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.Florentyna's and Richard's combined weekly salaries didn't cover the final bill, so Zaphia came to the rescue."If you four want to eat out again," added Zaphia, "just give me a call and I'll be out on the next plane." Bride and groom crept into bed at one o'clock in the moming."I never thought I would end up married to a bank teller." "I never ihought I would end up married to a shop assistant, but sociologically it ought to make an ideal partnership." "Let's hope it doesn't end with sociology," said Horentyna as Richard turned off the light.Abet tried every means at his disposal to discover where Florentyna had disappeared.After days of phone calls, telegrams and even attempts to involve the police, he realized he had only one lead left open.He dialed a number in Chicago."Hello," said a voice every bit as cold as William Kane's."You must know why I'm calling." "I can guess." "How long have you known about Florentyna and Richard Kane?" "About three months.Florentyna flew up to Chicago and told me all about him.Later I met Richard at the wedding.She didn't exaggerate.He's a rare man." "Do you know where they are right now?" demanded Abel."Yes."Where?" "Find out for yourself." The line went dead.Someone else who didn't want to help.On the desk in front of him lay an unopened file giving details of his forthcoming trip to Europe.He flicked over the pages.Two airplane tickets, two reservations in London, Edin-The Past: 1934 - 1968 155burgh and Cannes.Two opera tickets, two theater tickets, but now only one person was going.Florentyna would not be opening the Edinburgh Baron or the Cannes Baron.He sank into a fitful sleep from which he didn't want to be wakened.Goorge found him slumped at his desk at eight o'clock the next morning.He promised Abel that by the time he had returned from Europe, he would have located Florentyna, but Abel now realiyed-aftcr reading florentyria's letter again and again-that even if he did, she would not agree to see him.15"I WOULD LIKE TO BORROW thirty-four thousand dollars," said Florentyna."What do you need the money for?" said Richard coldly."I want to take a lease on a building on Nob Hill to open a fashion shop." "What are the terms of the lease?" "Ten years, with an option to renew." "What security can you offer against the loan?" "I own three thousand shares in the Baron Group." "But that's a private company," said Richard, "and the shares are in effect worthless as they can't be traded over the counter." "But the Baron Group is worth fifty million dollars of anybody's money, and my shares represent one percent of the company." "How did you come into possession of these shares?" "My father is the chairman of the company and he gave them to me on my twenty-first birthday." "Then why don't you borrow the money direct from him?" "Oh, hell," said Florentyna."Will they be that demanding?" "I'm afraid so, Jessie." "Are all bank managers going to be as tough as you'? They never treated me like this in Chicago." "That's because they had the security of your father's account.Anyone who doesn't know you is m going to be as accommodating.A loan manager has to consider that every new transaction will not be repaid, so unless his risk is covered twice over, it's his job that will be on the line.When you 156The Past: 1934 -1968 157borrow money you must always look across the table and consider the other person's point of view.Everyone who wants to borrow money is sure they are on to a winner, but the manager knows that over fifty percent of the deals put up to him will eventually fail, or at best break even.So the manager has to pick and choose carefully to be certain he can always see a way of retrieving his money.My father used to say that most financial deals saw a return of one percent for the bank, which didn't allow you the opportunity to make a one hundred percent loss more than once every five years." "That all makes sense, so how do I answer 'Why don't you go to your father'?" "Tell the truth.Remember, banking is based on trust, and if they know you're always being straight with them, they'll stand by you when you are going through hard times." "You still haven't answered the question." "You simply say, 'My father and I quarreled over a family matter and now I want to succeed in my own right."' "Do you mink that will work?" "I don't know, but if it does, at least you'll have started with all your cards on the table.Let's go back over it again." "Must we"" "Yes.No one owes you money, Jessie." I would like to borrow thirty-four thousand dollars." "What do you need the money for?" I would like to take a-" "Supper's ready," roared Bella."Rescued," said Florentyna."Only until after we've eaten.How many banks are you seeing on Monday?" "Three.Bank of California, Wells Fargo and Crocker.Why don't I pop along to the Bank of America and you can simply pass the thirty-four thousand over the counter?" "Because there are no coed prisons in Arnerica." Claude put his head around the door."Hurry up, you two, or there won't be any left."George spt.nt as much time following up leads on Florentyna as he did being managing director of the Baron Group.He was determined to come up with sonic concrete results before Abel returned from Europe.George had a little more success in one quarter than Abel.Zaphia was pleased to inform hirn that she was making regular158THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTERtrips to the Coast to see the happily married couple.It took George only one phone call to a travel agent in Chicago to discover that those trips had been to San Francisco.Within twenty-four hours he had Florentyna's address and phone number.On one occasion George even managed a brief conversation with his goddaughter, but she was fairly reticent with him.Henry Osbome made a pretext at wanting to help, but it soon became obvious that he only wished to know what was going on in Abel's life.He even tried to press George into lending him some more money."You'll have to wait until Abel retums," George told him sharply."I am not sure I can last that long." "I'm sorry, Henry, but I don't have the authority to sanction personal loans." "Not even to a board member? You may live to regret that decision, George.After all, I know a lot more about how the Group got started than you do, and I am sure there are others who would be willing to pay me well for such information."George always arrived at Idlewild Airport thirty minutes early whenever Abel was returning from Europe.He knew the Baron, like any newly appointed director, would be impatient to learn of any developments within the Group.But this time he felt cerlain that Abel's opening question would be on a different subject.As always, Abel was one of the first through Customs and once he and George were seated in the back of the company Cadillac, lie wasted no time on small talk."What news?" he demanded, only too aware that George would know to what he was referring."Some good, some bad," said George as he pressed a button by the side window.Abel watched a sheet of glass glide up between the driver and the passenger section of the car.He tapped his finger on the side pane impatiently as he waited."Florentyna continues to be in touch with her mother.She's living in a small house in San Francisco with some old friends from Radcliffe days." "Married?" "Yes.Abel didn't speak for some moments, as if taking in the finality of the statement.The Past: 1934-1968 159"And the Kane boy?" he asked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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