Chapter 18

When the trio arrived at “21”, they found Bill and Ali Clifford waiting. Ali’s first words to Caitie were, “How does it feel to be rich?”

“How did you know?” Caitie asked, stunned by the question. “You couldn’t, in fact. Bill and I are the only...”

“Whoops!” Ali interrupted. “I don’t know what’s happened, but I’m certain we’re talking about two very different things. Now suppose you start?”

Quickly, Bill and Caitie filled in the others on finding Bill Noble dead in his bed and learning that Caitie was his sole beneficiary and the beneficiary of his $5-million life insurance policy and his entire estate. They also told of finding Bill’s Victoria Cross and then related the story of Bill’s two-week-long marriage and his wife’s tragic death.

“But the important thing to remember was the look on Bill’s face when we found him,” Caitie said. “He had the happiest smile I’ve ever seen. Now he’s with his Ellen again ... for eternity.”

Then she looked at Ali and concluded, “So that’s how I’m rich. But you couldn’t have known.”

“I just don’t know how to react to what you’ve just told us,” Ali began. “It’s clear that Bill Noble was a marvelous friend, a wonderful guy, and a certified hero. He will certainly be missed. On the other hand, we have a man who has waited 55 years to be with his bride again. And she’s a true heroine in her own right, too.”

Ali just shook her head and concluded, “I’m only sorry that other pressing engagements preclude Bill and me from joining you on your trip to England on Monday.” She shook her head and added, “The Greatest Generation, and he was one of the greatest.”

But then she changed the subject and grinned. “But you’re right. This is the first we knew of Bill Noble and his legacy to you, Caitie. But I just happen to know that Andy Taylor is going to do for you what she did for her other adopted daughters, Nita and Kelly. You’re about to receive a birthday gift from the Taylors ... of $100 million! And what are you going to do with it?”

Caitie was so stunned, she was unable to speak. So Bill replied, “I guess I’ll just have to invest it for her.”

Then he turned to Kate and asked, “For that matter, what do you do with your money?”

Now it was Kate’s turn to be stunned. “I ... I ... I let it go in my savings account until it’s big enough, then I buy another CD.”

At this point Ali took a personal interest. “And your 401(k), profit sharing, and the rest of your NBC benefits?”

“Longer-term CDs,” Kate admitted, now quite abashed.

“Kate Cornwall, as a money manger, you’re a truly outstanding TV reporter. Maybe I can help,” Bill interjected.

“But, Bill,” she protested, “I know you’re a really great doctor, and I know you have a lot of money, but... ?”

“Kate,” Caitie said, joining in, “until this afternoon I was worried about supporting a family — a big one — on not much more than I could make teaching. And then I learned that my lord and master also has a money-making gene hidden in his DNA. To give you the short answer, you could do what Bill made me do: Take a piece of paper, then make a dollar sign, then the number five, and then ten zeros. See what that gives you.”

To their amusement, that’s exactly what Kate did. At the same time, when Ali heard Caitie’s explanation, she didn’t need paper; she instantly knew that Bill’s net worth rivaled the Cliffords’ own.

When Kate finished writing the numbers, she did exactly what Caitlin had done earlier. She used commas to separate groups of three zeros, looked at the number, and then carefully counted the zeros again. Her eyes bugged and she whispered, “That’s... fifty... billion... dollars.”

“See, darling?” Caitie said with a grin. “I told you Kate Cornwall was smart. But what were you going to offer to do?”

Instead of answering the question directly, Bill asked Kate, “What rate of interest are you getting on the last CD you bought. Do you remember?”

“Since it was only yesterday, I do,” she replied. Then she named the rate.

“Okay,” Bill continued, “here’s my proposal: I’ll take over the management of all your investments, including stock options, money you may have in retirement plans and so forth. I will personally guarantee a minimum rate of return equal to that CD. My expectation, though, is to do far better than that. Like about triple, at least.”

Kate looked puzzled. “A higher rate is better than a lower one, of course, but does it really make much difference? I mean ... What difference do a few percentage points make?”

Bill just grinned and asked, “Have you ever heard of the Rule of 72?”

Kate just shook her head.

“It’s not precise, but it’s pretty close. If you take a number — like an interest rate — and divide it into 72, the answer will be the number of years it takes for money to double at that rate. To keep it simple, at 3%, money doubles in 24 years; at 6% in 12; and at 12% in only six. Now that’s doubling the principal.

“Let’s say you’re thinking of retiring in 30 years. If you could get 12%, that’s five doublings; $10,000 would become $300,000. At 6%, it’s about $60,000. So that’s what ‘a few percentage points’ are worth. Interested?”

“I’ll offer you the same deal Bill just did,” Ali said. “Wait! How about this? You split the money in half, right down the middle. Give Bill half to manage and I’ll manage the other half. Then you can see who does better.”

Then she grinned at Bill and added, “One thing is for damn sure: Either way, she’ll have a hell of a lot more money than if she just lets those CDs roll over!”

“Did I hear this correctly?” Kate asked. “You two — with something around $100 billion between you — are proposing to manage my investments. Worst case, I get my CD rate, but I get to keep anything you get beyond that. Is that correct?”

“That’s what I said, so I’m glad that’s what you heard,” Bill replied, “and that’s what I heard Ali say, too.”

“But what’s in it for you?” Kate asked. “Why are you doing it?”

“Well,” Bill replied with a grin, “my offer was being made to a friend who called in all her chits to get a two-hour news special telecast. That broadcast saved the life of the girl I adore.”

He looked at Kate with his eyes blazing and continued, “You know what Caitie went through to raise money to buy desks for her kids ... or some of it, anyway. Well, I’ll tell you something you may not know: When Caitie heard her teaching contract was not going to be renewed, she was hurt far worse than she had been that terrible Friday night. You, Katherine Cornwall, saved her life.

“But now, with Ali Clifford getting in the game, it changes everything. Now I would be doing it for the pure fun of it.” He winked at Ali and continued, “You see, it’s true of me and I know it’s true of the Cliffords: A lot of our money is in private ventures that are not easy to value. So when I told Caitie my net worth, it was only an estimate. But with you, we can really see who’s better...

“And I have to tell you that in the privacy of their clubs, the very top money managers in the world are in awe of Ali Clifford. And there isn’t a wealthy person in the country who wouldn’t turn over his or her entire portfolio to her to manage in an instant ... if she would only take their money. But she won’t.

“Kate Cornwall, you have just received an offer like no other. The world’s finest money manager has offered to handle your money for no fee. Take her offer right now before she changes her mind.” He paused, grinned at the two women and added, “Women are known to do that, you know.”

At that all three women giggled. The sound was just lovely.

Then Ali said, “Kate, you damned well better take Bill’s offer right now, too. The only difference between us is he’s been far more successful than we in maintaining a low profile...” She stopped, thought for a moment, giggled and continued, “Low? Better make that invisible. But in certain circles, rumors have been flying around for years about a guy who’s so good, he sort of adds a zero to his net worth every year. Understand?”

To Bill she said, “But now, William Corcoran, I’m afraid the law of large numbers is going to start catching up. Fifty billion to five trillion in only two years is going to be a bit much!”

“Now, Ali!” Bill chided, “Caitie and I aren’t greedy. We worked it out this afternoon, in fact. Caitie decided we already have enough money that she can buy a full pound of hamburger at a time without even waiting for it to be on sale.”

At that crack both women howled while Caitie just giggled.

“It’s a deal,” Kate decided and shook both their hands. They agreed that the details would be worked out among the accountants for the three of them.

At that point Caitie and Kate saw a big man coming across the dining room toward them. He looked embarrassed, so they assumed that he must be Jack Callaway. And he was. It turned out that his conversations had been with Bill’s agents.

Coming up to the table he said, “Bill Corcoran?”

Bill rose and extended his hand. “Jack Callaway, I presume?”

Introductions were completed. As Jack was about to be seated, Kate rose from her chair, went to him and melted her lips to his. Only then did Bill and Caitie realize that Kate was moving almost like a zombie; she seemed to have no awareness of what she was doing. But when their lips met, everyone present could feel the electricity and hear the bells between them.