Coffee by gren blackall Read Free Book Online Page B

“I
don’t see the severity here, Mr. Leeson. We have done nothing
except invest, based on an educated guess, that prices would rise.
The same thing millions of people do every day.”
    “I
told you, there will be no formal charges against you. But you
don’t see the severity? If you discovered a few million
dollars stashed under a rock in a public park, and you found out a
bank robber hid it there, do you think you could just take it? It’s
a public park, after all, right? People pick up rocks all the time.”
    “No.
I guess not,” she said, feeling blood rush to her face.
    “I
guess not.” He sighed. “Now. What you didn’t
know is that we’d been monitoring the same company for some
time, and we just recently figured out the options component. We
were all ready to take them down - had them in our sights last
Tuesday - but at the last minute, you and your friend Sherman jumped
in front of them. You scared them away, and took almost every penny
of our proof.”
    “Global
Growers didn’t buy any options?”
    “Not
enough to make a case. They weren’t able to cover their
losses from buying coffee at an artificially high rate from Clorice
Coffee. They took it in the teeth, and lost millions.”
    She
shook her head, half smiling. “No kidding.”
    “No,
I’m not kidding. It’s unlikely they’ll try that
particular scheme again. So you managed to foil our offensive,
setting us back months, maybe years.”
    “Oh.
I see.”
    “Do
you?”
    “I’m
sorry, really, but I don’t think Warren Sherman should be
reprimanded when I’m the one who set it up.”
    “Don’t
be naive. That’s what registration is for.”
    Etty
felt as if a rail had been thrust through her chest. Had she
inadvertently ruined Warren’s career? All for a dissertation
topic? “Isn’t there another way beside prosecution? We
had no idea...”
    “That’s
why I called. We have an opportunity I wish to discuss. A plea
bargain, if you will.”
    “I’m
just not sure whether I should get a lawyer or, I don’t know,
call Warren.” She felt foolish for thinking aloud.
    “All
we’re asking is that you help us.”
    “Help
you, how?”
    “Work
with us on this project to track down Global Growers. Although they
may not try Coffee again, we suspect they’re working other
markets - foreign currencies, fertilizer, grain.”
    “What
would I do?”
    “Give
us some advice. How long did it take you to find the coffee
abnormalities and make the options connection?”
    “A
few days.”
    “I
rest my case. You had it laid out perfectly in your paper. I’m
not going to admit how long it took a team of our people to find the
same thing. Come down to our Dallas offices tonight and we will
explain. If you cooperate Miss Bishop, we will drop all charges,
against you and Sherman.”
    “Say
that again?”
    “We
will drop all charges against you and Sherman if you spend some time
helping us find a way to nail this company.”
    “I
must say, I’m surprised.”
    “I’d
like to tell you this is an unusual case, but we often bend the law
if it leads us to the source. And I know you’re no criminal.”
    “But
Tonight?”
    “Let’s
not trivialize the hazard you’re in. We prosecute Warren, and
your world will come tumbling down. He’ll be stripped to a
penniless inmate. Dartmouth College’s reputation will be
forever tainted. And you. Although you’d walk away without
criminal charges, you’d most likely be expelled and lose your
PhD. The Press would eat you alive. You reject our offer tonight,
you’ll be throwing away the only chance of redemption.”
    She
rubbed her eye sockets, reeling. “What exactly would I do?”
    “Just
help us research some other ideas we have, and see if you can come
up with anything on your own. We have access to more data than
you’ll ever get. Maybe you’ll see a clue, a way to
proceed.”
    “I
need to think this over, call Warren and Knut. Hey, why not have
them come too? As a team, we’d be much more