I looked at my watch. It was close to three. It had taken longer to figure out how to use the damned computer than it had to get in through the front door. After another period of trial and error I found the Diamond Head records.
As soon as I came to the list of directors and officers, I realized why Freeman had been so upset this morning. Jason Felitti was the chairman, Peter Felitti the vice chair, and Richard Yarborough the secretary. I let my jaw drop. I didn’t know who Jason was, but I’d met Peter at the benefit Michael and Or‘ had given. He was Dick’s father-in-law and the chairman of Amalgamated Portage.
I laughed out loud, a little hysterically. Yeah, I knew one of the directors who could put pressure on Chamfers for me, all right. Jeez, Louise. No wonder Freeman thought I was trying to pull him into a private war with Dick! That still didn’t excuse his rudeness, but at least I could see his point of view.
I scanned the rest of the file perfunctorily. It was past four now and my eyes were having trouble focusing on the shimmery green letters. I wished I knew how to print the file, but I was too tired to figure out any more computer shenanigans, and I didn’t want an early arrival to find me on the job.
If Carver kept Diamond Head’s books, they were in a separate set of ledger files, which I also couldn’t figure out how to hunt down. The summary data presented here showed that Diamond Head was heavily leveraged. In fact, debt seemed to exceed retained earnings by about a i: 2 ratio. And the company had a relationship with Amalgamated Portage, which held a big chunk of the debt. That was cozy—just keep it all in the family.
In addition, Diamond Head had a connection to Paragon Steel. Carver’s files didn’t spell out how, but Paragon seemed responsible for a lot of Diamond Head’s cash flow. Paragon Steel. For such a huge conglomerate to be involved with a tiny outfit like Diamond Head made no sense to me. I rubbed my eyes a few times to make sure I was reading it correctly.
Paragon was one of the few companies that had seen the writing on the U.S. steel industry wall fifteen years ago. They had restructured themselves so that they could produce relatively small lots of different specialty grades of steel on very tight turnaround; they had gone into plastics in a big way; and they were also one of the few Illinois companies to make out like bandits during the Reagan defense buildup.
The Wall Street Journal had done a major story on them only a month or so ago—that’s why the details were fresh in my mind. I could see Paragon owning Diamond Head—the small engines the latter made would fit right into their defense operations. But Paragon providing a stream of cash to the smaller firm? I shook my head over it, but time was rushing past. I’d have to worry about it tomorrow.
I rummaged in Carver’s desk and found a legal pad. I tore off a piece so that my writing wouldn’t leave telltale dents underneath, and jotted down the key points. There wasn’t anything else I could do right now. Anyway, I was longing for sleep.
Fortunately the keyboard offered me the choice of exiting. I did so, and more by luck than skill found myself back at the blank screen with the blinking cursor. I looked carefully around the two rooms to make sure I hadn’t left anything of myself there.
On the way downstairs I felt a faint twinge of conscience. What had Jonas Carver ever done to me that I should invade his office? If he came into my place rummaging through my files I’d break his kneecaps; he’d have every right to do the same to me.
Gabriella certainly would have disapproved. Her face set in stern lines, telling me I had been a very bad girl, followed me into my dreams.
Chapter 25 - Down the Street and Through the Diner
Before going to bed I took the precaution of slipping a note under Mr. Contreras’s door. I didn’t want to be awakened at the crack of dawn by his frantic leaning on my bell. I also unplugged my phone. As a result I managed almost six hours’ sleep, enough to get me going, although not with any real enthusiasm.
I hadn’t been running for several days and badly needed the exercise, more for my mental than my physical well-being. The small of my back no longer ached, but I could feel the stiffness in the muscles when I did my warm-up routine. I’d have to take a chance on the guys who beat up Lotty hunting for me.