter of time before it starts all over again.”
“But,” Federica raised a finger and smiled, “I have a plan.”
“I thought you might,” said Norman.
“But first, I have to know—was Horace Milton born around here?”
They were expecting anything but that. Jack looked at Wyatt. “Hell.” He ran his hands through his already tousled hair. “I don’t know. Horace is almost a hundred years old and he spent most of his life in Paris—”
“Yes,” Lilly said quietly. “I’ve seen his birth certificate. He’ll celebrate his one-hundredth birthday on the fourth of July. The town is going to give him a plaque.”
Federica could have hugged Lilly. “Great. So this is the plan. Actually, it’s a wonderful idea, and it even has a sort of rough poetic justice, but there’s one big problem.” Federica looked around her circle of friends, peering deeply into everyone’s eyes, first Norman, then Lilly, then Wyatt and finally Jack. She wanted to be able to gauge their reaction. They might actually be repelled by her suggestion and she would find herself out on a limb.
Alone. Again.
