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She crossed one leg over the other and read through her material for the fourth time. This wasn’t just about preparedness. It was about insight, touching on just the right questions in the subtlest of ways, and gathering information without the interviewee realizing he or she was supplying it.
Simone was very pleased that Vance had set up her first morning of interviews with the VPs of other key departments, followed by meetings with his own area heads. Even Robert Maxwell had offered to give her a short time slot just before noon. All in all, this schedule meant she’d come away with a big-picture view of the Nano senior management team.
Her 7:45 interview—the first of the day—was with Lawrence Blockman, who was the VP of Engineering and, in her estimation, Vance’s key competitor for the soon-to-be-named CEO position. According to what Vance had told Aidan in their initial meeting, no one in the company was aware that Robert Maxwell had already made his final decision as to his successor. Therefore, Blockman would still view himself as a fierce competitor, which would make him a prime suspect as the Chinese perpetrator’s inside mole. Not only could Blockman keep an eye on Vance but—should
Vance provide the kidnappers with any material whatsoever—Blockman could pin the crime of industrial espionage on Vance. It was a win-win for Blockman—if he turned out to be guilty.
Tapping her pen thoughtfully on the table, Simone did a once-over on the paper summary of Blockman. He was well-educated, highly qualified, and had twenty years of stellar performance reviews. In Vance’s talk with Simone, he’d said that he and Blockman got along very well, although they didn’t always see eye to eye on product designs. Not a red flag, given one engineering perspective and one manufacturing one.
Still, she planned on being extremely thorough with this man.
She re-scanned the list of today’s interviewees, noting who had met the challenge head-on—signing up for the earliest slots—and who had dallied and delayed their meetings until the next day at the latest possible times. Those employees weren’t just ostriching. They were waiting to pump info out of those who had preceded them, to be as prepared as possible, and probably to try calming their nerves.
Both Ethan Gallagher and Zoe Pearson, Vance’s PA and Robert Maxwell’s PA respectively, were scheduled for later today—Ethan at two thirty and Zoe at three thirty. Excellent. Each of them would be a fountain of information—the public and the not-so-public. The faster she spoke with them and won them over the better. She’d be interviewing Ethan right here in this meeting room and Zoe in her office—as requested. She’d made that request diplomatically, explaining to Simone that, given the rapid fire of phone calls and meetings that were leading up to Nano’s huge announcement, she simply couldn’t be away from her desk. Simone was fine with the arrangement. This way she could not only do her job, she could also scope out Zoe’s work home.
A knock on the door interrupted her musings.
“Come in,” she called out.
A tall man in his mid-fifties with a receding hairline, angular features, and a build like a blade of grass walked in. Contrary to his Poindexter appearance, he was wearing an expensive suit and tie, not to mention a stunning pair of gold cufflinks. Definitely a sense of style. Not the usual MO for an engineer. And definitely not the informal dress code she’d viewed thus far at Nano.
Unaware of her brief scrutiny, Blockman glanced around the room and then turned his attention on Simone as she rose and extended her hand.
“Mr. Blockman?”
He nodded, meeting her handshake. His smile was genuine. So were the dots of perspiration on his brow.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Martin,” he said.
“It’s Simone—and it’s a pleasure to meet you, as well.” She gestured toward the sideboard. “Grab a cup of coffee and help yourself to some fruit. It’s early. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably skipped breakfast.”
“It’s Lawrence. And I always seem to, yes.” Looking at the table, he ascertained that Simone had her own coffee and fruit, just to assure himself of the protocol. Confirming that she had both, he went over, made himself a cup of coffee, and put some fruit on his plate, after which he settled himself in the chair adjacent to Simone’s.
A healthy mound of sliced pineapple and cantaloupe covered his plate, Simone noted. Not the sign of a quaking employee.
She set up her iPad and began.
“I’m sure you’re aware that I’m working with Vance Pennington to increase efficiency in his department.”
“I’d heard, yes,” Blockman replied. “I’m just not sure how I can be of any help in that process.”
“I asked Vance to set up meetings with all the corporate VPs so that I could get a feel for what they do and how they interact with both Vance and the manufacturing department.” Simone’s delicate brows drew together. “I hope you don’t mind. I won’t take much of your time.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Blockman swallowed some coffee. He looked a little tense but not alarmed. “Fire away.”
Simone nodded, her fingers poised on the keypad. “For starters, who are your key customers and what do you do for them?”
It was an innocuous question, and an easy one for Blockman to answer.
“One of our prime responsibilities is to develop new product specifications so that manufacturing can produce them. So you’re right, we do work closely with Vance’s department.”
“And how well do your departments work together? Are there any conflicts that might slow down productivity in the manufacturing area?”
Blockman shrugged. “There’s always a certain amount of friction. Nothing serious. Sometimes our designs are difficult to manufacture, and manufacturing and engineering battle to compromise. It’s a normal part of our business.”
“You’re right. It is.” Simone edged a quick glance at him and then bluntly asked, “What about you and Vance? How do you two get along?”
Okay, now Blockman looked nervous and more than a little taken aback.
