by Todd Borg
I was getting a lot of nodding practice.
She continued. “Now what if Yardley produced a robot and it ran up to the base of a vertical cliff and climbed it fast, no protection or equipment like what climbers use, and no slow study and planning before the climb?”
This time I made a little smile. “Such a demonstration would blow people away,” I said.
“That’s what the helicopter is about. The actual AI science isn’t about helicopters or scanning or mountains or cliffs.”
“AI?” I said.
“Artificial Intelligence.”
“Ah,” I said. “Demonstration technology.”
“Exactly. Anyway, most other software companies are focused on looking at AI from, let’s say, the left side. Yardley is looking at it from the right side.”
“So Yardley rents a helicopter primarily to develop demonstration technology,” I said.
She nodded. “Yardley has scanners on the helicopter and uses them to make digital maps of the mountains. He points them at some surface, whether a building or a mountain or maybe a tunnel, and it scans the surface in three dimensions. You end up with a digital file that you can feed into a robot so the robot knows the territory. It’s all part of the process of developing the AI.”
“Helicopters must be awfully expensive,” I said.
“I don’t really know. I assume so. The charter company is in Reno. They fly corporate execs to the airport, do aerial filming for TV and movies. They have a pilot who flies search and rescue missions in the Sierra. Apparently, the guy knows all the mountains that Yardley studies.”
“I’d like to learn more about this,” I said.
“You think it has bearing on what may have happened to Yardley?”
“Maybe. Would it be okay with you if I visited his company?”
She paused. “It’s been three days and no one has heard anything from Yardley. I’ve filed a missing persons report with the sheriff’s office. And I’ve called them repeatedly. But they haven’t found anything. So I don’t think I’m overstepping my bounds to say, sure, go visit his company and see what you can learn.”
“Do they have local offices? Where would I go?”
“Tahoe Robotics is in an old building in Truckee. Do you know the train station?”
“Yeah.”
“Tahoe Robotics is just up the hill from there and down a block or two. It’s an old, renovated brick warehouse. But it still looks like an old place. It’s even got the old sign of the previous business, a drygoods shipping company. So don’t let that fool you.” She turned, opened a kitchen drawer, pulled out a card, and handed it to me. “Here’s the address.”
“Can you call them and tell them I’ll be visiting?”
“Yes.”
“Does Yardley have his office there? Or is it here at home?”
“It’s there.”
“I’d like to look at Yardley’s stuff. His files and such. Would that be okay?”
“Yes. It’s one of those new open-layout places. Everybody in one big room. The idea is that constantly mixing it up with everybody else is good for creativity.”
“Where is his desk?”
“In the right, rear corner. He originally wanted to be in the center front of the room. He thought of himself as the conductor of the business, with all the people radiating out from him like an orchestra. But I convinced him he had to have at least a little bit of privacy for talking on the phone and such.”
“Who should I talk to when I go there?”
“Well, you will first meet Marie. Although she’s a robot, you will quickly come to think of her as, simply, Marie. She is the chief usher. Her job is to meet and greet and handle the phones and guide visitors to their appointments. After Marie, you’ll meet a woman named Sal. She’s what Yardley calls his Stage Manager.”
“Like an office manager?” I asked.
“Yeah, I suppose so. Basically, her job is to say no to all the people who want access to the company. I’ll make sure she says yes to you.”
“Anyone else I should know?”
“Well, you might meet Tapper Logan. He’s Yardley’s right hand man. They call him the concertmaster, like the first violin in the orchestra. He’s the guy who implements many of Yardley’s objectives. He’s real smart, although I have to say I don’t like his style.”
“What about it bothers you?”
“I’m not sure. I think there’s a little voice in my head that says not to trust him. Frankly, he’s a jerk. Worse than Yardley in most ways.”
“How?”
“He thinks he’s the smartest person who ever walked the planet. And it’s true he’s very smart. But he’s insufferable. And unless he wants something from you, he treats you like a pesky insect, something to swat away. So when you try to talk to him, be aware that he will want you to go away. And if you don’t, he’ll try to smack you down.”
“Anyone else who would be a good source of information?”
She thought about it. “Actually, the person who knows almost as much about Tahoe Robotics as anyone else, doesn’t work for the company. William Lindholm was the first investor. He’s been a mentor to Yardley. He put in money back when the company was just an idea in Yardley’s head. He and Yardley talked concept and strategy. It wasn’t about how to make amazing robots. It was more about humanity’s future and how robots would fit into that future. Change that future. Maybe overwhelm that future. Mr. Lindholm won’t know the details about how the company runs, but he probably has a better big-picture understanding of Tahoe Robotics’ mission than anybody outside of Yardley.”
“Where does he work?”
“In San Francisco. I haven’t been to his office. Somewhere downtown, I think. But Yardley took me to his house once. It’s in Sea Cliff near the Presidio, above China Beach. An amazing place with a view of the Golden Gate. When you go out on the deck, you can see down to the crashing waves on the beach below.”
“Wealthy guy?” I said.
“Yeah. He’s a venture capitalist. From what I’ve seen, he has more money than God.”
“I don’t know when I’ll be in San Francisco next, but could you call Lindholm and make an introduction for me?”
“Sure. You might not have to go to The City anyway, because Mr. Lindholm has a place on Donner Lake. Now that it’s summer, he’ll probably be up here a lot. I’ll leave your name with Evelyn, the woman who runs his office.”
“His Stage Manager?”
Lucy made a little smile, the first since I’d stopped by.
“Yeah.” She opened a kitchen drawer, pulled out a little address book, wrote on a Post-it Note, and handed it to me. “Here’s her number.”
We talked some more. I thought of a few additional questions, which Lucy answered.
“One more thing,” I said. “You mentioned that Yardley and you have some financial worries.”
“Of course. It’s the nature of new tech businesses. It’s always a constant battle to get enough financing to fund your vision and then not go broke. Yardley always says that money to a tech startup is like nectar to a honeybee. You need a constant supply, or you die before you can get back to the hive.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but money is often at the root of the disappearance of people. So I need to ask, does the struggle to obtain enough funding extend from the business to your personal affairs? From what you said when your mother came out, it sounds like you’re in trouble on the house? Have you not been able to pay the mortgage?”
Lucy shook her head in a dismissive way. “No. The foreclosure isn’t about paying the mortgage. It is about a much bigger loan from a man in Reno. Yardley pledged our house as collateral. Yardley never talked to me about the details, something that drives me crazy. Because in many respects, I’m better at money management than he is. Apparently, he isn’t current on this big loan he took out. The man who lent him the money died. The man’s brother inherited the loan, and he is foreclosing on our house and everything else that Yardley
used as collateral. Yardley said something about working a deal with that man. But that was right before he went missing, so I never heard what came of that.”
“Do you know how much this loan was for?”
“Not exactly. But I think it was a few million dollars.”
Lucy stood up and paced around the center island of the kitchen. “Here’s what’s crazy. And it’s something I’ve seen with some of Yardley’s fellow techies. There is no personal financial concern that registers in the mind of a tech entrepreneur. You’re not going to fuss about a few thousand dollars for the household bills or even a house when you are running a company that must have millions to fulfill its vision. Yardley got the first trickle of funding from Lindholm. Less than a year later, he got this big loan from the Reno lender. Actually, I think part of it was a loan, and the other part a portion of stock ownership. The loan part is why he had to make repayments. Yardley was holding out for his next level, as he called it. He said that when Tahoe Robotics succeeded at his technology demonstration, he’d go to the next level. He said that when he got to that next level, the next round of venture capital he could attract would be fifty million.”
“A lot of money,” I said.
Lucy was shaking her head again. “Not to Yardley. He was always focused on the next step. He had a clear vision of an IPO in several years.”
“Initial Public Offering,” I said.
“Yes. When he reached that milestone, he expected a future company valuation of a billion or more.”
“Let me be sure I understand,” I said, trying to keep the amazement out of my voice. “Yardley has already gotten millions. He thinks his next round of capital could be fifty million. His projection is for a future valuation of a billion dollars. And he’s behind on his loan payments.”
Lucy’s face darkened. “Yes. I think I made a terrible mistake getting married to him.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lucy shut her eyes and took a deep breath as if resetting her thoughts.
“Tahoe Robotics has great potential. There are now twenty-some employees. The techies at the office are brilliant. There is a possibility that the company will go through the roof. But the reality is that most such companies don’t make it. They use up their funds, and their promise never comes to fruition. The company fizzles, and all the investors lose their money.”
“Reality can be bleak,” I said.
“Yeah.” Lucy had stress lines on her forehead to match her tone. She picked up another cookie off the tray and bit off a piece.
“The Reno lender who died,” I said. “What’s his name? Or his company’s name?”
“I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know. This is one of the things I can’t stand about Yardley. He goes off on his own without ever consulting me about anything. It’s not like I’m a bubble-brain idiot. I could be a useful sounding board. Sure, I’m the first to admit I don’t get coding and the whole geeky tech world. But I’m smart. I could provide good feedback about a wide range of situations.” She paused. “I honestly don’t know why Yardley even wanted to marry me. So, in answer to your question, if you talk to William Lindholm, ask him. He will know the Reno lender. Probably personally. Those money people are tight like in any other business.”
“Thanks, I’ll ask him.” I stood up to go. “And you’ll call Sal at Tahoe Robotics and ask her to let me look through Yardley’s files.”
Lucy nodded. “I’ll also call Evelyn.”
“William Lindholm’s stage manager,” I said.
Lucy smiled.
I said, “I’m wondering about Yardley’s personal ambition.”
Lucy frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I assume he is very driven about his company. But is he the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to be successful?”
“You’re wondering if he would do something unethical to succeed?”
“Yeah.”
Lucy didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I’ve always thought of Yardley as a man of enormous appetites. Money, food, sex, stature in the tech world. He’s one of those people you don’t ever want to cross.”
“Would he bend laws to get what he wanted?”
Lucy paused. “If you pushed Yardley really hard… If he felt like he was trapped in a corner regarding his software, he’d be like a mother protecting her baby. He would kill to survive.”
“Has Yardley said anything unusual recently? Has he mentioned any problems or surprises or sudden changes at work?”
“Apart from the problem of the loan, no.”
“Any small things that were out of the ordinary?”
“No.”
“Has he met anyone new?”
“Just the brother of the Reno lender who died. Yardley didn’t talk much about him. I suppose that for all of his robot focus, he was struggling with the idea that a man who inherited an unpaid loan would want to collect on it.”
“Did Yardley mention the name of the brother?”
She shook her head.
“Let me know if you think of anything.”
I nodded and moved toward the door.
Lucy walked with me. Then she looked down at the floor, radiating discomfort. “May I ask you a personal question, Mr. McKenna?”
“Owen, please. Yes, ask whatever you want.”
“When you pulled up, a woman got out of your car and went running with her dog. Is she close to you?”
“Yes. She’s my girlfriend. Her name is Street Casey. She’s an entomologist.”
“Are you… Sorry, I know this is much too personal. I guess I’m going through a crisis.”
“Ask what you want,” I said.
“Is your relationship with Street long term? The kind where you might one day get married?”
“I’d like to. But Street is all about being independent. She had a rough childhood. It’s important for her to not get too dependent on any one person.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“I noticed… God, I’m so embarrassed to be thinking this.”
“It’s okay.”
“I saw that she’s thin and looks very fit.”
I paused, wondering about the ramifications of Lucy’s questions. “Yes, she’s kind of all about fitness.”
Lucy looked at me hard. “Is that important to you?”
“It’s valuable to me, but not as important to me as it is for her.”
“So she’s internal about these things,” Lucy said. She put a little emphasis on the word internal, as if it gave her a small epiphany. “She stays fit to satisfy her own desires, not yours.”
“Definitely,” I said.
We said goodbye, and I was walking out to the car when she called after me.
“I just remembered someone new Yardley mentioned. Although I can’t imagine how it could matter.”
I stopped and walked back to her.
“Yardley goes out to schools now and then and talks to kids about tech careers. I guess some of the local teachers have been referring him to each other. So he goes and makes a little presentation and that’s it. He says the kids mostly have no interest. They’re too dialed into their phones. But a week ago or so, he had a kid who was really sharp. Sharp enough for Yardley to talk about it later. That’s unusual.”
“What was the kid’s name?”
“I have no idea.”
“Do you know what school it was?”
“No. But I think it was fairly close because he probably would have mentioned the drive if the school was on the South Shore or down in Carson City.”
“Would anyone at Tahoe Robotics know?”
“Possibly, but I doubt it. Yardley is all business when he’s at work.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“That’s not the kind of info you were looking for, is it?”
“On the contrary. It might turn out to be very helpful.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When I got out to the Jeep, I dialed Street’s cell.
She answered huffing.
“Calling for a mileage check,” I said.
“Let me look at this ticker on my wrist. It says seven miles.”
“Wow. You want me to meet you?”
“What’s the alternative?” she asked.
“I go to my next appointment. Either Tahoe Robotics in downtown Truckee or possibly a venture capitalist named William Lindholm who might be in San Francisco or at his place on Donner Lake. It will depend on who is in and who is out.”
“Okay, you pursue that. I’m good for another few miles. There’s a back road to downtown Truckee. When I get close to wearing out, I’ll head there with Blondie and find a dog-friendly coffee shop where I can wait for you.”
“I’m pretty sure most places in Truckee are dog-friendly. I’ll call after the next stop.”
I dialed the number Lucy had given me for William Lindholm. The area code was 415, San Francisco.
“Lindholm Capital LLC, Evelyn speaking,” a woman answered. She had the husky voice of a two-pack-a-day smoker.
“Hi Evelyn. My name’s Owen McKenna. I’m an investigator calling at Lucy LaMotte’s request to…”
“Speak to Mr. Bill,” she said, finishing my sentence.
“You are on it. I guess when Lucy asks…”
“I jump,” Evelyn interrupted again. “But I want to be helpful. I heard about her situation. I spoke to her yesterday when she called to ask if we’d seen or heard from her husband. It must be so stressful for her to have him go missing. So today I tried to be cheerful for her when she called. You know, get her mind off her worries. It must have worked because after she told me you would be calling, I asked about you, if you could be trusted and such. She said yes. Then she said you seemed like a decent guy and that you were pretty cute, too.”
