Twisted Love and Money

by Kennedy, Thomas

  Janet turned.

  “John I have worked out a way to achieve the scenario I have outlined.”

  John looked at her, his jaw dropping in surprise. Then he pulled himself together.

  “If this was possible, what would your price be?” John asked, playing her game.

  “I have a little list,” Janet said with a smile and John laughed.

  “But first,” Janet said, “I need to be convinced that you can raise a bid.”

  “I can see you are serious,” John said, feeling a sense of shock.

  ‘Very serious John and we have little time,” Janet said confidently.

  “There is a Mr. Kenny, you’d need to meet him. How much time have you got?”

  “I have to meet Mr. Crawford tonight at the airport.”

  “If this is serious I will take you to see Kenny.”

  “Its serious John, but I don’t want to go near O’Byrne’s for the moment.”

  “Kenny is a partner in my former firm. They are a large accounting practice. He is the liquidations and receivership partner. He is acting for the banks in looking at O’Byrne’s finances. They want his say-so before they extend our short term funding.”

  “And where does he come into an alternative bid?”

  “He is crucial to our bid. He can organise the financial backing. I was to see him with the other directors and O’Donoghue. However if you have material data to share with us I will insist he sees us now. I sure he will agree. I know the man, he senses a deal.”

  “A man I could relate to,” Janet said with a smile.

  “He’s about sixty five with a lot of miles on the clock. An old gangster and plotter, a very clever man but as ugly as sin.”

  “I like old ugly men,” Janet said pleasantly. “Will you ring him please? Maybe he could come here? He might not want a meeting of this nature at his office.”

  Kenny was unhappy. He had other things on his plate and grudgingly agreed to come over to Janet’s apartment.

  Janet was not over-impressed with Kenny’s appearance. He looked donnish with an expensive but unkempt suit and tie. However he had penetrating intelligent eyes. She decided she liked him, not just because she liked all men, but also rather because she particularly liked powerful intelligent men.

  Janet settled Kenny with a cup of tea and a biscuit while John in his anxiety, reverted to coffee.

  Kenny considered Janet carefully. Bright very young and very good looking, he observed.

  “I am Mr. Crawford’s lead on the AF bid for O’Byrne’s,” she explained.

  John nearly fell off the couch in surprise.

  “Are you in a relationship with him?” Kenny asked perceptively.

  “Something that is developing.”

  “John said on the phone that you have become engaged to Peter O’Byrne. Will that sour your relationship with Crawford?”

  “The interaction with Mr. Crawford is the part of the deal I manage. Leave that to me. What I need to know is whether a credible counter offer to the AF deal is a real possibility or are you guys just hot air?”

  Kenny looked at her and took a sip of his tea. He knew the power of a silence in a discussion like this.

  Then he smiled. “John has explained my background and or course you realize I also act for the banks in the O’Byrne’s affair.”

  “Yes.”

  “The position is,” Kenny continued. “I have sounded out the debenture Holders. I have spoken to Colm O’Donoghue of Howlett holdings and through my firm I have a number of wealthy individuals who would be delighted if I could put a good deal on the table.”

  “Understood,” Janet said, and Kenny began to realize she understood very well.

  Kenny began to set out his view of how an alternative deal might look, but fell short of suggesting an offer price.

  As John listened to Kenny he began to realize his own naivety. Kenny was low key and diffident, but John realized he was a class act. His confidence rose, but he knew he was just a spectator at whatever was going on between Kenny and Janet Simmons.

  “John explained my scenario?” Janet offered.

  “Yes,” Kenny acknowledged, “He laid it out over the phone in an effort to persuade me to come and give you my undivided attention, Miss Simmons.”

  “Please call me Janet.”

  “I am Andrew.”

  “Andrew, did John tell you that I have a little list.”

  “Yes, we should explore the list,” Kenny agreed.

  “My proposition is based on the assumption that if Michael O’Byrne sells out for the offer price and subsequently relationships with AF are restored, then the firm can resume its onward path without Michael, and that there will be plenty millions of future value to go around.”

  “Perhaps,” Kenny said cautiously. “In principle yes.”

  “I am not happy with Michael O’Byrne being cheated out of millions,” John intervened, feeling something outrageous was happening.

  “John,” Kenny began, but Janet cut across him.

  “John,” she said looking warmly at him, “The future value of O’Byrne’s has already been taken away from Michael O’Byrne. AF just has to push the buttons on Saturday and he sells. What we are discussing is not cheating Michael O’Byrne. He is a grown man in business, taking what he sees to be the best option.”

  “What are we discussing then?” John demanded.

  “We are discussing whether or not AF should be the ones to gain from Michael O’Byrne’s predicament or whether it should be others, namely our consortium if we agree to go ahead and counter offer.”

  “Take it as read,” Kenny added, “Michael has already lost out. The question is, to whom?”

  John tensed, not knowing what was being asked of him.

  “John,” Janet said kindly, “you have a very important decision to make. The whole proposal may turn on the stance you adopt.”

  “What?” John asked confused.

  “Are you in or are you out?” Kenny put it simply.

  John looked at them both for a moment. “I’m in,” he decided.

  “Excellent,” Kenny congratulated and Janet looked equally pleased.

  “My little list,” Janet said looking at the ceiling. The two men were content just to look at her.

  “I will need to put a proposal to Mr. Crawford. I think I need five million for him, to sugar the pill. I hope he will be offered a non-executive director role in Howlett holdings with a suitable share option package. He might even be chairman.”

  “Chairman is not a good idea,” John suggested. “The Chairman role should not be an AF linked appointment in a new arms length scenario.”

  “We can do the shares,” Kenny said, “but Colm O’Donoghue becomes Chairman for a period to show continuity. I have to follow him as deputy and intended future chairman if my investors are to have confidence in the deal.”

  “Fine,” Janet conceded, “I want Peter to remain in marketing, where he will replace James O’Driscoll in time. I think he will be good at marketing and he will provide continuity of the O’Byrne connection.”

  “And Dorothy?” John suggested.

  “Dorothy is out, too close to the father,” Janet said and Kenny nodded in agreement.

  “Crawford will want to put in his own man in Finance,” Janet added. “He always does.”

  “So I am out?” John said.

  “No,” Kenny intervened. “John you are going in as Managing Director. We need a solid pair of hands at the tiller, and believe it or not John you have a sound reputation in Dublin as a straight dealer. I want a man in charge I can trust and that’s you John.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” John began.

  “Just say yes,” Kenny said, slightly irritated. “John we have had our ups and downs in the past but we always worked well together.”

  “Agreed…” John began.

  “Fine,” Janet cut in taking John’s ‘agreed’ to cover the proposed new role.

  “For myself and P
eter I want two things.”

  “Yes?” Kenny was all attention.

  “I want Peter’s trust fund to be paid in Howlett holding shares, so they will get further payback from future growth.”

  “Agreed, but they will initially get the same offer price as Michael O’Byrne, it can’t be any other way.”

  “All right.” Janet conceded, “and I want five million for each of Peter and myself.”

  “Phew,” John said, looking at Kenny.

  Kenny was unperturbed. “You will have to come on the board of O’Byrne’s,” Kenny suggested.

  “I can put in ISO for them, it’s a good quality system.”

  “Fine,” Kenny agreed, not the least bit worried about how Janet might amuse herself as a Director. “When we finalize the new Board in agreement with Colm O’Donoghue, I will get my people to put a deal together. As a condition of the merger, there will be a legitimate share option scheme that will give each key executive director, including us here and Crawford, a five million stake in the new company.”

  Janet considered this.

  “O’Donoghue will want his grandson to be Managing Director instead of John here?”

  “Probably, but in ten or fifteen years time, the boy is very young and inexperienced. That is very long term,” Kenny suggested.

  “Well, my plans for Peter are to get him back to London as part of the AF organization longer term. I would prefer to live in London. I will talk to Crawford about this.”

  “So there is no conflict over Peter, but I may be out of a job in the long term?” John threw in.

  “That worry you John?” Kenny asked with a smile.

  “Not really,” John replied, adding with a smile. “I’m sure the severance terms will be good.”

  “So, if I may summarize,” Janet said. “Andrew, you must deliver O’Donoghue and your bankers and the debenture holders and I must deliver Mr. Crawford and, in time, the reversal of the AF dispute with O’Byrne's.”

  “Agreed.”

  “And John, you must get the non family directors on board.”

  “Agreed,” John said confidently.

  “Do you think Janet?” Kenny added. “That you could come with Mr. Crawford to meet us? We have limited time, if I am to get all the ducks in a row.”

  “I’m sure that’s possible,” Janet smiled.

  “John,” Kenny continued. “We better have a pre-meeting. That is before I talk to Crawford. Can you fix that with O’Donoghue and the O’Byrne Executive Director team, I mean the non-family part. Can you do that?”

  “Will do,” John agreed.

  “I’ll have to work all night on this,” Kenny said. “John you can help. We need to devise a Director’s Share Option Scheme linked to a performance bonus. We pay everyone their five million out of the future profit growth of O’Byrne’s, which will arise when fences are repaired with AF and the growth path resumes.”

  “Can do,” John agreed. “If I work all night.”

  “You happy Janet?” Kenny asked.

  “I might have to work all night,” Janet said with a wry smile.

  And they laughed and wondered if she was really joking.

  Chapter thirty-six

  When the John and Kenny had left, Janet had sat for a while deep in thought, her head buzzing with worry. She knew she was taking the biggest gamble of her life. She could not contact Peter and yet she was making plans and relying on his proposal of marriage.

  Then she thought further about it. She realized that the deal she had put to Kenny was better than the deal she currently had with Crawford. Even without Peter she would be better off with the new deal. This relaxed her.

  Janet prepared her papers for Crawford’s arrival. Everything depended on how well she could work things out with Crawford.

  Papers ready, Janet then prepared herself. She started with a shower and then naked, she began her routine. She was well aware that being beautiful required a good amount of hard work, plus natural endowment of course.

  Starting with toenails she worked her way up her body, making sure everything was to her satisfaction. Her appearance was not just an accident of nature. She knew what to do right and was prepared work hard at it and to spend money on the best of materials. Thus far she’d stayed fit and had not needed any artificial inserts or surgery. She intended that the bounty nature had provided would last as long as possible in its natural state.

  Her concentration as she got ready was complete and so was her enjoyment. She liked to feel she would look her best. Finally after full inspection of her efforts she got dressed and then put the final touches to her makeup.

  Janet inspected herself in the mirror. Wow, she thought, who would be lucky and meet me tonight? Crawford, of course. She gave herself a big smile and let herself out of the apartment.

  The flight was on time and Crawford hurried through. Normally he carried only hand luggage for speed, but on this occasion he had a suit holder, with all that he deemed necessary to attend a couple of days including a formal dinner planned at the O’Byrne residence for Saturday night.

  It was after ten p.m. after a busy and a difficult day. He felt tired and irritable.

  Crawford’s spirits lifted when he saw Janet waiting for him as he came through the green channel.

  Somehow despite the large crowd waiting, they had given Janet her own space at the front. The men in admiration and the women in curiosity as they all stole glances from time to time at her superior good looks and her very expensively cut clothes.

  Janet pecked him on the cheek in recognition.

  “We just have to grab a taxi outside,” she explained.

  “Booked me into the Jury’s as usual?” Crawford asked.

  “No Leo, tonight you can stay with me it will be much more comfortable. It will be easier for us to talk and you can relax and unwind.”

  “Sounds great,” Crawford said gruffly, pleased that Janet had moved their relationship to a further stage of intimacy. Yet worried that he was tired after a tough day.

  Crawford took her hand in the taxi and Janet let him hold her hand for the journey. They could not talk much with the taxi driver able to hear every word and in the end they left it to the taxi driver to maintain a conversation with Crawford on the way into town.

  As is usual with Dublin taxi men the driver was full of talk and gossip about his city, and also very curious about his passengers. However they chose not to enlighten him on the purpose of their journey. In the end the taxi driver found common ground in discussing the fortunes of Chelsea football club with Crawford who was a fan, and this conversation occupied them until the taxi pulled up outside Janet’s apartment. Janet led the way in and settled Crawford on the couch.

  “I can order in a Chinese or something Italian?” Janet offered but Crawford declined as he had eaten earlier. He settled for a cup of tea.

  “How are things at AF?” Janet enquired.

  “Great, great, we will have another good year next year if things in train pan out as planned.”

  “Including the O’Byrne deal?” Janet suggested.

  “Cream on the cake, as a deal it might be too much.”

  “Too much?” Janet asked, aghast.

  “Yes, we are already ahead of target. If we succeed in the O’Byrne business and there is no reason why not that I know of, we will be well in excess of target.”

  “Good bonuses for everyone?” Janet suggested.

  “Yes,” Crawford agreed. “But it raises the bar for the following year. The base becomes higher. Everything works against the base achieved for the previous year.”

  “Is that a problem Leo?”

  “Not really Janet, it’s good really. What I’ll do is slow down a couple of other deals. It’s better to manage growth as a steady year on year increase. The market analysts can deal with that better. It won’t be problem.”

  “Any other problem I should be aware of?” Janet asked.

  “Not really, procurement is bitching a bit about the
way we are stitching O’Byrne’s up. Your idea was a great one but it is not a usual tactic.”

  “It seems to be working, they are feeling the pinch and O’Byrne is ready to sell.”

  “Yes, well done Janet. But we must put the deal cleanly to bed. I don’t want any court cases which might unwind our position.”

  “We are well placed if there is a court case,” Janet responded, “I have ensured we have a convincing book of evidence. Certainly enough to completely muddy the case.”

  “The lawyers don’t worry me. It’s my reputation. I don’t want any scandal to emerge. We take O’Byrne’s as planned, but any major rebuff and we reconsider and introduce a fallback plan. I don’t mind screwing them. I just don’t want it to reflect back on AF and myself. So good confident footwork is required Janet. I am sure that between us we can manage that. This is not the first time I’ve sailed close to the wire and it won’t be the last. The key is successful completion and quick execution. Are the pieces in place?”

  “Yes, is the short answer,” Janet said, “but before we go into the detail can I ask you something else?”

  “Personal nature?” Crawford asked archly, wanting to move from the everyday business of takeovers to his personal agenda in relation to Janet.

  As far as he was concerned he would not have gone with the deal, except that it gave him access to Janet who had become increasingly the object of his desires. Her hands off yet intimate treatment of him to date had inflamed his passion and he was nearing obsession. The fact that she was looking beyond wonderful fed this passion further.