Chapter 15

When they reentered the office and sat down, Cliff told Kelly about the increased security. He grinned at her. “I might as well tell you about it, since you’re one of the family now. By the way, Sandy said two million, and I heard you tell Bill two and a quarter. Where’s the rest of the money come from?”

Kelly blushed prettily. “That’s mine. All I can say is that’s every dime I’ve got ... and then a few. You two have a hell of a business going here. There aren’t too many opportunities in the Rust Belt.”

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Sandy brought back another brown paper bag and opened three cans of beer. “Cheers!” she said. “Kelly, this is twice today. The first time was just before you came when we found out about the South American orders.”

“Damn!” Kelly exclaimed, “I forgot to mention that earlier. I also added in the announcement that ‘other full-price orders’ had been received fully covering the lost Magna Motors business. Anyway — even though us investment types aren’t supposed to drink beer — cheers! You know,” she said with a grin, “I much prefer pizza and beer to white wine and Brie.”

Sandy and Cliff looked at each other, made a thumbs up sign, and laughed. They were still chatting when Cliff’s private line rang. It was the number Kelly had given her trader.

Cliff answered the phone and passed it to her. “Hi, Bill, what’s up?” She listened intently and nodded her head. She took out a pad and started writing down numbers as a big grin started spreading across her face. Finally she said, “Thanks, Bill. Keep me posted.”

She hung up the phone and exclaimed, “Damn! It’s moving. There’s heavy action, with a lot of selling. Bill thinks it’s more short selling. It’s trading at twenty-seven now, up a point and a half. The important thing is, other people are starting to buy, too. We’re going to win this one. I can feel it.”

“What do we do now? Just wait?” Sandy asked.

“I guess so. Incidentally, you have invested about $200,000 at this point, Sandy. Why don’t we fill out these dumb forms I need to open an account while we wait for the closing?”

She took forms from her attaché case, and Cliff went down the hall to Steve Muller’s office.

Betty Ames gave him a big smile as he walked in. Cliff noticed how beautiful and happy the woman was now that John Flood was gone. Steve was on the phone. He waved and gave Cliff a big grin. “Yes, sir, I’m sure he’d be happy to talk to you. In fact, he just walked into my office.”

He put the phone on hold and said, “It’s Jack Crowther at Magna. He said he just received a report on the broad tape — what’s a broad tape? — of our contract with Kaga. I told him it was true. He wants to talk to you. Do you want to take it?” Steve Muller paused and then added, “But since I blew it by telling him you’re here, I guess you have to.”

Cliff took the instrument, and Steve punched the line button. “Hi, Jack! This is Cliff Fitzpatrick. What can we do for you?”

“I just saw on the Dow-Jones broad tape an announcement of your selection as the first American preferred supplier to Kaga USA in Michigan. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is, Jack, I’m proud to say. We also developed a ring for them that seems to be on its way to becoming their new world standard. Of course, we get all the business on that we want and a royalty on the rest.”

“But, Cliff!” Jack exclaimed, “I shouldn’t say this, but their quality standards are light-years ahead of ours! And you meet them?”

“No, Jack. We don’t meet them, we exceed them. Based on information faxed to us today, we are now the top-quality supplier to Kaga USA. That, of course, is a field made up almost entirely of Japanese suppliers. I am delighted to tell you we are entering discussions at long distance about our ability to supply their domestic production. I don’t expect much, honestly, but it’s an honor to be considered. Then, of course, there is the very strong yen...”

Crowther had obviously been doing some fast thinking as Cliff spoke. When Cliff finished he said, “How soon could you ship trial quantities of rings and valves? I’m sure you still have the specs and everything.”

“I’ll have to check with our production people, Jack. How fast would you like to have them, when, and where?”

Crowther responded quickly, “Cliff, could you call me tomorrow with availability? I’ll have the rest of the information for you then. And of course, I will need a price quote.”

“We will be happy to quote, Jack. What quantities?” Crowther told him the quantities, and Steve saw Cliff’s eyebrows raise. “Thanks, Jack. I’ll call you in the morning.”

Cliff hung up the phone. “Steve, the low number he quoted for quantities was our old production number. The high number is triple!”

The two men cheered and started dancing around the office. Betty came in to find out what had happened. When they told her, she joined the dance. Bill picked up the phone to call Bill Stevens. He asked Bill to get Max and join him in Steve’s office. Moments later the two men arrived. As Cliff told him what had happened, Bill’s eyes widened. When he told them the quantities, they both cheered.

Cliff said to Max, “I would like you to use our handy portable PA system, Max, and tell the guys what’s happened. It’s strictly your show. Without the quality those guys have been turning out, it couldn’t have happened. Do you mind?”

“Mind? My God, this is the best news in weeks, and you want me to announce it? Not you or Sandy?”

“No, Max. This is yours. Bill, how soon could we add machines to double our capacity? And Max, I don’t have to tell you this is a quality sell. Our quality can’t slip ... not the tiniest bit. What about people?”

Max beamed. “That’s not a problem. Guaranteed. When can the machines be in?”

“Bill?” Cliff asked.

“I’ll have to check with Micronics, but largely due to the way Sandy has been handling things, they honest-to-God love us! I don’t know how long it will take, but I double-your-money-back guarantee, no one — no one — could get them faster. What about the trial order? How soon, and how much?”

“I’ll know tomorrow for sure, Bill. But you know Magna’s trial quantities. What do you think?”

Bill looked at Max and held up five fingers. Max nodded. “I can have normal trial quantities in five days. The quality will blow them away. They have never seen stuff as good as they will be getting.”

“Okay, guys. It’s a deal. Bill, did you speak to Max about security? He and all the people need to know. Why don’t you brief him, and he can add it to his speech?”

Bill quickly reviewed the short selling of Murphy stock and the fear that someone — about to lose a fortune — might stoop to industrial sabotage to prevent Murphy from performing on its contracts. He ended by saying, “Max, I think we have a real family here. The nice thing is everyone pretty well knows everyone else. You and your people will be alerted to the Pinkertons. You will know who they are. If anybody sees anyone he doesn’t recognize — whether he’s acting suspicious or not — we want the Pinkertons alerted.”

Max laughed loudly. “What’s that saying, ‘Things that go around, come around?’ The irony is wonderful. Pinkerton really grew as a company of strikebreakers one-hundred years ago or so. Now they are on our side. I think it’s great! But you know what? I’m afraid it is one only a few of us old-timers will appreciate. Cliff, I’ll do it! And, I don’t need to tell you this, but I will anyway. It’s our company, too.”

Cliff went back to his office. Checking his watch he found it was nearly quitting time. Then he told the girls it was time to pack it in but didn’t tell them about the talk with Crowther at Magna.

As usual, they went out through the plant. His timing was perfect. Max was just about to start his speech, and Sandy stopped to listen. They heard Max tell about the test order from Magna. “We got it, folks! We really got it! Now all we have to do is give them our usual product. Those turkeys will freak out when they see the quality we routinely ship to Kaga.”

He went on and ended by telling the workers about the chance of sabotage. He finished by saying, “Remember, those clowns are out to destroy our jobs! We know one another. You’ll know the Pinkertons. Anyone else — and I mean anyone else — tell the Pinks. Any questions?”

There were a few, but the thing Cliff noticed immediately was they understood the threat to their jobs. The noises he heard were ugly. He wouldn’t want to be a person found trying to tamper with the machines.

They walked on out to the car, leaving Kelly’s rental in the lot. “Cliff,” Sandy said sweetly, “you are a bastard. We hear we’re back in at Magna — at up to triple the old volume — from our union president, for chrissakes! Just for that, you get the check tonight. We are celebrating with dinner and dancing. Kevin O’Rourke is joining us. I may — or may not — be speaking to you!”

Cliff just grinned and said nothing. They went to Kelly’s hotel, and she checked in. He smiled at Sandy while they waited for her to wash up. Sandy tried to glare at him, but without great success. When Kelly returned to the car, Sandy was in his arms.

“Golly, folks,” Kelly said. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Sandy stretched broadly and gave Cliff another kiss. “Nope. He wasn’t very nice, so it’s too early to bed him. Are you all set? And are we corrupting your morals?”

“Corrupting, no. Jealous, yes. Let’s go. Who is Kevin, by the way?”

“Kevin O’Rourke is a delightful guy. Of course, you’ll have to talk to him in equations or hexadecimal language. I think that’s what computers speak, isn’t it Cliff?” Sandy asked. “Anyway, it’s something like that. Maybe you can baffle him with some interesting regression equations on earnings growth or something,” she finished airily.

“Sandra Donnell, I thought I liked you, but now the real you comes out. You are hateful! Just because you have captured a girl’s dream is no reason to rub it in. I’ll have to think about it for a while, but I’m pretty sure I am not speaking to you ever again. Or at least tonight. Or at least until we get to where we’re going,” Kelly said with the grin audible in her voice.