Part 5 (1/2)
Peet sipped some coffee. ”I told Kevin about the takeover.”
”You make it sound like a coup d'etat. Maybe these new people will be better to work for than LJ is.”
”That's presuming I'll be working for them. I've only been here a few months. I'll be the first to go.”
”This isn't a union shop, Peet. They'll keep their best performers.”
”If they keep any of us.”
Jan was surprised at how pessimistic Peet was. ”I bet Kevin told you not to worry,” Jan said.
”He did. He always says it will be okay, as if saying so makes it true.”
”But things are always okay for you guys. Let's see what happens before we get in the soup line.”
David Collins walked into the break room, carrying his Chicago Bears mug. He also looked haggard.
”Long night with Vivian?” Jan teased him.
”Shut it, Roberts.”
”You may be interested to know that Don Detmer told us about the sale of the company and that he heard the news from you. I'm thinking your t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es are in peril if Vivian finds out you blabbed her secret.”
Collins topped off his coffee. ”I wouldn't worry about mine, Roberts. They have more bra.s.s than yours ever will. I'd worry about our jobs, though. The new owners have just arrived.”
”What?” Peet asked.
”A group just went into the main conference room. Big Junior's even sitting in. They're about to close the deal.” Collins started to walk out the door. ”It's really not much of a secret now, is it?”
Jan and Peet went back to their desks.
”This is f.u.c.king unbelievable,” Peet said. ”You'd think they'd talk to us before parading the new owners through the office. That's really disrespectful.”
”Maybe now you know what I mean about LJ. He's a joke.”
She saw that Peet was genuinely upset. ”You stay put. I'll go on a reconnaissance mission. It will look stupid if we both go.”
Jan crossed to the other side of the office and stood by Vivian's desk. The conference room was filled with people in suits, all of them taking laptops and files out of their briefcases. Junior Begala sat at the head of the table with LJ and their lawyer, while at the other end sat a larger contingent, presumably representing the buyers. Jan's eyes locked on one of them, a beautiful woman with long dark hair, shot through with a startling streak of white. She looked to be Jan's age, and there the similarities ended. This woman was elegant, beautifully dressed, and composed. Confident. Jan couldn't look away, even when the woman lifted her head and looked her up and down, a slight smile turning up one side of her mouth. Then she turned back to her computer screen and Jan felt heat rush through her body. She was completely turned on.
”Who's that woman?” Jan asked Vivian.
”That's Catherine Engstrom. She's the VP of something or other of CGS. Kind of a barracuda.”
No s.h.i.+t, thought Jan. She continued to look into the conference room, but Catherine didn't look at her again. She'd never had a reaction like that to a woman. There would normally be a lot more direct stimuli occurring before Jan had this sort of physical response. Interesting, but potentially disastrous.
”They're supposed to let everyone know about the sale as soon as they close. I think they're sending out an e-mail,” Vivian said. ”Because they're cla.s.sy like that.”
Jan went back to her desk and found Peet sitting in her chair, staring straight ahead.
”Collins is right. The buyers are here. There's a bunch of suits in the conference room. Vivian said they're sending an e-mail to let us know what was happening.”
Peet stayed quiet. Jan couldn't think of what to say to make her feel better, so she sat quietly with her. She looked up at the sound of heels clacking toward them on the tiled hallway outside the break room. Catherine Engstrom stopped and stood at the door to the room, not far from Peet and Jan, and looked at them with a question on her face.
”Can I help you?” Peet asked.
”I'm looking for some tea, actually,” she said, British accented, bright. ”I was directed here.” It didn't surprise Jan that Catherine's voice crossed over her body like the low notes of a cello. She felt the vibration that it left. She sat there speechless.
”Let me show you.” Peet got up and headed toward the break room while Catherine looked at Jan. When Jan got up the nerve to meet her eyes, it was every bit as bad as it had been on the other side of the office. Catherine broke the eye contact and followed Peet into the break room. They emerged a few minutes later, each with a mug.
”And this is my partner, Jan Roberts,” Peet said. ”She's been with the company a long time, our top investigator. Jan, this is Catherine Engstrom.”
Catherine's handshake was warm and firm and extremely businesslike.
”You're here to buy the company, aren't you?” Peet asked.
Catherine laughed. ”It's so true that Americans are direct. It's startling, I must say, but a wonderful time saver.”
”Is that a yes?” Jan asked. She kept her eyes on Catherine's forehead, not trusting her powers of speech if she looked into her eyes. Ridiculous.
”Yes, it is. Though I wish the word hadn't leaked out before we had a chance to properly announce it to the employees.”
”What happens next?” Peet asked.
”Nothing that you'll notice. We'll a.s.sess for a while, finding ways we can improve things for you here. It will be some time before you see any changes.”
Jan felt Peet stiffen beside her.
”Does that include layoffs?” Peet said.
Catherine touched Peet on the shoulder. Lucky Peet.
”We hope to avoid those altogether. And certainly we don't want to let our best people go. From what the Begalas have said, you have nothing to worry about.”
Jan wasn't sure she was being included in that rea.s.surance, but she couldn't open her mouth again to ask.
”I'd better get back to that meeting. It was so nice to meet you both.” Catherine walked away, moving through the s.p.a.ce as if she'd always owned it.
”Feel better?” Jan asked.
”Yeah, I do.” Peet sat back down. ”Sounds like we're in good shape.”
Jan watched Catherine walk down the hall. She wasn't sure she was in good shape at all.
Maddy fought to keep her eyes open. She and David had arrived at his house at four in the morning, his overheating truck turning their five-hour trip into ten. He seemed to want to talk the whole time. She just wanted to sleep. She'd spent her first nights away from her family sleeping in the Honda, parked on a street two suburbs away from Winnetka. Another night in a vehicle was too much.
She shouldn't have been surprised at what a talker David was. He monopolized their video chats, unaware that Maddy was continuing her own work while he went on and on. He would detail his vision for their new society, as he grandly called it, while she programmed the intranet site they would use to coordinate the move to Idaho and stay in touch with his contacts in Michigan. He placed a high premium on secure communications, though she couldn't see who would be interested in their group. She didn't mind all of David's talk because she agreed with what he said. She just thought people in general talked too much.
When they reached David's town, Maggie stared out the window at the stretches of abandoned homes and businesses. She'd driven through some pretty depressing parts of Chicago, but nothing quite so dead and beyond resurrection as this. The For Sale signs on the houses were as weathered as the houses themselves. She felt her spirits flag. Maybe she was just tired.