The Prodigal Daughter (47 page)

Don Short
escorted her back to the parking lot and as she climbed into her car, he handed
her an envelope. “I’m sorry so few people turned up, but at least all the
absentees sent in their fifty dollars.” He grinned as he closed the car door.

After Florentyna
had driven back to the Baron, she tore open the envelope and studied the
contents: a check for $24,300 made out to cash.

- She told Bill
Pearson the whole story the following morning and handed over the envelope. “This,”
he said, waving the check, “is going to open a whole can of worms.” He smiled
and locked the $24,300 away in his desk.

Florentyna left
the city for the weekend, feeling she had carried out her part of the exercise
rather well.
Even Richard con-ratulated her.

“Although we
could have done with the cash ourselves,” lie said.

“What do you
mean?” said Florentyna.

“I think the
Baron’s profits are going to take a big drop this year.”

“Good
heavens, why?”

“A series of
financial decisions implemented by President Carter whicb are harming the
hotels while ironically helping the bank-we have inflation running at fifteen
percent while the prime rate is at sixteen.

I fear the
expense account business trip is the fir,
,t
cutback
for most companies that have discovered the telephone is cheaper. So we’re not
filling all our rooms and we end up having to raise
the
prices-which only gives
the business community even more reason to cut
back on business travel. Into the bargain, food prices have rocketed while
wages are trying to keep up with inflation.”

“Every other
hotel group must be faced with the same problem.”

“Yes, but the
decision to move the corporate offices out of the New York Baron last year
turned out to be far more expensive than I budgeted for.

Four fifty Park Avenue
may be a good address, but we could have built two hotels in the South in
exchange for having that address on our letterhead.”

“But your
decision released three floors in the New York hotel which allowed us to
operate the new banquet rooms.”

“And still the
hotel only made a profit of two million while sitting on real estate worth
forty million.”

“But there has
to be a Baron in the center of New York. You couldn’t think of selling our most
prestigious hotel.”

“Until it loses
moncy_”

“But our reputation-”

“Your father was
never sentimental about reputation when measured against profits.”

“So what are we
doing about it?”

“I’m going to
commission McKinsey and Company to carry out a detailed assessment of the whole
Group. They’ll give us an interim report in three months and complete the study
in one year if we still want it.”

“But they’re the
top management consultants in New York. Using them can only add to our cost.”

I “Yes, they’ll
be expensive. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it saved us a considerable amount
in the long run. We have to remember that modern hotels all around the world
are serving different customers from those your father built the Barons for. I
want to be sure we’re not missing something that’s staring us in the face.”

“But can’t our
senior executives give us that sort of adviceT’

“When McKinsey
moved into Bloomingdale’s,” said Richard, “they recommended that the store
should change the location of seventeen of its counters from their traditional
positions. Simple, you might say, but the profits were up twenty-one percent
the following year and none of the executive staff had considered any changes
necessary. Perhaps we face the same problem without realizing it.”

“Heil, I feel so
out of touch.”

“Don’t worry,
Jessie darting, nothing is going to be acted on that doesn’t meet with your
full approval.”

.1
And
how is the bank surviving?”

“Ironically,
Lester’s is making more money on loans andoverdrafts than at any time since the
Depression. My decision to move into gold when Carter won the election has paid
off handsomely. If Carter is re-elected I’ll buy more gold. If Reagan captures
the White House, I’ll sell the next day. But don’t you worry. As long as you
keep earning your fifty-seven five as a congresswoman, I’ll sleep easy knowing
we have something to fall back on in bad times.... Have you told Edward about
Don Short and the twenty-four thousand?”

“Twenty-four
thousand three hundred.
No, I haven’t spoken to him in days, and when I do,
all he wants to talk about is how to run a hotel group.”

“I’m inviting
him to join Lester’s board at the annual meeting. So it could be the bank
next.”

“He’ll soon be
running the whole show,” said Florentyna.

“That’s exactly
what I’m planning for when I become the First Gentleman.”

When Florentyna
arrived back in Washington, she was SL-prised to find that there was no message
awaiting her from Bill Pearson. His secretary told her in was in California
campaigning, which reminded her how close the election was.
Jane(
was quick to point out that the legislature was sleeping on its feet again,
waiting for the new session, and that perhaps it might be wise for Florentyna
to spend more time in Chicago.

On Thursday,
Bill Pearson phoned from California to tell Florentyna that he had spoken with
the ranking Republican and the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee and they
both felt it would cause more trouble than it was worth to raise the issue
before the election. He asked her not to declare the donation, because his
investigation would be hampered.

Florentyna strongly
disagreed with his advice and even considered raising the whole issue with the
ranking committee members herself, but when she phoned Edward he counseled
against such a move on the ground that the whip’s office undoubtedly kn,~w more
about bribery than she did and it might look as if she had been working behind
their backs. Florentyna reluctantly agreed to wait until after the election.

Somehow
Florentyna-with continual reminders from Janet-managed to push her voting
record up to over eighty percent by the end of the session, but only at the
cost of turning down every invitation outside Washington that appeared on her
desk and she suspected there had been a whole lot more that Janet had not
passed on to her. When Congress adjourned, Florentyna returned to Chicago to
prepare for another election.

She was
surprised to find, during the campaign, that she spent a considerable part of
her time sitting in the Cook County Democratic headquarter~ on Randolph Street.
Although Carter’s first two years had not lived up to the expectations of the
American voters, it was well known that the local Republicans were finding it
hard to convince anyone to run against Florentyna. To keep her occupied, her
staff sent her off to speak on behalf of other Democratic candidates in the
state as often as possible.

In the end,
Stewart Lyle agreed to run again but only after he had made it clear to his
committee that he was not going to stomp around the district night and day or
waste any more of his money. The GOP was not pleased with Lyle when he said in
a private conversation- forgetting that nothing was private during an election
campaign -”There is only one difference between Kane and the late Mayor Daley:
Kane is honest. “

The Ninth
District of Illinois agreed with Stewart Lyle and sent Florentyna back to
Congress with a slightly increased majority, but she noted the loss of fifteen
of her colleagues from the House and three from the Senate.

Among the
casualties was Bill Pew son.

Florentyna
called Bill at his home in California several times to commiserate, but he was
always out. Each time she left a message on the answering machine, but he did
not return her calls. She discussed the problem with Richard and Edward, who
both advised her to see the Majority Leader immediately.

When Mark
Chadwick heard the story he was horrified and said he would be in touch with
Bill Pearson at once and speak to her later that day. Mark was as good as his
word and phoned Florentyna it) report sornething that chilled her: Bill Pearson
had denied any knowledge of the $24,300 and was claiming that he had never
discussed a bribe case with Florentyna. Pearson had reminded Chadwick that if
Florenryna had received $24,300 from any source, she was bound by law to report
it-P either as a campaign contribution or as income. No mention of the money
had been made on her campaign forms and, under House rules, she was not
entitled to receive an honorarium of over $750 from anyone. Florentyna
explained to the Majority Leader that Bill Pearson had asked her not to declare
the money. Mark assured Florentyna that he believed her but was not quite clear
how she was going to prove that Pearson was lying. It was common knowledge, he
added, that Pearson had been in financial trouble since his second divorce. Two
alimonies when you’re out of work would flatten most good men, he pointed out.

Florentyna
agreed to let Mark make a full investigation while she remained silent on the
matter. Don Short rang during the week to congratulate her on her victory and
to remind her that the contract with the Navy for the missile program was up
for discussion in the subcommittee that Thursday.

Florentyna bit
her lip after Don Short’s next statement: “I’m glad you cashed the check. I’m
sure the money came in useful at election time.”

Florentyna
immediately asked the Majofity Leader to postpone the vote on the missile
program until he had completed his inquiry on Bill Pearson.

Mark Chadwick
explained that he couldn’t comply with her request because the allocated funds
would go elsewhere if the decision was held up.

Although Defense
Secretary Brown didn’t care which -company was awarded the contract, he had
warned them that all hell would break loose if a decision was postponed any
longer. Finally, Chadwick reminded Florentyna of her own speech about members
who held up defense contracts. She didn’t waste any time arguing.

“A
,re
you getting anywhere with your inquiries, Mark?”

“Yes. We know
the check was cashed at the Riggs National Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue.”

“My bank, and my
branch,” said Florentyna in disbelief.

“By a lady of
about forty-five who wore dark glasses.”

“Is there any
good news?” she asked.

“Yes,” replied
Mark. “The manager considered the sum large enough to make a note of the bill
numbers in case some query arose later.
How about that for
irony?”
She tried to smile. “Florentyna, in my opinion, you have two
choices. You can blast the entire thing open at Thursday’s meeting or you can
keep quiet until I have the whole messy business sorted out. One thing you
can’t do is talk publicly about Bill Pearson’s involvement until I get to the
bottom of it.”

“What do you
want me to do?”

“The party would
probably prefer you to keep quiet, but I know what I would do if the decision
were left to me.”

“Thank you,
Mark.”

“No one’s going
to love you for it. But that has never stopped you in the past.”

When Defense
Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Lee gaveled the [tearing to order, Florentyna had
already been in her seat for several minutes making notes. The radar satellite
contract was the sixth item on the agenda and she did not speak on the first
five items. When she looked toward the press table and the seats occupied by
the public she could not avoid the smiling Don Short.

“Item number
six,” said the chairman, stifling a slight yawneach subject on the agenda was
taking much too long in his opinion. “We must discuss today the three companies
that have bid on the Navy’s missile project.

The Defense
Department’s Office of Procurement will make the final decision, but they are
still waiting our considered opinion. Who would like to open the discussion?”

Florentyna
raised her hand.

“Congresswoman
Kane.”

“I have no
particular preference, Mr. Chairman, between Boeing and Grumman, but under no
circumstances could I support the Aerospace Plan bid.” Don Short’s face turned
ashen with disbelief.

“Can you tell
the committee why you feel so strongly against Aerospace Plan, Mrs. Kane?”

“Certainly,
Mr. Chairman.
My reasons arise from a personal experience.

Some weeks ago
an employee of Aerospace Plan came to visit me in my offices in order to go
over the reasons why his company should be awarded this contract. Later he
attempted to bribe me with a check for twenty-four thousand three hundred
dollars in exchange for my vote today. That man is now in this room and will no
doubt have to answer to the courts for his actions later.”

When the
chairman of the committee had finally brought the meeting back to order,
Florentyna explained how the testimonial dinner had worked and she named Don
Short as the man who had given her the money. She turned to look at him, but he
had vanished. Florentyna continued her statement but avoided making any
reference to Bill Pearson. She still considered that to be a party matter, but
when she finished her story she couldn’t help noticing that two other members
of the committee were as white as Don Short had been.