The kingmakers redemptio.., p.26
The Kingmaker's Redemption, page 26
“No comment,” he replied, then turned and strode back into his office.
Wendy left the office without a story, but when she reached the lobby, she texted the picture to Ron Archer, the head of the research department at the Examiner, and asked him to see what he could find out about the man she photographed.
CHAPTER 46
Jack was up at the crack of dawn. It was Maya’s birthday and he couldn’t wait to see her face when they told her about her gift. After letting Molly out to relieve herself, he decided to go to the Olympus Diner for breakfast, allowing Bobbie to continue sleeping uninterrupted.
Over his poached eggs and breakfast sausage patties, he started assessing his options going forward. Obviously, he had a company to run, but did he want to continue running it? He was hoping this was the beginning of new a relationship with Bobbie. Where would that lead? Maya needed a full-time dad or at least as full-time as his being divorced would allow. There was so much to consider.
His concentration was interrupted by a familiar voice. It was Hank Reynolds from the Examiner.
“Hi there, Jack. Congratulations. So nice to see you out and about.”
“Thanks, Hank. Care to join me?” Jack said, knowing he would.
“Love to. You must feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders.”
“And then some. I assume you guys will be busy following up on the story that came out of my case being dismissed.”
“Absolutely. It could shake up the entire political landscape of the region. What we’ve uncovered so far is that Carol Meyers had originally been recruited by Randall Davies to spy on you. Once he had his claws into her, and given her feelings for Peter Evans, escalating her activities into framing you was inevitable.”
“This should keep your staff occupied for quite a while, I assume.”
“No question about it. May I check in with you along the way?”
“Sure, always happy to help. Particularly under these circumstances.”
“As a member of the campaign staff, any thoughts on Tuesday’s election?”
“I haven’t been directly involved with the campaign for some time. I do, however, hope Lindsay wins. He’ll be a great Congressman if he does.”
“I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t win.”
They finished breakfast with talk of the Packers’ victory the previous week and the coming of another brutal Wisconsin winter. As they walked to their cars, Hank turned to Jack and asked, “I’d like to publish something about Mickey Martin’s passing, other than just an ordinary obituary. You knew him better than anyone. Care to weigh in?”
Jack considered. Mickey certainly deserved a tribute. “I’d like that. Give me a couple of days and I’ll send you my thoughts.”
Jack’s early start got him to the Freemans at nine thirty. Diane greeted him at the door and told him Sandy and Maya were getting dressed and would be down shortly. Sam offered him coffee which he declined. He was already over-caffeinated.
A moment later, Maya came bounding down the stairs. “Hi, Daddy! I’m seven today!”
“Yes you are! And we have a present for you that’s perfect for you being seven.”
“What? What?”
Sandy, who had followed Maya down the stairs, took over the surprise.
“We thought it was time you had your own puppy.”
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” Maya was running around the room repeating that phrase. Stopping for a moment, she asked, “Where is it?”
Jack smiled. “That’s the best part. You and Mommy and I are going to the Humane Society where you get to pick out your own.”
Maya was so excited she was almost breathless. Sandy got Maya’s coat and the three of them hopped into the car and headed downtown.
When they arrived, there were several other families in line to look over prospective pets. When their turn came, they walked down the corridor to the area where the adoptable dogs were housed. Maya went up to each of the cages and greeted the dogs inside. Halfway down the aisle, she fell in love with Lester. He appeared to be a mix of poodle and cocker spaniel with a few other possibilities thrown in. His light brown curly hair and bright eyes made for an adorable combination. The volunteer who accompanied them opened the cage and Maya wrapped her arms around her new birthday present. They were a perfect match.
Sandy and Jack filled out some paperwork and then helped Maya carry Lester to the car. She talked non-stop to her new best friend all the way home. When they arrived, Diane and Sam were waiting anxiously. They had been to the pet store to buy all the necessities: a leash, bowls, food, a couple of gates to keep Lester out of trouble, the whole nine yards.
“You are the best birthday present ever!” Maya told Lester. Lester responded by licking her face.
The fun continued with the party that afternoon. Sandy and her mom had decorated the rec room in the basement with balloons and pictures of puppies. Nine of Maya’s neighborhood and school chums arrived at one-o’clock to celebrate with cake and Kool-Aid. Lester joined in by scarfing up any cake bits that hit the floor.
The party ended at three. Everyone, including Lester, was exhausted. Jack gave Maya another hug before leaving. She whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Daddy. I love Lester and I love you.”
Jack was without words. He could only smile.
On the drive home, Jack decided it was time to speak to Peter. It would not be an easy call as there were open wounds on both sides. Peter answered the call on the first ring.
“Hi, Jack. How are you doing?” Thankfully, Jack did not detect any malice in his voice.
“Doing well. You?”
“The same.”
“Listen, Peter, we have a lot to discuss and I’d like it to be face-to-face. Any chance you could meet me at the office in an hour?”
“I can. Before we meet, I just want you to know I had no idea about what Carol was doing.”
“I believe that, Peter. It’s also why we need to get together and work out some things about the firm. It’s not about trust issues, I assure you.”
“That’s a relief. See you in an hour.”
Jack stopped by the house on the way to his office to pick up his laptop, which had been returned by the DA’s office. Miles was there and said Bobbie was off doing errands. He also told Jack that he and Bobbie had come to an agreement about the house and since he rented his current apartment on a month-to-month basis, he’d be moving in within a couple of weeks. Miles was obviously touched by her generosity and kindness. Molly seemed to be pretty much back to her old self. Maybe she sensed Miles was there to stay.
Jack grabbed his computer and a few papers then headed off to his office. He pulled into the parking lot, as he had hundreds of times, but this time it felt different. Like he was a stranger. The same feeling he had had when he went back to the house he, Sandy, and Maya had once shared.
He walked through the front door and headed down the hall to his office. As he passed Peter’s office, he waved and proceeded to his office. Everything was exactly as he had left it, but it felt strange. Something in his subconscious was weighing in on what he would say to Peter.
Shortly after he sat down at his desk, Peter appeared in his doorway.
“Ready for me?” he asked.
“Absolutely. C’mon in.”
As Peter approached the desk, Jack got up and then the two men shook hands. Not merely a “hello” handshake, but a sincere “how are you” handshake. They then moved to Jack’s small conference table in the corner by the window.
“Peter, let’s start off by addressing the elephant in the room. I want you to know that I, in no way, blame you for what happened. In addition, I want to apologize for the grilling you took on the witness stand. My attorney was only doing what she had to do to keep me from going to jail for a crime I didn’t commit.”
“I know, Jack. I’m just glad you were exonerated.” Peter sat down, obviously at ease now.
“Obviously there’s a big void left by Carol’s untimely departure. Any ideas?”
“I think Rachel is ready to move into that chair. I also think it’s time to elevate a very deserving Donna into the role of Director of Operations. What do you think?”
“I think both moves are excellent calls, but ultimately it’s your decision.”
“My decision, why?” Peter looked at Jack quizzically.
Jack took a deep breath and put his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Because, Peter, I’ve decided it’s time for you take over running the company. In fact, if you’re willing, I’d like us to activate our buy-out agreement.”
“I’m very surprised. Why?”
“Simple. This whole incident has made me realize how much I need to make changes in my life. First, I have a daughter who needs her dad on a regular basis. Also, I realized as the trial was going on, I could be away from the business and it would function just fine without me. My ego took a little bruising with that revelation, but I’m good with it now. Lastly, I want to explore other avenues where I can use the skills I have to do good things. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve done some good things for our clients, but I want to do things that give back to the community as a whole without a profit motive or political agenda. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do. As you know, I have a home equity loan lined up to assist with the financing. That is unless some bank examiner kills it. I should have known—”
Jack interrupted. “Stop. You did nothing wrong. Randall Davies is the culprit, not you. Besides, you’re not going to need your line of credit.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Here’s the deal. I want us to come up with a plan where you buy me out over time using a portion of the profits from the company. Some formula which also includes a small portion of my current compensation so I can maintain employee status for insurance, 401(k), etc. Then a manageable amount of the profits to buy out my stock over a reasonable timeframe.”
“You’ve obviously thought this out in some detail.”
“Actually I’m making it up as I go along. Are you on board?”
“I am.” Peter was excited about the plan but, at the same time, sad to be losing Jack as a partner.
“What do you think will happen with the Consolidated–PetroMark deal?”
“I had a conference call with the key people on both sides. With William Davies likely out of the planning commission and Lindsay Revelle’s likely election, they’re abandoning the harbor depot and simply moving ahead with the joint venture.”
“Wow. Great news. Maybe I should have asked you about that before proposing our deal.” Jack laughed so Peter would know right away he wasn’t reconsidering.
Their discussion then turned to planning for account transitions and shifting personnel around accordingly. When they finished, they shook hands again and pledged to get the ball rolling with the attorneys as soon as possible. Having that discussion behind him, Jack drove out of the parking lot feeling truly free for maybe the first time ever.
When he got back to the house, Bobbie and Miles were setting up some tables and chairs they had rented for tomorrow evening’s celebration-of-life for Mickey. They had sent out numerous emails and made some calls to invite everyone they thought would want to participate.
“How can I help?”
“Put tablecloths on the tables we’ve put up. They’re in a stack on the kitchen table.”
“Yes, ma’am. Looks like you’re expecting a lot of people to show up.”
“Hope so,” said Miles.
At the end of the evening, they sat in the living room and cracked open a fresh bottle of Irish whiskey in honor of Mickey. After finishing the entire bottle, they all fell asleep where they sat. Waking up at various times during the night, they each retreated to their respective rooms to finish their whiskey-induced slumber.
The beeping of the alarm clock at high volume woke Jack. He dragged himself to the bathroom, his head pounding from the aftermath of the whiskey. When he arrived at the door, he could hear the shower running so he decided to wait. A couple of minutes later, Bobbie emerged with her body wrapped in a bath towel and her still wet hair combed out. She is really beautiful, he thought.
“My turn?” he asked.
“All yours.”
After he had showered, shaved, and dressed, he joined Bobbie and Miles at the kitchen table. Miles had made coffee and Bobbie was toasting an English muffin. It was unlikely any of them would want much in light of their whiskey-produced hangovers.
After breakfast they headed off to the cemetery. The funeral director was there with the grave attendants who were finishing preparing the gravesite. Mickey’s casket was in the hearse parked nearby. The pastor arrived a couple of minutes later. The service and burial process took less than thirty minutes. It was very emotional for all three of them. Even Miles had to reach for his handkerchief to wipe tears from his eyes. After shaking hands with the pastor and funeral director, they got into the car and headed back to the house to prepare to receive the people who would be coming to pay their respects.
People started arriving around 6:00 p.m. As usual, the last of the over fifty mourners left as soon as all of the deli and liquid refreshments had been consumed. By ten thirty they had the dishes done and the rented tables and chairs stacked for the Monday morning pick up. After a long and trying day, Jack crashed in bed. Everything was different now that Mickey was gone.
CHAPTER 47
Tuesday was election day. The headline in the morning online edition of the Lakeville Examiner read, “Lindsay Revelle Expected to Win First District Congressional Election.”
When Jack and Bobbie arrived at the hall, people had already started gathering in anticipation of a great victory celebration. There was a long line at the bar and a band was playing upbeat jazz music. Jack walked over to the credentials table to check in. He was handed two badges and a note asking him to proceed to a private room at the back of the hall.
As directed, he and Bobbie walked through the crowd to a doorway behind the stage. A few steps down a dimly lit hallway landed them at the entrance of the private room. Jack figured the room was likely used mostly as a dressing room for the acts who periodically performed there.
There were about a dozen people in the room when they entered. Jack recognized several of the Revelles’ family members and a couple of staffers. He then saw Lindsay and Robin seated on a couch in the corner of the room. As he and Bobbie walked in their direction, the Revelles stood to greet them.
Lindsay spoke first, offering his hand. “Jack, so glad you could come.”
Jack took his hand and replied, “Glad to be here, soon-to-be Congressman-elect.”
“Don’t jump the gun, my friend.”
“Okay, but I’m sure your staff has seen all the positive signs in their exit polling.”
Already the cautious politician, he replied, “Well, we’re just going to wait and see what happens when the polls close.” Reaching his hand out to Bobbie, Lindsay continued, “You must be Ms. Martin.” Jack had given Lindsay a heads-up on his guest.
“Yes, nice to meet you. Please call me Bobbie.”
“Bobbie, please accept our condolences over the loss of your father. I really admired him.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me introduce you to my wife, Robin.”
Bobbie and Robin exchanged greetings and then Robin turned to Jack.
“Good to see you, Jack. If you have a moment, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“My time is yours.”
They walked over to the opposite corner of the room, leaving Lindsay and Bobbie to exchange pleasantries.
Robin got right to the point. “You know about my work with the Water’s Edge Trust, don’t you?”
“Of course. It was a front-and-center issue in my firm’s work with PetroMark.”
“I know Lindsay thinks I’m jumping the gun, but here goes. The Water’s Edge Trust is being folded into a much larger environmental organization with a lot more reach and substantially more clout. The group is the Conservancy Initiative Great Lakes. They pronounce their acronym, CIGL, as ‘seagull.’”
“Catchy.”
“Their executive director is a man named Daniel Thornton,” she continued. “He’s a PhD in hydrologic science. He’s a brilliant researcher who will do great things guiding the scientific work, but the organization needs someone to spearhead their fundraising and lobbying efforts. You’d be perfect in that role.”
“I certainly didn’t see that coming. I’m not sure I’m ready to jump into anything like that just yet.”
“The organization is located in downtown Milwaukee and has offices along the Milwaukee River just down the street from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences with whom they partner. I did a little digging and found out your daughter’s now living in Shorewood. You could live near her and only have a ten-minute commute to downtown.”
Jack chuckled. “You should be a recruiter. You had your pitch down cold.”
“Actually, I’m going to be a lobbyist. When we get to Washington, I’m planning to join an organization focused on promoting the candidacies of women and people of color. Back to the topic at hand, please have an open mind about taking this on.”
“I’ll give the opportunity serious consideration,” he said.
“Good. I made an appointment for you to meet Daniel at his office next Wednesday at one-thirty. Do us both a favor and have the meeting.” Jack could tell from the look in Robin’s eyes that her request was actually more of a demand.
“Obviously, you’re a very good lobbyist already,” Jack said, only half joking. “The least I can do is have the meeting. Thank you for putting this together. Now we’d better get back to our dates before they run out of things to talk about.”
Jack and Bobbie wished Lindsay good luck and headed back out to join the crowd. Shortly after the polls closed at eight, the results came pouring in. It would turn out to be a landslide. Confetti flew and the band played “On Wisconsin.” Lindsay was now Congressman-elect Lindsay Revelle.
