The Story of Charlie Mullins

by Jim Wygand

  “Anyway, Mullins, I’d just thought I’d let you know so you can relax a bit before the meetings next week.”

  “Like you really give a shit about whether I am relaxed or not!” Charlie thought, “You want me to get on the phone and tell the department heads that you are being cooperative, you bastard.”

  “I appreciate that Fred. I’m always concerned that something might have slipped through the cracks.”

  “Not this time, Mullins. You’ve done a fine job.”

  “Jeez, he’s even kissing my ass,” thought Charlie, “he must really be scared.”

  “Thanks, Fred. That’s nice to know. Anything else?”

  “Nope, that’s it Mullins. You can go.”

  “Gee, thank you Fred, I didn’t know I could go until you released me. ‘Dismissed!’” He laughed to himself, remembering his days in basic training

  Charlie laughed inwardly all the way back to his office. Fred Perkins was scared shitless and he had decided that it would not be politic to take on the operating heads with Phil Shaw out of the office. He was going to roll over on all the budget figures. He almost broke out laughing out loud when he thought that if he had known Phil Shaw would have had a heart attack he might have suggested doubling the investment levels of each department.

  Charlie now knew that the budget review process would be a cakewalk. Next week would be light for everyone except Fred Perkins who would be chomping antacid pills like popcorn.

  * * * * *

  He drove back to Gina’s place in a light mood. He was concerned for Phillip Shaw’s health but he was thankful for the change forced on Fred Perkins. He told Gina about the change that had come over Perkins and she laughed heartily. “What an ass that man is, Charlie. Does he have a spine?”

  “Gina, sometimes I think I don’t know anything, you know. I asked myself too, how does a man like that live day to day? How does he talk to his kids? What does he think he should teach them? One side of me feels sorry for the guy. The other side despises him for his weakness.”

  “He’s tortured, Charlie. A man like that can never be a real man. Watch out for him, because underneath it all he hates you for being a man. He would just as soon cut your throat as look at you, Charlie. Men like him are dangerous.”

  “I know, Gina. I’ve seen them before. Underneath it all they are scared – they’re cowards. Their fear makes them unpredictable. They will run or shoot you in the back. I saw them in the Army, in college, and in corporations. I don’t think Fred will try to attack me though. He’s got more to worry about than me. Fundamentally, he knows I am loyal, not to him, but to my responsibilities. He needs me and as long as he needs me he will be an ally – if that’s the right word.”

  “Things are going to change, Charlie. Maybe this situation will give you what you are looking for, maybe it won’t. But for sure things will change. I can feel good news in my bones.”

  * * * * *

  Wednesday’s bulletin from the Executive Committee stated that Phillip Shaw II had been removed from the Intensive Care Unit to a regular room and that his condition was listed as “good”. It added that Shaw was expected to be released by the weekend to begin his recovery at home.

  Charlie went to his regular Wednesday bowling league night after adjusting his timers accordingly. If he stayed for pizza and beer, he would again spend the night in Shoreville. He was finding it increasingly painful to be away from Gina. Gina, likewise, did not relish Charlie’s absences but she did not complain.

  The main topic of conversation at the bowling alley was not the usual raucous joking and ribbing, punctuated by Artie Samuels’ stale jokes. Everyone in the league was worried about their jobs and Charlie was considered to be a good source of information because of his position in the company.

  Bill Gallagher was one of the first to raise the issue of Phillip Shaw’s heart attack. “Hey Charlie, what do you hear about Phil Shaw? Are those notes from management telling the truth?” Everybody’s attention turned to Charlie.

  “I can’t say for sure Bill, but from what I gather the information is correct. For the foreseeable future things are going to stay as they are and as they have been. The Executive Committee is unlikely to change anything until Phil’s situation is stable and the prognosis is known. So far, everyone expects him back on the job following a recovery period. I wouldn’t worry about layoffs or job loss. The next quarter is already locked in with the new budgets and they seem to be optimistic and by then we will know something about whether Phil Shaw is on the way back. There is no reason to assume otherwise.”

  Tony Mazza piped up, “Yeah, I just refinanced my house. I sure as hell can not afford to lose my job now!”

  Charlie reinforced his argument, “Don’t worry Tony. Everything that I am getting from the operating departments means business as usual. I don’t see anybody getting fired. Nobody is talking restructuring or any of those other management ‘buzz words’ that they like to use in the rarified atmosphere of the board room.”

  Some of the guys in the group commented on how young Phillip Shaw II was to have a heart attack. Charlie interrupted, “Guys, you have to remember that when Old Man Shaw set up this company it was a small domestic operation. He built it up with a lot of hard work and I’m sure no small amount of anxiety. But what ‘Junior’ inherited to manage is a global organization of enormous size. I think the kinds of pressures ‘Junior’ faces are a lot different and more complex than those faced by his father. Maybe the strain was just too much.”

  “Maybe he ain’t the man his father is!” chimed in Artie Samuels.

  “Nah, Artie, I think you are comparing oranges and apples. “ Charlie continued, “We are talking about two different companies. The first was Old Man Shaw’s dream. The second is ‘Junior’s’ nightmare. Old Man Shaw did not have to worry about competition from China. The Executive Committee was a handful of guys he personally picked and most were guys who started out with him. Today you have guys on the Exec Committee that are recommended by other department heads, auditors, outside directors, professionals recruited to run operations, and so on. Phillip’s challenges are a lot different. He has to negotiate more, convince more people, consider the effects of his decisions on units abroad as well as in the USA. It’s not the job it was even when Old Man Shaw decided to retire.”

  The conversation about the company and the questions to Charlie continued over the pizza and beer ritual. Charlie stayed around to answer first because these were his friends and they were scared and second because perhaps the fear of job loss would cause Bill Gallagher and Bob Simms to give their wives something else to fret about.

  When he got home, Charlie called Gina to tell her he would stay in Shoreville that night and be in Philly after work on Thursday. Gina expressed her disappointment at having to sleep alone in her bed but offered her support for their objective of building a life in private. They reiterated their love for each other and Charlie rang off to do his laundry and organize the house, after which he went to bed.

  All of Charlie’s pals went home to tell their wives that Charlie said their jobs were secure for the time being and not to worry. Bill Gallagher and Bob Simms both added that this would not be a good time to irritate Charlie Mullins. For once the wives agreed and no one watched Charlie leave for Wilmington the next morning or to see if he came back to his house that night.

  * * * * *

  Thursday and “casual” Friday were accompanied by the regular notices of Phil Shaw’s improving condition. He was scheduled to leave the hospital over the weekend so tensions diminished among the employees. They figured Phillip would be coming back soon.

  Charlie and Gina continued in their regular routines and intense lovemaking. They went out to the trattoria with some of Gina’s friends. They continued to avoid saying anything other than they were simply dating but Gina’s friends knew better. However, their loyalty to Gina and her perceived emotional fragility in matters of romance kept them from commenting outside the circle. Howe
ver, they all noticed a marked change in Gina. She seemed happier and lighter than ever before. The occasional sad look had vanished completely from her eyes. She was clearly happy and all figured the relationship was on a sound footing. They were also sure that Gina’s uncle had probably given his approval of the romance.

  When Charlie returned to his house for softball practice on Saturday he was surprised to hear a message on his answering machine from an attorney in Wilmington. The message asked only that he call back when convenient and left two Wilmington numbers, one for the attorney’s law office and the other for his home.

  When Charlie came back from softball practice and before calling Gina, he called the home number of the attorney.

  The attorney answered and after Charlie had identified himself and said he was returning the attorney’s call, the attorney said, “Thank you for calling, Mr. Mullins. We have never met. I am Phillip Shaw’s private attorney and I would like to schedule a meeting with you as soon as possible. Are you available after work on Monday?”

  Charlie tried to ascertain what the meeting would be about and the attorney simply said, “I would rather not discuss the matter over the telephone. We should meet in private. Would five-thirty be OK? My offices are not far from the Shaw building. You could even walk there.”

  Charlie agreed to the meeting and noted the address. When he rang off he thought, “Shit, somebody has told the company about Gina!” But he realized that that was improbable if not impossible unless one of Gina’s friends had inadvertently commented to someone. No one in Shoreville could have known who was Gina Ferrelli, at least so he thought. He remembered his conversation with Tony Mazza after league night one Wednesday. Tony told him he had been seen a couple of times in Philly. Was it possible that someone from Shoreville knew who Gina was? But Carlo Rizzo had said that he had kept her highly sheltered. Nobody would have thought to check out a Bryn Mawr yearbook. He didn’t know if Gina’s picture was even in any Bryn Mawr yearbook.

  “Well, I’ll just have to wait until Monday” he thought.

  Charlie called Gina and told her about the strange phone call and the summons to meet the attorney. He voiced his concern that they may have been “found out”. Gina however, was not so sure. “Charlie, very few people outside my circle of friends know who I am. Obviously the nuns at school and some of the people involved in my projects know about my uncle. But I don’t recall ever having my picture in a newspaper. I didn’t have a picture taken for the high school or college yearbooks on my uncle’s recommendation. So it would be difficult for anyone to associate my face with my or my uncle’s name if they don’t know me. I don’t rule out the possibility but I think it is very remote.”

  “Maybe the Feds, Gina? They know who you are. Could they have identified me in those photos they were taking when we visited your uncle?”

  “Oh I don’t know Charlie. I’ve tried to take pictures of the inside of the car through the tinted glass and all I ever got were pictures of black windows. I mean maybe they have some way of neutralizing the tinting, but I don’t think that’s a probability. I could ask my uncle.”

  “Not yet”, said Charlie, “let’s wait until the meeting on Monday to see what it’s all about. Then, if necessary, I’ll talk to your uncle. I don’t want to speculate. It’s better to find out what the attorney says.”

  “I agree, Charlie, if it’s the worst case scenario the damage is already done anyway and you’ll come back from the meeting without a job. If it’s not, then it is something else and we will only be able to deal with something else once we know what it is.”

  Charlie and Gina spent Sunday in the apartment. To keep his mind off the meeting that would take place on Monday he prepared a brunch for him and Gina. They sat on the couch and read the Sunday newspapers. There was some coverage of Phil Shaw’s heart attack on the business page.

  “Well Charlie, you did a pretty credible job with the brunch. I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks, Gina. Maybe I have a future as a restaurateur.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far, Charlie. I mean it was good but I think you have to have some more practice before doing it professionally! Besides, I think those hats chefs wear are silly.”

  “Well, that’s another career option shot to hell.” Charlie said.

  “Chaaarliee, don’t wax pessimistic”, said Gina “we have no idea what the meeting is all about. You might be in the same job after the meeting that you were in before it. Relax, OK?”

  “I’m trying, baby, I’m trying.”

  “Why don’t you let me show you my etchings?” Gina said teasingly, “they’re in the bedroom. Wanna see ‘em?”

  Charlie forgot his problems.

  * * * * *

  Monday, Charlie drove to Wilmington from Philly. He was now concerned for the meeting at the end of his business day. He sat in on Fred Perkins’ first meeting with the head of the division that made machinery for the paper industry. Charlie watched in absolute amazement. Perkins began the meeting by telling the man how pleased he was to see a good tight budget projection. He said that he hoped other department heads were as diligent as he had been. Charlie was dumbstruck. He had never seen Perkins suck up in front of a witness. Perkins was so civil as to be disgusting. When the meeting was over, Charlie could hardly keep a straight face. He returned to his office and sat there stifling a loud laugh. That afternoon, some of the other operating department heads called him to ask if Perkins had gone “around the bend” or was “off his rocker”. They had all been informed about the meeting and were asking Charlie if they would sail through just like their colleague.

  Charlie laughed and attributed Fred’s new personality to the absence of Phil Shaw. They all laughed and said that Phil may have done more for their departments by being out of the office than being in. They didn’t wish any bad luck on Phil but asked if Charlie might not be able to get the word to Shaw that he should pretend to have one heart attack every quarter.

  Charlie thought to himself, “If you guys only knew that I am meeting with Phil Shaw’s attorney after work today and I might not be here on the job tomorrow!”

  At 5 pm, Charlie arranged his desk, locked away his papers and waited for Fred Perkins to leave. As soon as Fred left for the elevators, Charlie left as well. He saw Fred getting into an elevator car and hung back to make sure he would not be in the same one. Two more cars passed and were completely full. When Charlie finally got into an elevator that was not full, Fred was already reaching his car in the parking lot. By the time Charlie reached street level, Fred was nowhere to be seen. Charlie walked to the attorney’s office.

  XXVII

  Charlie arrived to the attorney’s office a little before five thirty. He introduced himself to the receptionist who immediately showed him to a small conference room to wait for Shaw’s lawyer.

  At precisely five-thirty the door opened and what looked like a very expensive attorney came through it with a file folder in his hand.

  “Shit!” Charlie thought, “This is it, he’s got pictures and everything! I wonder if someone is cleaning out my desk while I am here.”

  “Mr. Mullins, thank you for coming. My name is Warren Carpenter. I’m Phillip Shaw’s personal attorney. Before we begin I would like you to review the documents I have here and if you agree, I want you to sign them.”

  “Christ!” thought Charlie “I’m on the street! He’s got non-compete documents, confidentiality statements, the works. I’m screwed!”

  The first document was a power of attorney that named Warren Carpenter and his law firm as Charlie’s attorneys. It wasn’t what Charlie expected and he had to read it twice. “Excuse me, Mr. Carpenter but this is a document that names you as my attorney-in-fact. Let me be frank, I don’t even know why I need an attorney and I am sure that I certainly could not afford your fees. What is this all about?”

  “Mr. Mullins, the purpose of this document is to ensure attorney-client privilege. What we will discuss cannot be subject to subsequent i
nvestigation. Maybe we should look to the next document first. This document,” he shoved another paper in front of Charlie, “is a confidentiality agreement that ensures that whatever you and Phillip Shaw shall discuss through me, his attorney-in-fact, will not be revealed.”

  “The objective is as follows Mr. Mullins, I must speak to you about a matter of utmost confidence and both you and I must be protected by attorney-client privilege and Mr. Shaw and the Shaw Corporation must be protected by a confidentiality agreement. If you are concerned that you are about to be fired, I can assure you such elaborate precautions would not be necessary. You would be given the standard company documents by your supervisor and the whole thing would be done quickly and without a private appointment with me. I am here on behalf of Phillip Shaw, CEO of the Shaw Corporation, not the Personnel Department. Am I being clear, Mr. Mullins? I can’t talk to you until you have signed the documents.”

  “OK, Mr. Carpenter. I don’t understand anything as yet, but agreeing to confidentiality should not be a problem. As to your fees to represent me….”

  Carpenter laughed gently, “No, Mr. Mullins there is no fee. I won’t charge you a red cent. I just need to know that you and I are protected by attorney-client privilege.”

  “OK”, said Charlie, “where do I sign?”

  “Right here, Mr. Mullins”, and Carpenter pointed to the line under which Charlie’s full name was typed.

  Once Charlie had signed the documents and Carpenter had returned them to the folder, he began, “Mr. Mullins, before asking me to contact you Mr. Shaw spoke to Wexler & Santori. He asked them who he could talk to with utmost confidence and to whom he could entrust a very serious mission. What I am about to tell you cannot be made known to the public under any circumstances. Wexler & Santori recommended you for this assignment. The partners there said that you were steady, discreet, and qualified.”