Read Online Beauty: A Novel by Frederick Dillen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Frederick Dillen
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reminded.
Annette said, “There is that electricity that began disappearing at the old plant almost a month ago.”
Carol looked to Dave, who spread his hands. He’d mentioned it to her in passing because Annette had mentioned it to him.
Annette said, “I talked to the utilities. They’ve checked their readings, and that’s all they can tell me. I figure we can’t afford to send electricians in to follow all the wiring. I did have somebody check the smoke alarms, though, and I told the Fire Department to be ready to come fast, in case. But I don’t think it is the wiring.”
Now, Dave suspected, Carol might be getting it about Annette. Decent person, hard worker, capable, self-starting, loyal, fresh perspective, not allergic to details. There were only so many Annettes in the world, and they had one.
“All right,” Carol said. “Thank you. Keep the electricity in mind, and keep looking everywhere else. Dave, I need you to be thinking big picture in terms of industry demand for what components we have and where that demand is and also what we may need for ourselves. And right, we need figures, as complete as we can get, for the old plant. If you guys can help one another, great. You decide which of the office staff we should keep on. We may want to keep everybody, or not. If I can help you in anything, tell me. The disposal stuff I’m good at. Some of it I’ll handle entirely, but I’m also at your mercy on the details. Getting up the new company, we already have a template at the old plant, but we’ll need to rethink that as well. No question, we’ll have to find ways to boost the margins, and I think we’ll be looking for specialty niches. You guys, please, say anything. This is a team, and I’ve got skills, but I don’t know much about your business in general or this company in particular.”
Annette said, “But Baxter Blume has everything about us, don’t they?”
Dave shook his head.
Annette said, “No?”
Carol said, “They bought very quickly and even more cheaply, and due diligence all but went out the window. I mean, I know a little bit about the industry and its trajectory, a little bit about a shop like yours using blocks of shredded and frozen fish from Asia to feed your lines. Aside from that, no. As far as the detailed news inside this company, no. I hope you won’t think of me as a dope.”
“On that note,” Dave said, and he was happy to see Carol laugh. Annette laughed, too, when she was sure it was okay.
“Actually,” Dave said, “there are a couple of things you might want to do today, or today and tonight, while Annette and I dig for evidence, criminal and otherwise, around here. First, there’s a conference going on today in the high school gymnasium. Fishermen from up and down the coast, government officials, oceanographic experts, environmental types, industry representatives, some civic reps. There’s a common understanding that the fish stocks in the Atlantic are mostly gone, and that the fishing industry is responsible. Knowledgeable fishermen on the harbor here contend that the stocks are coming back, but this conference is probably going to confirm a draconian amendment to fishing regulations about how much fish and what kind can be taken when and where. The amendment would put a lot of fishermen out of business, the ones that aren’t out already. Not a good thing for our new enterprise, but not necessarily the end of the world. It could be the amendment won’t happen, but in any case, you’re right—the fish we need for our fish sticks is coming in frozen blocks mostly from Asia. I’m thinking you might want to look in on all this. You’d get a flash cross section of the business and what’s happening in it.”
“And the second thing? Tonight?”
“Every four years, the town council meets, in front of a lot of the town, to decide whether or not to keep the waterfront zoned for the fishing industry only. That zoning is a matter of town pride, but
Annette said, “There is that electricity that began disappearing at the old plant almost a month ago.”
Carol looked to Dave, who spread his hands. He’d mentioned it to her in passing because Annette had mentioned it to him.
Annette said, “I talked to the utilities. They’ve checked their readings, and that’s all they can tell me. I figure we can’t afford to send electricians in to follow all the wiring. I did have somebody check the smoke alarms, though, and I told the Fire Department to be ready to come fast, in case. But I don’t think it is the wiring.”
Now, Dave suspected, Carol might be getting it about Annette. Decent person, hard worker, capable, self-starting, loyal, fresh perspective, not allergic to details. There were only so many Annettes in the world, and they had one.
“All right,” Carol said. “Thank you. Keep the electricity in mind, and keep looking everywhere else. Dave, I need you to be thinking big picture in terms of industry demand for what components we have and where that demand is and also what we may need for ourselves. And right, we need figures, as complete as we can get, for the old plant. If you guys can help one another, great. You decide which of the office staff we should keep on. We may want to keep everybody, or not. If I can help you in anything, tell me. The disposal stuff I’m good at. Some of it I’ll handle entirely, but I’m also at your mercy on the details. Getting up the new company, we already have a template at the old plant, but we’ll need to rethink that as well. No question, we’ll have to find ways to boost the margins, and I think we’ll be looking for specialty niches. You guys, please, say anything. This is a team, and I’ve got skills, but I don’t know much about your business in general or this company in particular.”
Annette said, “But Baxter Blume has everything about us, don’t they?”
Dave shook his head.
Annette said, “No?”
Carol said, “They bought very quickly and even more cheaply, and due diligence all but went out the window. I mean, I know a little bit about the industry and its trajectory, a little bit about a shop like yours using blocks of shredded and frozen fish from Asia to feed your lines. Aside from that, no. As far as the detailed news inside this company, no. I hope you won’t think of me as a dope.”
“On that note,” Dave said, and he was happy to see Carol laugh. Annette laughed, too, when she was sure it was okay.
“Actually,” Dave said, “there are a couple of things you might want to do today, or today and tonight, while Annette and I dig for evidence, criminal and otherwise, around here. First, there’s a conference going on today in the high school gymnasium. Fishermen from up and down the coast, government officials, oceanographic experts, environmental types, industry representatives, some civic reps. There’s a common understanding that the fish stocks in the Atlantic are mostly gone, and that the fishing industry is responsible. Knowledgeable fishermen on the harbor here contend that the stocks are coming back, but this conference is probably going to confirm a draconian amendment to fishing regulations about how much fish and what kind can be taken when and where. The amendment would put a lot of fishermen out of business, the ones that aren’t out already. Not a good thing for our new enterprise, but not necessarily the end of the world. It could be the amendment won’t happen, but in any case, you’re right—the fish we need for our fish sticks is coming in frozen blocks mostly from Asia. I’m thinking you might want to look in on all this. You’d get a flash cross section of the business and what’s happening in it.”
“And the second thing? Tonight?”
“Every four years, the town council meets, in front of a lot of the town, to decide whether or not to keep the waterfront zoned for the fishing industry only. That zoning is a matter of town pride, but
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