Chapter 79

I shouldn’t be groggy because it was already six thirty California time. My body should have recognized that I had not been in Hawaii long enough to become acclimated to that three hour time difference. Knowing that the home office was on Central time, which was two hours later, made me want to get going this morning.

I needed to find some inner peace, so I put workout clothes on to go outside and do some forms. My two sisters woke while I was putting shoes on, smiled at me, and went to the bathroom and then into the closet to also dress in workout clothes. The three of us went downstairs and outside to enjoy our morning stretches. We were ready to prepare for the day a half hour later.

I woke both Danni and Chica on the way to the shower so that they could get ready for work. They were running later than usual, but would still get in by eight, a half hour later than usual, but not bad considering the intensity yesterday had been.

Charles and Stephen were both in the saloon with coffee mugs ready to be filled. I instructed the two to call the security company Jules uses to get a day man on site, plus two men from eight PM to eight AM. I called our law firm next and talked to a partner about the attempted home invasion last night. I asked him to hire a private detective agency to track down who those men were and who they were working for. I also told the attorney that I would probably have to file a fairly large lawsuit against my probably now former employers. I suggested the law firm assign one of their young lawyers to keep up with this so that it wouldn’t become an albatross.

The man said, “You are Jules’ husband and a major part of the Komatsu family. You will receive all the attention you need until you’ve resolved whatever issue you’re having. Please keep us apprised of your status; you are important.”

I was sitting at my desk a little after nine o’clock when my cell phone rang. “This is Brad.”

“This is Forest, Brad. I want to apologize for Kurt’s actions yesterday and what grief he may have caused. Ken, Mika, and I have discovered that Kurt hired some people to try to intimidate you. Advise them that Mooney does not want them to proceed if they should show up at your home in LA. I’ve spoken to our law firm about what transpired yesterday, and they think that we have to return your partnership fees, any commissions and bonuses that you’re owed, and you’ve called for repayment of the loan you made the company. This is going to put Mooney in a cash problem. I’m not sure how that could happen, but that might be what Kurt’s so upset about. Mika and I are having our accounting firm audit us to find how we can be in this situation. Knowing all this, what are your intentions and recommendations?”

“Let me answer a few questions for you. You hopefully are on speakerphone and recording this call. First, I left my new baby and my wife to resolve whatever this problem is. I am in LA to handle what I can and to arrange for extra security at the house here. I’ve spoken to the family law firm so that they can be prepared to handle what’s needed. Your warning of some men coming to intimidate us is a little late. All the men hired by whomever are all in custody. One man is in the hospital with a serious gunshot wound. Since none will talk, they are all considered assassins with intent to kill. Two men were shot while raising their guns at me.”

“To all listening, you indicated what you wanted to happen, and proposed some very stringent rules for your employees. I have spoken to two of the key people and encouraged them to keep working as if nothing has happened. Everything that I had planned is still working toward completion without change, so you haven’t killed the Golden Goose if you don’t get heavy-handed with the people working to make Mooney successful. I have no answer for how the company is suddenly out of cash. Did Dan somehow come back to life? Has one of you decided to take a very large cash bonus before jumping ship? How did they embezzle the money without the others knowing if so? Your cash position is not my concern because I can still feel the size twelve up my ass. I only need to look after my family and will need all my funds to do that. It would be a shame if you had to close or go bankrupt. Just think of the hundreds of employees out of a job.”

“You folks are still owed an airplane from the US government. Since you’re scrambling for cash, I’d say to accept a very inflated cash settlement. You are also involved in a lawsuit in San Antonio for the building down there. That ought to be worth at least a million.”

“The ball is in your court, so you folks come up with a solution and keep me advised. My attorney will be inquiring as to when you will pay me what is owed. You guys owe me over one point two billion dollars. You should probably be looking for it.”

“I’m in LA right now, but want to get back to Hawaii and be with my family. Come up with a solution.”

I hung up since there was no response,. I used the house phone to call the attorney’s office. I was sent to John Arnold, a new attorney with the firm. I explained about the lawsuit that I wanted filed. The suit would have to be filed in Federal Court since it involved multiple states. I told Mr. Arnold that I wanted the home office and the main LA office served today.

I called Kelly to give her a heads up about being served. She should advise Connie, but not to panic as I was playing the game setup by the Mooney partners. She said that no one knew there was a major rift between the partners and me so far. Kelly told me, “We finished with another hundred plus sales yesterday, and Matt says that contracts are rolling in.”

It was close to noon, so I called the house in Hawaii. Jules surprisingly answered the phone. She said, Hi, Honey, are you doing all right? What have you resolved so far?”

I tried to explain what happened last night and what I had done so far today. I told her of the phone call from Forest telling me the company was in a cash bind. I told Jules that I directed the law firm to file suit to let the partners know that I was serious. I then asked, “Why didn’t you talk to me about the seven hundred and twenty million loan that wasn’t paid back, Jules? How was your business able to function without that much money?”

Jules giggled a little and said that she had just made a ton of money on currency, and then made a bunch more so she wasn’t worried about having money to invest. My beautiful dark oriental mother said, “I’ve been making money while hardly trying since you came into my life. Katie, Willy, and I are finding opportunities around every bend.”

We talked of how little Brad was and she mentioned that Katie was having some funny feelings. Jules told me I should probably come home soon to be sure to be there for Katie’s little girl. I sat back thinking that I should just go home when I hung up.

It was just after noon when Charles came to the door. “Come to the kitchen and have some lunch. You’ve been pushing all morning. June and Mitsi have been interviewing and instructing guards. Those two are very well-trained.”

I told the two girls that I wanted to return to Hawaii this afternoon. Did the two of them feel Brindle and the house staff would be okay with the addition of the extra guards?

The other loose end was Danni and Chica. I called Danni and told her that I should go back to Hawaii, but would be back soon if needed. Danni said that she was training an assistant who may have to take over if she left. I told her to give Chica a hug and kiss for me. Those of us at home showered, dressed casually, and only packed what was needed since we had clothes in Hawaii or could get more if necessary.

The crew had eaten lunch with us and left the house in a taxi to prepare the plane. I used my office PC to try to send Kelly an e-mail, but my account was still closed. That meant that the partners hadn’t decided what to do.

We left for the airport with Brindle driving the BMW. My cell phone rang on the way to the airport. It was Mika. “We were thinking that we could probably come out of this okay if we went back to you being a partner and filed all the appropriate documents, Brad. How about we get all the legal stuff done and have you sign the partnership papers, then do business as usual. What do you think?”

“How about FedExing a complete copy of the corporate papers to me in Hawaii and my attorney in California? We’ll both review everything, I’ll sign the declaration or whatever it is and send it back. I’m on my way to the airport to fly back to Hawaii to be with my newly expanded family.”

Mika said, “Why don’t you just fly here, sign all the docs, and we’ll celebrate.”

“Sorry, Mika, I need to get home right now. I’ll try to get to the home office shortly. I’ll be able to help the offices by phone and e-mail and not be in their way meanwhile.”

Another voice that sounded like Ken asked, “Does your wife really make that kind of money? How could she let you loan that much money, then let it sit for that long? That’s amazing. The amount she’s made the company on the money she’s investing for us is far more than we could have done. We don’t want to lose her as our portfolio manager.”

“Not to worry. She would never stiff a client. She would use your capital to buy gold and then terminate your agreement, but never short you. You receive a monthly statement unless there has been a major transaction to report more frequently, but that is always good news.”

“I have to hang up now to board my airplane. Fix my e-mail account and send me an e-mail. Send the copy of the corporate papers so that they can be reviewed and signed.”

I pulled the stairs up and locked the door. The next thing to do was to buckle up and then turn the computer on. My cell still had a signal, so I called Connie. “You may have an answer for me, Connie. I think I saw a copy of the corporate declarations in your bookcase. Is that correct?”

Connie replied, “I do. What do you want it for?”

“Is it current, kept up to date? I need to read all the articles relating to partners that are written.”

“Sure thing. There’s an addendum sent out from the home office every time there is a change in the corporation.”

“Do me a big favor, Connie, I need you to make two copies of the book. Send one to me in Hawaii overnight, and one to John Arnold at the family attorney’s office with a note for him to review it if requested. I’ll call him to confirm this.”

Connie was obviously grinning. She said, “Do you think that there may be something nefarious going on? Let me run this through the fancy copier we have up here and get this out before it’s time to go home.”

The plane was rolling for takeoff and was soon climbing to our assigned altitude. The sisters seemed happy talking about something, and already had a soft drink. Marsha handed me a tall glass of clear liquid over ice. She advised me that she had a small platter of sushi that had been made up by Osa just for me, as well as some inflight kitchen turkey sandwiches.

I shut the PC down and sat back because I couldn’t send or receive company e-mails. I supposed I’d have to get a Yahoo or Google account. I used the satellite phone to call home in Hawaii. Willy answered with “Johnson-Komatsu residence”.

“Hi, Willy, it’s Brad and I wanted to tell you that I’m on my way home. I should be at Pineapple Field or what we call S&S Field in less than forty-five minutes. Let everyone know and have Suda come get us.”

“It’s so good that you’re coming home. I think Katie is going to have her baby very soon. Mine is still a couple months away and then you have to wait for Sumi and then Danni. Let me run and tell everyone so that we all can be as excited as I am. See you soon, Brad.”

Marsha told me there was an incoming call on the Sat phone. I did the cycle thing to bring up the next call and said. “This is Brad.”

Forest’s voice said, “I’m still your friend, Brad, so I’m calling to warn you to read and check everything twice. You can be assured that Ken will be honest with you, but Mika may be getting greedy enough to forget what kind of close relationship she has with your women. I may be begging to come visit you in Hawaii often depending on the outcome of this fiasco. Hope that I’ll be welcomed.”

I smiled into the phone even though he couldn’t see me. “You’re always welcome in either the California or our Hawaiian home. You should probably call while you’re on the way, but know that you can come anytime. Don’t laugh, but any and/or all of you can visit me anytime. I am not vengeful and hope to always be a good generous host. I’ll miss working with all of you, but the company has rewarded me far beyond what I could have asked for.”

Forest said, “I just wanted to give you a heads up to be sure that you get all, and I emphasize all, of the corporate papers and thoroughly read them. You might even have an attorney review all of it for you. I can even have Rose fly there for you if you want.”

“You know that the family has attorneys slithering out of the woodwork. Hideki and Yuu don’t enter into any agreement without one of his law firms’ blessing. That’s probably who I’ll go to work for after I get the month off I’ve waited for. Hideki has bugged me to become his English speaking American “Front Man” to work deals for their companies for a long time. Yuu and I have even become close, as in good friends. Thanks for the heads up, Forest. My flight attendant wants me to get off the phone. We are slowing and descending to land. Talk to me later in the week if you can. See ya.”

I sat back and made sure that my seatbelt was snug. Marsha was in her seat also buckled up. I felt the landing gear lock into place and felt the gear touch down a couple minutes later. Another three thousand miles of air travel.

Once down on the ground, we parked in front of a new large hangar that displayed a sign that read Komatsu & Johnson. No car had shown up yet, but John Conner and Maggie wanted to talk to me. John said, “Some S&S people want to go over the aircraft and look for any stress areas. Our flight data recorder has everything we did, so it can be analyzed by their big computer in Florida. They should have everything scrutinized by tomorrow afternoon. Their key people apologize for taking your aircraft out of service for so long, but you said that you would be here at least through the weekend.”

I told John that it’s all good and that they could stay in nice large suites in the house unless they wanted to stay at a resort. Suda pulled up to the airplane, so I put what little luggage we had in the car and we were off for home.

I had not been gone for much more than twenty-four hours, so the staff could hardly miss me. I was greeted by Jules holding our Brad, and given a sweet kiss by the new mother. Katie snuggled up to me for a hug and kiss, while Willy wiggled her way into all our arms for kisses. I looked around for Sumi and held an arm out for her to join us. I kissed the beautiful Japanese girl, but noticed her flinch when I tried to hug her.