by R. B. Conroy
Ed smiled at the young man and shook his hand firmly, “Good morning to you, Chad, and good morning to all of you,” he said with raised voice so the others in the room could hear.
Several warm and sincere “Good morning, Mr. Roberts,” emanated from the large open office area. The employees were obviously very fond of their former boss.
“Would you like coffee?” Chad asked.
“Why, yes, I would, thank you.”
“Black?”
“A touch of sugar, please and I’ll be in the boardroom.”
“One coffee with a little sugar, coming right up. I’ll bring you your coffee there,” Chad said enthusiastically.
Ed Roberts walked casually toward the boardroom on the far side of the office area, pausing for just a second in front of his old office which was protected by a wooden gate and tucked in the corner of the room. He tapped his fingers gently on the wooden gate that led to his secretary’s desk just outside the office. The sign on the door to his old office read Chad Oliver, AVP. Jared had moved the president’s workplace to the second floor to a much larger office, away from the hustle and bustle of the main lobby. Ed always loved the busyness of the main area and over the years of his presidency had resisted all efforts to scoot him upstairs. A social man by nature, he loved the daily exchanges with his customers. That was the part of his job that he really missed. The rest of it, he did not miss in at all. Shrinking margins, government regulations, increased competition and the constant threat of a merger or buyout had made his last few years on the job very difficult. He laid his hand on the gate and pushed it open slightly and was greeted by a loud squeaking sound. Still squeaks. He smiled and continued on to the boardroom.
Once inside the narrow boardroom, he sat down and sank into one of the soft leather chairs bordering the long oak table in the center of the room. He thought back to the previous evening and his dinner with the board. Everything had gone quite well. Even Homer Williams had gone out of his way to make the night a success. Ed thought Alco would be the elephant in the room. Surprisingly, the topic was never brought up. It had been a fun evening virtually free of serious business talk. But today would be another story. Ed wondered if First Source would go ahead with the merger and absorb Alco into their huge portfolio of commercial loans. Jared and his senior officers had scheduled a meeting with First Source early this morning in South Bend, some fifty miles away. He had promised to give a full report on the meeting when he arrived for the board meeting at ten.
Chad walked briskly into the room and set a hot cup of coffee in front of Ed. “There you are, sir.”
“Thank you so much, Chad.” Chad hurried from the room.
Ed wrapped his hands around the warm cup and gazed at the gray ropes of steam winding their way toward the ceiling. Cathy had been out of his thoughts for the most part the evening before, but this morning she was back. Waves of insecurity rushed through him. He glanced at the clock and then glanced at the empty seats surrounding him. It was 9:45 and the meeting didn’t start until 10:00. He reached in his pocket and slid out his cell phone and pushed 2 on his speed dial.
“Good morning, Ed. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, dear, I’m fine. I had a few minutes before the board meeting and I thought I would give you a quick call.
“Well, how sweet, but I really must be going. I just turned on the dishwasher and I am walking out the door to get my nails done. I have an appointment at ten.”
Ed could hear a toilet flush in the background. “What was that?” he asked.
“What was what?”
“That sound, it sounded like a toilet flushing.”
Cathy laughed nervously, “I’m afraid that would be impossible, darling, I’m here alone. Maybe it was somewhere in the bank.”
“I…uh, don’t think so.”
“Your hearing must be getting worse, old man, and I really don’t have time to argue. I’ll try and give you a call later, Good-bye.” The phone went dead on the other end.
Ed held the phone in front of him and stared at it for several seconds. He had a sick, helpless, feeling inside. He was certain now that his wife was having an affair and he was a thousand miles away. The thought of his wife of forty-seven years being involved with another man was devastating to him. He was crestfallen.
The door to the boardroom suddenly swung open and several board members came rushing in, led by Jared Holmgren. Shaken out of his depressing thoughts by the sudden intrusion, Ed jumped out of his chair and walked quickly to the end of the table to greet each of the other board members. Jared stopped at the head of the table, shook Ed’s hand vigorously and nodded at the seat next to him. Obeying the order, Ed retrieved his coffee from his previous seat and hurried up to sit next to the young president sharing several handshakes and greetings in the process. A short time later, Jared tapped his ball point pen on the table to announce the start of the meeting.
25
Dirk splashed on an ample supply of after shave. “Ouch!” he grumbled. For the first time since he could remember, he had shaven his face clean, no obligatory stubble was left today. He had a quizzical look on his face as the perused his naked mug in the mirror trying to decide if he liked his new look or not-he didn’t. “Not good,” he mumbled. He stepped into the nearby bedroom and slipped on his only white golf shirt that he had left on the dresser the night before. He carefully buttoned the bottom two buttons on the collar and then slid his only pair of Bermuda shorts off the same dresser and pulled them on, carefully tucking in the shirttail. He returned to the bathroom and combed his hair back on both sides and straightened his collar. Anxious to look as neat and well-groomed as possible, he grabbed a seldom used can of hair spray from the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and gave his swept-back locks a good spray. He stuffed the spray can back in the crowded cabinet, pushed the mirror shut and reached above to click off the light.
Dirk felt his way back into the bedroom. It was only five in the morning and visibility was minimal in the poorly lighted room. He sat down on the corner of his small bed and reached underneath. He lifted out a pair of bright white tennis shoes and tossed them on the bed next to him. Then, without getting off the bed, he reached over and pulled open the top drawer on his dresser and lifted out a white pair of socks and slipped them on. He put on the rarely used tennis shoes and departed the room, slapping the wall switch off on the way out.
The smell of stale pizza filled the air as he made his way through his cluttered kitchen toward the garage. He stepped into the crowded garage and made his way cautiously around his prized Harley Hog toward a bicycle on the other side of the Harley. In preparation for today, he had cleaned and test ridden the seldom used bike the night before. He walked over and grabbed the frame of the bike and carried it to the back of his vehicle. He laid it in the back of the SUV and closed the rear hatch.
* * * * * *
Vinnie yawned mightily as he turned into the expansive parking lot at Sweetbay Supermarket. He was working an extra half shift this morning. A good buddy of his on the Villages security force had been called out of town suddenly for a family emergency. Vinnie was asked to help out and, as usual, he said yes. He, along with another officer, had agreed to take his friend’s “graveyard shift” from midnight to eight in the morning. Vinnie had the second half of the shift which was from four to eight in the morning.
Vinnie shined his spot on several bakery staff’s vehicles tucked neatly in the corner of the large lot at Sweetbay. The bakery crew arrived early each morning to make sure the store would have fresh goodies to sell later that day. Vinnie cruised around the lot, occasionally flashing his side-mounted spot on the far areas of the lot. As he expected, nothing looked out of order at Sweetbay. He killed the spot, radioed his position to headquarters and headed for the next shopping area.
A short time later, he was cruising past a cluster of seaside style buildings surrounded by tall palm trees swaying gently in the morning breeze. He shone his spot on the front of the b
uildings and around the large parking area and once again he saw nothing suspicious. After checking out several other similar shopping areas, Vinnie exited the last shopping enclave and drove onto Buena Vista Boulevard for a short trip to the Arnold Palmer golf complex.
26
Cathy stuffed the paper filter in the coffee maker and emptied the heavy carafe into the waiting reservoir. She pried the plastic lid off the can of coffee and dumped three heaping scoops of the coffee in the awaiting filter. She snapped the lid down and punched the brew button. Then she lifted the silk belt on her robe, tied it firmly around her waist and walked toward the kitchen window.
It was 5:45 a.m. and Cathy felt tired. All of the rigorous tennis matches and lengthy sexual liaisons with Eric were taking a toll on her sixty plus body. It had been a restless night and she was up and around much earlier than normal. Dirk had been coy about his plans for husband Ed, but he had told her it would be sooner rather than later. She had thought it interesting how he focused in on her when she told him of Ed’s weekly trip to the mail station every Friday morning. She glanced over at the grandkid’s letters stacked neatly on the top of the computer desk in the small nook just off the kitchen. She felt strongly that Dirk would use Ed’s early morning trip to the mailbox to get him alone and take him out. She wished it wasn’t so close to home, but Dirk had insisted on doing it his way so she had no choice in the matter.
Cathy grimaced; she could hear Ed in the shower singing “You Are My Sunshine.” I’m glad that I won’t have to endure that much longer she thought. She walked over to the kitchen window and pried the blinds open with her first two fingers. She leaned over and looked between the cracked blind at the empty street outside. “I hope my biker guy is out there somewhere,” she whispered. She let the blind fall shut and walked back toward the nook area in the kitchen. She could hear the shower stop in the bathroom. Ed’s singing continued for a while and then also stopped. A quick dresser, he would be out looking for a cup of coffee shortly. She hurried over and pulled the stool out from under the computer in the nook area and eased her bottom onto the seat. Her hand surrounded the mouse and she was soon following the cursor around the bright screen. She clicked on the Google search engine and typed in “Vacation packages-Maui.” The screen lit up with the scene of a beautiful ocean with white foamy waves rolling one after another onto a white, sandy beach. What a paradise! She and Eric had selected Maui as one of the first trips they would take when the Ed’s estate was settled and she had received the millions of dollars that awaited her. She felt intoxicated and aroused.
The bedroom door swung open. Ed walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of gray sweats and a white pullover. Damp, gray strands of hair protruded from under his golf cap. “Good morning, sunshine! You’re up bright and early today.”
Cathy quickly changed screens. The sunshine greeting nauseated Cathy. It was Ed’s way to extend his pathetic shower singing effort into a show of affection for her and she hated it. “Oh…uh, yes, I woke up to go to the bathroom around five and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I decided just to get up. The coffee is on.”
“Thank you, dear. What a nice surprise.” Ed opened the cabinet door above the coffee maker and pulled out an insulated cup with the inscription, “I love Grandpa,” on the side. He splashed it full with the steaming, hot coffee, screwed on the lid and walked toward Cathy. “I better get going,” he said.
Cathy glanced down at the letters and then she looked at the inscription on Ed’s cup as he approached her. It bothered her that she didn’t feel more for Ed and the grandkids, but she just didn’t. Oh, the grandkids were cuties and she enjoyed spending time with them, but she just didn’t feel any remorse or sense of guilt about what she was about to do. She wished she did, but it had been that way all of her life. She really had never felt much love or devotion toward anyone. Hers had been a life of calculations and manipulations with the intended result of gaining something for herself or getting an advantage over someone else. Thank goodness, she had been blessed with a pretty face and a nice smile. Her charming demeanor enabled her to hide her true intentions and fulfill her selfish desires without garnering the suspicions of those around her. She was appealing, intelligent, socially gifted, and the most devious person she had ever known.
Ed bent over and planted a wet kiss on her forehead. She winced. “See you in a little while,” he said. He picked up the letters and headed for the front door and his trip to the mailbox.
“Bye,” Cathy said coldly. She clicked on the return arrow and was once again looking longingly at the dramatic pictures of Maui.
Ed strolled briskly down the front sidewalk toward the street. The cool morning breeze rustled through his damp hair. It felt cool and refreshing. He clutched the letters tightly in his left hand as the faces of his grandchildren flashed through his mind. A smile spread across his face at the thought of the kids, but it soon faded. Ed still felt uneasy inside about the bank merger deal. The meetings earlier in the week in Indiana had not gone well. After much deliberation and endless negotiations, First Source Bank had decided against the merger with First Bank of Syracuse. They cited the possible negative impact on earnings if the marginal Alco loan eventually went bad. The slow economy had caused several large losses in First Source’s commercial portfolio recently and they could ill afford another one. Ed’s worst fears had come true and he was certain that when the news leaked out about the failed merger talks, that First Bank’s stock would plummet. It didn’t take long. News of the failed talks had been picked up by the local media on Thursday morning and by mid afternoon on the same day, the First Bank common stock had dropped in price from a high of twenty-nine at the start of the day to a three year low of nineteen dollars a share by day’s end. More than a thirty percent drop. Ed could see the stock dropping even further in the coming weeks and months ahead as the Alco situation became more thoroughly vetted. Very savvy in such matters, he felt the stock would eventually bottom out somewhere between three to six dollars a share.
On the personal side, the collapse of the First Bank merger talks would be devastating to his and Cathy’s retirement. Almost his entire retirement portfolio of just over three million dollars, was tied up in First Bank stock. Also, the six to seven percent dividend he had been receiving was a huge part of their retirement income. Without the income from the First Bank stock, their retirement would be in shambles. Heavily mortgaged, they would be forced to sell their house in The Villages and move to more meager arrangements outside the popular enclave. Cathy would be shattered. She loved her life in The Villages. “We live in Paradise!” she would so often say. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else!” For Ed’s part, he was embarrassed and deeply humiliated by the unexpected turn of events. He had spent his entire career in banking advising people to diversify, and now his whole world was about to crumble around him because he had not done what he had so adamantly advised the others to do-diversify.
When he had arrived home Wednesday afternoon, he had attempted to tell Cathy of the problems with Fist Bank, but the words just wouldn’t come out. Always a man of honesty and integrity, he just couldn’t bring himself to tell her. He knew that Cathy had become enamored with their cushy lifestyle and would be very disappointed if she felt she might lose it, His recent suspicions about her relationship with her doubles tennis partner made Ed even more reticent about telling her. He felt that deep down Cathy loved him, but she was also enamored by his wealth. In short, she needed his money. There were other times in their past when he thought Cathy had strayed from him, but he knew she would always come back because he gave her the money and status she enjoyed. It hurt to think that Cathy loved what Ed could do for her more than she loved him. For his part, he loved Cathy with all of his heart and always would.
Ed turned onto Sample Street for the last leg of his journey to the mailbox. Streaks of light from the rising sun fell on the road ahead like giant daggers. This morning had an eerie feeling about it. Ed fought hard to change his mood.
He attempted to fill his mind with more positive thoughts. He thought back once again to the first time he met Cathy at a dance when they were teenagers. She looked beautiful that night, with her long blond hair, beautiful brown eyes and pouty lips. And that smile of hers. She had a gorgeous smile that seemed to light up the entire room. He fell head over heels for her that night, and all these years later, he still had a crush on her. He smiled at the thought of those special memories and his mood lightened, if only temporarily.
Ed knew that it would take a while for the failed merger talks to take First Bank’s stock to single digits. In the meantime, Ed hoped that Cathy’s infatuation with her tennis partner would cool off, putting their marriage on more solid footing and giving him a better opportunity to tell her about their disastrous financial situation.
Loose gravel crunched beneath Ed’s walking shoes as he strolled along the side of the empty street. He lifted the letters to the grandkids up to eye level and peeled them back one at a time and read the names on the envelopes. Payton, Olivia, Gabby, Caroline, and Gracie-all girls and all loved equally. His heart sank; he knew that his granddaughters would be devastated if anything ever happened between Grandma and Grandpa. He must find a way to work through this crisis; he must find a way to save their marriage. He had to do it for the grandkids, if not for himself.
27
Dirk had thought his plan out well, but as he cruised along the beautifully landscaped Buena Vista Boulevard toward his deadly rendezvous with Ed Roberts, he was beginning to feel anxious inside. His forehead felt damp. He grabbed a shop rag from his glove box and dried his sweaty face. He looked ahead; he was almost there. He turned slowly into the parking lot at the Arnold Palmer Country Club Complex, located just across the boulevard from Ed and Cathy Robert’s expansive home at Bridgeport. As planned, he immediately headed for the north end of the lot where the early morning golf course maintenance crew parked their vehicles. He pulled in next to the small cluster of cars and pickups and stopped. He reached over his armrest and lifted a white and black golf hat off of the driver’s side seat and put in on. He looked in the rearview mirror and pulled the hat down over his eyes to hide his face as much as possible. He grabbed his fanny pack off the same seat and got out of the truck. The morning air felt cool on his bare legs, an unusual feeling for a man who almost always wore jeans. Dirk felt odd in his sporty get up but he needed to look like a Villager. He was in his late forties and looked older than his age, so he should blend right in. He slid the fanny pack around his waist and pulled it snug. It felt heavy, weighted down by a loaded .38 caliber handgun and silencer hanging in the center compartment.
