Frank was seated at the center of the dining room table having eggs, sausage, and toast. Mary was seated to his left, at the end of the table. She was having eggs, bacon, and toast. Although they had acknowledged each other, each had spoken few sentences while eating.
Frank finished eating and patted his lips with his napkin. He put the napkin beside his plate and excused himself from the table.
“Frank,” Mary said.
Frank stopped and turned. He noticed that his mother was patting her lips with her napkin. “Yes?” he asked.
“I’m sorry that you didn’t get a graduation present.”
He smiled. “That’s okay, Mother. Considering what you’ve been through that should be the last thing on your mind.” Then he went to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Now, I have to go to the oil company. Although the executives from the company attended the funeral, I think I should formally introduce myself to them. After all, they will be working for me some day.”
His mother nodded her approval. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“Thanks, Mother.”
He left the mansion, got into his car, and drove to the oil company. He parked in his father’s space and went inside.
Ms. Cooper was seated behind her desk, putting her purse away in one of the drawers. When she saw him, she forced a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Williams. May I help you?”
“Yes. I wish to formally introduce myself to the top executives. Ask them to come to my father’s office.”
“Now?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay.”
He went to his father’s office, but he didn’t close the door. He sat down in his father’s black leather chair and examined some of the papers that were on the desk. Suddenly, he heard a light knock on the door. He looked up and saw Ms. Cooper and three men about to enter the office.
“Mr. Williams, I’d like to introduce Mr. John Porter, Mr. Robert Wheeler, and Mr. Carl Sprintz,” Ms. Cooper said.
Frank stood and walked to the front of the desk. He recognized them from his father’s funeral. He smiled, held out his hand, and each man shook it.
“Mr. Porter is the executive vice president, Mr. Wheeler is the vice president of operations, and Mr. Sprintz is the vice president of finance,” Ms. Cooper added.
“Glad to meet you,” he said. “Please, sit down.” He looked at Ms. Cooper. “Thank you, Ms. Cooper. That will be all. Please close the door behind you.”
He sat down on the edge of the desk. “Did Ms. Cooper provide a reason for bringing you here?”
“Yes, Mr. Williams,” Porter replied.
Wheeler and Sprintz nodded.
“Good. Now that we’ve met each other, I’d like to know about Ms. Cooper.”
Porter, Wheeler, and Sprintz glanced at each other.
Frank realized each appeared confused.
“Specifically, what would you like to know?” Porter finally asked.
“Well, for starters, how long has she been here?”
“Approximately six months,” Porter replied.
“Do you know where she was before she came here?”
“No, I don’t,” Porter replied. He looked at Wheeler and Sprintz.
Wheeler shrugged. “I don’t.”
“I don’t, either,” Sprintz said.
“I’m sure it’s in her personnel file,” Porter said.
Frank was puzzled. “When she started working here, didn’t my father introduce her to you gentlemen?” he finally asked.
“Yes, he did, but he merely said she was his new secretary. I don’t remember him saying where she was before she came here,” Porter replied.
“No one asked? I mean, surely one of you was curious?”
“I didn’t. After all, she wasn’t assigned to me, Mr. Williams,” Porter replied.
Frank looked at the other executives. Both shook their heads.
Frank nodded. “Well, I’d like to know before I leave today.”
“Okay. Anything else?” Porter asked.
“Yes. I’d like to know if she has been a good employee.”
“Mr. Williams―”
“Please, John, call me Frank,” Frank interjected.
“Okay, Frank,” Porter said. “She has been an excellent employee, according to your father.”
Frank smiled and said, “Well, John, I would have expected him to say that, considering he hired her. Wouldn’t you?”
Porter nodded. “I suppose so.”
“No, I need to know if she has ever made a mistake.”
Porter glanced at Wheeler and Sprintz before he asked, “A mistake? What do you mean?”
Frank cleared his throat and replied, “Has she done something at work that could be used against her?”
Porter was curious. “You want to fire her?”
Frank hesitated a minute before he replied, “Possibly.”
Porter nodded and assumed he understood the younger man’s reason. “Well, I don’t know if she has made a mistake or not,” he said. He glanced at Wheeler and Sprintz. Both shrugged their shoulders.
“Well, keep an eye on her. Considering my father saw her after office hours and was murdered in her house, I don’t think she should be here.”
“Do you think she was involved somehow in your father’s murder?” Porter asked.
Frank nodded. “Possibly.”
Porter glanced at the other two. “We don’t think she was involved in your father’s murder,” he finally said.
Frank looked at Porter. “Why?”
Porter shook his head.
Frank wondered if the man thought this action would clear his thoughts.
“Frank,” Porter said. “Sharon has not been herself since your father was murdered.”
“So?”
“Well, if she had anything to do with it, would she be distraught?” Porter asked.
Frank thought about Porter’s question. “She may be acting or pretending,” he finally said.
Porter glanced at Wheeler and Sprintz. “We don’t think so,” he said.
“Why?”
“We’ve heard that she was very happy working for your father,” Porter replied.
Frank weighed Porter’s statement. “Did she say that to someone?” he finally asked.
Porter nodded. “She said that to another secretary or two.”
Frank realized she could have said that to one or more secretaries when she had not actually meant it. “But she did not say it to you or the other vice presidents. Correct?”
Porter nodded. “That’s right, but we believe she was happy working for your father nonetheless.”
Frank nodded. “I’d like to know where Ms. Cooper was before she came here. Okay?”
Porter nodded. “I’ll find out today.”
“I’d also like for the three of you to keep your eyes open. If you see Ms. Cooper not doing her job well, let me know. In fact, John, inform her that she’ll be reporting to you whenever you need another secretary. You do have a secretary, don’t you?”
Porter nodded and said, “Yes.”
“If she asks why you need two secretaries, tell her you’ve been assigned another task in addition to your regular duties and you thought you may need another secretary’s help. You can explain that we discussed it. Okay?”
Porter nodded, but he didn’t say anything.
“Now, to change the subject, I’d like a report from each of you. I’d like to know the specifics of the company―that is, how many oil wells are in operation, how many speculative drillings were performed last year, how many have been performed this year, how many will be performed next year. I wish to know how much crude is produced annually. I also wish to know what the costs are versus the income. Furthermore, I’d like to know the number of employees versus the number that’s actually needed.” He looked at the three vice presidents. “Finally, I’d like to know how much crude is being purchased from other countries.”
The men looked at each other.
“Frank, I’m sure you can ascertain that knowledge from the company’s last annual report,” Porter finally said.
Frank shook his head. “Not really. Besides, the annual report would not provide the number of employees that’s actually needed.”
Porter squirmed in his chair and nodded. Even though he was fifteen or twenty years older and had considerably more experience than Williams, he was not about to argue with him about what was in the annual report. He liked his job too well. “When do you want these reports?” he finally asked.
“By the end of the week. Okay?”
The men nodded.
“That will be all.” He watched as they neared the door. “By the way, I wish to thank you for coming to my father’s funeral. My mother and I appreciate it.”
They turned and nodded.
“Your father was a great man. We enjoyed working for him,” Porter said.
Wheeler and Sprintz nodded.
Frank wondered if Porter was speaking the truth for all three. “Thank you, John, for those words.”
“He will be missed, Mr. Williams,” Wheeler said.
Frank nodded. “Thanks. I’ll miss him, too. And, please, call me Frank.”
Wheeler nodded. A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Several employees have expressed to me how they felt about your father. They enjoyed working for him,” Sprintz said.
Frank nodded again. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
After they left, Frank went behind the desk and sat down. He looked at his father’s computer. Surely, he wouldn’t have the information I requested on his computer. Would he? He pressed the “On” button and the computer came to life. He looked at the space for the “Password.” He tried his father’s name―nothing. He tried his father’s birthday―nothing. He tried his father’s name and birthday―nothing. He tried his mother’s name―nothing. He tried his mother’s birthday―nothing. He tried his name―nothing. He tried the first word he had spoken—“Pappa”—followed by the date. The computer’s page changed. He smiled as he remembered the expression on his father’s face. His father had been proud of him. He searched the relevant files and found some information. Unfortunately, the information was several months old. He started rummaging through the drawers of the desk. By noon he had found most of the information he had requested, which he had anticipated. He thought his father may have the information in his office―somewhere. All he had to do was look. However, he didn’t inform the vice presidents. He had assigned a simple task and he wanted to know if they could do it. Besides, he had allowed three days.
Around three that afternoon, John Porter informed Frank that Ms. Cooper had moved to Derrick from Chicago approximately six months before his father’s death and consequently had not worked for any company in Derrick before being employed by his father’s company. Frank thanked John for the information. Frank wondered if she had worked at the trucking company. “But why would she have left the trucking company to come here?” he whispered to himself. “Besides, what does Derrick have that Chicago doesn’t?”
* * *
The vice presidents provided the reports that Frank had requested a day early. Frank, impressed by their expediency, thanked them for the information and compared it to what he had found. Although his father’s information had been for the previous quarter, the vice presidents’ information varied slightly. He realized a few employees, particularly some in the field, could be let go―that is, if it was necessary. However, it wasn’t necessary. The company had been earning a sizable profit over the past few years. As he examined the information, he realized that the company was on track to earn more this year. He smiled. Father, I have to admit—you were an astute businessman. Then the thought of his father possibly cheating on his mother crossed his mind and the smile faded from his face.