to do it for her, like a surgeon removing a cancer.
She liked the metaphor: Dan Kresge had been a cancer on the bank, and hed been removed. Good for the bank and everybody employed there. McDonald was a cancer on her sister: the sooner he was cut out, the better.
AUDREY EASED INTO THE HOUSE, MOVING QUIETLY, wary of an ambush. Was he in the tub again? In the study? She stepped into the kitchen, and the board that always squeaked, the one shed sworn two hundred times to fix, squeaked.
Audrey? Is that you? He was in the study; he sounded sober.
Its me, she said tentatively.
Jesus Christ, where have you been? Ive been calling Helen, but nobody ever answers. Hed been lurching down the hall as he spoke, a yellow legal pad in his hand, and when he turned into the kitchen, he spotted the black eye and pulled up. Holy cow. Did I do that?
She recognized the mood and moved to take advantage of it: No, of course not, she said sarcastically. Ive been hitting myself in the face with a broomstick.
Aw, Jesus… That was all shed get. He went on, But Jesus, we gotta talk. I got a cop following me around. And the boards gonna meet on Wednesday, but probably wont make a decision. Theyre talking about a search, for Christs sake.
A search? Thats just a way of slowing everything down.
I know that. Its me or ODell or Bone.
Have you talked to your father?
Just for a minute, to ask him to stay out of it for the time being. I thought it might be a little too obvious if he got out there. At this point.
Good thought… What about the cop?
Its this fuckin Davenport, McDonald said impatiently. He was talking to Bone today, and the word is, hes asking about me.
Whats he asking? Audrey asked. He doesnt think you…
I dont know; Im finding out. He could be a problem.
How can he be a problem? You didnt shoot anybody. His eyes slid away from hers: I know… but he could be a problem. He looked back: I mean, Jesus, if theres a search, you think theyre gonna pick a guy who the cops are investigating?
Okay.
And the thing is, the sheriff up there, Krause, hes just about signed off on the thing, from what I hear. Hes dead in the water. If it wasnt for Davenport, itd be pretty much over with.
Maybe thats something your father could help with right now.
Come on in here, Wilson said, and turned back toward the study. The study was a large room with a window looking out on the front lawn, and two walls of shelves loaded with knickknacks, travel souvenirs, and small golf and tennis trophies going back to Wilsons days in prep school and college. Framed photos of Wilson and Audrey with George Bush, Ronald Reagan, and in much younger days a tired-looking Richard Nixon, looked down from the third wall. Wilson dropped into the brown-leather executives chair behind the cherry desk, while Audrey perched on a love seat below Nixons worn face.
So call your father on Davenport. On the board, we cancall Jimmy and Elaine, Audrey said. Elaine is very close to Dafne Bose, and Jimmys been trying to get into the trust departments legal workforever… Dafne Bose was on the board. If we can get to Dafne, were halfway there.
You know who else? He looked down at the legal pad. Were carrying two million bucks in land-andattachments paper on Shankland Chev, which they couldnt get a half-million anywhere else. And Dave Shankland…
… is married to Peg Bose. Peg Bose was Dafnes daughter. We couldnt use that right away, itd look too much like blackmail. But if we got in a squeak…
Heres the list Ive got so far, Wilson said. He passed the legal pad to Audrey. Seventeen board members, so we need nine. Four I can count onEirich, Goff, Brandt, and Sanderson. If we can get Dafne, we can probably get Rondeau and Bunde, cause they pretty much do what she suggests. Then wed need two…
How about Young? You know he wants to get into Woodland.
Oh, man, I dont know if I could swing that, Wilson said doubtfully.
We need a black member anyway, because of that government thing, and whod be better than Billy Young? His father was a minister and hes really pretty white. And he must be worth…
They began working down strings of possible supporters, analyzing relationships, working out who knew who, who owed who, who could be bought, and with what.
Later, getting coffee, Audrey without thinking brushed her cheek, and flinched at the sudden lancing pain. The black eye: shed forgotten about it, and Wilson had never really paid any attention to it anyway. The excitement of conspiracy, she decided: some of their tenderest moments had occurred in the study, working over legal pads…
MARCUS KENT WAS AN ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT IN corporate operations, working for Bone; he sat on one end of Susan ODells couch. Carla Wyte, who technically worked for Robles in the currency room, lounged on the other end. Louise Compton, wearing blue jeans and a Nike sweatshirt, sat cross-legged on the floor.
… either Bone or me, ODell was saying. She was on her feet, as though she were a junior exec making a presentation to the board of directors. McDonald cant get more than six. Hes the obvious first thought, because of his family, but twelve members would be dead set against him. When that becomes obvious, things will start to move. I can see myself with eight votes; and I can see eight for Bone, but only a couple are solid for each of us. Everything is very fluid… So I think were gonna have to start maneuvering here.
How about Robles? Wyte asked.
No chance, ODell said. Its gonna be Bone or me.
Bone is good, Wyte said. His division makes the big bucks.
Most of it by me, Kent said.
ODell looked at Kent: But its his division, not yours. He gets the credit.
Kent said, Before we get any further in this, let me ask… What do we get out of it? Carla and Louise and me? We know what you get.
ODell said, You get Bones job. He wont stay around long if Im picked for the top spot. And Carlas eventually going to move into Robless slot. But right awayand I mean right awayshe gets money.
How much? Wytes eyebrows went up.
Fifty more. Fifty is the number I had in mind.
Fifty is a nice number, Wyte said.
And itll be twice that when Robles leaves.
Compton said, How about me?
Youre gonna be my executive assistant. Youre gonna be my ears. My intelligence department. Youll do realwellin terms of clout, if not in title, youll be number two in the bank.
So how do we do this? Wyte asked. What do we do… assuming were all in.
ODell looked around the room. After a second, Kent said, Im in, and Compton said, Yeah. Wyte nodded.
So… ODell said. Im going to start putting together a pitch for the board. Its got to be good, and itll take time. And Ill start working the board: thats something I have to do personally.
To some extent, its gonna be like a political campaign, but with fewer voters, Compton said. Shed come to the bank from the state capitol. One thing we can do is, we can make the point with the newspapers that youd be the first woman ever to run a major bank in Minnesota. Or anywhere, as far as I know. Any other major bank CEOs are women? She looked around, then answered herself. No. Okay. Ill check that out, but I can also start working the papers.
Thats good, ODell said. But weve got to get it going. How long before we could see it on the news?
Compton looked at her watch: Ive got time today. Ill have to talk to a couple of people, but we should see some action by tomorrow morning. When they call, youve got to be modest and all that… you know, the board has to make a decision.
I know, ODell said. I can do that.
Kent leaned forward, took a cinnamon candy out of a bowl on the coffee table, peeled off the crinkly
