Wild Card (Stone Barrington #49)(57)

“What are our personal obligations as managers of the company?” Hank asked. “How long do we have to stay? A year?”

“My guess is their final offer will come with a condition of our immediate departure.”

“God, I’d love to be out from under,” Hank said.

Henry’s phone rang. “Yes? Hello, Harman. I’m listening.” He listened, then said, “Hold the phone a minute, will you?” Henry covered the receiver. “The offer is $46.50 a share, closing within a week. He says they’ve already done their due diligence. And our duties end at closing.”

Hank and Damien nodded.

“All right, Harman,” Henry said. “Congratulations! You’ve got yourself the finest investment bank in the country. Just e-mail me a signed offer, I’ll e-mail you back my signature, and we’re done until closing.” He said goodbye and hung up.

“Thanks for the extra fifty cents, Poppa,” Hank said.

“Yes, sir,” Damien echoed.

“So,” Henry said, “what are you boys going to do?”

“I’m thinking Switzerland for a while,” Hank said.

“It’s someplace with no extradition treaty for me,” Damien said. “I may hang around until the election.”

“I’m staying right here,” Henry said. “The house in the Hamptons in the summer, Aspen in the winter. I’ve got another season or two of skiing left in me.”





44


Stone, Dino, and Viv were at Brasserie Georgette, having just arrived.

“You’d better double the guard on the Grants,” Stone said. “Jamie’s story runs tomorrow in the Times.”

“I have already done so,” Dino replied.

“I’ll double Jamie’s guard, too,” Viv said, reaching for her phone and making the call.

Stone’s phone rang. “Hello?”

“It’s Jamie.”

“Viv, Dino, and I were just talking about you. All of it good.”

“I’m delighted, but I have new news.”

Stone looked around; nobody was too close. “I’ll put you on speaker, to save me having to repeat it to Viv and Dino.”

“Okay, ready?”

Stone pressed the button. “Ready.”

“A reporter on our business page got a hot tip a few minutes ago. A preliminary agreement has been signed between H. Thomas & Son and DigiWorld, a hedge fund specializing in bank acquisitions.”

“Who’s buying whom?” Stone asked.

“DigiWorld is the buyer, at $46.50 a share, twenty-five percent over the stock price at closing.”

“So the Thomases are getting richer,” Stone said.

“The two remaining Thomases and a family member named Lawrance Damien own a majority of the shares.”

“Well, your breaking story is going to put the fear of God into them, isn’t it?”

“I can’t imagine that it won’t torpedo the acquisition, or at least lower the price significantly.”

“It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch,” Dino said.

“By the way,” Viv chimed in, “I’ve already doubled your security. You’ll have two outside men as well as the two inside women.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary, Viv?”

“It can’t hurt,” Viv replied.

“No, I guess it can’t,” Jamie agreed. “Well, I have some calls to make. Enjoy whatever dinner you’re having wherever.” She hung up.

“Well,” Stone said, “if either of you has any H. Thomas shares, you’d better unload them on the foreign markets before bedtime.”

“None here,” Dino said.

“None here, either,” Viv echoed.

“Have you got people on Huey, our computer whiz?” Stone asked Viv.

“Yes, and I’d better double that, too. I think Huey should know, too,” Viv said.

Stone dialed the number.

“Huey here.”

“Hi, Huey, it’s Stone Barrington.”

“Hey, Stone. You should see my new place. It’s coming right along.”

“Huey, have you been contemplating a vacation lately?”

“No, why do you ask?”

“Because this would be a good time to contemplate one. Two major stories about the Thomases are breaking tomorrow morning, and they are going to be very upset when they read them.”

“Then they’ll think I’m in my old place, not here,” Huey said. “I’ll lock the door.”

“It’s better if you assume they know exactly where you are.”

“I’m staying right here,” Huey said. “The cabinet work is being installed in the kitchen and the library tomorrow morning, and I have to be here for that.”

“Well, you should know that Viv has doubled the security on your place.”

“What security?”

“The security you didn’t know about.”

“Why didn’t I know about it?”

“Because we thought you might object.”

“I do object,” Huey replied.

“To the first security or the doubling?”