“How long do you think it will take us to get there?” asked Nat as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard.
“At this time of day, about an hour, so I expect we should arrive around three o’clock,” said Su Ling, as she took her foot off the accelerator, once she’d touched fifty-five.
“Three, oh hell,” said Nat, suddenly remembering, “I’ll have to let Murray Goldblatz know that I won’t be able to make his meeting.”
“The chairman of Fairchild’s?”
“No less, he requested a private meeting,” said Nat as he picked up the car phone. He quickly checked Fairchild’s number in his phone book.
“To discuss what?” asked Su Ling.
“It has to be something to do with the takeover, but beyond that I haven’t a clue.” Nat pressed the eleven digits. “Mr. Goldblatz, please.”
“Who shall I say is calling?” asked the switchboard operator.
Nat hesitated, “It’s a personal call.”
“I will still need to know who it is,” the voice insisted.
“I have an appointment with him at three o’clock.”
“I’ll put you though to his secretary.” Nat waited.
“Mr. Goldblatz’s office,” said a female voice.
“I have a three o’clock appointment with Mr. Goldblatz, but I fear I am going…”
“I’ll put you through, Mr. Cartwright.”
“Mr. Cartwright.”
“Mr. Goldblatz, I must apologize, a family problem has arisen and I won’t be able to make our meeting this afternoon.”
“I see,” said Goldblatz, not sounding as though he did.
“Mr. Goldblatz,” said Nat, “I’m not in the habit of playing games, I have neither the time nor the inclination.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you did, Mr. Cartwright,” said Goldblatz curtly.
Nat hesitated. “My son has run away from Taft and I’m on my way to see the principal.”
“I’m so…so…sorry to hear that,” Mr. Goldblatz said, his tone immediately changing. “If it’s any consolation, I also ran away from Taft, but once I’d spent all my pocket money I decided to go back the following day.”
Nat laughed. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
“Not at all, perhaps you’d give me a call and let me know when it’s convenient for us to meet.”
“Yes of course, Mr. Goldblatz, and I wonder if I might ask a favor.”
“Certainly.”
“That none of this conversation is reported to Ralph Elliot.”
“You have my word on that, but then, Mr. Cartwright, he has no idea that I planned to meet you in the first place.”
When Nat put the phone down, Su Ling said, “Wasn’t that a bit of a risk?”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Nat. “I have a feeling that Mr. Goldblatz and I have discovered something we have in common.”