I'm Not Lisa Ch. 07-09

I was trembling in anticipation when Rance pushed Angus into the Central Bank of Trinidad on Friday morning. Marion and I accompanied them, of course. This was a family affair, even if I wasn't yet family. I wasn't prepared for what happened next as we marched up to the reception desk.

"Angus Cameron to see Melvin Crenshaw," he announced loudly.

"I'm sorry sir, Mr. Crenshaw is busy. Do you have an appointment?"

"Now you listen to me, young lady," Angus continued in a voice that couldn't possibly go unheard in the bank. "You get that fat-assed president of yours out here now. I've got a check for him and once he has it in his slimy little hands, I'm going to close out every account we have in this bank and never do business here again. Do I make myself clear?" He was almost shouting at the end of his tirade.

The young woman was trembling as she picked up the phone and called Crenshaw's office.

"Mr. Crenshaw, there's a Mr. Cameron out here with a check for you. He insists on giving it to you personally."

I had to admire the young woman. She hadn't lost her cool and gave Crenshaw a reason to want to come out and face the Camerons. In less than a minute, a very fat man in an ill-fitting three piece suit emerged from the corner office and strode red-faced toward us.

"What do you want, Angus? I told you what was going to happen. Your credit is no good here any more," he blustered.

"Here's your god-damned check for the outstandin' amount on our line of credit," Angus shouted back at him. "Now, I want every trace that me and my family ever did business in this bank erased, so I'm closing out our other accounts and taking them elsewhere."

"Where did you get this money?" the fat man stammered.

"None of your god-damned business, Crenshaw. That's a certified check drawn on the Wells Fargo Bank. Are you goin' to accept that and clear out our accounts?"

Crenshaw looked at the check, then at us, then back at the check. "I'll have to confirm that this is the correct amount," he grumbled, turning and walking back to a desk in the rear of the building. I saw the man he talked to look something up on his computer, look at the check, then nod at Crenshaw. The fat man was turning redder by the moment.

"Very well, Cameron. We're though with you it seems. Don't come back here looking for credit any time in the future."

"Let me give you a word of warnin', Mr. Crenshaw," Rance said in a low voice that spoke of deadly peril. "Don't you dare badmouth my family to anyone in this town or anywhere else ... or I'll come lookin' for you. Do you understand me?"

"You can't threaten me," he attempted in a pathetic version of bluster.

"It's a warnin', fat man. And tell your pal Dexter, that his plan didn't work. I'll be lookin' for him too if anythin' untoward happens. Make sure you understand that."

I'd never heard quite the menace in a man's voice like the words that Rance spoke. It gave me chills. I began to understand how the Stoneman came about. When I looked around, I could see several people staring at us, and the bank seemed unusually quiet. I was happy to follow Angus, Rance, and Marion out of the bank. I almost expected to hear shots as we left.

We sat in the truck, catching our breath. Angus was now able to bend his leg and sit up front. Marion and I were in the back.

"I felt like I was in some kind of movie," I said at length.

"I'm sorry about the language," Angus said quietly. "I pretty much lost my temper in there. I'm not proud of that."

"Well ... I didn't do any better," Rance admitted.

I could hear something rumbling beside me and it was Marion. She was making a vain attempt to stop from laughing, and when it came, it came big-time. I thought she was going to have a fit laughing as hard as she was. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to control herself.

"What's so damned funny?" Angus snarled.

"You," Marion finally managed. "You and your son. You sounded like somethin' out of a bad movie. That poor little man didn't know what to do or say when you went all macho on him." She was wiping her face with her hands as she tried to get ahold of herself.

I saw the grin on Rance's face, then the same on Angus. I knew then that they'd put on an act for the poor man, but I couldn't blame them. He was just a pawn in Prentice's scheme, and he'd been caught. Better than that, it had been a public humiliation that brought him down. It couldn't have been any better, I thought.

We headed down to the local steak house to celebrate our vanquishing of The Central Bank of Trinidad. Rance phoned Tim to tell him how it went down and how much the whole family had enjoyed the experience. I began to recognize the sense of relief that the three of them felt. The ranch had been at risk and they couldn't allow it to be taken from them. I was marrying into a way of life that I was only just beginning to understand.

Just before lunch Monday morning, Tim called Rance back and they spoke for several minutes. Rance was making some notes, so I assumed it was about where we would arrange the future financing of the ranch. I heard Rance chuckle a couple of times, so I knew there wasn't any more bad news coming. When he hung up, we walked into the kitchen.

"That was Tim. He's sayin' we can get the financin' we need at Valley Savings and Loan. They are small, but well financed and a FDIC member. We don't need to worry about them bein' around for the long haul. He's contacted the principals and told them to expect a call from us."

"That friend of yours is somethin' else," Angus said, shaking his head. "Is there anythin' he can't do?"

"Yeah ... I'm sure there is, but in this case, he's done everythin' we could ever hope for. The people we're supposed to see are Ronald Staley and Sam Velasquez. Staley is the president and Velasquez is the vice-president. He would like all of us to be there when it's convenient."

"Sounds good to me," Angus said nodding.

"Why don't I phone after lunch and see if I can get an appointment fairly soon?" Rance suggested. It met with unanimous agreement.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that Rance was granted an appointment at ten the next morning; Tuesday. We would meet in their board room and all four of us were expected to attend.

"I guess Tim did a number on them," Rance chuckled. "They seemed happy to meet with us. Maybe we'll know more tomorrow, but for today, I'm just happy things are movin' in the right direction."

"I'd like to meet Tim some day, Rance," Angus said. "Do you suppose he'd come down here?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe when all this money thing is settled, we can invite him down for a weekend or somethin'. He has his own plane, so he can be here in three or four hours. His wife would probably be along as well."

"Well, considerin' all he's done for us, I reckon we can show him a good time and thank him for all his help."

"I think that's a fine idea," Marion said.

When the four of us trooped into the modern, one story building on the north edge of town, we were immediately welcomed by a young woman receptionist. When we identified ourselves, she stood and led us to a brightly lit room near the entrance. She pointed out the coffee machine and supplies, along with a tray of pastries that looked very inviting. She left us, but left the door open.

The table was large enough for at least ten people, so we wouldn't be crowded. The chairs were modern, adjustable for height, and very comfortable. I was impressed with how bright and clean everything was. For whatever reason, it gave me a feeling of confidence that this would be a good place to do business.

I sat beside Marion, while Rance and Angus were looking at some items posted on the bulletin board on the far wall. We were only there for three or four minutes when two men walked into the room.

"Good morning," the elder man said genially. "I'm Ronald Staley, but most people call me Ron. This is Sam Velasquez, my right arm. Welcome to Valley Savings and Loan. Please make yourselves comfortable. If you'd like a coffee or a pastry, please feel free to help yourselves at any time. I can assure you they were baked fresh this morning."

"Thank you," Angus replied. "And thank you for seein' us on such short notice. I'm Angus Cameron, my wife Marion, my future daughter-in-law Julie Sanchez, and my son Rance," he said gesturing toward each of us in turn.

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Staley smiled. "I understand you are looking for a new firm to look after your family and business finances. I hope you find what you are looking for here at Valley Savings and Loan. Why don't we spend a few minutes getting to know each other? I'll tell you about Valley S & L, and you can tell me about the Camerons and your ranch."

It was that easy. I could see by the look in Rance and Angus's faces that they were comfortable and attentive. Both Staley and Velasquez went over the short history of their institution, including the acquisition of several other small S & L's. They emphasized the soundness of their institution and care with which they handled their clients' money.

Angus spent a few minutes giving them the history of the 3C, going back into the late 19th Century when the ranch was originally founded. He stressed that they had been a customer of the Central Bank since its inception in 1905, never having defaulted on any loan. It was a point of pride with Angus that wasn't lost on either banker.

"That's pretty much what we've been told, Mr. Cameron. Your ranch is an important part of the history of the Purgatoire Valley, and your name is pretty much golden in this city. Can you tell me a little more about why you're looking for a new place to do business?"

Rance covered the basics of the Prentice-Crenshaw strategy, noting that while they intended to discuss the possibility of exploration on their land with CoalMeth, they wanted no part of doing business with Dexter Prentice. To the Camerons, it was transparent that Melvin Crenshaw had called in their line of credit for no identifiable reason, and they were certain it was at the request of Prentice.

As Rance identified it, it was a pressure play to force them to settle on the coal gas rights offer by Prentice since they knew they couldn't take the ranch from them, even if it was in temporary default on the loan. The state had a provision to protect them from that.

As Rance told the story, I could see the stern, but focused looks on the two men as they listened. An occasional nod told me they weren't in dispute with Rance's version of the facts. I had the feeling that they knew more than they were letting on at this point.

"Would you be uncomfortable if I called you by your first names?" a smiling Ron Staley asked.

"No ... in fact, I'd be more comfortable if you did," Angus quickly replied.

"Very well then, please feel free to use ours as well." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Tim Kleinhauser called me yesterday to ask me to talk to you about setting up a line of credit. I was happy to do so, but not just because Tim called me. I know the Cameron name in this valley is good. I know if you called out Melvin Crenshaw in front of his staff and customers you had a darn good reason to do so. Now that you've explained what happened, I can see why. I don't think I'd have acted any differently under the same circumstances. So let's get that out of the way and talk business," he smiled.

"How do you know Tim?" Rance asked.

"He and I belong to the Young Presidents Club," Sam Velasquez said quietly. It was the first time he had spoken. "I was president of a small savings and loan in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. I'd inherited it when my father died prematurely. I really wasn't ready for the job, and when Ron approached me about putting a number of small S & L's together to make them stronger, I was quick to accept. I'm here in Trinidad to learn."

"It's a bit more than that," Ron said with a smile. "He's my protégé, and when I retire in the next five years, he'll be president in my place. It's important that Sam gets to know our key customers, so that's why he's here today."

As I listened to the men talk, I got the distinct impression that the decision was already made and that this meeting was a way of cementing the relationship, even before it was formalized. I wondered just what hand Tim might have had in all this. It was so much more relaxed and informal that I had expected.

When I looked up at the clock, it was almost eleven, and the discussion had become technical. The world of finance was not my strong point. I had lost the thread a few minutes earlier, and I'm sure Marion had before that.

"I wonder, gentlemen, if Marion and I could be excused for a few minutes. I'm afraid this conversation is beyond my experience, and I think we could use some fresh air. I hope you aren't offended," I offered.

"No, of course not," Ron said immediately. "I've arrange for lunch to be brought in at noon. Why don't you rejoin the meeting then? I'm sure we'll have gotten the nitty-gritty out of the way by then."

"Thank you," Marion said on our behalf. "We'll return at noon."

The men stood and Marion and I left the room, walking to the reception desk. I told the young woman that we'd be back before noon, and she nodded and made a note.

"I hope you feel as good as I do about that meeting," I said.

"Yes. The atmosphere is so different than it ever was with the other bank. Much less formal and more friendly. They don't act like they're doin' us a favor just talkin' to us. I never did like that Melvin Crenshaw. He was the original stuffed shirt."

"Well, if I'm reading it right, I'd say our money problems are going to be over with, at least for the time being. In the meantime, we've got about forty-five minutes to shop. Let's make the most of it," I chuckled.

When we returned to the board room, the men were gathered around the bulletin board looking at a map that had been pinned up over the items that were already on it.

"Ah, welcome back, ladies," Sam said. "We were just going over this geological map of the area and showing the men where the exploration zones for coal gas are located."

We stepped a little closer and I could see areas shaded in purple that ringed the southern and western part of the valley. One of the larger areas was what appeared to be on the southern edge of the 3C.

"Does that imply that the field is likely bigger on our property that some of the others?" I asked.

"That's exactly right, Julie," Sam replied. "That's probably the reason Prentice was so hot to get his hands on the rights. The chances are better there than anywhere else in the valley."

"How did you get this map?"

"When CoalMeth applied for their permits, they had to file on the prospects," Sam replied. "Freedom of Information Act got us the map and the document outlining the prospects. I'm pretty sure Prentice has a copy of it also, although I don't know that for sure."

"It was that simple?" I asked.

"Pretty much. I went after it when I started to have some of our ranch clients approach us about what Prentice was offering. I figured he wasn't doing this blind, and I was pretty sure he didn't have an 'in' with CoalMeth, so it was logical it was something he could get himself legally."

He turned back to the map. "These red areas are ranches that Prentice approached and was able to buy the rights. There are four of them. The green areas are likely a poor bet, and as far as we know, Prentice hasn't approached any of them. The blue areas are our clients that have been approached but have turned him down. The purple, of course, is the 3C, the biggest and best bet of them all. I guess we can color it blue now," he grinned.

"You sure as hell can," Angus said vehemently. "Sorry folks, guess I got a little carried away."

"Understandable, Angus. No wonder if you think about what he tried to pull off," Ron said.

At that point, the lunch arrived and two women carried in two platters of sandwiches and snacks, while the receptionist brought in a carton of soft drinks, milk, and juice. When the covers were removed, I was impressed with the quality of the food.

"This is very nice, Ron and Sam. We weren't expectin' this," Marion said.

"It's policy here, Marion. We don't keep our key clients tied up in a stuffy boardroom all morning and then let them go without at least feeding them," Ron said.

"It's a very nice policy," Marion replied.

As we sat around the table, enjoying the food, the conversation split up into two groups. Sam sat between Marion and me, and we talked about life on the ranch, his background and origin; mine as well. We had a lot in common, although Sam was a Washington State grad in Business. He was on the Cougar football team, but not a starter. We talked about the life of a student athlete and compared notes.

Marion asked him about his family. His wife was from Coeur d' Alene, and their three children were born there. They'd only moved to Trinidad three years ago, but he assured me that his wife and children loved it here. They had no plans to move on, especially if he was going to become president of the company.

I took a chance as asked him if his wife was Hispanic. He wasn't offended and said no, she was a local Idaho girl with a German heritage many years in the past. He must have guessed the reason for my question, because he said he'd never had a moment of discomfort here over his race. I knew he was telling me not to worry about it, and I also knew Marion understood the reason for my interest.

The meeting was over and when the lunch was finished and our conversations petered out, Angus had some final words.

"I'd like to thank you, Ron and Sam, for the welcome and hospitality you've shown my family. I think we're goin' to have a very good relationship, both business and personal. Once the paperwork is done, all our accounts, business and personal, will be in your care. I thank you for lookin' after our needs and I'm sure this association will be a long and prosperous one."

He pushed back his chair and moved toward Sam, shaking his hand firmly, then to Ron, repeating the action. The rest of us stood and followed his lead. We had solved a very important problem and thwarted the actions of an unscrupulous man in Dexter Prentice. There were some suggestions that Mr. Melvin Crenshaw might be in some trouble for acting as he had, but I didn't hear all of that conversation and I would leave it to Rance or Angus to mention it.

To Be Continued

ted by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks. Any errors are mine.