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I send Jobe a text.
Answer Penny’s calls. I’m not asking.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in.”
Paul walks in and closes the door behind him. “Are you ready to knock this idiot off his perch?” He drops his legal files on my desk. “Are we doing it here?”
“Yes. I don’t want the staff to even lipread what is happening in the boardroom.” The boardroom has all glass walls, and it’s easy to see and hear what’s happening in there.
“Let’s talk strategy for the session with Hicks. One of your options is transparency with clients. You might consider having a carefully framed, indirect conversation with your clients about potential risks in the energy sector due to environmental concerns. You cannot disclose the specifics, but you could encourage them to diversify their investments to minimize risk.”
I take a seat at my desk. “Understood.”
There are three chairs on the other side of the room. Paul sits on the end chair on my right.
“You might cooperate with the regulators. If you decide to whistleblow…” he tilts his head, “… and work with financial regulators, you can provide them with the necessary information about PetroDepend’s impending lawsuit without compromising your clients’ interests.”
“What else?”
“Reassess PetroDepend’s standing in your portfolio and reconsider whether it aligns with your clients’ ethical standards. You might then gradually divest from PetroDepend as part of a long-term strategy unrelated to the lawsuit.”
I rake my fingers along my jaw to ease the tension. I should have kept that damn mouthpiece my mother had made for me in college to stop grinding my teeth. “Caleb had suggested that months ago before any of this came to light.”
“Now, if Hicks surprises us and comes with his tail between his thighs, you could use your influence as a significant investor to push for change within PetroDepend, perhaps by demanding more transparency or stronger commitment to ethical practices. This might not prevent the immediate impact of the lawsuit but could present a way forward for PetroDepend to regain investor confidence.”
“Be a nice guy all around.”
Paul ignores my comment. “The chance that will happen is like five percent. Do you have the data open?”
I move my untouched coffee aside and bring up all the information on the screen Lana sent through.
“Can I have this?” Paul indicates to my coffee.
“It’s cold. I’ll have Ruby make you a fresh one.”
“I’ll need that too. Haven’t eaten yet. I’ll need all the caffeine I can get.”
* * *
By five o’clock,the office clears. George and Lana come into the room where I’m sitting with Caleb, and he tells them to go home.
“You should go home too and get some rest for once. There’s not much you can do until you hear from Paul with the right action to take against Hicks,” Caleb adds. He’s right. Paul is flying back to LA as we speak since his office is there. I pay him well to be where I need him, and after speaking with Hicks, we won’t know more until tomorrow at the earliest.
My cell buzzes. It’s Penny. It must be around two in the afternoon. “Sorry, I need to take this,” I tell Caleb.
He waves.
“Catch you tomorrow.”
The door clicks behind him.
“Afternoon, Penny.”
“Hello, Franklin.”
Her voice is warm and soothing. I stretch out my neck, the tension slightly easing. “How are you?”
