Page 53 of Wild Fever
"No, this is more of an impromptu meeting," I said.
"Mr. Thorne is extremely busy.”
"It's important.”
"One moment, I'll see if I can work you in.”
She picked up the phone and dialed an extension. "Mr. Thorne, there are two deputies here to see you.” She paused and listened intently as he responded. "Certainly." She hung up the phoneand smiled at us. "Please have a seat. Mr. Thorne will be with you momentarily.”
JD and I sat our asses down on the couch, and started flipping through magazines to kill the time.
A few minutes later, Thorne stepped into the lobby to greet us personally. He extended his hand and flashed a warm smile. He was a handsome man in his late 50s with slicked-back brown hair, narrow blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He clearly dyed his hair, but his silver goatee gave away his age. Elias had a perpetual grin and was the kind of guy who could make friends anywhere. "Good morning, gentlemen. Thanks for coming. I was so disheartened to learn of Lance's passing.” He made a grim face and shook his head. "Such a shame. He was like a brother to me.”
"How did you find out?"
“It's my job to know things before they become mainstream news. And I spoke with Vanessa earlier,” he admitted.
"Is she coming into the office today?"
"No. I told her to stay home, take the day off. No sense in getting into the nitty-gritty of things today. That can wait.”
Elias escorted us past the reception desk and down the hallway to his office. It was spacious, with a view of the ocean. The furniture was sleek and modern. Multiple screens sat atop his desk, charting the stock market in real time. The flatscreen display on the wall was tuned to a financial news network. Bookshelves contained classic books on finance and investing. There was a small lounge area with two couches, a few chairs, and a coffee table. Of course, Elias had a minibar.
"Can I offer you anything to drink? Water, soda, coffee?"
"No, thank you," I said as we took a seat in chairs across the desk from his.
Elias didn't seem upset in the least. Lance's death was the best of all possible worlds for him.
"Talk about the nitty-gritty," I said. "What happens to the company now?”
Elias hesitated. "I think things will play out according to Lance's wishes and the parameters set forth by our initial partnership agreement."
"That agreement gives you the opportunity to buy out Lance's share.”
"I see you've already talked to Vanessa.”
I nodded.
"It's a shame we have fundamentally different philosophies about investing. But I must do what's best for the company and my interests. Vanessa is a sweet woman. But she is out of her league. I've been doing this for 25 years. She's fresh out of college. She doesn't have the experience. And I'm not sure she has the temperament for trading. It takes a thick skin and an unbelievable amount of courage to stick with your convictions."
"This seems like an optimal scenario for you," I said.
"There's nothing optimal about it, Deputy. Lance chose to make a reckless decision, putting this company at risk, and delegating his authority to an inexperienced, unqualified person. In my opinion, that's negligence. We're dealing with billions of dollarsof assets under management. We have a fiduciary duty to our clients. This isn’t a game.”
"Still, it seems like you'll come out ahead when all is said and done.”
"I’m merely going by the terms set forth in our initial partnership agreement 25 years ago.”
"So you intend to exercise your option to buy out the Wentworth share?”
"I don't see how my intentions are any of your concern, with all due respect. I will make the choice that feels right for this firm, for my family, and for myself.”
There was an awkward silence.
"Look, both of those kids are going to get billions of dollars. They have nothing to complain about.” He paused.
I said nothing—more than happy to let him continue talking.
