X - Chapter Thirty Six "The Thirty Percent Solution"

 

"The Thirty Percent Solution" 

Chapter Thirty Six 

       Bill Voldman loved ham and eggs with hash browns for breakfast – the mixture of the different tastes, sopping up the runny yolk with his hash browns, the sips of searing black coffee. Of course, he combined that with a healthy glass of orange juice. The president of the prestigious Winshire Associates would certainly never discuss these private tastes in public. But he admitted to himself that ham and eggs was what got him out of bed in the morning. 

      It was seven in the morning, and Beatrice – his regular waitress at The Warwick – slid his plate onto the table and then refilled his coffee cup. Bill picked up his fork and knife and was ready to attack, when he looked up across the table at Maggie and put his utensils back on the table. 

      “You know, it’s better for me than a glass of Bourbon. You gotta admit that.”

      “Bill, I didn’t say a word.” Maggie smiled. “But if you ask me, I’d tell you that you need fuel, energy for your day. You’re a hard worker. I’ll grant you this little pleasure.” 

      Recognizing he now had permission, Bill began attacking his breakfast and, at the same time, watching Maggie, as she daintily picked at a fresh fruit salad and nibbled at a buttered bagel. 

      For Bill, Maggie’s presence was as fresh as a new spring day. Her eyes had a bright sparkle, and she looked vibrant and appealing. She wore a simple beige pants suit of a light fabric and orange scarf, since the temperature in New York City was starting to warm up with the approach of summer. 

      It has now been almost two weeks since Maggie’s arrival in Manhattan, and Bill was relieved that she was enjoying herself. She spent time visiting some of her favorite museums and discovered new fashion houses, but most important she reconnected with a few old friends from her days at Barnard College. And Maggie and Bill didn’t have to worry about her happy friend, Félix. Since her arrival, Félix was adopted by the Warwick’s concierge, who loved taking the puppy for walks and keeping him next to his desk.    

      Yes, Bill saw that Maggie was adapting. Yet, he was troubled how Maggie had shut down her law practice. She told him it didn’t matter, that she was tiring of it anyway, and she referred her business clients to friends’ firms. Of course, Bill admitted there was no way she could serve her clients in San Francisco from New York. Still, he felt guilt that she gave up her career so he could pursue his. 

      When she and Bill decided to lease an apartment on the Upper West Side, she felt she was entering a warm comfort zone, since the apartment was within walking distance of Barnard’s campus. The fact that the apartment had a splendid view of Central Park sealed the deal. They agreed that they would live in Manhattan for two years. 

      After that, they would take stock of their lives and decide on their next chapter, with nothing off the table. Maggie’s real desire was for Bill to retire, so they could do some traveling and spend more time together. But Maggie knew that she couldn’t lock Bill into anything, just as he couldn’t impose more on her. 

      In the short term, Maggie had to sign the lease for their new apartment, handle the details of moving in, and arrange for renting out their Belmont home for two years. 

      For Bill, he had to keep Winshire operating and alive, a task that was taking all of his time and attention.  

      At the same time, other thoughts were percolating in the back of his mind. So far, he could sense ideas moving around, shifting and forming, but they were still vague. At their base, there was one truth: The game had changed. 

      How can you? Bill asked himself. You gotta save the firm before you can go off on flights of fancy. 

      And, how can you take off on flights of fancy when you’re carrying around a major dose of guilt for the past? A pain in the gut, Bill told himself. Every time he thought of it, he could feel the hurt. He believed that he was responsible – in a way he couldn’t define – for the whole mess at Winshire. No, he didn’t write the first memo on “The Thirty Percent Solution,” like Bucknell did; nor, did he try to impose the scheme on the firm’s consultants, like Ted Merritt did; nor did he did he kill Ted, oh, my God, no! But deep down, he felt that he should have done something to avoid the murder and the mess that risked destroying the firm. On the other hand, he knew that he was the person who enjoyed one cocktail too many with Paul Price and revealed the project to the Feds. If he hadn’t, what? If he wanted to take some decisive action, what could he have done? 

      Once Bill finished his breakfast, he took a few sips of coffee, grabbed the copy of The New York Times from the banquette next to him, snapped it open in a grand gesture, and started turning the pages rapidly. 

      Maggie said, “If I didn’t know you so well, I’d be mystified about what you’re doing. But I know exactly what you’re looking for.”

      “Go ahead,” Bill challenged. “Make a guess.”

      “This isn’t a guess, dear. Here, I can read your mind. You’re looking for the word Winshire.”

      Bill couldn’t hold back a loud laugh. “Bingo! Of course! I guess we’ve been married too long. I just hope you can’t really read my thoughts. If you can, I’m in trouble.” 

      “Don’t worry about it. It was an easy question.” 

      “You’re right. Ever since that reporter from The Times, that tall kid, Fabio whatever, ever since he did that long story, I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall.  I kinda think that he’s following us, and he’s gonna do another story pretty soon. So, while I struggle to keep our ship afloat, I keep worrying about what he could write next.”

      Maggie said, “You told me yourself, dear, that for some strange reason, the firm signed on more new business than ever before.”

      “You’re right. That’s strange, in a dark sort of way.”    

      Maggie became serious and took her time to answer. “Bill, seriously, I wish you wouldn’t worry about this. This is New York. Young Fabio has thousands of companies to choose from. And you have Scott and Mike to worry about the media. I just feel terrible that you have so much to do.”

      Bill was troubled, and he couldn’t hide it. He looked across the table at Maggie. “Believe me, I worry about that too, really! But so many things just have to get done, and I’m the person in the hot seat. I’m the only person that can do it. I’m responsible for saving this firm, for making sure we keep serving our clients, for avoiding mistakes. I accepted the presidency, and now I’m stuck with it.” 

      Maggie studied Bill for a few seconds. Then she pushed back her chair and took the place close to him on the banquette next to their table. She took his hand in hers. She spoke slowly and forcefully. “Honey, you just can’t keep working and thinking about this firm so much, actually all the time. You know what? I want a life with you. After all this is all over, and I’m talking about in two years, I want a life with you. I know. I see you. I see what you’re going through. I know you’re pushing yourself past the breaking point. Dear, you know what worries me? I just hope that you saving Winshire doesn’t mean me losing my Bill,”  

-0-

      Bill stopped in front of the door of his new office, which had been Ted Merritt’s office before his murder. Bill had delayed taking Ted’s office as long as he could. The office was a constant reminder that he – Bill – had failed to come up with a solution to stave off disaster. And Bill saw that the office was excessive in every measure and in every way, starting with the fact that it was larger and more finely appointed than any chief executive’s office he’d every seen. But every practice leader, every direct report, and Dorothy told him that he had earned it, and seeing him there would make them proud. Bill finally relented. 

      Bill turned the key and walked into his office, and he was greeted by the two stacks of dossiers he had left the night before piled up on the left side of the desk. He told himself that, if he had a twisted sense of humor, he would declare today his lucky day; it was only the dossiers in the pile on the right that he had to study and take action on today. As for the dossiers on the left, he could worry about them overnight, and wait until tomorrow to deal with them. 

      And in the back of his mind, Maggie’s words kept sounding, over and over. He knew he had to find a solution to lessen the constant pressure, the constant fear that he could fail to save the firm, just as he felt he had failed to avoid the violent, legal and criminal morass the firm was in today. 

      Bill placed his briefcase on the floor and extracted one file. For just a few seconds, he shivered. He knew this spot, this exact place on the carpeting was where Ted Merritt’s body lay after his murder, lying there in his blue blazer, his pressed trousers, his polished shoes, and his body damaged by a series of savage blows and precise gunshots. 

      The single file he placed on the desk in front of him carried a single word on its tab: “Future.” Bill did not open the plain manila folder. That one would come later. Now, he would have to work on the issues raised in the dossiers in the pile on the right. 

      The first dossier contained five outlines for presentations practice leaders planned to present to clients and potential clients. Bill read one outline after another, writing his comments in the margins, correcting errors and mentioning ideas that would strengthen the presentations. 

      The next dossier dealt with electronic algorithms developed by his Technology Practice, now being managed by Howie Rosen on a temporary basis. Bill wrote in bold letters across the folder, “Work with Legal.” Other dossiers dealt with personnel matters, which Bill directed should be forwarded to the Human Resources Department. 

      While slogging through the dossiers, Bill asked himself: Why am I spending my time on these kinds of issues? I should be spending my time on important fundamental and strategic issues. There are other experienced and knowledgeable consultants that could deal with the lower level day-to-day stuff.  

      Okay, next challenge, Bill told himself. How about a break? A little cup of coffee? You crazy? You build up momentum, and then you want to break it?    

      Bill opened the manila folder carrying the title “Future” he had put aside and extracted one sheet of paper with a flood or words on it: Guiding philosophy, goals, attitudes and beliefs, specific goals and methods, factors and methodologies, strong points, shortcomings and weaknesses, methods to help, terms of service for practice leaders and firm officers, backgrounds and qualities for hiring, and other ways to improve the firm.   

      Bill scanned all the verbiage and wondered if it could be used as an outline of the issues he had to confront to turn Winshire into a new, influential force that would make new contributions to the economy and society. Suddenly, he stopped. My God, fella, talk about being realistic! You think you’re rewriting the Ten Commandments or the U.S. Constitution? Why don’t you come down to earth? You need something realistic, precise and worlds simpler! 

      And now all the concepts you listed? You’re getting lost in the trees, in the brush, actually, without even looking at the forest! What you did is that you looked at Winshire, and you looked at everything that was wrong, everything that had to be fixed, and you lost the big picture, you lost perspective. Winshire needs something simple and direct. 

      Okay! Bill told himself. Can’t argue with that. He thought big picture, and the words came to him: 

The Word – Winshire Associates 

• Our mission

• Our clients and our marketplace 

• Our methods and tools 

• Our compensation – financial and other 

• Our Short-Term and Long-Term Goals 

• The Means to Achieve them 

-0-

      When Gordon Hope walked into the office at eleven on the dot, Bill immediately wondered why Gordy looked different. For one thing, there was no doubt Gordy trimmed off a few pounds and his face shined with a natural tan. But there was more, maybe the way he carried himself, hinting at more confidence.

      Bill got up and circled the desk. “Gordy, come on in. How are you?” the two men shook hands, and then patted each other on the back. 

      Still standing, Gordy said, “I been through a lot of shit. You wouldn’t believe it. You know, the guards on Rikers, it’s their big joke. They call Rikers a ‘vacation spot.’ Well, I can tell you a secret, that’s not exactly true. Big joke, huh?”

      Bill returned to his seat behind the desk. 

      Gordy took the chair across the desk and started talking. “I met some good people, guys that shouldn’t be there. Yeah, even at Rikers. And it’s a cliché, but I been real lucky, and glad I’m here now. I just hope I can remember what I learned and improve. Just plain improve.”

      Bill leaned forward on his elbows. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all you went through. You know, I made my share of mistakes through all this. At least that one, I mean your arrest, that one wasn’t my mistake.”

      “But you know, I’m not gonna give you any numbers. But you know, they paid me off. The City of New York paid me off.” Gordy spoke with expansiveness, gesturing with his big hands. “Sure, they fucked up, they fucked me up a whole lot. But I didn’t demand anything. I didn’t even threaten to sue, or anything like that. Actually, I signed some kind of release to never tell the amount. So, I can’t tell you any numbers. But it wasn’t bad on an hourly basis. It was somewhere above the minimum wage. And it made it possible for me to take my little family, Marcia and the kids, on a short vacation, just for a little break, and then not worry about cash for a while.” 

      Suddenly, Gordy stopped. He looked thoughtful and lowered his voice. “Bill, I wanna tell you. I wanna be real open with you. I won’t forget, you know, you came through for me. Remember ‘Hyper-Intervention’? I remember it. You did it, and there’re  a lot of good ideas in there. Yeah, and there still is. But what I wanna say, you just gave it to me. You gave it to me, and you didn’t ask anything from me.” 

      Bill said, “Gordy, we go back, a long time. I remember those early days. That was ten years ago. We were just starting out. There was no question. We had to help each other. Often, real often, we had to rescue our buddies. And we pissed off the big firms. We succeeded.” 

      Gordy’s answer came fast. “And after a while, some of us forgot what our real job is. Some of us got distracted. Some of us thought too much about the money and the power, or other stuff. Me, like I said, I got off track. But I’ll tell ya, I learned some lessons. I hope I can improve.” 

      Gordy paused for a second, then, “Anyway, I know where some of my mistakes were. I’m not gonna say I’m an angel, or anything like that. I just think about where I am now. I see I gotta have different priorities. I want to do something that means something. 

      “Look, between us, I’m gonna change. First, no more running around, but I guess I can admire beauty from a distance. But to be honest, what I can admire, and I can brag about, is our kids. We, Marcia and I, can see changes . . .  Yeah, maybe just about every day. It’s a miracle. I’m not gonna call ‘em geniuses, at least not in public. But they sure learn fast, and it’s a pleasure, a miracle to watch ‘em grow. And Marcia, I gotta prove to her that she can trust me. And then the big thing, I know I gotta do something to control my temper. You know Bill, I don’t know how you do it, not blowing up, I mean.” 

      Gordy stopped, looked across the desk, and spoke slowly and carefully. “Bill, I don’t think we’re here to talk about me. It’s great to talk about the old days. But look’it, you’re the one that called this meeting, so why don’t I shut my mouth. Why we here?”

      “Okay,” Bill said. “There were reasons that Winshire got to where it is now. Scandal and trouble don’t grow when there isn’t already some kinda trouble, some kinda disease there already. So, I wanna take Winshire in a new direction. I wanna see if we can be a different kind of firm, a different kind of consultancy.    

      “So, just to get back to you for a second, what’re you gonna do? You got a little change in your pocket and you got lot of freedom now. What are you gonna do now?”

      “Jesus, Bill, I’m a consultant. I wanna work. The profession didn’t do all this. I just think there are guys that try to use the profession for their own twisted ends. And let’s be honest, like Ted. And I’ll admit it, me too. Back then, I kinda got a little twisted up. But you can’t blame the profession for that. We gotta admit you can do real good as an honest consultant, too.”

      “Gordy, honest, I’m glad I heard you say that. I’m gonna start with the short version. I wanna run some ideas past you. I got some ideas, things I wanna pursue for the firm, and I need a partner. I just can’t do it all on my own. There’s just too much. But if I have a partner, that guy has to believe in these ideas.”   

      Bill closed his eyes for a few seconds to visualize the best way to explain his ideas. “Just think about it. A lot of smart consultants got all this training, all this experience, all these methods, and a whole lot of creativity, and they can use all that to help honest companies, help them serve the needs of people better, and maybe once in a while solve big problems that have a chance to help whole populations, help our society. 

      “So, Gordy, what do ya think? This is the moment for the big question: All that mean anything to you? You willing to give it a few years? You think that kinda stuff has a chance? You willing to gamble? You willing to work with me?”

      “Bill, hey. You keep throwing questions at me, and I gotta have a second to give you an answer. The answer’s yes. I’m willing to gamble. I’m ready to help turn this place around, to try to do a bit of good with what we learned over the years. Yes.” 

      A big smile broke out on Bill’s face. He stood and walked around his desk and shook Gordy’s hand. “So, it’s not exactly like the old days, but at least we got some goals. I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna make the rounds, talk to all the partners and practice leaders. I think I can sell ‘em, we can sell ‘em. I’ll be trying to make you a senior VP, and we’ll be working on it. You know, you’re a first class consultant, it’s true. And, like you say, you do have experience in managing large organizations. I’ll fight for it. 

      “We’re moving. Maybe we can do something positive with Winshire.”

      Gordy looked up at Bill with a questioning gaze. “The other guys, think they’ll go along with it?” 

      “Don’t worry about that. Maybe they’ll be real enthusiastic. And anyway, they don’t have a choice. They know we gotta save the firm. Sure, we wanna change the firm, adapt to the way the world’s changing, and maybe even lead in some areas. But first we gotta get this firm on its feet. And it’s not gonna be easy. Real soon, we gotta replace some of the guys we’re losing. Remember Judge Esposito? Well I was at the arraignment.”

      Gordy looked down at the floor, and then raised his gaze to Bill. “Sure, I remember him. Not my fondest memory, I admit. Not because of him. At my arraignment, with my friend Grant Stauffer, and I was kinda out of it.”

      Bill continued. “It doesn’t take a genius to guess that two guys aren’t gonna be around for a while – Stauffer and Steve Bucknell.” 

      “Ya know something?” Gordy said. “I never really trusted Stauffer. When I was arraigned, in front of Judge Esposito, like I say, I was kinda out of it. I wasn’t in great shape. Anyway, I had the feeling that Stauffer was working on his own plans, getting ready to throw me under the bus.”

      Bill said, “Well, chances are we’re not gonna see Grant Stauffer for a while. So, this is your expertise, we gotta see if we have the talent in house, or we gotta hire a new chief counsel. And it’s the same thing for Steve Bucknell’s spot. And, then, you know what? We’re gonna have to replace you, for your practice.”

      Gordy said, “Bill don’t worry about that. That’s all very standard, internal search and assessment, and then – if necessary – external searches. I’ve done that stuff with my eyes closed, and maybe I was half asleep, too. I got us covered for that.”

       Still standing, Bill clenched his fist, not in anger, but in determination. “Okay, that’s now, that’s urgent. But in just a while, when this place is running okay, and things are smooth, then we got our new, big mandate.”

      “Bill, I’m with you, I’m all in,” Gordy said, pumping his fist. “No shit, this gives me something, something to believe in.”

      Bill continued, “Sure, we can’t live in the past, but those old days did had something that’s important today. Back then, we had something to prove, to prove we could survive and win. We gotta go back to that spirit. We got something to prove today, that we’re starting a whole, new adventure, and we can win, that we can do it.” 

      “Yeah, Bill, and that we’re young again, just like we’re young again.”

      “Gordy, I’ll take that, can’t argue with that. I’ll take young again.”