Page 133 (2/2)

William put his head around the bathroo!

Tony waited for it to stop ’Peter Parfitt is yourto be the next chairman, and that his would be the name that was read out in Charles Lester’s will He’s beenboard - room politics ever since Ted Leach can fill you in on the finer details and would like you to join hi two or three other board members with him on whom you can rely The board, by the way, still seeht down the middle’

William nicked himself with his razor ’Damn Which club?’

’Metropolitan, just off Fifth Avenue on East Sixtieth Street

’Why there and not somewhere down in Wall StreetT ’Willia with the Peter Parfitts of this world, you don’t telegraph your intentions Keep your wits about you, and play the whole thing very coolly From what Leach tells me, I believe you can still win’

William came back into the bedroom with a towel round his waist ’I’ll try,’ he said, ’to be cool, that is’

Tony set back to Boston My train leaves Grand Central in ten n - iinutes’He looked at his watch ’Damn, six minutes’

Tony paused at the bedroom door ’You know, your father never trusted Peter Parfitt Too s more, just a little too smooth’ He picked up his suitcase ’Good luck, Williain to thank you, Tony?’

’You can’t just put it down toto atone for the lousy way I treated Matthew’

William watched the door close as he put in his collar stud and then straightened his tic, reflecting on how curious it was that he bad spent years working closely with Tony Si to know him but that now, in only a few days of personal crisis, he found hi a man he had never before really seen He went down to the dining roo, one piece of hard toast, butter and English marmalade from someone else’s table The porter handed him a copy of the Wall Street journal, which hinted on an inside page that everything was not running s the nomination of William Kane as their next chairman At least, the journal did not seem to have any inside information

William returned to his room and asked the operator for a nu for a few ise, Mr Kane I had no idea that you were on the line May I congratulate you on your appointment as chairman of Lester’s I hope thisa lot more of you in the future’

’That may well depend on you, Mr Cohen’

’I don’t think I quite understand,’ the lawyer replied