Steele Trap (Heart of Steele) (7 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Big Jim had spent the
previous day in discussions with his crew and Johansson's materials ordering
department after leaving Steele's office. Thanks to Wally Steele putting in a
good word with his supplier, a new load of steel was delivered late in the
afternoon, and the crew got to work, demolishing the substandard sections of
the building and re-building with the new material. He reported to Johansson at
the end of the day that they were now only a week behind schedule.

Dane Johansson
grudgingly admitted to himself that it was a good thing Wally intervened. But
he still wasn't sure he could get a draw this week. He might have to find a way
to make up that week's delay, and that wasn't likely to happen in a couple of
days. Wally might still be in trouble with his board.

This morning, Dane had
called his lender. Sweating bullets, he negotiated a partial draw for Wednesday
morning. It would be only enough to pay Wally back, not enough to keep the crew
working. The lender was adamant; the work would have to be on schedule before
more money would be coming. Dane picked up his phone to call Big Jim.

"Jim, Dane
Johansson."

"Hello, Mr.
Johansson, glad you got that supplies issue straightened out. We're back in
business."

"That's good to
hear, Jim, but we're not out of the woods yet."

As Dane explained to
Big Jim that the project needed to be on schedule before he could pay the men,
Jim's mind turned over all the ways in which he might be able to explain this
to his men. They all had families, bills to pay. He wouldn't be surprised if
they walked off the job again, in protest. Suddenly, he caught what Dane was
saying.

"So, if we can
catch up, you can get the full draw and pay us?"

"That's about the
size of it. How fast can you work?"

"Not that fast,
but I've got an idea."

"What's
that?"

"No, I'm not gonna
say it until I've checked it out. But give me a few hours to see what I can
do."

Big Jim speed-dialed
Jake Daniels.

"We've got another
problem. Can I run something past you?"

"Sure."

"Well, this
business cost us a week, and now we need to get caught up before Johansson can
get his full draw and make payroll."

"That's rough,
man. Anything I can do?"

"Yeah, if you're
willing. What we need is more hands. How would your crew like to make a little
on the side?"

"You mean under
the table? I don't work that way, Jim."

"No, I mean what
if they came to work on our site for a few hours when your workday is finished.
I'll pay them out of my profits, but they'll have to wait for it. Do you think
they'll go for it?"

"I don't know,
Jim. We've always been on opposite sides of the labor question. Why should my
guys trust you?"

"Jake, you helped
end this impasse, I owe you a favor. And if you can get your guys to help us
out, I'll be able to pay that favor back."

"I'll see what I
can do."

Jake called his crew
together and laid out the situation. One or two objected to working with union
guys, but the majority asked intelligent questions, like whether they would be
paid at union scale. It took a few phone calls back and forth, but they finally
settled it. At six o'clock when his crew's shift ended, Jake would go with them
to the Johansson build site and they would put in another three hours, until
full dark, working side-by-side with Big Jim's crew, who would also work
overtime. His crew would also receive overtime at union scale, which meant a
great vacation or Christmas for them, whenever Big Jim was able to pay. Barring
unforeseen incidents, the job should be caught up by the end of the week. Now
Johansson would have no excuse to put off paying Wally back. Whether that would
solve Wally's problem remained to be seen, but Jake had done all he could do.

Wednesday morning, the
day of reckoning, dawned hot and still. Wally Steele dressed carefully, and
spent an extra moment holding his Jess. How had he managed the luck that found
her after his dreadful mistake with Alice? They might be opposite in every way,
but the proof that his second try at marriage was charmed was that Jess faced
his imminent financial ruin with grace and serenity. Hoping a little of that
would rub off on him before his board meeting, he accepted one last kiss and
tight hug. It was time to face the music.

Wally arrived at his
office at eight a.m. and called his CFO in for a pre-meeting conference.

"Has the payment
hit the bank yet, George?"

"The wire came in
a few minutes ago, but it won't be credited until end of day. Still, we can
show that it's there. But you’re …"

"Yes, I know. It
won't save me from prosecution if they want to stick it to me. Let's hope
there's some loyalty left in this world."

"Loyalty tends to
disappear when big sums of money are involved."

"Thanks for the
optimism. See you at nine."

With that, Wally
dismissed his CFO and started rehearsing his presentation for the tenth time in
the last two days. His hope that Jessica's calm would rub off seemed to have
borne fruit; his pulse beat at a steady 80 BPM, right in the middle of normal
for a healthy male. If he got thrown out of his own company, it would be a good
idea to get more exercise, though, to get rid of this spare tire that was
creeping onto his midsection. Should he have a little nip of Johnny Black
before the meeting? No, he didn't need it, and it would give the wrong
impression if he showed up with booze on his breathe.

With only two minutes
until time for the meeting to be called to order, Wally left his office and
entered the lion's den.

It should have been
agonizing, waiting through the reading of the previous quarter's meeting
minutes and voting on approval. but, all too soon, it was time for the CFO's
report. Not a hint of the coming shock had leaked, for which Wally was grateful.
But, the expressions on the faces arrayed at the conference table around him
when the George got to the financial discrepancy caused Wally's heart to sink.
He was in desperate trouble; he'd better be at his most eloquent. At last, the
financial report was finished, and the CFO had mentioned that the money was on
its way back where it belonged, with interest. Relief showed on a few of the
faces, but others still showed grave concern.

Wally spoke before
anyone else had a chance.

"I'm sure you all
have something to say, and I can imagine what. You will each have your turn.
However, before that begins, please allow me to say a few words, after which,
I'll throw myself on your mercy."

As one of his board
members started to speak, Wally held up his hand. He was still CEO; his words
would come first.

"First, let me say
that I take full responsibility for what happened here. I didn't involve anyone
else. When George found the discrepancy, he came to me to warn me that what I did
was highly illegal, and I asked him for the opportunity to make it right with
the money before he blew the whistle. His only involvement was to delay
reporting to you until this meeting, a matter of a week at most. I hope you
will see fit to keep him as CFO, because he is blameless in this matter.

"Next, I want to
apologize from the bottom of my heart that I had the poor judgment to make a
loan to an old friend from corporate funds, instead of using my own. I didn't understand
how wrong it was, but I did know it wasn't right. I shouldn't have done it, and
I'm prepared to pay the price, whatever that might be.

"Finally, I want
to say that, no matter what happens today, I have been proud to work with each
one of you. I hope that we will still be friends when all is said and done, and
intend that to be the case on my side, at least.

"Now, I am going
to excuse myself while our corporate attorney explains what your options are,
and while you debate what to do. I will be in my office when you have made your
decision."

No one uttered so much
as a whisper while Wally rose from his seat at the head of the table and made
his exit in a confident stride. Whatever happened now, he could be proud of
himself for owning up to his error. While he waited for a decision, he called
his admin assistant in to tell her what was happening.

Only an hour later, the
corporate attorney arrived in Wally's office to issue the verdict.

"Wally, I'm sorry,
they intend to remove you as CEO."

Steele's head dropped,
but in a moment he looked up into the other man's eyes again.

"Criminal
charges?"

"No. What they
want to do is put you on probation, after a fashion. You'll still be a member
of the board. Assuming we get through this without an audit and you keep your
nose clean, you'll be reinstated as CEO a year from now."

"Seriously? They'd
let me come back?"

"They recognize
your ability, Wally. They realize they need your leadership. Owens is taking
over as CEO pro-tem, but he will lean heavily on you for help. Don't steer him
wrong, and you'll be okay."

Wally pumped the man's
hand, overcome with joy. He would have a chance to rebuild, and Jake's help in
getting the money back where it belonged was what gave him that chance. After a
celebratory shot of Johnny with the attorney, his next task was to call Jake
and tell him the good news.

Chapter
Fifteen

Ashley landed a job in
the couture department at Neiman Marcus in Cherry Creek only a week after her
dad informed her that he wouldn't be in a position to offer her any job she
wanted, but that her application would still be welcomed at his company. After
mulling it over, she told Wally that she would rather make it on her own, not
on her name, and he respected her decision. Jess found it a little ironic that
Ashley would still be living at home, since her base salary wouldn't cover an
apartment. But, Ashley was optimistic that she would soon be making enough in
commission to move in with Becky.

Wally explained Jake’s
role in the last-minute save of their finances and Ashley finally understood
that he was a businessman in his own right. When she tried to call him to thank
him, he once again rebuffed her. His coldness hurt her deeply, but she intended
to keep trying until he would see her. Oddly, his steadfastness made her
appreciate his character all the more. She desired his body, but she  began to respect
the man for who he was. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, she loved him, too.

Working every day was
hard, harder than college had been even. For the first time in her life, she
couldn’t do exactly as she pleased, but had to think about her shift at work.
What she would wear even had to be carefully considered. No more dressing from
her extensive wardrobe on a whim; Neiman expected her to dress in a certain
way, and by the second week she was bored with it. When she got her first paycheck,
it made her sick to think of all the hours she had toiled for such a small
amount. This didn’t seem like such an adventure anymore.

Becky used her parents'
connections to get a job as a legal clerk at the public defender's office, and
would be starting law school in the fall. Ashley threw a party in her honor,
inviting Jake first; but he declined the invitation. Reluctantly, she sent an
invitation to Dirk's address, but he remained silent after his mysterious errand
away, and once she thought about it, she was relieved not to hear back from
him. She went to the party without a date and enjoyed herself anyway. But, she
needed to do something about Jake.

Several weeks after the
board meeting, Ashley dialed his cell phone.

"Jake
Daniels."

"Hi, Jake, it's
Ashley."

"I don't have
time, Ashley. I asked you not to call me."

"Jake, wait. You
still have to take me to that concert. Can't we be friends?"

"I'll give the
tickets back. You can take Dirk, or your friend Becky."

"Rebecca Sue. I'm
the only one who can call her Becky."

"Whatever."

"Jake, I don't
want the tickets back, I want to see you. I've changed, I promise."

"Sorry, Ashley,
once I get burned, I tend to stay away from the fire."

"Please,
Jake!"

"No. I need to go.
Lose my number, will you?"

"Jake, don't give
the tickets back. Take anyone you like. I'm sorry for everything. We could have
had something, you know?"

"Yeah, right.
Goodbye, Ashley."

As the weeks went by,
Ashley became oblivious to the famous Colorado sunshine. In her mind, every day
was gray and gloomy. She went to work and put in the hours, but even her new
co-workers could tell that something was wrong. Ashley had been a peacock among
barnyard chickens, but now her plumage was wilting. A line of darker hair
emerged from her center part as she neglected to get her hair done, and she
took less care with her makeup. Her designer clothes hung on her, the result of
losing ten pounds or more. The expected commissions were slow in coming, as
Ashley could not summon the enthusiasm that would have helped her sell.

Wally and Jess asked
her what was wrong, but her lackluster answer was always 'nothing'. They
planned outings, which she avoided, making the excuse that she needed to work,
or was tired.

Even Becky couldn’t
cheer her up, despite coming over every time she was off work. Becky had never
been angry with Ashley, no more than momentarily annoyed in all the years they
had been friends. But if she had to listen to Celine Dion’s version of
Alone
one more time, she vowed to smother Ash with a pillow. At the rate things were
going, Ashley might save her the trouble and slit her wrists. Becky shivered.
That didn’t bear thought.

At last, to Becky’s
great relief, Jess made an appointment and dragged Ashley to her own doctor.
This state of affairs couldn't continue, or Wally, too, would become morose.
After a thorough exam, the doctor spoke to Ashley alone.

"Have you been
depressed, Miss Steele?"

"I guess so."

"I guess so, too.
There is nothing physically wrong with you. I'm going to suggest to your
parents that you see a psychiatrist."

"No, I don't want
to talk about it."

"Ashley, clinical
depression is a result of brain chemistry disorder. I'm going to prescribe
medication, but it will be far more effective if you also resolve whatever is
making you so sad."

"I can't. I'm in
love, and he won't speak to me."

"Well, that's a
sad state of affairs indeed. But you can't mope about it for the rest of your
life. You need to see a specialist."

Ashley stopped arguing about
it. It didn't matter enough. She would fill the prescription and take the
medicine, and if Jess insisted, she would see the psychiatrist. Not that it
would help. But, to keep the peace she would do it.