Chapter 23
Murphy’s Law of Business #2
“It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.”
Toni had a headache, whether from a lack of sleep, worry, shear boredom, or a combination of all three, she didn’t know. The Tuesday board meeting had been droning on for two and half hours about production schedules and payment plans covering the loans taken out, a third of a billion dollars in order to not only purchase Starling’s formulas, but to finance their rapid production and marketing. When Toni had raised questions about the loan conditions and the legal liability regarding the advertising and use of the scents, Bateman and the other board members shut her down, telling her to save such concerns for when the formulas were actually produced, and loans needed to be repaid. President of the company, Pendergast, sat at the far end of the table, looking lost.
After another two hours of sitting listening to the travesties Bateman had planned, watching the rest of the board licking their collective lips like a pack of starving hyenas, Toni dragged herself to her office. She picked up her messages from Crystal on the way. She didn’t miss the concerned look from her secretary. She’d returned from the board meeting with no documents in her hands and her legal pad showing two lines of notes.
As happy as Crystal had been with her promotion, her job promised to be as empty as Toni’s. They were both servants of the board which meant they had little to do unless the board wanted something legally rubber stamped. She had wondered whether she wanted to be the lead counsel after getting to know Bateman and the board. Now she knew.
Crystal gave her a little smile. “Rena Landers is in your office.”
Rena lay stretched out on the office couch under a huge painting done by a German, Dan Rees. Toni’s desk faced the huge smear of paint vacuum-packed in a framed plastic bag. She hated it, but being ‘the current thing,’ his works now hung on walls throughout the top floor.
“Wow, a corner office with a view. Congratulations!” Rena sat up, examining her friend. “Criminy, woman. You look like shit.”
“Oooh, that’s what I needed to hear.” Toni threw the legal pad on her desk and sat down on the couch with Rena. A floor-to-ceiling window threw sunlight on Rena, making her squint. Toni hit a button on the remote control positioned in the middle of the coffee table and the window glass darkened.
“Cool.” Rena reached for the remote. “What do these other buttons do?” She pushed one and a wide-screen TV lowered from the ceiling. A news program erupted on the screen, a blonde stock market analyst discussing the recent products expansion announced by Rayaneta as a ribbon of stock prices below her scrolled by. “Holy Mollee. You have toys!”
Toni moved the console out of Rena’s reach and turned off the TV.
Rena frowned at her as the TV disappeared again. “Baby, you’ve arrived but you look like you found your pet goldfish floating upside down.”
“Thank you for that stirring image.” Toni stood and went over to the far wall and hit a button. She couldn’t let Rena see the tears starting again. Doors in the wood paneling swung open to reveal a full bar, dozens of bottles lining several shelves in front of a mirror. “Before you brighten my day any further, want something to drink?”
“Holy shit, that’s impressive.” When Toni waited for an answer, Rena said, “Well, sure, can you do a wine cooler?”
Toni nodded. “White or red?” When Rena said white, Toni replied, “Coming up” including Excedrin with hers. With a mini- fridge and fancy food processor, she made the cooler into an icy drink. Toni poured herself one and sitting down again, handed Rena her cooler. “Enjoy,” they said, and clinked glasses.
After a moment, Rena leaned forward. “So, why the long face? This position has been your dream goal forever.”
“It isn’t what I thought it would be, not how I thought I’d earn . . .” Sitting back, Toni rolled her neck and sighed.
“Not how?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, no you don’t. I can tell, it does matter.” Rena crossed her arms. “So give already.”
Toni held her iced glass to her temple, the cold soothing the ache. Closing her eyes, she said, “Bateman was pressuring me to convince Starling to sell his formulas. So I, well, I made a deal with the devil. If I got Starling to sell the sex scents, then Bateman would give me the lead counsel position.”
“What? I thought you didn’t want BJ to sell them.”
She opened her eyes and glanced at her friend. “I didn’t.”
“Okay, so now you have me well and truly confused.”
“I was pissed at Starling after our first meeting at his house and Bateman was being a shithead, so I offered him a deal I was sure he wouldn’t agree to. Ackerman is a longtime cog in the Good Old Boy cabal that runs Rayaneta.” Toni shrugged and downed her wine cooler, squinting at the resultant brain freeze. “But Bateman really wanted those formulas, so, I wrote up an agreement. He signed it, quite happy to sell out Ackerman if he could get the formulas.”
Toni hopped up from the couch, and at the bar, poured herself several fingers of scotch. “I’d given up on getting the counsel position. I was willing to sacrifice that dream to keep Bateman and the board from getting the formulas.” She took a long draw from her glass and then ran her fingers through her hair, destroying whatever style it had.
“Today, I had to sit through a four-hour strategy meeting about all the crass, manipulative things they’re going to do with Starling’s scents.”
Like she was finally realizing it, Rena said, “Geesus, BJ sold the formulas. So what did he say?”
“BJ? I haven’t talked to him.”
Rena set her drink down and leaned forward. “Why?”
Toni glared into space and then huffed. “He lied to me, Rena. I asked BJ, begged him not to sell those formulas to Bateman and he promised he wouldn’t. He promised . Instead he went behind my back and sold them to Bateman for a hundred and five million.”
“Holy shit! That much?” When Toni nodded, Rena said, eyeing her, “BJ told you he wouldn’t sell them?”
“Oh yeah, the bastard lied straight to my face. He had the papers drawn up the day before the Tough Mudder. I don’t know whether it was part of his campaign to get me in bed or he worked on me so he could soak the idiot Board for millions. Either way, he played me.”
After a stunned silence, Rena whispered, “BJ? No.”
When Toni gave an unhappy nod, Rena frowned hard and shook her head in disbelief. “That’s awful. I’d heard rumors about a big deal, which explains the hunt for cash. But my God, the formulas? Why didn’t Sam tell me ? Why didn’t he say something to BJ to stop him?”
“Maybe BJ didn’t tell him.”
“I can’t believe that,” Rena said, but then sat up straight. “I can’t believe BJ would do such a thing, let alone keep Sam in the dark, but, but if he lied to you . . .”
“Believe it.” Toni felt her throat closing up and clenched her jaw thinking about the betrayal.
Rena scowled. “If Sam knew and didn’t tell me, that doctoral thesis I’ve been typing for him is going to be introduced to a paper shredder along with a hammer to his laptop.” She glanced at Toni. “Has BJ gotten in touch since you learned of the sale?”
“He called several times this last weekend but hasn’t tried to contact me since.”
“He did say you weren’t returning his calls or answering your door.”
“Damn straight I wasn’t. It took him long enough to get the message.”
Rena sat back and squinted at Toni, her mouth turned down. “So, you don’t want him to call.”
“Hell, yes.”
Rena frowned. “You mean no? You don’t want him to call?”
“Y-Yes,” Toni stuttered, giving Rena an irritated glance. “I mean no, I don’t want him to call.” She downed the rest of her scotch and looked at the cut-crystal glass as though it held a balm for her tortured emotions. “I never want to see him again.”
“His sale did get you your lead counsel position.”
“Damn it. I didn’t want it that way, and it’s a nothing position.” She sat back on the couch and beat at the cushions. “I’ve been cut out of anything related to the formulas. They had other lawyers draw up the contracts with BJ.” She stood and paced the room. “I’d sabotage the whole thing if I could and Bateman probably knows it, which is why I get to sit in this wonderful office, drawing three times my former salary doing nothing except watching the board make plans for Starling’s sex scents.”
Rena reached out and took Toni’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Toni smiled her thanks. After a moment, Rena said, “Well, I certainly can see why you might not be looking your best today.” Toni gave Rena a squint-eyed look and got her coat.
The two left for O’Bannon’s. On the way to the parking garage, Rena asked, “Well, what are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“About BJ?”
Toni glared at Rena who innocently gazed at the traffic lights as they waited to cross First Street. “Nothing.”
“Oookay. What are you going to do about Bateman and your job?”
“Quit.”
“What?” Rena stopped dead with a shocked expression.
“Not immediately.” Toni rocked her head. “In spite of recent behavior, I’m not a complete idiot. I want to have a job waiting for me before I resign.”
~ ~ ~
Rain tapped against Toni’s office window, an agitated beat turning Friday afternoon outside the glass a blurry watercolor. Most everyone had left early, so she felt safe working on her personal laptop. As miserable as she was, Toni still had to be circumspect. She’d spent a good portion of her first weeks as lead counsel searching for open positions in other law firms and corporations. She’d also entertained enquiries from a few headhunters trolling for talent.
It wasn’t as though she had anything else to do. The board wouldn’t let her review or direct any legal business. That was left to Rich Yates. She was the ‘beck and call girl’ to the Board. If it hadn’t been for Rich, she’d have gone stir-crazy. He’d asked for her help in getting things done several times a week.
She now understood why she had done a good deal of Ackerman’s job as lead counsel. He did nothing, and the board wanted to uphold that tradition. This Tuesday they’d held an emergency meeting in which she’d been told not to attend but to be ready to meet with them if they needed her.
Toni sat back in her chair, surveying her empty desktop and rubbed her forehead. Nothing new appeared this week in the way of job opportunities throughout the Seattle area. Just as she closed out the search program, Rena sashayed through the door with a cheerful smile. She’d gotten in the habit of coming up to enjoy Toni’s ‘amazing’ office and full bar at the end of the day, which was fun, but Toni was going to suggest they go out tonight if Sam was busy, or willing, to come along. He hadn’t known about Starling’s machinations, so the one dinner she’d had with him, and Rena had proven awkward.
Rena said, “Hi” as she marched to the wall behind Toni’s desk and popped opened the panels to the bar. “I keep expecting to see an empty bottle or ice tray, but it never happens,” she said happily, pulling out two glasses. Before Toni could suggest they head downtown, her phone rang. It was Bateman.
“Mr. Bateman.”
“Crenshaw. My office, now .”
Toni closed her eyes for a moment before she answered. “I’m on my way.”
“Rena, I have to go see The Chairman.” Her tone implied a kettle-drum anthem.
Rena made a face. “I’ll have something strong for you when you get back.”
Shaking her head, Toni said, “Don’t. Let’s go out. Maybe Sam can join us or the Crew.” She hesitated for a moment. “Rena, if I’m not back here in ten, would you come find me in Bateman’s office? I’m afraid he might be using the formulas. It’s been less than a month, but the labs have already started producing batches of the formulas. I don’t want to get waylaid by Bateman, because I’m pretty sure I’d have a difficult time knowing I’m being influenced, and it’s impossible to fight.”
“Jesus!” Rena put back the glasses and frowned at Toni. “Of course. I’ll bring my pepper spray.”
If Toni’s office was ‘amazing,’ Bateman’s modeled Xanadu, complete with oak paneling, Persian rugs, and a stuffed bear head over a fireplace. Supposedly, Bateman shot it in Alaska rather than on the New York trading floor. He didn’t look up when his stone-faced secretary ushered her in. The long walk to his desk was designed to intimidate, but it just made her mad. She stood waiting for him as he laboriously scribbled something on a document. Probably spelling out his signature. After a minute, she sat down in a low plush chair and waited. Immediately, Bateman looked up glowering. “Don’t get comfortable. You won’t be here long.”
She waited, rotating her head in slow athlete style.
Pushing the papers aside with an impatient huff, he glared at Toni, and said, “I want you to sue Starling for a breach of contract.”
“What?” She sat up. “On what grounds?”
“Find some.”
After a moment of gaping at the Bateman, Toni chuckled. “Just like that?”
“Damn it, yes. I want to see something by Monday.”
Confused, Toni said, “But you have no reasons at the moment?”
“You’re the lawyer, you find them. I want grounds for a suit.”
It was ridiculous, but the scowl on Bateman’s face spoke eloquently. She’d gotten her marching orders. Without a word, she got up and left.
“Wow, that was quick.” Rena rose from the couch and grabbed her coat but stopped when she saw Toni’s face. “Oooh. What happened?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Where did she file the documents regarding Starling’s contract? “Bateman wants me to sue Starling.”
“What for?”
“He’s told me to ‘find something.’”
“Well, that’s bizarre.”
“Rena, how about we meet at Kells? If Sam and some of the girls can come that would be wonderful.” Toni ran a hand through her hair and went to the file cabinet set in the wall. Glancing at Rena, she shrugged. “Bateman wants something by Monday, and I have to collect the contracts before I leave, wherever they might be. It will require a few minutes. Can I meet you there?”
Rena shrugged. “Sure. In what, twenty?”
~ ~ ~
Having found the complete contract agreements, Toni threw them in her briefcase. She trotted to the elevators, eager to get to Kells. She wasn’t coming in during the weekend. The elevator took its time getting to the top floor, but when it arrived, it was empty.
Bateman’s assignment made no sense. Guesses about why he wanted the suit spun in her head as the elevator descended. When the door opened on the 27 th floor, still distracted with her questions, Toni didn’t look up until Starling was already in the elevator.
Casually dressed in a polo shirt and light jacket, Starling was sporting another new look. She blinked once before she fully accepted the fact that he was standing in front of her. Her body was suddenly awash with pain and anger, constricting every muscle.
Starling pushed the down button and regarded her stoically, appearing as self-contained and remote as an image projected on a wall. “Toni.”
The doors closed and the elevator started down. Starling was holding a manila envelope. She sneered. “What, another deal with Bateman, so soon?”
Starling glanced at the envelope in his hand. “No,” he said with a twist of his mouth, “quite the contrary.”
“I’m sure there are more millions to be had. You’ve really worked Childers.” She vibrated with pent-up fury. The edges of her vision were tinted red.
“Toni, I never promised I wouldn’t sell—”
“LIAR!” Before she realized what was happening, her fist was on fire and Starling was leaning up against the wall, hand to his cheek, shock stretching his face. Toni stared back at him, stunned, unable to think.
Just then, the elevator doors dinged opened and a group deep in conversation stepped toward the elevator but suddenly fell silent, gaping at the scene.
Toni gasped, seeing their audience. Gulping back tears, she hurriedly pushed through the group, leaving protests in her wake as she ran down the hall. Slumped up against the railing in the eighteenth-floor stairwell, Toni gave in to the flood of emotions and sobbed, bewildered by her own actions, having hit Starling. Another Crenshaw legacy.
She hadn’t cried over a man since high school, but now how many times had she with Starling? When the tears had run their course, she retrieved her cell and called Rena, letting her know she was on her way. Toni collected herself and crept back to the elevator. The walk to Kells helped to clear her head. When she arrived and told Rena what had happened, she too couldn’t believe Toni had slugged BJ. Even so, she told Rena she would find something to sue that shithead for, so help her.