Chapter 259: It Just Looks Like a Bribe

The Downtown house was really my haven from the world. Once inside I could stand outside life and look in on it. It's what I did that morning. I stood on the second floor and watched the traffic going up and down the small main street. I rather enjoyed it. I probably could have stayed in that position for hours, but I had things that needed doing. So I moved away from the window and began my day.

I found Trugate's office phone number and dialed it. I got his secretary of course. "Yes this is Maxine Stone, I need an appointment to see Mr. Trugate concerning a donation to the Southwood Academy for Young Women," I said.

"Hold please," she said.

"Ms Stone," the voice of Trugate said cheerfully. "I had hoped that we would meet again, but I had no idea that it would be so soon, or concerning something so close my my family's heart. When would you like to meet with us." He was making it clear that it was a business meeting. That was more than just okay with me.

"I'm free most of the time, so choose what is best for you," I said cordially.

"If you are free for lunch, we could meet at the Downtowner at say 1PM," he suggested.

"That would be fine. Since I am not a member, you will leave word with the captain?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied.

"Good, I am seldom fashionably late," I admitted.

The Downtowner was a small dining room at the top of the International office building. The view had to be great from the sixth and top floor of the building. Okay I'm being sarcastic again. The Downtowner was the best our local businessmen could do. They had five different menus one for each work day of the week. If you didn't want steak on Tuesday, then you should not go to the downtowner.

I had no idea what was on the menu for that day, but I knew I could either eat it, or pretend to eat it. I was going to be at the downtowner to do business, which more than half of the others in the room would be doing as well.

I spent the three hours till lunch relaxing and working on my story. It would have to be harmless and still forceful enough not to let myself or Garcia get ripped off. I could imagine how poorly Gracia would accept losing two hundred thousand dollars. I didn't necessarily think Trugate needed to know that.

I expected that Trugate needed to be finessed, not bludgeoned. Still it might come in handy one day, if I needed to keep him in line.

The time passed slowly but it did pass. Since it was a private club, I decided to leave Eve at home. She didn't seem to mind. I wouldn't have either.

"Thank you for meeting me," I said to both the Trugates. When I arrived they were both already at the table.

"It is our pleasure I assure you," Mrs. Trugate suggested.

"That is very kind of you," I said. Mr Trugate stood as the waiter held my chair. Part of the old southern tradition of grace at lunch, I thought with an inward sneer.

"I do hope you like Tuna. The women insisted that the club begin serving healthier dishes. We agreed to fish once a week and this it it." Trugate informed me.

"The food is secondary for me. I know this is crass, but I came for the meeting not the meal." I'm sure that I reinforced their opinion of me as lower than low class white trash. Nothing I could possibly do would change that opinion, so why bother trying. So much for finesse, I thought.

I removed the envelop from my purse. "Inside this folder are the complete school records of a young woman. I would like very much to see her attend your academy. Her admission will come with a donation to the school's general fund of $200,000. I do not care how you justify it to your staff or whoever. I would just like to see it happen."

"Ms Stone, I realize that in your world everything is for sale," Mr Trugate said. "But in ours thing are not always for sale."

"Mr. Trugate, I know you are standing on principle. I think that is a fine thing. I checked and your school does a lot of fine things, but it has changing enrollments. That combined with the falling stock market last year has left the school's general fund tapping the endowment just to keep the grass cut.

"The young lady is academically qualified. I would not ask you to lower your standards to accept someone who wasn't." Bullshit, I thought. If it would solve my problem, I would be here doing exactly the same thing for a failing student. The fact that Lisa was a good student just made it easier for him to swallow.

"Since she would be a good candidate regardless, consider the donation a bonus for doing the right thing. That is something that doesn't often happen in this world." I said with a smile.

He still looked almost angry, but his wife reached over to take the envelop. She slipped it into her purse. "Since lunch was not a priority, you will be leaving now?" she asked.

"But of course," I do hope you will be getting in touch with me with regards to how the check should be made.

"I would expect that to happen within the next couple of weeks," she said with what was obvious distaste.

"Thank you so very much," I said just as disingenuously as possible.

"You won't be staying for lunch," the waiter asked as I stood to leave.

"No I had no idea you were serving tuna. I am a member of the save the dolphin group. Tuna nets you know?" I said that as I turned to leave. I know it was a cheap shot, but I felt cheap at that moment.

I called Garcia's lawyer from the parking lot of the International building. "Pass this message on to your client for me. The price to play is 200K plus the normal cost."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"You don't need to know, just know that it isn't a criminal enterprise," I informed him. "I expect a authorization to go ahead or a terminate decision before the day ends. The payment isn't going to be due until registration."