Political Murder Read online

  Simply Media Inc. POB 481

  Lincoln, MA 01773-0481 www.simplymedia.com

  simplymedia® is a trademark of Simply Media Inc.

  Copyright© 2016 by Deaver Brown for the Cover, Preface & Introduction.

  Copyright© 2016 by Emma Lathen, Martha Henissart, Simply Media & Deaver Brown for the text.

  This is a work of fiction with all characters and incidents fictional.

  24 John Putnam Thatcher

  Emma Lathen Mysteries

  1. Banking on Death 1961. Manufacturing basics.

  2. A Place for Murder 1963. Old Rich v Towns People.

  3. Accounting for Murder 1964. Accounting.

  4. Murder Makes the Wheels Go Round 1966. Cars.

  5. Death Shall Overcome 1966. Integration.

  6. Murder Against the Grain 1967. Options Trading.

  7. A Stitch in Time 1968. Health Care.

  8. Come to Dust 1968. Fund Raising.

  9. When in Greece 1969. International Business. 10. Murder to Go 1969. Fast Food.

  11. Pick Up Stocks 1970. Second Home Developments. 12. Ashes to Ashes 1971. Real Estate Development. 13. The Longer the Thread 1971. Cut & Sew Off Shore 14. Murder Without Icing 1972. Professional Sports. 15. Sweet and Low 1974. Candy Bars & Consumer. 16. By Hook or by Crook 1975. Antique Rugs. 17. Double, Double, Oil and Trouble 1978. Oil. 18. Going for the Gold 1981. Olympics/Amateur Sport. 19. Green Grow the Dollars 1982. Mail Order/Nursery. 20. Something in the Air 1988. Discount Airlines. 21. East is East 1991. International, Robotics & Finance. 22. Right on the Money 1993. Mergers & Acquisitions. 23. Brewing Up a Storm 1996. Beer.

  24. A Shark Out of Water 1997. Government Projects.

  6 Elizabeth & John Putnam Thatcher

  Emma Lathen Mysteries

  John Putnam Thatcher reorganizes the Sloan, becomes Chairman, Charlie Trinkham President, Ken Nicholls SVP, Elizabeth Thatcher Head of IT & Venture Capital, Walter Bowman VP of Yes, Everett Gabler VP of No & Maria Corsa, Miss Corsa’s niece, a direct re- port to Elizabeth Thatcher. George Lancer, former Chairman, Brad Withers, former President & Miss Corsa are retired but curious.

  The Sloan has automated its branches, moved Corporate HQ to Ireland, set up IT in India, established the VC division in Ireland & Austin, and sold off the Sloan HQ building in New York. The Sloan has gone private with the above active individuals being the major shareholders and become the largest Bank in the World by Capital value.

  25. Political Murder 1999. Death of a Senator.

  26. Dot Com Murder 2001. Death of a Dot Com Leader.

  27. Biking Murder 2005. Death of a Bike Lane Advocate.

  28. Nonprofit Murder 2008. Death of a Nonprofit CEO.

  29. Union Murder 2010. Death of a Union Leader.

  30. Gig Murder 2016. Death of a Gig Innovator.

  Contents

  1. Meeting 16

  2. Escape 21

  3. Structure 24

  4. Evacuation Plan 26

  5. Buyout: LBO 30

  6. Removal 32

  7. Reboot 40

  8. The Mobile Force 45

  9. Nicholls Apartment 49 10. Showdown Meeting 53 11. Senate Conference 57 12. The Interim 62

  13. Senate Hearing 64 14. Police Chief & Jack 71 15. The Silver Star 76

  16. The Navigator 81

  17. Paper 84

  18. Jack 87

  19. Resolution 89

  20. Epilogue 92

  Preface

  Henissart and Latsis attended Harvard graduate school back in the day. They discovered they were running out of traditional mysteries to read such as Agatha Christie and Rex Stout. They also learned that most mystery buffs had similar experiences leading to the eter- nal question: What’s next?

  At first they were friends and then roommates. Latsis worked in the CIA and spent two years in Rome employed by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization before returning to Wellesley College to teach Economics. Henissart went to New York to practice law.

  In 1960 Henissart took a corporate legal job at Raytheon in Boston and stayed with Latsis during her house hunt. She asked what good mysteries were around and was told there weren’t any left.

  They then said, “Let’s write one.” With that they were off and run - ning in their lifetime entrepreneurial writing venture. This reminded me of my old friend Alex Goodwin, now Levitch, the only man I know who has ever changed his last name not to his wife’s, bring- ing me the Umbroller type stroller as a business project and I said, “Let’s do it.” We did. We were Choate roommates and had gone our separate ways until we had our first taste of organization life for me at General Foods and Alex in law at the US Justice Dept. in DC.

  Latsis and Henissart had an unusual relationship for writers but not for entrepreneurial partners. They began each work by first agreeing on the basic structure and major characters; then they wrote alternat- ing chapters. Latsis then composed the first complete draft on yel- low pads and produced this edition for Henissart to review. Henis- sart then typed out the final draft.

  They would then get together for a final joint rewrite, eliminating inconsistencies, and synthesizing the work into a coherent whole. Unlike the tradition of a Hemingway and Fitzgerald with an editor like Max Perkins, they jointly did their own editor work as equal partners in their enterprise.

  Most mystery buffs have had that moment of running out of accept - able books to read. Each of us can remember vividly the wonderful moment when we found another series to read. This can be your moment with the Emma Lathen series!

  I can remember the moment I learned about Sue Grafton, Thomas Perry, Dick Francis, and Emma Lathen herself. Some tap out and get off track like Patricia Cornwell, but they are often terrific while on track.

  Being practical as well as talented people, Henissart and Latsis took up the challenge and wrote 31 books together before Latsis died in 1997.

  24 were Emma Lathen John Thatcher books and 7 Ben Stafford po - litical works written under the name R. G. Dominic. As good en- trepreneurs, they let the Stafford series go when the John Thatcher series outsold it by a substantial amount.

  The series has been extended to six more featuring Thatcher’s daughter, Elizabeth, and most of the rest of the cast, this time mov- ing Thatcher up to Chairman, Trinkham President, Nicholls SVP, Elizabeth Head of IT & VC, Bowman VP of Yes, Gabler VP of No, and Miss Corsa’s niece on board working for Elizabeth. Lancer, Withers, and Rose Corsa have retired but remain shareholders and are curious as well.

  There will be more as The Sloan adapts to the modern world by having moved their HQ to Ireland in a tax inversion, automating its branches to be more mobile and less subject to regulation, centering IT in India, venture capital in Austin, going private, and becoming the largest bank in the world measured by capital value.

  Henissart studied law at Harvard after graduating in physics from Mt. Holyoke. Latsis studied economics at Wellesley and Harvard so setting their books in the business world suited both of them. Their seemingly infallible instincts helped them recognize that business people were big mystery readers and could afford to buy a series, exactly what my Aunt Dorothy did.

  Martha Henissart chucked when telling me their best book store was on Wall Street itself. They created the name Emma Lathen out of a combination of letters in their own names, something they had great fun doing. M of Mary and Ma of Martha, and Lat of Latsis and Hen of Henissart. This was reinforced by Emma from Jane Austen. And viola--Emma Lathen was born!

  No one troubled to find out who Emma Lathen was for years. The authors kept it quiet to protect Henissart’s clients from possible em- barrassment.

  They created an ensemble of characters to enrich their stories and carry people’s knowledge about the Thatcher group from book to bo
ok, much like Agatha did to a more limited extent with Hastings and Jap joining Poirot in many books. Emma Lathen anticipated TV series such as Mary Tyler Moore and later Friends that created a cast of characters so we knew them from the beginning of a story and didn’t have to labor to learn a new group.

  Pure whipped cream without the calories.

  Introduction

  Emma Lathen used Wall Street, banking, and business as the back - drop for her inspiration for a series of entertaining mysteries. The New York Times said, “John Putnam Thatcher is Nero Wolfe with portfolio.” In fact many readers turn to Lathen when they have fin- ished the Nero Wolfe stories. Another New York Times reviewer said, “Emma Lathen is the American Agatha Christie.”

  An LA review from the Daily News said, “The Agatha Christie of Wall Street.” With those accolades she surely deserves our respect. More person - ally, she is worthy of reading, especially after you have run out of Wolfe and Christie mysteries.

  What is most charming about this 24 book series is that her en - tourage is in all the books, much like successful TV series such as Friends. Rex Stout had a similar group but they didn’t appear in every mystery. Agatha Christie had Captain Hastings, Miss Lem- on, and Japp who appeared together occasionally; the TV series got them into more episodes to the delight of Agatha fans.

  I was personally introduced to Lathen by my Aunt Dorothy who was a business woman back in the day building houses in Minneapolis and then in World War II moving on to Seattle with her husband to do so. Interestingly, this is the only author my Aunt ever recom- mended. I have been forever grateful to her for doing so. Much like a Lathen character, my Aunt knew what money was good for and what it wasn’t. Uncle Chester and she built houses in the warm six months in Minneapolis and later Seattle, and then took off the other six to enjoy worldwide cruises for the rest of the year.

  Her postcards let me follow her from country to country, place to place, as they had a grand old time of it. She was introduced to Lathen in a ship’s library with the books bound in lovely yellow sturdy boards produced by Lathen’s English publisher. It all seemed to fit; English like Christie; on ship; with business people who could relate to Lathen and her cast of characters.

  Emma Lathen was the pseudonym for Martha Henissart and Mary Jane Latsis who wrote 24 adeptly structured detective stories featur- ing a banker, John Putnam Thatcher, and crack amateur sleuth much like Jane Marple. Thatcher is every bit as endearing and interesting as Poirot and Marple, Nero Wolfe and Archie, and Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, Henry, and company.

  Each story starts out with a business/banking motif, points to mo - tives other than money, and winds up with money not emotions be- ing the clue to the solution. Thatcher’s clear headed knowledge of money, banking, business, and human foibles is as only bankers can know, leads to his eureka moments, which are always fabulously turned out.

  Thatcher’s purpose is curiosity coupled with a desire to get his loans and the bank’s investments repaid which leads to his delivering kill- ers to the police, signed, sealed, and delivered.

  Why was banking as a back drop for these mysteries? Henissart and Latsis put it best, “There is nothing on God’s earth a banker can’t get into.” Voila, and much like their rapier like insights and wits of these charming tough minded authors.

  Thatcher was the first fictional detective to come out of the world of business and finance. He became an instant hit on Wall Street and beyond in business and financial circles. This makes him perfect for today’s millennial and Z generations so enthusiastic about entre- preneurial life in education, nonprofits, and commercial life, all of which are represented in the work of Emma Lathen.

  Cast

  Regulars

  John Putnam Thatcher, SVP of the Sloan, the Third Largest Bank in the World.

  Charlie Trinkham, Thatcher’s Second in Command in the Trust Department.

  Everett Gabler, the informal VP of No, who identifies the weak- nesses in every situation.

  Walter Bowman, the informal VP of Yes, who advocates new investment opportunities.

  Ken Nicholls, the budding young banker, recently married, with his second child on the way.

  Miss Rose Corsa, the irrepressible old time tough secretary to top executives as she is to Thatcher. Tom Robichaux , Investment Banker/promoter, much married, a bon vivant, with conservative proper Quaker Devane as his partner. Thatcher’s Harvard Roommate back in the day.

  George Charles Lancer, Stately Chairman of the Board.

  Lucy Lancer, the perceptive witty wife of George. Elizabeth (“Becky”) Thatcher , John Putnum Thatcher’s second daughter, stunning, smart, and much like his abolitionist grand- mother. VP of IT & VC investments.

  Occasional Characters

  Professor Cardwell (“Cardy”) Carlson, the father-in-law of Laura, Thatcher’s daughter. An erudite impractical professor.

  Mrs. Agnes Carlson, the mother-in-law that keeps Ben in line and up to form.

  Dr. Ben Carlson, Thatcher’s son-in-law. Stays quietly in the back- ground.

  Laura Thatcher Carlson, Thatcher’s daughter & family organizer. Jack Thatcher , youngest of the Thatcher children and much like Tom Robichaux and hence now the junior partner in the firm of Robichaux, Devane & Thatcher.

  Jane Schneider Nicholls, wife of Ken.

  Sam, Sloan Chauffer.

  Billings, the sardonic respectful elevator operator.

  Don Trotman, the Devonshire Doorman and Jack of all Trades onsite.

  Characters only in Political Murder

  Senator Elvira Whitehorse, the junior Senator from Califor- nia elected as an anti-business, anti-fossil fuel, and tax the rich advocate.

  Molly Greenwood, Whitehorse’s Chief of Staff, former Member of the House of Representatives, Harvard College Summa Graduate & Editor of the Law Review.

  Harry Goldman, the Senate Committee Lawyer. Street smart, Har- vard educated, and connected all over DC, withawrysenseofhumor. Jack Reynolds, the Sloan’s DC lawyer, Street smart, Harvard educated, and connected all over DC, with a wry sense of humor.

  Dan Largent, Capitol Chief of Police, a been there done that kind of man who thought he was safely retired on the job until he wound up on this powder keg.

  Dan Thompson, fellow cruiser on The Navigator.

  Emma Lathen Political Mysteries

  As R. B. Dominic

  1. Murder Sunny Side Up 1968. Agriculture.

  2. Murder in High Place 1969. Overseas Travelers.

  3. There is No Justice 1971. Supreme Court.

  4. Epitaph for a Lobbyist 1974. Lobbyists.

  5. Murder Out of Commission 1976. Nuke Plants.

  6. The Attending Physician 1980. Health Care.

  7. Unexpected Developments 1983. Military.

  Tom Walker Mysteries

  Patricia Highsmith Style

  1. 18. Football & Superbowl.

  2. Abduct. Sexual Misconduct.

  3. Body. Planned Eliminations for Money.

  4. Comfortable. Avoiding Consequences.

  5. Death. Wrong Place at the Wrong Time.

  6. Enthusiast. Opportunity Murder.

  7. Fraud. Taking Your Chances.

  8. Heat. Heir Arrogance.

  A similarly popular Simply Media mystery series.

  Financial & Other Facts

  Emma Lathen is all about the money not the emotion. In that light: 1. Find us at Kindle and elsewhere such as walmart.com, staples. com, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com (bn.com), and via Over- drive, Findaway, Hoopla, Midwest Tapes, and others. Listen to the audiobook versions at audible.com, iTunes, and elsewhere.

  2. To provide financial incentives for collectors, Simply Media and others provide savings on groups of 6 eBooks, and the SuperSku (learning from the Star Wars franchise) “all in” collection.

  3. Trust that we have all enjoyed this. But as Willie Nelson, Oscar Wilde, and others have said, we aren’t above the money. Stay well. And thanks from all of us on the Emma Lathen team.

 
Deaver Brown, Publisher. www.simplymedia.com

  Chapter 1

  Meeting

  Wall Street is the greatest money market in the world. This means, among other things, that it is a quivering communications network, plucking information from cyberspace, speeding data to people who make or lose millions of dollars by knowing things before the rest of the world. The first tremor of turmoil in Germany sets gold deal- ers on Broad Street emailing branch offices in London, Geneva, or Mumbai. Gossip about a British cabinet minister can trigger fren- zied activity on Blair Street. No New York banks have failed recent- ly, but Wall Street retains an indelible memory of what happened when one did.

  In a word, Wall Street routinely deals with news that does not break into print. Intelligence crucial to the peace of the world, to the for- tunes of men and women, and the fate of nations is grist to the finan- cial world’s mill.

  It does not always preclude plain gossip as the subject of Wall Street’s conversation.

  “What’s this about Lancer’s plan to emigrate to Ireland?” said Tom Robichaux of Robichaux, Devane & Thatcher, investment bankers. His lunch partner was John Putnam Thatcher, Senior Vice President of the Sloan Guaranty Trust, now the largest bank in the world. As director of the Sloan’s trust and investment departments, Thatcher probably dealt in knowledge more recondite than most. He agreed that George was up to something.

  “Under all of that gentile veneer those Lancers haven’t made it eight generations in the high clover for nothing,” Robichaux grumbled over his deep-dish apple pie. Tom always seemed aware his had only made it six. But it was still going strong despite his various divorces when his various ex-wives had tried unsuccessfully to stop his family’s long financial run.

  Tactfully Thatcher repressed a smile. Tom always talked about change as if a menace. But, in the past 40 years, Tom Robichaux had been able to sustain his ebullience in the face of greater catastrophes, such as the Great Depression and several divorce-court appearanc- es. Thatcher suspected that Robichaux’ peevishness stemmed from his failure to sell Thatcher on taking a major role in his firm’s latest money losing dot com IPO offer. And despite that seeming failure, John had every confidence he would learn that some of those IPO shares would wind up salted away in various Sloan trust accounts. Tom had always been good at crying crocodile tears while his firm cleaned up.