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“I said that was admirable,” he repeated, “and I also wondered what you did or who you worked for.”
“I worked in the accounting division. I was in charge of all vendor payments and reconciliation of customer accounts,” I said giving him the description of my main tasks. I didn’t add that I also was the person who audited all of the journals each month, or that I prepared most of the financial statements before I left, all for the same pay that I started at—not that I’m bitter about it or anything…I mean, not really.
“How long did you work there?” Rafe asked.
“I started after I graduated from Washington University two years ago and left about seven months ago when I moved here.”
“Can I ask why you left?” he wanted to know.
“I had gotten a position with their sister company, Granter’s, as a budget analyst and asset manager but when Diamonds discovered the…misappropriation of funds that had been occurring my position as well as several others were eliminated. Thanks to the economic instability finding another position hasn’t been as easy as it might seem.”
“Interesting phrasing in there,” Rafe tells me with an approving grin. “So tell me how you can help us acquire Lemans.”
“It simple. You buy out Charles and Gloria Farris’ shares,” I tell him.
“What good would that do?” he asks, his brows furling as his mouth tightens and I have to force my attention off it. “Diamonds still controls them.”
“They manage them; they don’t control them. Ten years ago when Lemans was in trouble the Farris’ went to the bank for loans, help, some way to keep them in business. Unfortunately the banks weren’t as kind as they’d hoped so they thought about selling,” I explain to him as he sits glued to my every word, a very liberating thing, even if it’s only because of what I can help his company acquire. “Diamonds saw it as an easy acquisition but when the Farris’ heard that they wanted to gut the operation and essentially destroy everything their families had worked for they decided to let the business go under rather than have it be picked apart piece by piece.”
“And this helps us how?” he asked when I paused for breath.
“Because Diamonds knew their products were excellent quality, something they could use to their advantage much like I believe you’re interested in doing, but that’s your call. Diamonds could have waited for them to go bankrupt and then purchase it at a steal, but then they’d also lose the employees who knew how to make the products, so they changed their minds about gutting the business. The Farris’ weren’t convinced and stipulated that in return for the investment Diamonds could employ a management team for the company to oversee the financials, but ownership would remain with them.”
“Interesting, I’m surprised no one’s found any of this out before now,” Rafe says mostly to himself simply talking aloud.
“It’s in the contract, which states that whoever owns the Farris’ shares, owns Lemans. If you can convince Charles and Gloria to sell those shares to you, then you will own the company and can break the contract with a onetime payment of two hundred thousand dollars, the initial investment Diamonds made into the company. Interest accrued on the amount until Lemans was back in the black and the profits covered the new accrual, and they continued to take the Farris’ share of profits until all interest was recouped, and only the main investment remained.”
“How do you know this?” Rafe asks.
“As I said, I worked for Lemans for two years and I was privy to some very interesting information about both Lemans and Diamonds,” I admit to him.
“Alright, say I can convince the Farris’ to sell me their shares, why is the repayment to Diamonds so low? And if they honestly only had to payback two hundred thousand dollars, why didn’t they do it before now and take Lemans back themselves?” Rafe wondered aloud to me.
“Because neither of them has a head for business. If they had taken control of the company back, they would have ended up in the same position over and over again and Diamonds knew it. Don’t get me wrong they’re great people, but when it comes to business, they’re more the public image sort than the strategic action types.”
“How difficult will it be to convince them to sell to me?” he asks point-blank.
“Nearly impossible, unless you’re determined to keep it exactly the way it is now. If you can convince them that you want the company for the product and aren’t going to let it dwindle or tear it apart then you might have a chance.”
“Therein lays the problem,” he says getting up to pace the room. “I do want the product but not the way it’s currently beingoffered. I want to use the technology of it to improve and update what we offer.”
“Would it be possible to make a separate division underneath Lemans? Keep a portion of the products as they are now, have them still be available to retailers and whatnot, but then open another unit to modify the items in the way you need?” I suggest hesitantly.
“You know the company better than I do,” Rafe says turning around to stare at me, “what do you think?”
“Honestly…” I begin almost losing myself in his eyes before forcing myself back on point. “It would work. The guys in the factory are amazing at what they do and a slew of them are always tinkering with the products in their downtime. Ingenuity is everywhere down there and the staff in the offices could handle differentiating the costs of the two easily enough. You’d have more overhead with additional managers and equipment but in the long run you’d come out on top, and if it interests you at all…taking Lemans away from Diamonds could potentially crush them at this juncture.”
“Is that what you’d do? Crush Diamonds?” he asks, and I can tell he’s wondering if I’m seeking revenge on being let go.
“Not completely, I wouldn’t be against using the opportunity to expand my holdings further if I were in a position to make it happen. Taking them when they’re at their weakest would be far simpler than letting them regroup,” I say with a shrug.
“Simultaneous takeovers?” he muses. “I’ll have to put Stan on that line of possibilities. Well Amelia, how would you like to come to Missouri with me?”
“Sorry…what?” I ask wondering how he could go from thinking about suggesting takeovers to Stan and then asking me to come to Missouri within thirty seconds.
“I need someone who can help me get through to the Farris’ and at the same time get more information on the finances ofLemans. You’re perfect, you know the Farris’ and people at Lemans, you’re the link I’ve been looking for,” he tells me.
“I…” is all I can manage, thoughts of the clubs passing through my mind coupled with going back to Missouri and what my mother would say if she knew I was that close and didn’t come home. Then I wonder why I’m even helping them, it’s not like I work here or anything, at least not permanently.
