Chapter 12

It was very early in the morning when the telephone woke Me up. I looked at the clock to see it was 3am. I picked up the phone to find out it was Dale Saunders on the phone. He said to Me very excitedly." David, I need You down here at the office right away. There is some stuff that I came across... First off, You wont lose the clubs... second I have info on Mrs Leo Diamond which believe me was not easy to get."

When I tried to get him to tell Me on the phone, he refused saying that time was of the essence and W/we had to move fast. I then agreed to meet him at the office immediately and hung up. I looked down at My kimberly who was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face... I gently kissed her and got up from O/our bed and then went to take a shower and then headed to the office leaving kimberly sound asleep. Finally things were starting to look up and now I would finally have My clubs back and finally learn about the secretive Mrs Leo Diamond...

I arrived at the office an hour later and Dale was waiting for Me along with an elderly man I recognized but couldn't place a name to. Dale waited for Me to take My seat and then began by saying." David, You remember Roy Jarvis don't you?" I looked at the man and realized as soon as I heard his name who he was. Roy Jarvis had been with the Peacock Clubs since day one when there was one single club. He had been Duncan's Chief Legal Advisor since I came into the club.

I nodded and then Dale looked at Roy and said to him." Roy, tell David what you told me please." Roy who was an elderly man in his late seventies or possibly older looked at Me and then spoke. " David, Dale told me that Duncan handed over the club to this Mrs Leo Diamond and this Ted Niven.?" I looked at Dale then at Roy and then replied." Yes! Ted Niven claims to be acting on Mrs Leo Diamond's behalf and is actually pretty much running the company. Truthfully, hes been trying to get rid of Me but to no avail. He has found out that I won't leave easily." Roy replied" Well, he can't get rid of you or anyone else. The fact of the matter is neither you or Duncan can give your shares to anyone other than each other or your spouses or back to the present shareholders in the Peacock Clubs."

I looked at him and was totally confused and asked. "Look Roy, what are you talking about? I know what the guy told Me as well as the fact that Duncan verified that He did indeed give those shares to Mrs Diamond. He told Me He was getting old and wanted out. Then when I called Him on it, He admitted that victoria His wife had been threatened."

Roy then reached for the briefcase he had with him and opened it pulling out what appeared to be shareholder certificates and other pieces of paper and said" Well, David I'm sorry but they were not His shares to give to either of them just as your shares were not to be given away. Do you remember when you first became a partner in the club before we expanded and had more clubs?"

Truthfully, I barely remembered that day other than I was excited about the fact that Duncan was giving Me an opportunity of a lifetime. I shook My head yes although I couldnt remember the details clear enough. Roy then said to Me as He handed Me some shareholder certificates... As I looked at them I could see My name on them as well as Duncan's and he then handed Me copies of Dale and his own certificates and said to Me" David look at Dale's and My certificates and then look at yours and Duncan's please. Please look carefully. If you look at the shareholder certificates with Dale's and my names on them and then compare them to yours and Duncan's, you will see the certificates with yours and Duncan's names on them are slightly different... if you look carefully you will see that difference. Note the added clause on yours and Duncans which is not added to Dale's or mine."

I did as he asked and studied both Roy and Dale's shareholder certificates as well as Duncan's and Mine... I then noticed on Duncans and Mine in red in fine print on the certificate there was a note saying:"subject to conditions of the signed agreement". I racked My brains trying to remember. I looked at them both and asked" what signed agreement?"

Roy then pulled out another piece of paper and then showed Me as second piece of paper that looked identical to the other. Roy then asked Me to read it and then read the other. I did as asked and didn't really make sense out of what was being said but did notice that on the end of each one both Duncan's and My signature was on them. I looked at Roy and was more confused as to what I was reading and how My signature got on something I didn't recall signing. I asked. "What is this?"

Roy looked at Me and responded" David, those are identical copies of an agreement both you and Duncan signed when you agreed to become partners. Its a contract forbidding either of you the right to sell your shares without giving the other partner the right to buy you out first and if both of you should die, provided you and Duncan had spouses, your spouses would inherit the controlling shares... If your spouses were unable to claim them due to death then the controlling shares would go back into the company and the shareholders would get them. That was a safeguard Duncan had drawn up to protect both of your interests. He wanted to make sure that no outsiders could come in and gain control which appears now to have happened. However, Mrs Diamond and Mr Ted Niven have gained control illegally and their claim of ownership won't stand up in court."