AS SHE’D PREDICTED, Renie’s presentation went well. “There
were the usual glitches,” Renie reported to Judith three hours
later, “and of course they got to arguing among themselves.
But Killegrew still has the last word, and he seemed very
pleased.”
Judith gave Renie’s shoulder a congratulatory pat. “Good
for you, coz. I was worried, especially after that scene in the
dining room.”
“You can tell me about that now,” Renie said, opening a
duffel bag and pulling out a pair of old slacks and a Georgetown University sweatshirt. “I didn’t want to know about
it before I went onstage. It might have distracted me.”
While Renie changed, Judith recounted what she knew of
the incident between Margo Chang and Andrea PiccoloniRoth. “Mr. Killegrew took charge, and everything sort of
calmed down. There was another man who intervened, a
tall, lean guy with a faint drawl.”
“Ward Haugland,” Renie said promptly. “He’s the executive vice president, remember?”
Judith did, vaguely. “The only other one who spoke up
was a woman who looked as if she was Samoan. I guessed
her to be Ava Aunuu.”
“Exactly.” Renie slipped into thigh-high boots.
“Ava’s a computer whiz. Frank Killegrew raided her from
one of the big computer companies about four years ago and
immediately made her a vice president. She’s only in her
thirties, but I’ve been told that she’s the person most responsible for bringing OTIOSE up to speed in terms of technology.
Frank’s strictly from the old school of engineering. That’s
why he keeps his trusty slide rule at his side. I don’t think
he’s figured out how to use a computer, let alone apply the
new technology to modern communications.”
Judith only half-heard Renie’s comments. It was a quarter
after four, and she was taking final inventory of the foodstuffs
she’d arranged for the rest of the weekend.
“Just before we leave, I’ll set up the supper buffet,” Judith
said, removing the soiled apron she’d worn since arriving at
the lodge. “They plan to eat at seven, right?”
“Yes.” Renie reached for her cigarettes, saw Judith’s disapproving glance, and began to nibble for the first time. A slice
of peach, a chunk of cantaloupe, and a plump strawberry
seemed to satisfy her. “Right now, they’re taking a breather,
then they’ll gather for cocktails around six. You’ve got chafing dishes, so you can put the hot food out around six-thirty.
Then we can head home.” Renie yawned and stretched.
“Sounds good to me,” Judith said. “Is there any reason why
we can’t have a look around now?”
Renie considered. “We probably shouldn’t go upstairs
where the guest rooms are located. But we could snoop
around the main floor. Oh, when I carted all my presentation
materials back to the car, the clouds had lifted, and you could
