Chapter 60: A Knowledgeable Source in the Financial Services Industry

April 29, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

At 3:00pm, I met Kayleigh at the diner I had frequented with Violet when we'd had classes together or at the same time. Kayleigh and I had walked up at almost the same time, with me just a few seconds in front of her. I greeted her, held the door for her, and we went in. By chance, the hostess seated us right away in the same booth Violet and I had regularly used after classes.

The waitress arrived almost right away, and we ordered coffee but declined menus. The waitress came back with the pot, filled our cups, then asked once again if we wanted to order anything. Neither of us did, so she left the booth.

"Thanks for meeting me," she said. "I know how we left things last time, but I had a long talk with my grandfather, and I wanted to discuss it with you."

"OK," I said with a bit of apprehension, as I had hoped not to involve Thomas Hart in this because, as I saw it, that could only cause trouble, not help.

"Do you know my grandfather's story?"

"No, I don't."

"He was a Senior at New Trier High School in Winnetka when the 'Japs', as he calls them, bombed Pearl Harbor. When he graduated, he joined the Marines and was eventually assigned to the 6th Marine Regiment. He fought on Guadalcanal and Tarawa and was promoted to Sergeant. He fought on Saipan and Tinian before he was transferred to the 5th Marine Division and fought on Iwo Jima. He won a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star on Iwo Jima.

"After that, his unit returned to Hawaiߴi and was there when the war ended. His unit was assigned occupation duty, and they were in Japan until December. They returned to San Francisco, and he was discharged. He took advantage of the GI Bill and went to UCLA for his undergraduate degree, then Stanford for his law degree. Once he finished, he came back to Chicago and joined a small law firm, where he met Paul Lincoln. Together, they formed Hart-Lincoln in 1956."

"Doing rough math, your mom had to be born sometime after he shipped out, but before he returned."

"There's that analytical skill in operation! Grandma and Grandpa met in High School. When he completed basic training and was preparing to ship out, he called her and asked her to marry him. She was only seventeen, but she said 'yes' and took the train to California. They married the day before he shipped out, and Mom was born in 1943.

"She stayed in San Diego with the wives of two other Marines, and all three of them worked in a hospital. Both their husbands died — one on Iwo Jima and one on Okinawa. When Grandpa came home, he and Grandma moved to LA, then to Palo Alto, before coming to Chicago.

"Mom met Dad at New Trier when he was a Senior, and she was a Freshman. They married a few days after Mom graduated, and she worked while he finished his degree. I was born about ten months after they married. Dad got his teaching job, and Mom went to nursing school and had my little brother."

"My mom was seventeen when I was born, so not too different from your grandma and mom."

"Things were different back then, especially with the war. Anyway, the thing I didn't tell you was that both Grandma and Grandpa were devout Catholics. When Grandpa came home, he refused to have anything to do with church and began telling people he was an atheist. He says that the aphorism 'there are no atheists in foxholes' is a lie because nobody who had actually been in a foxhole on those islands in the Pacific could ever believe in God."

"I obviously wasn't there, but from what my teachers in High School said about it, I find it hard to argue against his point."

"I never knew he'd been a devout Catholic until after I saw you the second time. Grandma still goes to church, and she obviously took my mom, who took me. Grandpa never once said anything about it to me, and I don't think he said anything to my mom, either. During the talk, he explained why he thinks it's all 'arrant nonsense', and as you say, it's understandable because of the things he saw. All that is to say that I think I understand you a bit better than I did before."

"That's not a bad thing, but I'm not sure it's sufficient to change the conclusion the last time we met."

"What would be sufficient?" Kayleigh asked.

"I'm not sure I know the answer to that question because it would come down to a negotiated solution. If we assume that your conversation with your grandfather created the necessary conditions for you to reconsider your views, there is still the hurdle that I'm not sure I can provide the kind of relationship I believe you want, at least not anytime soon.

"What I don't want is for you to begin a relationship expecting it will lead to a traditional marriage because I don't know if anything like that is in my future. You also have to take into account the other things I told you when we were together. In other words, it would be anything but conservative or traditional. And that leads me to ask why you're trying so hard."

"Before I knew about you being an atheist and about your baby, you basically matched my idea of an ideal guy, and given how much my grandfather likes you and trusts you, I'd say my judgment was confirmed."

"Those are two fairly big issues, one much bigger than the other."

"Atheism, right?"

"Yes. All things being equal, being a widower with a child isn't that far of a leap, even if the child wasn't from my marriage. I mean, sure, it could be a bridge too far for you, but if that were the case, you wouldn't be here. You being here tells me you believe you can handle that part of my life. I suppose my question is — what do you want to do?"

"I guess the first question to ask is if you're attracted to me."

"Yes. You're very pretty, in good shape, and seem like a sweet girl."

"I know that's not enough, well, except maybe in a bar, but it's a start. Would you be open to having coffee sometimes and talking?"

I had a flashback to Rachel Kealty and considered my circumstances and Kayleigh's behavior. Ultimately, I wanted to keep Thomas Hart happy, and so long as Kayleigh wasn't pushing hard, there was no reason not to occasionally have coffee. Eventually, she'd find a 'nice Catholic boy', and that would be that.

"Sure," I replied. "Why don't you call me when you want to get together to talk? I promise I'll make the time."

"Thanks."

We finished our coffee, and I left a generous tip for the waitress, as we'd only had coffee, then headed back to the condo.

"So?" Bianca asked when I sat down with her after changing into sweats and a T-shirt.

"She's still interested and is trying to find some way forward. She had a talk with her grandfather, which I think opened her eyes a bit about his atheism. He was a Marine during World War II, and that experience convinced him no gods exist."

"I could see that. My great-uncle served on a ship that was hit by a kamikaze. He was the first on that side of the family to come to the US from Mexico."

"My dad would have been too young for Korea and died before Viet Nam. My Grandfather was born in 1943, so he was too young for Korea. I told you about my mom's friend, whose husband was killed in Viet Nam, right?"

"Yes. Your first time in a church was his funeral, right?"

"Yes, then when his widow remarried. I don't remember much, except there was some kind of hubbub about the guy who walked her down the aisle who was around sixteen, I think. Mom never did say anything about it."

"Her brother or cousin?"

"No clue. I could ask my mom when I speak to her next weekend, and I think I will."

"Some of the girls from Loyola are coming over tomorrow in the afternoon — Sally, Julianne, and Lucy. Shelly will be here, too. They'll show up around 4:00pm and have dinner with us."

"OK. I don't have any plans."

"And all of them have serious or semi-serious guys," Bianca said.

I laughed, "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Speaking of 'that way', Esme will be home on Tuesday. I'm sure she'll be in touch."

"I'm sure she will!"

April 30, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday, just after 10:30am, I placed the call to J. William Oldenburg. I had to balance not saying anything that might upset him and harm the relationship with MTB Sports Management but also not attempt to bring him aboard as a client based on Pete's research.

"Good morning," I said after I was transferred. "This is Jonathan Kane calling from Spurgeon Capital in Chicago."

"Good morning. Marv said you'd be calling. He mentioned you've been talking to Steve Young, and that you're managing investments for a number of players they rep."

"That's correct. I generally serve pension funds and high-net-worth individuals, but recently I've cultivated a relationship with Marv at MTB to help players capitalize on their playing income, which I know can be short-lived."

"What investment vehicles do you use?"

"Whatever earns the best return," I replied. "Last year, I had a total return of 39.7% on the first dollar in using a mix of investment classes — equities, precious metals, currencies, and government securities. I operate a hedge fund and use the entire set of strategies to insulate my fund from market risk. The assets are all highly liquid and often protected with options for risk management. I understand you're a mortgage banker."

"That's correct. My firm issues mortgage-backed securities, but I suspect those aren't liquid enough for your fund."

"I avoid holding real estate or any related products for exactly that reason, though I personally own real estate. I'm calling about your personal investments to see if we might find some common ground."

"Fees?"

"Two and twenty," I said. "With an 8% hurdle."

"Steep. I had a pitch from Madoff who offered similar returns but without the fees."

"The question you have to ask yourself about that is how he makes his money."

"That was the thing that gave me pause. Why wouldn't I simply buy the S&P?"

"I nearly doubled it last year, so even with the fees, you come out way ahead. That said, unlike an S&P fund, there is a lockup period with a significant penalty if you withdraw the funds before a year is out."

"Liquidity is key for me," he said. "I'm not sure I can afford to lock up assets for a year."

Which was exactly what I had expected, based on what Pete had said about Oldenburg's finances.

"That restriction can't be waived because of the potential tax implications for other investors in the fund."

"Let's say I could work with that. What's involved?"

"A review by our Legal and Compliance teams. So long as you haven't had any trouble with the SEC, and in your case, banking regulators, it's usually a formality."

"How hard do they look?"

"They'll ask about ongoing investigations in each state where you operate, plus request any relevant information from the SEC."

"I'm having some trouble with Utah at the moment. It's a nuisance thing, which I'm sure you've encountered."

"I have," I said.

"Let me resolve that, and I think we can do business."

If Pete was right, Oldenburg wasn't going to resolve it, and that was my 'out'.

"Sounds good," I said. "Let me give you my contact information."

I gave it to him, wished him well with his team, then ended the call. I was confident nothing I'd said would cause any blowback from MTB, and if Oldenburg called to invest, I'd flag Legal and Compliance with the information Pete had uncovered.

I returned to work and, at 11:45am, had lunch with Violet in the break room. We had just finished eating when Bianca came to say she was leaving for the day.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A bit tired, but I really needed to come back to work! I know it was only a month, but I was going stir-crazy! See you later!"

She left, and Violet and I left to go to the gym to work out.

"I was surprised she came back so soon," Violet observed.

"If you think about it, Sofía mostly sleeps and doesn't do much except eat when she's awake. Bianca was never going to be a stay-at-home mom, so coming back part-time is perfect for her. That was why we hired nannies."

"Sure, I was just surprised it was so soon; I wasn't objecting in general."

"I had to leave that to Bianca to decide, though I do agree with her that it doesn't harm Sofía. We won't ever foist her off permanently on hired help the way my friend Jeri was — and still is — by her parents."

"That's just so wrong!"

"I agree, but Jeri seems to have turned out OK despite that, or maybe because of that, given what I know about her mom."

We parted at the gym to go into the proper locker rooms, completed our personal exercise routines, showered in the proper locker rooms, then headed back upstairs to complete the workday. At 5:00pm, I put everything into the desk, locked it, and made the three-elevator trip to the condo, stopping to hand Robert an envelope to cover tips I'd have given him and the other doormen. I had made a rough estimate, with input from Jeri, but with it only being a few weeks, the real test would be at the end of May.

My housemates and the girls greeted me with hugs when I arrived, and after I changed, we had a nice evening together.

May 3, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"I could get used to this," Natasha said on Thursday morning when we got out of bed.

"That goes directly against what you told me that first night!" I said with a grin as we got into the shower together.

"Would that be a problem?" she asked as I began to lather her lithe, sexy body.

"It would depend on what you mean by 'get used to'," I said.

"I have two more years before I go to graduate school. Every Wednesday until then? Obviously, if something comes up besides that huge dick of yours, we'd work around it."

"I'd be OK with that, so long as we both understand things could change before you graduate."

"Obviously. It's just casual, so if something changes, we'll discuss it and come to some resolution. I won't be upset, and you won't be upset."

"Then I agree."

"Then you get a reward!" she exclaimed.

She lowered herself to her knees and gave me an awesome blowjob before standing so I could finish washing her. She washed me, and after we both rinsed off, we dried ourselves, dressed, then went downstairs for breakfast.

After we ate, she and I left the condo together, she headed for the L, and I continued to the Spurgeon offices. The morning was routine until 10:30am, when Luke Fahey, the new mailroom employee, brought me a box that had been sent via Federal Express. I opened it and extracted an interior box, then called Pete to come into my office.

"This is for you," I said.

"For me?" Pete asked.

"Yes."

He used a pocket knife to carefully slice the tape, then opened the box.

"HOLY SHIT!" he exclaimed. "A autographed ball AND jersey?!"

"A game jersey," I said.

"I don't even know what to say!"

"'Thank you' is customary! But you need to say that to Gordon DeLisse at MTB Sports Management."

"OK to call him? I know how touchy traders are with anyone talking to their contacts."

"Absolutely. Give him a call."

"Will do. Thanks, Jonathan."

"You're welcome."

May 4, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"What time did you get home last night?" I asked Deanna when I arrived at Ateljé D at 5:30pm on Friday.

"I didn't fuck him, Dad!" Deanna teased.

"You know that's not any of my business! Bianca and I went to bed early, and you don't get up as early as I do on weekdays unless you've slept in my bed! So?"

"About midnight. He bought three paintings at the 'pre-show' prices. Of course, he felt his purchase, plus the grand from earlier, entitled him to a roll in the hay. He went home disappointed."

"Despite 'beating' Noel Spurgeon?" I asked with a smirk.

"Oh, he'll mention that to Mr. Spurgeon, I'm sure, but he won't buy more unless I fuck him."

"Is that a common thing?"

"For female artists? Unfortunately, yes. And it usually doesn't work out anything like it did for you and me!"

"Because we had sex before we entered into the patronage relationship," I said. "Is there anything I need to do?"

"Look hot!"

"He is hot, Dee!" a thin, pretty girl with long black hair down to her waist, dressed in black slacks and a white blouse that revealed cleavage, declared.

"Jonathan, meet Vanessa, a graphic design student."

"Hi!" Vanessa said.

"Hi," I said. "Thanks for helping out."

"It'll be fun!" she exclaimed, then called out, "Hey, Cheryl, come see Dee's patron! He's smoking hot!"

I chuckled, "I'm no Burt Reynolds or Rock Hudson!"

"Hi!" Cheryl, a striking blonde with equally long hair, clad identically, said. "She's right! Those clothes look nice on you, though they'd look a lot nicer on the floor of my bedroom!"

"Down, girl!" Deanna ordered, and all three girls laughed.

"Right, like you care?" Vanessa asked.

"No, but we have work to do!"

"Slave driver!" Vanessa growled, and again, all three girls laughed.

"The girls agreed to work during the housewarming party, too," Deanna said. "I'm going to hang as many pieces in the condo as possible, including paintings by Kassie, Kendra, and Stacey."

"You have a free hand," I said. "You're the one with an eye for style."

"That was mostly Natasha, but I can arrange artwork on the walls!"

"I never asked," I said, "but what hours are you going to keep?"

"Tuesday through Friday, 7:00pm to 10:00pm; Saturday, 11:00am to 6:00pm. Other times by appointment. I'll be here a lot when the gallery is closed, given I can't paint at home because we can't set up ventilation."

"I think they'd be very upset if we tried to open a window!" I said with a grin.

"I also have half a dozen students who want to display their work here, including sculptures."

"Very cool. Did you work out a commission structure?"

"Yes. For students, it'll be 10%; for anyone else, the usual 50%."