Джеффри Арчер - The Prodigal Daughter

At seven o’clock, after Richard had walked around terminal 3 several times, he began to think it would soon be too late for a plane to take off whatever the weather. The loudspeaker forebodingly warned of an important announcement to follow shortly. He stood like a statue as the words came out. ‘We are sorry to announce that all flights out of Heathrow have been canceled until tomorrow morning with the exception of Iran Air Flight 006 to Jiddah and Air Canada flight 009 to Montreal.’ Richard had been saved by his foresight: he knew the Air Canada flight would be completely sold out within minutes. Once again he sat in a first-class lounge. Although the flight was further delayed, it was eventually called a few minutes after eight. Richard almost cheered when the 747 took off a little after nine o’clock. Thereafter he found himself checking his watch every few minutes. The flight was uneventful except for more appalling food and the plane eventually landed at Montreal airport shortly before eleven.

Richard sprinted to the American Airlines counter to discover that he had missed the last flight to New York by a few minutes. He swore out loud.

‘Don’t worry, sir, there is a flight at ten twenty-five tomorrow morning.’

‘What time does it arrive in New York?’

‘Eleven-thirty.’

‘Two hours and thirty minutes to spare,’ he said out loud. ‘I’ll have to hire a private plane.’

‘No plane is allowed out of this airport after ten-thirty, sir.’

‘Damn,’ Richard said, and reserved a seat and took a room in the Airport Baron and phoned Florentyna.

‘Where are you now?’ she asked.

‘The Airport Baron, Montreal.’

‘Curiouser and curiouser.’

Richard explained what had happened.

‘Poor darling. Did you remember the red London bus?’

‘Yes, I’m clinging on to it, but my overnight bag is still on the Pan Am flight to New York.’

‘And the stock certificates?’

‘They are in my briefcase and have never left my side.’

‘Well done, Mr. Kane. I’ll have a car waiting for you at the airport, and Mr. Cohen and I will be at the stockholders’ meeting at Lester’s clutching on to our forty-nine percent. So if you’re in possession of your two percent, Jake Thomas will be on unemployment compensation by this time tomorrow.’

‘How can you be so cool about it?’

‘You’ve never let me down yet. Sleep well.’

Richard did not sleep well, and was back at the American Airlines terminal hours before the plane was due to board. There was a slight delay, but the captain was still anticipating that he could land at Kennedy by eleven-thirty. Richard had no baggage and felt confident he could now make the meeting with at least half an hour to spare. For the first time in over twenty-four hours he began to relax and even made some notes for his first speech as Lester’s chairman.

When the 707 arrived at Kennedy it began to circle the airport. Richard looked out of his little window and could clearly see the building in Wall Street that he had to be at in two hours. He thumped his knee in anger. At last the plane descended a few hundred feet, only to start circling again.

‘This is Captain James McEwen speaking. I am sorry for this delay, but we have been put into a holding pattern because of traffic congestion. It seems there are some delayed flights from London now arriving into New York.’ Richard wondered if the Pan American flight from Heathrow would land before he did.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Richard checked the agenda. Item number one — a motion to reject the takeover bid by the Baron Group. Item number two — the issuing of new voting shares. If they couldn’t prove they had 51 percent, Jake Thomas would close the proceedings within minutes after the meeting began. The plane began to descend and the wheels touched the ground at twelve twenty-seven. Richard sprinted through the terminal. He passed his chauffeur on the run, who quickly followed him to the parking lot, where Richard once again checked his watch. An hour and twenty minutes to spare. He was going to make the meeting comfortably.

‘Step on it,’ said Richard.

‘Yes, sir,’ said the chauffeur as he moved into the left-hand lane of the Van Wyck Expressway. Richard heard the siren a few minutes later and a policeman on a motorcycle overtook the car and waved them on to the hard shoulder. The policeman parked and walked slowly toward Richard, who had already leaped out of the car. Richard tried to explain that it was a matter of life and death.

‘It always is,’ said the officer. ‘Either that or “My wife is having a baby.” ’ Richard left his chauffeur to deal with the policeman while he tried to hail a passing cab, but they were all full. Sixteen minutes later the policeman let them go. It was one twenty-nine as they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and turned onto FDR Drive. Richard could see the skyscrapers of Wall Street in the distance, but the cars were bumper to bumper all the way. It was six minutes to two before they reached Wall Street, when Richard could bear it no longer and jumped out of the car, briefcase under one arm, a red London bus under the other, and sprinted the last three blocks, dodging slow pedestrians and fast-honking cab drivers. He heard the clock at Trinity Church chime two as he reached Bowling Green and prayed that it was fast as he raced up the steps of the Lester’s building, suddenly realizing he didn’t know where the meeting was being held.

‘Fifty-first floor, sir,’ the doorman informed him.

The 30 to 60 elevator was full with the post-lunch-hour crowd and it stopped at 31–33—34—42–44—47—50–51. Richard jumped out of the elevator and ran down the corridor, following the red arrow that indicated where the meeting was taking place. As he arrived in the crowded room, one or two faces turned to look at him. There must have been over five hundred people seated listening to the chairman, but he was the only shareholder sweating from head to toe. He was greeted by the sight of a cool Jake Thomas, who gave him a knowing smile from the platform. Richard realized he was too late. Florentyna was sitting in the front row, her head bowed. He took a seat at the back of the room and listened to the chairman of Lester’s.

‘All of us believe that the decision that has been made today is in the best interests of the bank. In the circumstances that your board of directors faced, no one will have been surprised by my request, and Lester’s will now continue its traditional role as one of America’s great financial institutions. Item number two,’ said Jake Thomas. Richard felt sick. ‘My final task as chairman of Lester’s is to propose that the new chairman be Mr. Richard Kane.’

Richard could not believe his ears. A little old lady rose from her seat in the front row and said that she would like to second the motion because she felt that Mr. Kane’s father had been one of the finest chairmen the bank had ever had. There was a round of applause as the old lady sat down.

‘Thank you,’ said Jake Thomas. ‘Those in favor of the resolution?’ Richard stared into the body of the hall as hands shot into the air.

‘Those against,’ Jake Thomas looked down from the platform. ‘Good, the resolution is carried unanimously. I am now happy to invite your new chairman to address you. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Richard Kane.’ Richard walked forward and everyone stood and applauded. As he passed Florentyna he handed her the red bus.

‘Glad you accomplished something on your trip to London,’ she whispered.

Richard walked, dazed, onto the platform. Jake Thomas shook his hand and then took a seat on the end of the row.

‘I have little to say on this occasion,’ began Richard, ‘other than to assure you that I wish Lester’s to carry on in the same tradition as it did under my father and that I will dedicate myself to that end.’ Unable to think of anything else to add, he smiled and said, ‘I thank you for your attendance today and look forward to seeing you all at the annual meeting.’ There followed another round of applause and the shareholders began to disperse, chattering.