Chapter 24: Quid Pro Quo

Bill picked me up at my apartment the morning after my court appearance and soon his limo had brought us to Masterson's office building. I had no idea what was to be the subject of this unexpected meeting. The elevator whisked us up to the 82^nd floor and we stepped into a very tasteful reception area with original oil paintings on the walls. A conservatively dressed receptionist was evidently expecting us. She informed us in a refined British accent that it would be just a few minutes until Mr. Masterson finished his long distance call and inquired if we would like coffees. While we sipped them I noticed a finely detailed statue of a nude ballerina executing a graceful leap. I thought at once of my dancer friend Jennifer Maisten who, as far as I knew, was still a slave at Masterson Automotive. I thought also of my friend Rebecca Sanchez who was indentured at his company and, like myself, had been treated like a slave. Suddenly I was startled from my daydreaming.

"Stephanie Glenn?" I looked up to see a tall and very energetic looking man smiling in my direction. "Greg Masterson. I am so glad to meet you at last! I am glad you and Bill could join me today."

He led us into his inner sanctum and we were comfortably seated.

"You are, to say the least, an intriguing lady, Miss Glenn. About two months ago I offered to release you from your indenture to my company on condition you not pursue criminal charges against my employees. You turned me down and won your freedom anyway. You have fire and spirit young lady! I admire that!"

"You take no credit for your own role in that sir" I responded. "Bill has informed me that I not so much won my freedom in court as I received it as a surprise gift from you sir! Is it true that you gave the order to drop your company's legal opposition to my bid for freedom?"

"It is true I gave that order. But freedom would have been yours in any case. It was just a matter of time. Your cause was just and I saw no point protracting the litigation. If life has taught me anything it is to bow out gracefully when a graceful exit is still possible."

"We are somewhat puzzled as to the purpose of this meeting" Bill interjected.

"I am getting around to that" the man behind the hand carved walnut desk responded. "I noticed in yesterday's news that three of my top former employees were convicted of felonies that could put them away for life. While I am sure you will understand that I have mixed feelings about that, I must nevertheless congratulate you, Miss Glenn, on your courage and tenacity in pursuing what you thought was a just cause of action."

"Do you not think these men got what they deserved?" I asked. Bill was gripping my arm trying to get me to cool it. No doubt he thought it best not to aggravate the old man who must be suffering enough already.

"Certainly I do" Masterson replied, "though it makes me uncomfortable to think that I hired Zigler and put him in charge. That reflects on my judgment and it will be a long time before I can forgive myself for that one. Duncan I barely knew. He was someone Zigler hired in my absence."

"But I also had hired Tom Jenkins over 20 years ago when I was just starting my business. He had been with me a long time and knows my business inside out. I am sad to see him come to such an end. I never knew about his sexual problem until it came out in this court case. I want to get back to Jenkins a bit later but first I have something else I want to present to you."

I watched the old man get up from his desk and pace over near the window that commanded a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline.

"I have studied the records of your service with my company Miss Glenn. I reviewed the work you did under Tom Jenkins when you were a free employee and also the work you did on the apprenticeship project when you were with us as a slave. The quality of your work was outstanding! I am going to propose something to you and I fear your first reaction will be to say no. But I urge you to at least consider it for a day or two and then give me your decision."

"I want you back working for us again, Miss Glenn. Only this time it can be entirely on your terms. I have already hired a new manager for the accounting department to replace Tom Jenkins and she is a woman I think you would have no problem getting along with. It may not be easy for you to make the transition back into being a free employee and a citizen again. But I can make that transition easier for you. I am offering you a job, Miss Glenn, at a very handsome salary!"

The old man went back behind his desk and waited for my reaction.

"Mr. Masterson, I don't think " I started to say.

"Please call me Greg."

"Well Greg, I do appreciate your kind offer, but I could never feel comfortable going back to work in that place again after the humiliations I suffered there!"

I struggled not to cry as I said this. Bill put his arm on my shoulder to steady me.

"I am truly sorry for those humiliations, Stephanie. I never authorized practices such as you experienced. You came to my company as an indentured servant and I am afraid my people treated you as they would treat a penal slave. For that I deeply apologize. I am offering you the job, however, not as an apology for what you suffered, but as recognition of the fine abilities you demonstrated. Please at least consider it."

"My answer must be no, Mr. Masterson."

"Very well. I was afraid that might be your response. In that case I will try to help you get re-established in another way."

With that he wrote some lines on a piece of paper and tore it off the pad and handed it to me.

"This is the name of my accountant. He owns a large auditing firm on the other side of town. I discussed your situation with him at lunch yesterday. He said he could use a bright ambitious young accountant like you. Please call his cell number on the slip and let him know that we spoke. I am sure he would like to interview you for a possible position with his firm."

I was having difficulty believing my good fortune. I was already going to be in a good financial position after I realized the proceeds from selling off Zigler, Duncan, Jenkins, Cheryl Clifford and the two boys. But getting re-established in my profession as an accountant and getting my career back on track had seemed to me quite a challenge. Now Masterson was dropping the solution right into my lap! Why had he extended himself so far to help me?

"Is there any quid pro quo for all this help, Greg?" Bill interjected, anticipating my own question.

"Not really. But there is something I would like to propose to Miss Glenn which would help me very much if she would consider it."

"Stephanie, if I may call you that, I want you to understand that I had fired Zigler and Duncan two months ago when Bill told me what they had done in my absence. But I also want you to understand that the situation with regard to Tom Jenkins is a bit more complicated. You see, he was my first employee ever when I started Masterson Automotive. He helped me get the company off the ground. He was a man of exceptional business ability. Of course I knew nothing over the years about his sexual problem — his need to sexually dominate and even rape women — which was what drove him to do what he did to you. I cannot condone what he did to you. In fact I would even agree that he deserves to be enslaved for a long time for what he did to you."

"So what are you asking of me?" I was quite confused about where he was going with all this.

"My problem is that I still need this man to help me run this business. He knows the ins and outs of every department and division of this vast international enterprise. He knows so many things that I feel helpless without him. I think there might be a way for him to receive the punishment he deserves and yet let me still have the benefit of his services. What I am asking of you, Stephanie, is that when he becomes your property, that you consider selling him to me. The price I would pay to own that man would be much higher than you could obtain by selling him at an open public auction. He would then work here at my company as a management consultant, not as a department head, and he would work here as a slave."