with OTIOSE.”
A stunned silence enveloped the dining room. Max was
the first to speak, his usual resonant voice unsteady.
“That’s not a merger—that’s a takeover!”
“We’ll fight them in court,” Gene asserted, but he was
obviously shaken.
“Cutbacks, layoffs, early retirement,” Nadia whispered.
“Just like the divestiture era. Oh, my!”
“Geniuses,” said Russell. “Hordes and hordes of geniuses
at WaCom. They have more ideas than I could ever think
of!”
“Who cares?” said Margo.
Judith gazed at each speaker, noting that all of them
were—as usual—self-absorbed and isolated from one another.
Finally, she looked at Frank Killegrew, who had said nothing.
He was facedown in his game hen carcass.
FOURTEEN
UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, it was natural for everyone to
assume that Frank Killegrew was dead, either by accident or
design. As Nadia finally noticed her superior’s collapse, she
screamed and began shaking him. The others watched in
horror until Margo grabbed Russell by the shirt collar.
“You said you were a medic in ’Nam,” Margo shouted.
“Do something!”
“I never went to ’Nam,” Russell said, quaking in his chair.
“I was assigned to NATO in West Germany.”
“Ohhh…!” Margo gave him a hard shake. “Do something
anyway, you little twerp! You’re still a medic!”
“I was discharged in ‘sixty-nine,” Russell insisted. “I can
barely find the Band-Aids in the official OTIOSE first-aid
kit.”
“No wonder you didn’t know what CPR is,” Margo railed.
“You’re the most worthless, futile…”
But Frank Killegrew didn’t appear to need medical help.
He had lifted his head and was beginning to sputter.
“Oh, my,” Ava remarked, “he’s not dead after all. What a
relief.”
Judith thought Ava sounded more sarcastic than re 193
194 / Mary Daheim
lieved, but the CEO was now sitting up and blustering
mightily while Nadia wiped white and wild rice stuffing from
his face.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he asserted. “It’s just another damned
shock I didn’t need.” As Nadia finished her task and resumed
her seat, Killegrew glowered at Ava. “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”
Looking weary and wan, Ava hesitated before replying. “I
tried to, Frank, when we were alone after the first session
yesterday. But somehow, I never got the chance.” She lowered
her eyes and folded her hands. “I’m sorry.”
“WaCom can’t do this,” Killegrew declared. “The state
utilities commission won’t allow it. Gene, you jump on this
first thing when we get back. Alert our public affairs people,
have them get the lobbyists in gear. It’s one thing for WaCom
to gobble up other computer companies, but they won’t get
their greedy mitts on us.”
Max, who was feeling his bald head to see if Margo’s plate
had left a lump, turned to Ava. “Who runs WaCom since
Jim Clevenger’s out of the picture?”
Briefly, Ava’s dark eyes met Max’s gaze. “Dick Freitas, the
second-in-command, took over as acting president and CEO.
WaCom’s been on a year-long talent search. They want
someone new, a fresh face, an outsider. I don’t know if
they’ve made a final decision yet or not.”
“They have.” Margo looked smug. “On Tuesday, they’ll
announce that their new chief is Alan Roth.”
Judith and Renie couldn’t stand the clamor that ensued
after Margo Chang’s announcement. After the first five
minutes of incredulous shrieks and outraged wails, the
cousins retreated to the kitchen.
“Andrea’s husband?” Judith was as disbelieving as the
OTIOSE executives. “Does that make sense?”
“Maybe he really is a computer genius,” Renie said, clearing
her plate into the garbage. “Just because he didn’t have an
official job doesn’t mean he wasn’t working. He
SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 195
might have been some kind of consultant to WaCom.”
Judith sat down on one of the tall stools. “I don’t get it.
Shouldn’t a CEO have organizational and administrative
skills?”
Renie smirked. “Look at Frank. Does he strike you as a
managerial wizard? His strength is delegating. Maybe Alan
can do that, too.”
“You know,” Judith said, still looking perplexed, “if OTIOSE is an example of how the world of commerce runs, I’m
beginning to wonder how any companies or businesses keep
from going belly-up.”
“You’d wonder more if you had to deal with them like I
do,” Renie said. “Management has no loyalty to employees
and employees have no loyalty to the workplace. Common
sense seems to have gone out the window years ago. Everybody spends more time in useless meetings than getting
things done. And everybody brings their private lives to the
office, which becomes a group therapy session. Boy, am I
glad I work for myself. I’m a lousy boss, but I know how to
take criticism. I just tell myself to shut up and get down to
business.”
“Hillside Manor is such a quiet, nonpolitical, uncomplicated place,” Judith sighed. “Sure, I get crazy guests and my
mother drives me nuts and it’s hard work, but compared
with what goes on downtown, I’ve got it made.”
“Me, too,” Renie agreed. “Working for yourself is the only
way to go. I’m sure that’s why Bill and Joe are anxious to
retire. They can’t be their own bosses. Joe’s got a tough chain
of command with the police department, and even though
people who don’t know any better think professors live in
an ivory tower, it’s covered with thorns. There’s a hierarchy,
politics galore, and all kinds of budget crises, especially at a
state university.”
“At least Joe and Bill accomplish something,” Judith pointed out. “Joe may get frustrated, but he does protect and
serve. If you save only one life in the course of a year, that’s
a huge contribution.”
196 / Mary Daheim
Renie nodded. “You bet. And Bill may feel as if most of
his students are only slightly smarter than your average artichoke, but every so often he realizes that he’s made a big
impression on someone that will last a lifetime. How many
other people can say that about their so-called careers?”
Judith blinked at Renie. “Yes,” she said in an odd voice.
“How many people can?”
“What?” Renie regarded Judith with curiosity, but there
was no chance for an explanation. Ava entered the kitchen,
looking somewhat sheepish.
“My bombshell has sent everyone back to the bar,” she
said. “Margo didn’t help things, either. I had to get away.
Let me help clean up.”
“Go ahead, coz, take a breather,” Judith responded, still
sounding unlike herself.
Renie looked uncertain, but headed for the lobby. Judith
and Ava returned to the dining room. It was a shambles,
with overturned chairs, spilled wine, and scattered food littering the tablecloth and floor.
“They were very upset,” Ava said in apology. “No one who
knows Alan Roth—except Margo—can believe he’s qualified
to run WaCom.”
Judith began collecting dirty plates. “Andrea must have
known about this, don’t you think?”
“Probably,” Ava agreed, picking up silverware. “She and