Treasures (29 page)

“So it slipped by once. A fluke. You should never have inveigled people into buying such garbage. I have to tell you so.”

“
Garbage
isn’t a nice word, Abner.” Eddy’s tone was sorrowful. “And
inveigled
isn’t either.”

“Maybe not, but you’re a most persuasive salesman, Eddy. And you’re also a keen investor. You should have known that deductions like those make no financial sense and that the government was bound to catch up with them.”

This was not the comfort that he had expected to receive from Abner.

Next Abner said, “I note that you don’t personally invest in such stuff.”

“No. I make my profits from the commissions.” And as Abner offered no comment, he protested, “Nobody’s done as much successful business in shelters as I have, and the whole city knows it.”

“I’m afraid the government knows it too.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Eddy, the IRS is starting to go after fake losses in a big, big way. And you are a most conspicuous purveyor of fake losses.”

“They’re not ‘fake’ losses!”

“Eddy, you know better. You’ve been my client for a
long time, a very important one, and a very good friend besides. It’s no pleasure for me, I assure you, to disagree with you.”

“Yes,” Eddy grumbled, “everything’s fine when it’s fine. Then everybody loves you. But let something go wrong once, and it’s another story.”

“Tell me about the phone calls.”

“Oh, these people are in a frenzy. One woman called me a fraud and started to cry, another said his accountant told him he would never have let him buy in if he had been consulted and that it was a disgrace, and so on and so on. A bunch of hysterics. And as I said, unfortunately, they’re all friends of my sister and her husband. It’s a small-town affair—they know each other inside out, they know what everybody had for breakfast yesterday.”

There was a silence, during which Eddy felt the pounding of his heart; then the prime question burst.

“All I want to know is: Can they sue me for anything?”

Abner grimaced. “No, it wasn’t fraud on your part. You just gave them terrible, terrible advice. But it surely doesn’t do much for your reputation, Eddy, when you go peddling stuff like that.”

“Fortunately, they’re all far away in Ohio. No, come, I don’t mean that. I’m really sorry for them all, sorry it turned out badly.”

“It will be bad, all right. Back taxes, penalties, and interest besides. No fun.”

“But they can’t sue me, you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” Abner stood up. “But before I leave, I’d like to give you some advice, Eddy.”

Momentarily more cheerful, Eddy managed a smile. “What? Again?”

“Yes, again. I’m not happy about your tax deferrals. Some of your figures puzzle me. They’re on the edge. I need to go over your books very, very carefully during the next few months. I advise you to stop playing at brinkmanship, Eddy. You know what I mean. A word to the wise, and all that.”

Saville gave with one hand and took away with the other. It was a vast relief to know that he wasn’t going to be sued. But the talk of “brinkmanship” left him with a feeling of insecurity, compounded with a certain resentment at being challenged. Arriving in the outer hall at home, he did not announce himself with his customary signal whistle.

Pam greeted him with a kiss. “Smell the paella? That’s your dinner. Crabs, chicken, ham, fish, and plenty of garlic. I think we’ve got ourselves a marvelous cook at last. Why, what’s the matter? You look bushed.”

He wished people wouldn’t always comment on his appearance, so he answered merely, “I’m fine, but it was a long day.”

A man didn’t bring his troubles home with him, especially when there was nothing a wife could do about them. It would be like Pop’s thumping heavily up the stairs with yet another burden of bad news. Remembering, Eddy shuddered.

They were having their after-dinner coffee when the telephone rang. Pam answered.

“It’s Davey. He wants to talk to you.”

Eddy stifled a sigh. “I’ll take it in the den. Please hang up.”

Anticipating another long, defensive explanation, he settled into an armchair and cheerfully covering his dread, began, “Hello, Davey. How’s everything?”

Davey’s answer was glum. “Bad. Very bad.”

“Bad? What’s happened?”

“Eddy, let’s not play games. You know what’s happened.”

“About the partnerships, you mean? The tax examiners?”

“Every single person who bought one has been called for an audit. And every one has been told by his accountant that he doesn’t stand a chance. Not a chance.”

“Wait, hold on! I think you’re jumping at conclusions. The principals here in New York, the guys who produce the lithographs—I know they’ll put up a fight, you can bet on that. They’ve got more to lose, after all, and—”

“That’s bunk, Eddy. I myself went up to Cleveland to check with a friend, a fellow I knew at school, who works for the IRS, and that’s bunk.”

Eddy’s first thought was: He went to Cleveland before he even talked to me; he has no confidence in me. His next thought was: What does he want of me now?

The accusing voice grew louder as Davey resumed. “My friend Tony will lose the whole inheritance from his aunt and more besides because, to make things worse, he borrowed from his cousin—hell, the details don’t
matter. But his cousin’s not speaking to him, and Tony’s not speaking to me.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why should he be sore at you?”

“I’m the one who recommended your judgment, remember?”

What does he want of me? An apology? Well, all right, he’s entitled to one, if that’s what he wants.

“Davey, I’m sorry as hell,” Eddy said softly. “God knows my intentions were of the best. But that doesn’t do anyone much good, I know. And still you have to admit that there are risks in any investment, whether it’s a horse, or a house, or—anything.” He finished stumbling, pushed as he was into an unfamiliar defensiveness and resenting it.

“It seems that this was less an investment than it was a gamble. The deal was so badly structured that every man who looked at it was dumbfounded.”

“That’s a matter of opinion. I don’t happen to agree. I’ve built a reputation in this city doing deals for hundreds of millions of dollars, deals that your people, I don’t care who they are, never saw and never dreamed of.”

“I don’t think you should be resentful, Eddy. If anyone should be, I should. And I am resentful. Every one of my stockholders, my trusting friends, is my enemy now because of this.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Eddy repeated.

“You may think so, but that’s how it is. Lara can’t even walk into Levy’s to buy socks for the kids, she’s so ashamed to face Ben.”

Never in all their years had he known Davey to be so
agitated. Davey, gone over to the attack! This thing was escalating.…

“I’m sorry. I’ve said I am. What more do you want me to do? I don’t know what else to do.”

The reply was cold. “Don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“I know what I would do if I were in your position.”

“Suppose you tell me, then.”

“If I had the wealth you are reputed to have, I would make it up to those people.”

Eddy jumped in the chair. “What? You can’t mean that.”

“I mean it. I most surely do.”

“Well, if you do, that’s the most goddamned stupid thing I’ve heard in a long time. You expect me to reach into my own pocket? For God’s sake, Davey! Look here, they made an investment, it went sour, and that’s too bad. I have no legal obligation to any of those people, and if they have any such ideas—”

“I’m talking about a moral obligation. When a widow puts her trust in you, and at my recommendation—”

“Don’t preach, Davey. Get real. I’ve always admired your principles, but there comes a point when they become unreal. Do you think I have no principles? It’s naive to—”

“So you don’t intend to do anything. Just let them all down. That’s it, is it? You led them to the water, and you’re going to let them drown.”

Oh, my God, what a day! That weepy widow, and Abner, and now Davey’s loud complaints ringing in his ears. Eddy’s nerves, those steady, healthy nerves that so
seldom even made their presence known to his body, were quivering.

“Look, Davey, I don’t know what to make of you. I’ve never known you to be so unreasonable. Frankly, you’re driving me to my wits’ end over this sorry business, which I regret, I deeply regret, how many times do I have to tell you, so will you kindly let me alone, just let me alone tonight, for God’s sake, will you—”

“Oh, I’ll let you alone, all right. You can bet I’ll do that. I’ll let you so alone that you’ll forget I exist.”

Who of the two first hung up the telephone it was impossible to say. For a long minute, needing to collect himself, Eddy sat still. He was completely frustrated. He was angry, he was humiliated, and he was sad. How could this have happened to Eddy Osborne, the conciliator, who avoided argument, above all in his family?

But it had happened, and how it was to be resolved he did not know.

These were dark days in Ohio, miserable days under the wintry sky.

“Is this to be another wasteful feud like the one between Connie and me?” demanded Lara. “Every time I talk to Pam, it looks more hopeless, and we feel terrible about it. She can’t get anywhere with Eddy, and I can’t get anywhere with you.”

“I’m tired of talking about it,” Davey answered wearily. “And I have to think you don’t really understand my position.”

“Well, I’m not the only one. Connie says that Martin’s position is: Let the buyer beware.”

“Oh, beautiful! I wonder how Martin would like to come up against the faces that I’ll confront at the next stockholders’ meeting. Standing there at the head of the table, feeling the outrage directed straight at me!”

As soon as the business of the meeting had been dispensed with, and as the shuffle of departure began, Davey called for attention. His heart beat almost painfully, yet he knew he must speak from that heart if only to relieve it of its burden.

“I want to say something to all of you. I’ll only be a minute. I find it hard to breathe these days. The atmosphere has been very heavy. You avoid me. You, my friends.” For a moment he had to stop. “Oh, I know you’ve been hurt in the pocketbook, some of you badly hurt. Joe, I know you bought in to provide for your boy’s education. Doc Donnelly, I know you were planning to help your retirement. Dick, you were my coach in Little League.… Would I hurt you?” Here Davey had to stop again. Then he threw his hands out toward the whole assemblage in a gesture of appeal. “Tell me, do you think I would deliberately hurt you?”

A silence that Davey found extraordinary, even ominous, then followed. He looked around the table, but no eyes were raised to his.

Then someone spoke. It was Henry Baker, the superintendent of schools, a man known for his sharp, outspoken tongue.

“You should have advised us against the investment. But he’s your brother-in-law, so you didn’t. That sums it up, I think.”

“Why should I have, Henry? I had no reason to think it wasn’t a sound investment.”

“Not true, Davey. You had your doubts, and now you’re cornered. No, Davey. You must have suspected something, or else you would have gone in too. Mighty strange that you didn’t.”

At this ten pairs of eyes came to rest on Davey’s face.

“I’m well aware that it doesn’t sound convincing, yet the truth is simply that I—I personally don’t invest in anything but this company of ours.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t sound convincing,” said Henry Baker.

“Of what are you accusing me? I don’t understand. Did I make a profit out of this fiasco, for God’s sake?”

“No, but your brother-in-law did.”

“So is this going to go on till the end of time? Am I to be shunned like a leper because of my wife’s brother?”

“You can’t expect us all to have the same respect for your judgment that we once had. That’s putting it plainly. But you asked for it, so there it is. The plain, harsh truth.”

Dr. Donnelly said quietly, “Time. Time will ease things. Now I suggest that we call it a day, shall we?”

I am as bruised, Davey thought driving home, as if I had been beaten. “No more respect for my judgment,” the man said. And I saw by their faces that they all agreed.

The late February evening was still fairly light after supper, when Peggy, bringing her snowsuit, asked to go
outside. Lara, while fastening the suit, kept talking furiously over the child’s head.

“They have no right to be blaming you, or Eddy either. They were willing enough to save tax money. It looked pretty tempting to them, didn’t it?”

Davey’s thoughts were back at the meeting. “The air congealed. I froze in it. The hostility …”

“You’d think they were all going to jail! All right, the IRS disallowed it and they have to pay up. It’s not fun, but it’s not the worst thing in the world either. Oh,” Lara said, “I saw Doc Donnelly’s wife at the hardware store, and she pretended she didn’t see me. It’s disgusting.”

He had no more heart for analyzing or explaining; this night was only a repetition of a dozen other nights. And yet he had to add something new.

“If I had invested with them, it would be different. This way it looks suspicious, as if I hadn’t believed in Eddy. Or I should have advised them not to believe in the project. As I didn’t believe in it! Only, damn it, you wouldn’t let me, Lara, remember? You said he had done so much for us and it would be awful to undermine him, and—”

“Well, he had done for us, hadn’t he?”

“Anybody in your family you’ll defend. Especially Eddy.”

“My memory isn’t that short, if yours is. He’s the salt of the earth. He’s entitled to a mistake.”

“Some mistake!”

“I never thought you’d be an ingrate, Davey Davis—Oh, for heaven’s sake, who’s at the back door?”

Someone was pounding, rattling the knob. Lara ran.

“Whatever do you want?” she began. And then, at the sight of Sue’s face in the glass top-half of the door, she cried, “What? What happened?”

The child was terrified. “Peggy! She fell down the Burkes’ stairs. I don’t know—” She began to cry. “She won’t move! Oh, Mom, she won’t move!”