Pay Up and Die

by Chuck Buda

  “Uh, no, Mr. Graves. I was just curious if you really said that we were supposed to threaten our customers to pay up. It sounded funny to me, that’s all.” Wilson leaned back in his chair as if he were distancing himself. He smiled nervously as he spoke.

  “I assure you, Wilson, that there is nothing humorous about this at all. We need to recover these funds and we will recover them using all the resources at our disposal. Our customers are extremely important to us and our service expectations are high. But if they will not return the courtesy of their side of the business arrangement then we will inspire them to do so.”

  The employees all seemed to tense up a bit and several glances were exchanged across the table. Folks were getting the impression that their leader was not going to waver on this issue.

  “I know everyone understands the Board’s intent on this project, but make no mistakes, I intend to deliver the results required and you will help me do that. Look, some people feel compelled to uphold their end of the bargain and those folks have already responded to us by completing the transactions. However, there is a segment of the population that feels that they are entitled to multiple chances or do-overs or bending the rules so that they can slide on their payments. These people are affecting this company’s earnings, which directly affects your income and bonus, which then rolls down hill and takes food out of the mouths of your families. Is that right, that they can harm your families?” Derrick again paused as he made eye contact with each individual in the room, one by one.

  “Regardless of personal judgment or morals, we owe it to the bank to make it successful. And these customers owe it to the bank to meet their financial obligations. They signed the papers knowing full well the seriousness of their agreement. Now we must enforce the agreement. I am deadly serious about this initiative. We must do whatever it takes to collect these funds.”

  Wilson was no longer looking up. He was focused on his notebook, ashamed that he caused Mr. Graves to take such a tone. The rest of the room slowly nodded in understanding of what was expected of them. Michael felt uncomfortable with these tactics. It felt shady and unprofessional in his gut to speak to customers in this fashion. He couldn’t help but think how many of these poor folks were just like him. They probably did what they had to in order to provide for their loved ones and sometimes the walls came crashing down. Things were hard on many people in this economy. They weren’t bad people. Just people who got stuck and had bad luck and fell on difficult times. There was no need to punish them further by threatening them. Michael felt like he was in a weird science fiction movie where all reality warps and nothing makes sense. First, he almost died in a bizarre attempt to save someone’s life and now several hours later his boss, a man he looked up to and admired for his business acumen and ability to rally the troops, was asking him to kneecap folks who had no money to pay their debts. What a week I’m having, he thought.

  “That being said, let’s run through some of the scripts I prepared to help you with these conversations. Wilson, would you do the honors of passing these scripts out?” Derrick handed the stack of papers to Wilson who obediently began handing them to his co-workers.

  Chapter 9

  Derrick’s door was closed but Michael could hear the muffled sound of a conversation inside his office. It was too low to comprehend who was speaking or what was being said. Michael thought about walking away and coming back later but he really wanted to get time with Derrick today to find out the status of his loan application. He took a deep breath and then knocked somewhat hesitantly.

  “Come in,” Derrick said through the door. Michael took another deep breath and turned the knob. When he opened the door, Derrick was sitting at his large desk, hunched over the conference phone. His suit jacket was hung on the back of his chair. He rarely removed his jacket, preferring to dress formally as much as possible. The red light on the top of the phone was flashing which signaled that the line was muted. Michael heard a customer fumbling over his words, trying to explain his situation. He knew right away that Derrick was taking matters into his own hands. At least his boss rolled up his sleeves and did the work he expected of his own staff. That was admirable.

  “What’s up?” Derrick asked with his thick, dark eyebrows raised. “Don’t worry. I have the line muted.” He nodded towards the phone when he saw Michael glance that way.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Derrick. I just wanted to see if we could get a minute today to discuss my loan status.” Michael whispered even though the line was muted.

  “Yeah, yeah. Why don’t you sit down. This will only take a second.” Derrick gestured invitingly to Michael to grab a chair in front of his desk. Michael sat down and nervously looked out the window as if he wasn’t listening to the conversation that was taking place. Derrick took the phone off mute and interrupted the customer. “I know you have a hard time but the bottom line is you are behind on your payments and the bank is calling in the note. I’m sorry that you have been going through so much but everybody is feeling it these days. Even the bank. So if you’ll be so kind as to pay up in full within the next thirty days then the bank won’t have to foreclose on your house. And our attorneys are prepared to ensure a speedy recovery. Now you wouldn’t want to explain to your family why all your possessions are put out to the curb, would you? The neighbors all watching. It can be very embarrassing.”

  Michael squirmed in his chair. He didn’t like this process but understood it was business to collect outstanding funds. But he really didn’t like the stronger tactics that Derrick taught them earlier. It was worse watching it in action.

  The customer went into another sad story about his wife’s bout with breast cancer. As he listened to the gut-wrenching story, Michael realized he knew who the voice on the other end of the line was. It was Ernie Gustafson and he was talking about his wife Camilla’s cancer. Michael knew the Gustafson’s through Little League. Their son, Brock, was the pitcher on Andrew’s team last year. They sometimes spoke in the bleachers during games. Ernie was a machinist at the plant and Camilla hadn’t worked in two years since she got ill. Michael’s heart went out to them as he listened.

  “Watch this. Watch this.” Derrick said as he took the line off mute again. “Mr. Gustafson, I don’t need to remind you of the severity of our little problem here. But if we do not get payment in full before the thirty day window allowed by our attorneys then I am afraid things are going to become very difficult for you. I don’t think you want to risk anything happening to your family, do you?”

  Michael sat up straighter. He couldn’t believe what he just heard Derrick say.

  “Is that a threat, Mr. Graves? Because I will not be threatened.” Ernie bristled at the implication.

  “I am a business man and I am insulted by your accusation. All I meant was that there are ways of handling outstanding debts and then there are ways of handling outstanding debts. But you need to choose carefully as to how you go about making good on your obligations. I wouldn’t want to see any more bad luck befall your lovely family.” Derrick grinned slyly over the phone at Michael who was dumbfounded at what was taking place. “Now you can do things the nice, clean way or we can go down a rougher road where things can get messy.”

  “Can I interject on Ernie’s behalf?” Michael couldn’t sit idly by anymore.

  “Michael, is that you?” Ernie Gustafson inquired. “I didn’t know you were involved in this too.”

  “What do you think you are doing?” Derrick raged at Michael over the phone. He had hit the button to mute the line very quickly, but not quick enough for Mr. Gustafson to know Michael was there. Michael just shrugged at Derrick with his eyes wide open, pleading forgiveness.

  “You there?” Ernie asked when there was too much silence. Derrick popped the line back off mute so they could speak.

  “Uh, Mr. Gustafson, I had asked Michael to come in towards the latter part of our conversation, because, uh, I thought he would, um, be able to help convince you that we need to wrap up this
loan.” Derrick was perplexed for finding his words but his face revealed a much more determined posture. Almost like a cornered badger.

  “Maybe what we can do is lower Ernie’s payments for the next, say, ninety days or so and then accept a balloon payment of some sort at that point. That would give him the chance to make alternate arrangements and yet satisfy the debt owed to the bank.” Michael was fishing now. He had no idea how deep the waters were though.

  “There is no flexibility on this.” Derrick glared at Michael. He had put the line on mute again. “Now fix this.” He unmuted the phone.

  “Uh, Ernie, maybe I can give you a ring in a bit and we can discuss some possibilities to see what we can do. Will you be around in an hour or so?” Michael was pushing the limits with Derrick. Derrick looked like he was going to explode in a fit of rage. As Ernie began to respond to Michael, Derrick clicked the phone line which ended the call abruptly.

  Derrick stood up and leaned over the desk towards Michael. He breathed heavily but remained in control. “I heard you had gotten beaten up yesterday. Maybe you should have stayed home to take care of your wounds. It clearly jostled your brain a bit. Hm?”

  “I...,” Michael began before Derrick held up a finger to stop him.

  “Michael, can I ask you a question?” Derrick continued without awaiting a response. He started to walk to the front of his desk. “Was I not clear this morning about how critical it is that we focus on recovering these debts?” He was rolling up his white shirt sleeves. “Did I not convey that this project was of the utmost importance to the Board and directly affected our incomes, your income?” Derrick sat against the front of his desk, uncomfortably close to Michael and directly in between his seated legs. “Was my training just an exercise to waste everyone’s time so we could just sit in a room and enjoy each other’s company for a few hours?” Derrick glared into Michael’s eyes. Michael still didn’t respond even though the silence between them was charged. Breaking the silence, Derrick continued in a softer, gentler voice. “This task is important to all of us. And it is especially important to me. You know that I have announced my candidacy for the CEO role and that rising tides raise all ships. If I secure this new position then folks like you, Michael, who loyally help this company achieve its goals, are in a better position to secure your own new role. And what comes with a new role, Michael? Money. I think money is very important to you right now, Michael. Am I right? Your beautiful little daughter needs some medical attention but you are short on funds. That must be an awful situation for you, and Stephanie.”

  Derrick stood up again and walked back around his desk and calmly sat down in his chair. “Now think how much easier things would be for your daughter if things went well for the bank, and me, and then you.” He let the words hang in the air for a moment. Michael was speechless. His eyes watered up a little as the guilt of his actions ruminated. He collected himself before he spoke.

  “I understand.” Michael swallowed and looked down at his interlaced fingers. “Thank you for reminding me of the importance of all this.” He raised his head and looked at Derrick. “Can I ask you for the status of my loan application, so that I can share some news with my wife later?”

  Derrick sat back in his chair. “Oddly enough, it is still pending review. I have already made my decision.” Derrick paused to let that sentence linger. “However, the other approvals required have not come in yet. When the application doesn’t fall in line with the rest of the procedures, then it needs more effort to finish it up.” He nodded towards the door. “Now why don’t you call Mr. Gustafson back and see what you can do about his compliance while I, check on your loan.”

  Michael stood up. He stared down at Derrick for a full moment and then made his way towards the door. He opened the door and turned back to look at Derrick, who was already reading an email on his laptop. Without looking up he said, “Close the door behind you, please.”

  Michael stepped through the doorway and pulled the door closed. He noticed that his hands were shaking and his chest was twitching. He began to walk quickly to his cubicle before anyone saw the tears that were starting to stream down his battered face.

  Inside the office, Derrick reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He punched a few numbers and then placed the phone to his ear. A few seconds later, the phone on the other end is answered with silence. “Martin. It’s Graves. I have another job for you to do.”

  Chapter 10

  “Is this how you treat an old man, Mikey? You let him stand outside in the elements to wait for his ride home?” Murph started into Michael as soon as he arrived at his car.

  “Sorry, Murph. Had to tie up a loose end before I could leave for the day. I should have texted you or something.” Michael apologetically patted Murph on the shoulder and then opened the passenger door for him. He walked around to the driver’s side and plopped down into the small bucket seat. The exhaustion was evident to Murph.

  “You really need to go straight home and go right to bed, young man. You’re stretched too thin, going to work so hard after what happened last night.”

  Michael backed the car out of the space and began the commute home. As he turned back onto the main drag he sighed heavily.

  “All right. Spill it.” Murph entreated him to air his frustration.

  “I don’t want to dump all my problems on you, but thanks for offering to listen. I just want to ignore my problems and maybe they’ll go away.”

  Murph snickered. “That’s what JFK thought and look what happened to him.”

  Michael chuckled. It felt good for just a fleeting moment to have some levity.

  “You know how Steph and I have been trying to get another loan so we can pay for those new treatments for Ally?” He glanced at Murph as he checked his side view mirror. The wind ruffled his hair.

  “Yeah, what about it.”

  Michael stopped at a red light, then answered Murph. “Well, Graves was going to get it “blessed” for us since the bank knows we are already over-extended and late on some other payments. But now I have a feeling he is holding it up to make sure I fall in line with some office politics.”

  “You serious? Want me to fuck him up?” Murph, who was known to be an adept pugilist in his youth, welcomed all opportunities to mix it up some more.

  “That would be great if it would help. But, it’s just, you know we always had a really great working relationship. I did what he needed, when he needed it and always quickly, with quality to back it up. I trusted him all these years and now it feels like he is my enemy.” Michael checked the mirror and began to drive forward as the light changed.

  “Okay. Got it. So you stopped giving him a reach around, he got pissed and now you have to bend over a little harder. You bankers are so, uh, towel-snappy in the locker room.” Murph tilted his head down and raised one eyebrow higher than the other. That got Michael to instantaneously laugh through his nose, causing him to choke on his own mucus.

  “Easy there, tough guy. I’d prefer to make it home alive,” Murph poured it on.

  Michael recovered just in time to turn the wheel and get the car headed down Madison Avenue.

  “I hate to be a bought-and-paid-for man but I don’t have any choice right now but to fall in line. Allison’s life depends on it.”

  “So what was so horrible that got your kiwi’s twisted? Can’t you just suck it up until you get the loan and then flip him the bird later?” Murph eloquently summed up the options.

  “He was putting the screws to Gustafson over his defaulted mortgage while his poor wife is dying from cancer. You know Gustafson, right?” Michael glanced at Murph. “He’s that bald guy from the baseball games?”

  “Bald guy? Is that a shot at me? Way to bite the hand that helps, pal.” Murph looked out the window then turned back to Michael. “Name sounds familiar, but not the offensive description.”

  “Anyway, Graves started threatening him to pay up or there would be some bad things coming and I didn’t like it one bit.
These are good people. And customers. You just can’t treat people like that regardless of how much money they owe you.” He pulled to a stop in front of Murph’s house and put the car in park.

  “Threatened him, huh? I thought all the banks were shady like that. That’s why I stuff my money in a coffee can and bury it in the backyard. Don’t look for it though. I got claymores hidden around the property to deter the bad guys.”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t feel right about how all this is going down. And then to top it off he hints that my loan won’t get approved if I don’t play ball. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. But none of it matters because it is all about getting money for Allison. I would do anything to take her pain away.”

  “So your boss is a dick. Buck up, man. All bosses are dicks. You’ll get through this. Listen, I got some money stashed away which I can, you know, make a little under-the-table, wink-wink loan to you to get you by. I would do anything for you, man. You’re good peeps and if I can help you help Ally then it is worth getting grief from my old lady.”

  Embarrassed at Murph’s extraordinary generosity, Michael looked down in his lap. He didn’t know if he wanted to cry again or run away before Murph saw his red face. “Thanks, but I can’t take your money. You’re a real friend, Murph. I appreciate all your support.”

  “It ain’t for you, believe me. I just want to ensure I keep getting rides to work until my cherry car comes back from the shop. Then I’ll dismiss you like a skid-marked pair of tighty whiteys.” Murph opened the door and started to step out of the car.

  “Gee, I feel so lucky to be your prom queen.” Michael sassed back. “You know, I’m going to talk to one of the corporate attorneys tomorrow. Someone who owes me a favor and might have a solution to scare Derrick off a bit about his underhanded practices. Maybe that will quiet him down. And he won’t know where it came from so he might feel obligated to approve my loan just in case it was me that ratted him out.”