Part 42 (1/2)
Drizzling and chilly was what it was, but Maureen found herself grinning back. ”Absolutely a cla.s.sic spring morning. You've got a conference call scheduled for ten. Atlanta, Chicago.”
”I know.”
”And Ms. Marks was hoping you could fit her in afterward.”
”Fine.”
”Oh, and you're due at the flags.h.i.+p at 11:15, right after your 10:30 with Mr. Hawthorne.”
”No problem.”
”You have a lunch with-”
”I'll be there,” Natalie called out, and swung into her office.
For the first time in recent memory, Natalie bypa.s.sed the coffeepot. She didn't need caffeine to pump through her blood. It was already swimming. She hung up her coat, set her briefcase aside, then moved to the office safe behind her favorite abstract print.
Taking out a pair of disks, she went to her desk to draft a brief memo to Deirdre.
An hour later, she was elbow-deep in work, making hasty notes as she juggled information and requests from three of her branches on the conference call.
”I'll fax authorization for that within the hour,” she promised Atlanta. ”Donald, see if you can squeeze out the time to go to the flags.h.i.+p with me-11:15. We can have our meeting on the way.”
”I've got an 11:30 with Marketing,” he told her. ”Let me see if I can push it to after lunch.”
”I'd appreciate it. I'd like tear sheets of all the ads and newspaper articles in Chicago. You can fax copies, but I'd like you to overnight the originals. I'll be checking in with L.A. and Dallas this afternoon, and we'll have a full report for all branches by end of day tomorrow.”
She sat back, let out a long breath. ”Gentlemen, synchronize your watches and alert the troops. Ten a.m., Sat.u.r.day. Coast to coast.”
After she closed the conference, Natalie pressed her buzzer.
”Maureen, let Deirdre know I'm free for about twenty minutes. Oh, and buzz Melvin for me.”
”He's in the field, Ms. Fletcher.”
”Oh, right.” Annoyed with her lapse, Natalie glanced at her watch, calculated time. ”I'll see if I can catch him at the plant later this afternoon. Leave a memo on his voice mail that I should be by around three.”
”Yes, ma'am.”
”After you buzz Deirdre, get me the head of s.h.i.+pping at the new warehouse.”
”Right away.”
By the time Deirdre knocked on the door and stepped in, Natalie was tapping at the keys on her desk computer. ”Yes, I see that.”
Phone tucked at her ear, she gestured Deirdre to a seat. ”Put a trace on that s.h.i.+pment. I want it in Atlanta no later than 9:00 a.m.
tomorrow.” She nodded, tapped. ”Let me know as soon as it's located.” Thanks.”
She hung up, brushed a stray hair from her cheek. ”There's always a glitch near zero hour.”
Deirdre's brow wrinkled. ”Bad?”