Chapter 16: Deals and Promotions

September 21, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Uhm, sorry!” Molly said, quickly recovering. “I shouldn’t have said that! It just kind of slipped out!”

Sensei Jim laughed, “Steve?”

“I’d say her reaction was warranted, Sensei. We did use an unconventional testing method!”

“Steve is going to take this and have Kara stitch the dojo name into it, similar to his. Kara will use his as a template.”

I had checked with both Ailea and Mitsuko, and neither of them did any needlework, nor did their mothers. I had talked to Kara, and after a bit of contemplation, she was sure she could copy the Japanese characters.

“It’ll take a couple of weeks,” I said. “We’ll officially award it at the joint class next month, if that’s OK with you.”

“Of course! That way I can have Brett here, as well.”

“Congratulations, Molly-san,” I said.

“Thank you!”

“Well done, Molly,” Sensei Jim added. “And if you don’t mind, I need a few minutes with Steve.”

“Not at all, Sensei!”

She stood, bowed, and left the office, closing the door behind her.

“I’ve considered asking Sensei Robert and «Shihan» Hideki to award you 6th Dan.”

I shook my head, “Please don’t. That’s a question for Will, after you retire.”

“You do realize that sometimes you can take humility too far, right?”

“Sensei, if Will is going to be master of this dojo in six years or so, it should be up to him. And asking him NOW, before his promotion to full instructor, puts him in a VERY difficult position. I’d very much prefer he be master of the dojo before I’m granted what amounts to an honorific. I’m not in any way demeaning the rank, but simply saying for Will’s sake, and for the sake of good order and discipline, that Will be the one to make that recommendation.”

“Good order and discipline?” Sensei Jim laughed. “You’re quoting the UCMJ?”

“I know my audience,” I grinned. “You know how many friends I have in the Navy, Sensei. And you’ve met my dad.”

“Who obviously did NOT run his household with military order and discipline.”

“No kidding,” I chuckled. “But then again, neither do I. But do you take my point?”

He nodded, “I do. But you also know that awarding a medal is conducive to good order and discipline, even if the medal is awarded to the freshest-faced private or 90-day wonder lieutenant, right?”

“Yes, of course, assuming the award is warranted.”

“And you also agree that promotion of someone to command may well pass over others who have longer service, and might, to the outside observer, be more qualified?”

“Obviously,” I grinned, knowing where he was going.

“And, do you think anyone will be confused about who is master of the dojo if Will is promoted over everyone else?”

I shook my head, “No, I don’t think so. Nobody was confused about Hideki becoming master of the school.”

“Care to revise your earlier statement?”

“I will, of course, submit to the will and wisdom of «Shihan» Hideki, and carry out his instructions faithfully and respectfully, to the best of my ability.”

He took his keys and unlocked his desk, and extracted something wrapped in floral-pattern silk.

“A young Japanese woman of your close acquaintance made this for you. I’ll present it to you next month when Molly is promoted.”

I thought about mimicking Molly’s response, but decided that was not what this moment called for.

“Sensei, I thought you said you were considering asking.”

He smiled, “That’s not what I said; I said I considered asking. You assumed that meant I hadn’t.”

“Nice,” I chuckled. “That’s something I would do.”

“No! Really?” he asked with mock surprise.

“Forgive my impertinence,” I grinned, “but doing the promotions the same day will distract from Molly’s achievement, and I would strongly prefer that not happen. And on this one, I’m going to have to insist, Jim-san.”

“I think I can see my way to change that. What do you have in mind?”

“Either waiting until November’s joint class, or on Saturday morning, with our dojo.”

“Excluding Molly?” he asked, his tone showing curiosity, not surprise.

“I think that’s an interesting question - would we promote someone to brown or black belt without Molly here? If not, how do we work out the logistics? Technically, once you present her the belt, her dojo is independent of ours, and she’s responsible to «Shihan» Hideki directly.”

“That’s actually what led to the discussion of awarding you 6th Dan. And this is where your respect for Japanese culture and traditions comes into play.”

“I do not like where this is headed,” I replied.

“Set that aside, at least for the moment, and consider Hideki-san’s problem. He is bound by culture and tradition; a culture and tradition that every student in Oguni, and their wives if they are married, not only accepts, but embraces. Whatever we think of that from an Occidental perspective, they not only see nothing wrong with it, but much right with it. And honestly, I believe you agree, for the most part.”

“Yes. And I see the problem.”

“And you do remember that Hideki-san had no issue of any kind with Molly being named a full instructor, right?”

“I remember.”

“We need a solution which honors the tradition, but which also treats Molly as an equal. The solution, proposed by Hideki-san, is that for ceremonial purposes only, and only in Oguni, you are master of the Racine dojo. Molly will be, and remain, «Shihan» of her dojo, and run it as she sees fit, within the guidelines set forth by the school.”

I chuckled, “Vice President Adams?”

Sensei Jim laughed, “I hadn’t thought of that, but that is a parallel - no power and you spend your time going to ceremonies.”

“Given the circumstances, I suppose that’s the best we can do. Do you want me to talk to Molly?”

“I’ll leave that to you. I’ll do it, if you prefer.”

I shook my head, “I’ll do it. It’s my responsibility. I just want to be clear - when we speak about the Racine dojo, there won’t be any reference to me? Or on our website?”

“Only that you are Molly’s «Shihan».”

“And you are mine.”

“Actually, that will be Hideki-san. And his instructions to you are that you and I are peers, but I am Master of the dojo.”

“Which is what will happen when Will becomes Master.”

“Exactly. You’re in a position similar to that of Sensei Robert.”

I nodded, “Who will never be Master of the school.”

“But who functions as the right-hand man for Hideki-san as he did for Hiro-san.”

“As I will for Will,” I confirmed.

“Then we’re in agreement. I’ll award you 6th Dan on Saturday.”

I stood and bowed, “Arigatou gozaimasu, Shihan.”

“Dō itashimashite!”

“I think I should go see Molly.”

“She waited?”

“I suspect she walked to the house so we can have lunch together. That’s the norm for when she visits. Before I forget, I won’t be here Wednesday. I need to be in Dallas on business.”

“OK.”

I bowed again, Sensei Jim handed me Molly’s belt to take home to Kara, and I left the office. I quickly walked the four blocks to the house where Molly was waiting. She gave me a tight hug, thanked me again, and I excused myself to get a shower. As I showered I thought about how to reveal the various parts of what had been revealed. I would need to speak to Molly privately first, then tell my family. I felt it was important to tell Molly what Sensei Jim and I had discussed as soon as possible.

I finished my shower and went downstairs for lunch. Once we’d eaten, I asked Molly to join me in my study.

“Thank you!” she gushed.

“So now I’m not a bastard?” I grinned.

“Sorry, that just kind of slipped out!”

“So you said. Your promotion is fully deserved, Molly-san.”

“Thank you, Sensei.”

“Once you receive your belt, your dojo becomes independent.”

“You know, I never asked how that worked in our school.”

“Both Sensei Jim and Sensei François answer directly to «Shihan» Hideki, but operate independently. That model presents a bit of an issue because of the school in Oguni.”

“All guys.”

I nodded, “Yes, but remember, «Shihan» Hideki fully supports you being declared a Polished Instructor and being granted a full teaching license. That said, it presents a conundrum for him in Japan. The proposal is that for ceremonial purposes only, and only with regard to Japan, I will be master of the Racine dojo. You will be the actual master, with the same free hand to operate that Sensei Jim has, so long as you respect the traditions of the school. My name wouldn’t be associated with the dojo in any way except for you to say I am your «Shihan».”

“I don’t want to change the relationship between the dojos!” she protested.

“And you don’t have to. You are a Polished Instructor in your own right. How you handle your dojo is up to you. If you want to continue the monthly class sessions, then they’ll continue. If you want to continue to participate in the black belt dinners, then do so. But you’re doing so because it is your decision as master of your dojo. I’ll provide advice, but it is truly your dojo once you have that gold stripe.”

“Well, the chances of me ever going to Japan are pretty much zero, so it doesn’t seem as if there is a practical difference.”

“Not really. I am sorry about this; you know my take on it.”

“And I knew the traditions of the school when I asked you to be my Sensei. I’d prefer to keep things exactly as they are.”

“The one difference is you would no longer be responsible to Sensei Jim; only to me.”

“But aren’t you responsible to him?”

“As a 6th Dan black belt who is not master of a school, I am responsible to «Shihan» Hideki, and act as Sensei Jim’s right-hand man, similar to how Sensei Robert acts towards Shihan Hideki.

“That makes sense,” she replied, then a look of realization spread across her face. “Wait! 6th Dan?”

“Yes, as of next Saturday.”

“Wow! That’s a great honor! Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’m sure it’s my ‘terminal rank’ as my friends in the Navy would say. The only way to go higher would be to spend a long time in Japan, or be so involved in Shōtōkan here in the US that other Shōtōkan masters chose to award a higher rank. That’s not likely to happen. Heck, I didn’t think this was going to happen.”

“Do you want me to be here next Saturday?”

“That’s up to you, Molly. From my perspective, it’s your dojo from today on. You make your own decisions.”

“What’s your advice?”

I chuckled, “Normally I tell people at NIKA ‘manage your team’ but for you, it’s going to have to be ‘manage your dojo’.”

“I think I’ll close the dojo on Saturday and invite anyone who wishes to come to Chicago to join us.”

“As you wish, Molly-san. And you can call me Steve-san, if you wish. Or Sensei. Or «Shihan». I’m OK with any of those.”

“Do you call him ‘Jim-san’?”

“Sometimes in private, but not very often.”

“Does anyone else know about you being awarded 6th Dan?”

“No. I wanted to talk to you first, and make sure we were cool.”

“Why wouldn’t we be? I would NEVER live under the conditions in Japan, but everyone who is in Oguni is there by choice. It’s not my place to tell them it’s wrong. And it hasn’t caused me any problems here; in fact, the school of Hisakawa Hiro has helped me in innumerable ways. And besides, if I understand you correctly, it’s your friend Sakurako who ACTUALLY runs things!”

“Well, under the watchful eye of her grandmother, Emiko, but yes.”

“So like your household with Birgit, then!”

“In her DREAMS!” I chuckled. “Shall we join everyone else, Molly-san?”

“Yes, Steve-san!”

September 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“What’s up, Squirt?”

“You called it. Monroe’s wife called her daughter.”

“From where? And when?”

“The Cayman Islands, last week, Thursday. One of Katya’s contacts at the FBI told her.”

“And?”

“A hotel clerk remembers seeing her, but not seeing her husband. He also didn’t recognize photos of Matheson, Foulkes, or Foulkes’ wife.”

“Traveling separately,” I replied. “That makes sense. It lessens the chances of being spotted AND gives the wives plausible deniability.”

“How does it reduce their chances of being spotted?” Stephanie asked. “Doesn’t it mean there are four or five chances?”

“The group would stand out more than an individual or a couple,” I said. “At least I would think so. Do they know where she went?”

“No. She used a phony name at the hotel and paid cash, and nobody with that name boarded a plane. Supposedly the police down there are showing the pictures around the airport.”

“I’d check Kingston, Jamaica,” I said. “A boat from the Caymans to Montego Bay, then a car to Kingston.”

“Where would you go from there?”

“Someplace out of the way, but on the way to the Middle East. Maybe the Canary Islands or Madeira.”

“That’s exactly what Katya speculated, though she thought maybe Bermuda as a stopover.”

“Great minds think alike,” I chuckled. “And Bermuda would work if they flew, but I suspect they’ve been using boats, which are much harder to track. And we could both be right, depending on the route they’re using.”

“The FBI has every airport and port being watched, to the extent they can get cooperation from local authorities.”

“Of course from the Caymans, she could have gone to Belize or someplace like that, and simply taken a commercial flight. I don’t know much about Central American countries and their passport controls. Anything on the money?”

“Maybe. We found some pretty convincing evidence that Matheson was siphoning funds, but not where it went. Samantha has her guy on that. The SEC is going bonkers right now.”

“Let me guess, the missing internal controls?”

“Exactly. We’ll probably be fined for that, but it won’t be a huge fine. And since it wasn’t customer money, it won’t hurt business much, if at all.”

“What about the other guys?”

“They didn’t have the kind of access Matheson did. But the SEC is looking for unmonitored trading or accounts. I’m sure they’ll eventually find something in some nephew’s name or whatever. The amounts they had in their monitored accounts are very low compared to what is typical for guys in their positions.”

“Which is automatically suspicious,” I replied. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing OK. I’m having lunch with Keri today.”

“OK. I’m sure she’ll say ‘yes’.”

“Me, too.”

“Let me know if you hear anything more about the fugitives.”

“I will.”

I hung up, checked my watch and realized Melissa would arrive for lunch in a few minutes. I went to use my private bathroom, and when I came out, she was already sitting in a «zabuton» at the low table, unpacking our lunch. I was happy Penny was in an all-day meeting with her team, so I didn’t have to ask her to leave or meet elsewhere with Melissa.

“How are things?” she asked as I sat down.

“Hectic. Crazy. But they’re worse over at Spurgeon.”

“I can imagine. Is your sauna getting a workout?”

I grinned, “My stress relief involves the sauna, bourbon, and serious physical activity!”

“I BET!” she laughed. “I nearly took you up on that ‘serious physical activity’!”

We began eating our chef’s salads with grilled chicken.

“How are things going with your new product to compete with Dante?” she asked.

“Moving along smartly. The dates are aggressive, but so far, everything is on track. How are things on your side?”

“Better. Dante seems to be focusing on market niches where we don’t have products and is generally leaving us alone. Michelle thinks he realized he poked the bear once too often, and is actually afraid of our new system. Mark suggested we develop into Dante’s area, but I don’t think that’s wise.”

“Why would Mark want to do THAT?” I asked. “Why provoke Dante?”

“I think you boys call it a ‘dick-size’ competition. Mark’s manhood seems endangered by the fact that Dante claims to be a better engineer.”

I laughed, “I could introduce you to a couple of female programmers who engage in the same kind of one-upmanship, but theirs is friendly. And they don’t really have anything to whip out and measure! Tell Mark to keep it in his pants and let you run the business. What was Jennifer’s take?”

“That she could out-engineer Dante with half her brain removed, but beating up on the weak, the defenseless, and the mentally challenged was against her life philosophy!”

“I suppose I should take it as a compliment that she beat up on ME enough over the years!”

“No, she said you’re the exception which proves the rule!” Melissa teased.

“Of COURSE she did! But I’d like to think I’ve improved since I was fourteen.”

“Shall we ask your eldest daughter?”

“I’ll take my chances with her,” I grinned. “Changing subjects, how are things on the personal side?”

“I told you my relationship sort of petered out, so I’m playing the field, as it were. I’ve been on a few dates with several different guys. I haven’t found one I’d want to settle down with just yet, but there are some possibilities. The house is good, and I actually enjoy having Michelle and Nathaniel in the house. And going to the gym helped me get rid of a few extra pounds that I’ve wanted to lose for years.”

“Speaking as a neutral observer, and having observed VERY closely, I never thought you needed to lose weight!”

“Neutral my ass!” she laughed. “You know you wanted it!”

“Your ass? I didn’t know you were into that!”

“Jerk! You know what I meant!”

“I do,” I chuckled. “But desiring that doesn’t make me biased, just observant!”

“So if I changed my mind...”

“You won’t. I’m still married and you’re still opposed to sleeping with married men.”

“And I can’t change my mind?”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t, I said you wouldn’t. Two very different things.”