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Authors: Cynthia Riggs
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Orion.
Orion sat again and glanced at the contract. He turned to Finney. “You brought your CV with you, too, I assume.”
Finney shuffled through papers in his briefcase and produced a document in a blue plastic binder. “There’s a one-page resume on top. The rest is background.”
Orion leafed through the slickly produced document. “We need to think about this for a while. How soon do you need an answer?”
“I’m in no hurry,” said Finney. “As you surmised, I have other projects.” He snapped his briefcase shut. “You’re the ones under time pressure.”
C HAPTER 10
Dorothy Roche invited Finney to breakfast the next morning at her house. She’d send her car, she said.
“The hotel is only a few blocks from here,” Orion told Finney. “I’ll drive you there.”
Finney snapped his briefcase shut. “Appreciate it.”
“Mind dropping me off on West Chop?” asked Casper.
“Sure. No trouble,” Orion said.
“Aren’t you staying at the hotel?” asked Finney.
“I’m visiting an old college friend.” Casper gathered up the papers they’d spread out on the drafting table and Orion stowed them in the locked file cabinet.
After they settled Finney at the Mansion House, Orion continued up Main Street toward West Chop.
“What do you think?” asked Casper.
Orion grunted. “I’m not impressed.”
“He claims he can raise fourteen million.”
“So he claims.” Orion slowed to let a woman with a dog cross the road in front of them. She waved her thanks.
“Any other suggestions, Orion?”
“You talked to the car dealer, Roger Paulson?”
“By phone. He’s a cranky, stubborn guy.” Casper gazed out at the glimpses of the harbor through trees. “As I told you, he offered to invest seven million, but he wants a share in the company.”
“How did you learn about him?”
“He came to me,” said Casper. “He heard about your presentation at the selectmen’s meeting and checked up on you and the project.”
The West Chop light came up on their right, its beam feeble in the bright afternoon. Orion slowed. “Where’s the place you’re staying?”
“On the dirt road straight ahead.”
“Before we go any farther, let’s talk money.” Orion pulled over next to the lighthouse. “Can you get Roger Paulson to accept non-voting shares? I don’t want any investor taking a percentage of the company.”
“You gave Dorothy a percentage.”
“That may have been a mistake. I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have offered her shares of profits rather than a percentage of the company. But we need the drill and she’s buying it.”
Casper shrugged. “I’ll meet with Paulson, try to talk him into accepting your proposal. But I’m in favor of giving Finney Solomon a chance. He’s talking double what Paulson is willing to invest.”
“I won’t close my mind to Finney. But Paulson has a place on the Island, wants fast communications, and the system will make money for him. Use that approach.”
* * *
When Orion came home that evening, Victoria was in the parlor reading. Orion sat in the rocker.
Victoria put her book aside. “How’s your back?”
“Not bad. How are you feeling?”
“The Lyme disease medicine makes me a bit queasy, so I try not to think about how I feel.”
“You’re on doxycycline?”
“For twenty-one days. Seventeen more to go.”
“I haven’t talked to you since your luncheon with Dorothy on Saturday. How was it?”
“Lovely. We ate in the garden under the grape arbor.”
“Have you changed your opinion about her?”
Victoria thought for a second. Orion was clearly taken with Dorothy, and she wasn’t sure how candid she could be. “She was a perfect hostess. Everything was just so.”
“But?” Orion rested his elbows on the chair arms and laced his hands together. “You’re not answering.” His pleasant expression took the sting out of the rebuke.
Victoria reached for the glass of water on the end table.
Orion sat again and glanced at the contract. He turned to Finney. “You brought your CV with you, too, I assume.”
Finney shuffled through papers in his briefcase and produced a document in a blue plastic binder. “There’s a one-page resume on top. The rest is background.”
Orion leafed through the slickly produced document. “We need to think about this for a while. How soon do you need an answer?”
“I’m in no hurry,” said Finney. “As you surmised, I have other projects.” He snapped his briefcase shut. “You’re the ones under time pressure.”
C HAPTER 10
Dorothy Roche invited Finney to breakfast the next morning at her house. She’d send her car, she said.
“The hotel is only a few blocks from here,” Orion told Finney. “I’ll drive you there.”
Finney snapped his briefcase shut. “Appreciate it.”
“Mind dropping me off on West Chop?” asked Casper.
“Sure. No trouble,” Orion said.
“Aren’t you staying at the hotel?” asked Finney.
“I’m visiting an old college friend.” Casper gathered up the papers they’d spread out on the drafting table and Orion stowed them in the locked file cabinet.
After they settled Finney at the Mansion House, Orion continued up Main Street toward West Chop.
“What do you think?” asked Casper.
Orion grunted. “I’m not impressed.”
“He claims he can raise fourteen million.”
“So he claims.” Orion slowed to let a woman with a dog cross the road in front of them. She waved her thanks.
“Any other suggestions, Orion?”
“You talked to the car dealer, Roger Paulson?”
“By phone. He’s a cranky, stubborn guy.” Casper gazed out at the glimpses of the harbor through trees. “As I told you, he offered to invest seven million, but he wants a share in the company.”
“How did you learn about him?”
“He came to me,” said Casper. “He heard about your presentation at the selectmen’s meeting and checked up on you and the project.”
The West Chop light came up on their right, its beam feeble in the bright afternoon. Orion slowed. “Where’s the place you’re staying?”
“On the dirt road straight ahead.”
“Before we go any farther, let’s talk money.” Orion pulled over next to the lighthouse. “Can you get Roger Paulson to accept non-voting shares? I don’t want any investor taking a percentage of the company.”
“You gave Dorothy a percentage.”
“That may have been a mistake. I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have offered her shares of profits rather than a percentage of the company. But we need the drill and she’s buying it.”
Casper shrugged. “I’ll meet with Paulson, try to talk him into accepting your proposal. But I’m in favor of giving Finney Solomon a chance. He’s talking double what Paulson is willing to invest.”
“I won’t close my mind to Finney. But Paulson has a place on the Island, wants fast communications, and the system will make money for him. Use that approach.”
* * *
When Orion came home that evening, Victoria was in the parlor reading. Orion sat in the rocker.
Victoria put her book aside. “How’s your back?”
“Not bad. How are you feeling?”
“The Lyme disease medicine makes me a bit queasy, so I try not to think about how I feel.”
“You’re on doxycycline?”
“For twenty-one days. Seventeen more to go.”
“I haven’t talked to you since your luncheon with Dorothy on Saturday. How was it?”
“Lovely. We ate in the garden under the grape arbor.”
“Have you changed your opinion about her?”
Victoria thought for a second. Orion was clearly taken with Dorothy, and she wasn’t sure how candid she could be. “She was a perfect hostess. Everything was just so.”
“But?” Orion rested his elbows on the chair arms and laced his hands together. “You’re not answering.” His pleasant expression took the sting out of the rebuke.
Victoria reached for the glass of water on the end table.
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