Perfect Partners

defined, was basically composed of people who liked the idea of being northwesterners but who did not know quite how to go about it. Joel intended to teach them with a new line called Pack Up and Go camping equipment.
    But he was not yet absolutely certain how to grab the attention of that new market. His small marketing department had come up with several ideas, but Joel had not felt solid about any of them. Now time was running out, and he had to make some decisions soon.
    He got up and moved restlessly back to the window. Too many firecrackers in the air. Charlie’s death, the impending arrival of Letty Thornquist, the new ad campaign, the carefully planned slaughter of Copeland Marine Industries—it all added up to a volatile situation.
    The buzz of the intercom caught his attention. “Arthur Bigley is here, sir.”
    “Send him in, Mrs. Sedgewick.”
    The door opened. A very nervous looking young man with close-cropped curly brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses walked into the office.
    “You wanted to brief me on my new position, Mr. Blackstone?” Arthur adjusted his tie with anxious fingers.
    Joel leaned back in his chair. “Sit down, Bigley. You’ll be working for Ms. Thornquist when she arrives tomorrow.”
    “Yes, sir.” Bigley sat down. “I’m very excited about that, sir. This is a wonderful promotion for me, sir, and I’m very grateful.”
    Joel smiled grimly. “I’m glad to hear it. Now, then, the most important thing you need to know in your new position is that I do not want Ms. Thornquist bothered by routine matters. Is that clear?”
    “I guess so, sir.” Arthur looked skeptical. “Uh, how exactly do I keep her from being bothered by them?”
    “You keep Mrs. Sedgewick informed of everything that happens in Ms. Thornquist’s office. Mrs. Sedgewick will keep me informed. I’ll monitor the situation and step in when I’m needed. That’s how the chain of command works, Bigley. Do you think you can follow those simple instructions?”
    “Yes, sir. Definitely, sir.”
    “Excellent. I want to know everything that goes on in the president’s office. You’ll check with this office before putting through any calls to Ms. Thornquist, and you’ll notify me of all visitors. You will be advised as to how to handle such matters.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Mrs. Sedgewick will give you further instruction about your day-to-day office routine. You may go now.”
    “Yes, sir.” Arthur shot to his feet and turned to leave.
    The toe of his shoe caught on the edge of the carpet, and he lost his balance. His arm swept out, groping for something to keep him from falling. He grabbed the arm of the chair, and it toppled over.
    “I think you’ll do very well for Ms. Thornquist,” Joel said as Arthur Bigley picked himself up off the carpet and darted from the room.

4

    T wo weeks later Joel came to a halt in the doorway of the new suite of offices that had been assigned to the president of Thornquist Gear. The inner door was standing wide open, and he could see at a glance that Letty was nowhere around.
    He scowled at Arthur Bigley, who was seated behind the desk in the small outer room. Arthur, attired in a white shirt and tie, had been typing briskly. But he visibly flinched when he realized Joel was in the doorway. He looked up with an anxious expression. Joel noticed Arthur was not wearing his wire-rimmed spectacles and that he was blinking frequently. Apparently Bigley had decided to try contacts.
    “Where is Ms. Thornquist, Bigley? I was under the impression she was here in her office.”
    Arthur’s rate of nervous blinking increased swiftly. It was clear he was alarmed to discover that he was being held responsible for the fact that Letty was not where she was supposed to be. “I believe she went down to the conference room on the third floor, Mr. Blackstone.”
    “There’s no conference scheduled down there, Bigley.” Joel’s patience was wearing thin and Arthur knew it, as did the rest of the staff. The past two weeks had not been easy on anyone, except possibly Letty. As far as Joel could ascertain, the new president of Thornquist Gear was thoroughly enjoying herself.
    “Yes, sir, I know that, sir. She said she had a special project going on down there this afternoon.”
    “What special project?”
    Arthur froze in his chair and blinked frantically. “I wouldn’t know, sir. She didn’t say what it was.”
    Joel gave up. You could not get information out of a turnip. It was