Cutter hadn’t known that.He was happy for Patricia, and glancing at Pam, he read the same on her face.John, too, looked pleased, but in an ugly way.
“Ahhh,” he said.“Now it makes sense.You were taken with the woman, so you kept her at the hospital all this time.You accepted the hefty fees she paid for room and board, and the even heftier fees she paid for your services.Suddenly, when you sense fresh money in the pot, you say that she’s competent, that she should be discharged, that she can marry you.I’d think the medical board would like to hear this story.”
Pam flew to her feet.“Oh no you don’t,no-ooyou don’t.You’ve pulled that trick one too many times.Threatening to blackmail Bob won’t work.He hasn’t done a thing wrong.”
“He took advantage of a helpless woman who depended on him.”
“I’m not helpless,” Patricia said in a huff.“I let myself be helpless when I was younger.That was when you took advantage of me.Bob has never done that.”
“I’m aware of the ethical considerations here, Mr.St.George,” Bob said.“At no time during Patricia’s stay at my hospital have I taken advantage of her.I haven’t touched her physically.She pays the same fees as every other patient.And she has been seeing another therapist, not me, for ayear now.Besides, when we get married, we’ll be living in my house, a house that I bought twelve years ago and have been paying off ever since.I won’t take her money.I’ve already told her that, and I’ll be putting it in writing—at my insistence, not hers.”He took a quick breath.“Sorry, chum, but you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“I’m not your chum,” John ground out.
“Thank God for it,” was Bob’s response, and for a minute there was utter silence.
Cutter ended it by clearing his throat.“I’d suggest we move on.”He waited only until Pam was seated before saying to John, “You’re outvoted.Pam favors a change, Patricia favors a change, I favor a change, and so do my clients.”
John’s voice came more sharply.“Your clients only know what you feed them.If they took the time to read the company reports—”
“They’ve taken the time—”
“—they’d see that the business is thriving under my leadership.There’s no cause for a change.”
“They feel there is.”
“Only because you tell them that.”
Cutter shrugged.He was feeling pretty good, pretty confident, pretty satisfied with the way things were going.John was starting to worry.He was starting to look a little pinched around the mouth.His hands weren’t linked anymore, and he was sitting straighter.
“I madeFacets,”he said in a commanding voice.“Those stores are mine.Neither you nor anyone else in this room is going to take them away from me.”
Cutter turned first toward Pam and Brendan, thenPatricia and Bob.When he caught sight of Hillary, who was pressed back against one of the library doors with her arms wrapped around her middle, staring at John, he felt a moment’s compassion.At the same time, he wanted to shake her into realizing that what was happening was for the best.He couldn’t believe that she still loved the man—couldn’t believe that she’d ever loved him.
Slowly he turned back to John.“It seems,” he said in a quiet and dignified tone that, given his modest beginnings, mocked John, “that you won’t have much choice.We have the votes.”He reached into his blazer and pulled a thick envelope from its inner pocket.“I have the proxies necessary should we decide to call an emergency meeting of the board.”
“You’re not calling a meeting of my board.”
“It’s my board, too,” Cutter took pleasure in reminding him.“I’m a stockholder.”
“An insignificant one.”
“Alone, perhaps.But I’m not alone.I have all these other people just dying to get you booted out.”
“You’ve brainwashed them.”
“I didn’t have to do anything as drastic as that.”As business associates of Cutter’s, they were more than ready to follow his lead.
“You have no legitimate reason to have me removed.”
“Do I need one?”
John came to his feet then and set his shoulders back.“You sure as hell do.I made this company.My record is impeccable.Our profits have grown every year.The stockholders have received healthy dividends.”
“That’s not the point,” Cutter replied calmly.“The pointis that you serve at the will of the board of directors, which serves at the will of the general stockholding population.”
“The board is on my side.”
“Maybe the old board.The new board won’t be.”He waved the envelope that was still in his hand.“I have a proposed slate of officers here.It’s an interesting group.I think they’ll want their own man as head of the company.”No longer pale but slightly red-faced now, John looked as though steam were building inside him.“And that man is you?”
