The Two Sisters of Borneo by Ian Hamilton Read Free Book Online Page B

business. And that includes our furniture.”
    “All of it?”
    “All of it.”
    “They’ll sell it.”
    “Of course. They’re doing it already, as fast as they can. All they care about is the money they’re owed. The actual value of the furniture won’t mean a thing to them.”
    “How much are the secured creditors owed?”
    “According to the paperwork the trustee sent, about fifteen million euros — just over twenty million U.S.”
    “And we invoiced the importer for more than thirty million dollars?”
    “We did.”
    “So they can discount the furniture and still come out well.”
    “Especially when you factor in the normal wholesale markup. Chi-Tze says the Dutch importer would have sold the thirty million dollars’ worth of furniture for at least forty million.”
    “So the secured creditor can sell it for half its wholesale value and still recover all of their money.”
    “They can.”
    “The bankruptcy trustee — the receiver, he can’t do anything about this?”
    “He can monitor the sales — they do have to report them — and if they raise more than twenty million dollars he can make a claim on the excess and have it distributed among the other creditors, none of whom are secured.”
    Ava paused. “Is there nothing we can do?”
    “There’s a creditors’ meeting scheduled two days from now, on Tuesday, in Amsterdam. I thought I would meet with the sisters and then try to get over there to attend the meeting. I’d like to know who this finance company is and what kind of deal it had with the importer.”
    “Do you suspect collusion between them?”
    “I can suspect all I want, but I have no proof that Mamat and Tambi did some backdoor deal with the importer, or that the importer and his financer cut a separate deal, or that all three of them planned to screw us over. All I know is that it stinks. It’s just too quick and convenient for the company to go bankrupt while sitting on goods they haven’t paid for yet.”
    “It sounds like a trip to the Netherlands is going to be necessary.”
    “Yes.”
    “But the schedule sounds way too tight. Can you meet with the sisters and still get there on time?”
    May said slowly, “I’m not sure. I was actually thinking of asking you to go to Europe to represent us.” She glanced quickly at Ava and then turned away. “You’re the one who has the experience running things like this to ground, and you speak English far better than I do. But I know you’re reluctant to leave Uncle, and I’ll understand if it isn’t possible.”
    Ava hesitated.
    “I also wouldn’t blame you if you were having second thoughts about jumping into the business.”
    Ava lowered her head and then shook it gently. “May, you’re misreading me. I’m just thinking about Uncle and his schedule. As for the money, I gave you my word. Nothing you’ve told me changes my commitment to the partnership.”
    “It does from my end. I’m finding it difficult to expect you to put fifty million into the company and then lose a quarter of it the instant the ink is dry on the agreement.”
    “I gave you my word.”
    “And I’m giving you the chance to back out.”
    “No, I’m not backing out on the business,” Ava said, sliding her hand across the table.
    May took it and squeezed. “Thank you. I had to ask.”
    “And now you’ve asked twice, so please don’t mention it again.”
    “I won’t.”
    “I also think I might be able to go to Amsterdam.”
    “On such short notice? What about Uncle?”
    “He and Sonny are off to Shanghai for three or four days, so I’m not needed here.”
    “Uncle is okay to travel?”
    “That’s what the doctor says.”
    May smiled. “This is going much better than I had imagined.”
    “It hasn’t solved our problem, though. Tell me, what do you intend to do about the sisters and the business? The two of them must be devastated, and how is the company staying afloat when its cash flow is so crippled?”
    “Hopefully I can