The Evening News (61 page)

When informed that the call was from New York, the owner-editor expressed
disappointment
.”
For a moment I hoped we might have lunch tomorrow at La
Pizzeria. The food, I assure you, is as good as ever. So why not hop on
a plane and come
?
”

"I'd love to, Manuel. Unfortunately I'm up to my eyebrows in important
work
.”

Partridge explained his role in the Sloane kidnap task force
.”
My god! I should have realized you'd be involved. That's a terrible
thing. We've followed the situation closely and we'll have a full-page
piece in this week's issue. Is there anything new we should include
?
”

"There is something new
,”
Partridge said, "and it's the reason I'm
calling. But for now we're keeping it under wraps, so I'd appreciate this
talk being off the record
.”

"Well . .
.”

The response was cautious
.”
As long as it's not information
we possess already
.”

"We can trust each other, Manuel. On the basis you just said--okay
?
”

"With that understanding, okay
.”

"We have reason to believe that Ulises Rodriguez is involved
.”

There was a silence before the magazine man said softly,

"You are speaking of bad company, Harry. Around here that name is a nasty, feared word
.”

"Why feared
?
”

"The man is suspected of masterminding kidnappings, skulking in and out
of Peru from Colombia for employment by others here. It is a way our
criminal-revolutionary elements work. As you know, in Peru nowadays
kidnapping is almost a way of life. Well-to-do businessmen or their
families are favorite targets. Many of us employ guards and drive
protected cars, hoping to forestall it
.”

"I did know that
,”
Partridge said
.”
But until this moment I'd forgotten
.”

Seminario sighed audibly, "You are not alone, my friend. The Western
press attention to Peru is spotty, to put it kindly. As to your TV news
,
we might as well not exist
.”

Partridge knew the statement held some truth. He was never sure why, but
Americans seldom took the same continuing interest in Peru that they did
in other countries. Aloud he said, "Have you heard any talk of Rodriguez
being in Peru, perhaps right now, or recently working for anyone there
?
”

"Well . . . no
.”

“
Did I sense some hesitation
?
”

"Not about Rodriguez. I have not heard anything, Harry. I would tell you
if I had
.”

"What then
?
”

"Everything here, on what I call the criminal-revolutionary front, has
been strangely quiet for several weeks. Scarcely anything happening
.
Nothing of significance
.”

"So
?
”

"I have seen the signs before and I believe they are unique to Peru. When
things are quietest it often means something big is about to happen
.
Usually unpleasant and of a nature unexpected
.”

Seminario's voice changed tempo, becoming businesslike
.”
My dear Harry
,
it has been a pleasure talking to you and I am glad you called. But
Escena will not edit itself and I must go. Do come to see me soon in
Lima, and remember: Lunch at La Pizzeria-a standing invitation
.”

Through the remainder of the day the words kept coming back to Partridge:
"When things are quietest it often means something big is about to
happen
.”

Coincidentally, on the same day Harry Partridge talked with the owner-editor of Escena, Peru was discussed at an ultra
private, top-echelon meeting of CBA network's corporate owners, Globanic Industries Inc. The meeting was a twice-yearly, three-day "policy workshop
”
chaired by the conglomerate's chairman and chief executive officer, Theodore Elliott. Attendance was confined to other CEO's-those of Globanic's nine subsidiaries, all major companies themselves, most with their own ancillaries
.
At such meetings corporate confidences were exchanged and secret plans
revealed, some capable of making or breaking competitors, investors and
markets around the world. However, no written agenda or minutes of the
biannual parleys ever existed. Security was strict and each day, before
proceedings began, the meeting room was electronically swept for bugs
.
Outside the meeting, but never in it, were support staffs of aides-a half
dozen or so for each subsidiary company-poised to provide data or
briefings that their various chiefs might need
.
The locale of the meetings seldom varied. On this occasion, as on most
others, it was at the Fordly Cay Club near Nassau in the Bahamas
.
Fordly Cay, one of the world's most exclusive private clubs, with a
resort facility including a yacht harbor, golf course, tennis courts and
white-sand beaches, occasionally allowed special VIP groups the expensive
use of its facilities. Larger conventions were verboten; sales meetings
,
as far as Fordly Cay was concerned, did not exist
.
Ordinary membership in the club was hard to come by; a
waiting list caused many aspirants to linger for long periods, some in vain. Theodore Elliott was a recent member, though approval of his application had taken two years
.
The day before, when everyone arrived, Elliott had been proprietorial
,
especially welcoming Globanic spouses who would appear only at social
,
tennis, golfing and sailing breaks. Today the first morning meeting was
in a small, comfortable library with deep rattan chairs upholstered in
beige leather, and wall-to-wall patterned carpeting. Between book-lined
walls, softly lit cases held silver sporting trophies. Above a fireplace-
seldom used-a portrait of the club's founder beamed down on the select
small group
.
Elliott was appropriately dressed in white slacks and a light-blue polo
shirt, the latter bearing the club crest-a quartered shield with palm
tree rampant, engrailed crossed tennis racquets, golf clubs and a yacht
,
all on waves of the sea. With or without such accoutrements, Theo Elliott
was classically handsome-tall, lean, broad-shouldered, with a strong jaw
and a full head of hair, now totally white. Ile hair was a reminder that
in two years' time the chairman-in-chief would reach retirement age and
be succeeded, almost certainly, by one of the others present
.
Allowing for the fact that some heads of companies were too old to be
eligible, there were three strong candidates. Margot Lloyd-Mason was one
.
Margot was conscious of this as she reported early in the proceedings on
the state of CBA
.
Speaking precisely, she disclosed that since Globanic Industries'
acquisition of CBA television and radio network and affiliated stations
,
strict financial controls had been introduced, budgets pared and
redundant personnel dismissed. As a result, third-quarter profits would
be up twenty-two percent compared with the pre-Globanic year before
.”
That's a fair beginning
,”
Theodore Elliott commented, "though we'll
expect even better in future
.”

There were confirming nods from others in
the room
.
Margot had dressed carefully today, not wanting to appear too feminine
,
yet at the same time not wishing to lose the advantage of her sex. At first she considered wearing a tailored suit, as she often did in her office at Stonehenge, but decided it was inappropriate in the semi
tropics. In the end she chose beige linen slacks and a cotton sweater in a soft peach shade. The outfit emphasized her well-proportioned body, a judgment confirmed by lingering glances from some of the men
.
Continuing her report, Margot mentioned the recent kidnapping of the
Crawford Sloane family
.
The chairman of International Forest Products, a hard
driving Oregonian
named DeWitt, injected, "That's too bad and we all hope they catch those
people. Just the same, your network's getting a lot of attention from it
.”

"So much attention
,”
Margot informed him, "that our National Evening News
ratings have soared from 9.2 to 12.1 within the past five days, which means
an additional six million viewers and puts us strongly in front as number
one. It's also raised the rating of our daily game show, carried by our
five owned and operated stations immediately after the news. And the same
is true of our prime-time shows, especially the Ben Largo Show on Friday
which went from 22.5 to 25.9. The sponsors all around are delighted; as a
result we're pushing hard with next season's advertising
.”

Someone asked, "Does that spread of good ratings mean most people don't
change channels
?
”

The question reminded Margot that even among this exalted
group there was an inherent fascination with the minutiae of broadcasting
.”
Networks know from experience that if viewers tune in to the evening news
the odds are they will stay with that network for the next ninety minutes
,
sometimes more. At the same time, others join the audience
.”

"So it's an ill wind . . . as the old saying goes
,”
the forest products
chief said, smiling
.
Margot smiled back
.”
Since we're here in private I'll agree, though please
don't quote me
.”

"No one quotes anybody
,”
Theo Elliott said
.”
Privacy and truth are why we
hold these sessions
.”

"Speaking of your advertisers, Margot
.”

The voice belonged to Leon Ironwood
of West World Aviation, a tanned, athletic
Californian and another of the three contenders to be Elliott's successor. The company Ironwood headed was a successful defense contractor making fighter airplanes
.”
What's the latest on that ongoing problem of video recording machines? How many households have them anyway
?
”

"About fifty percent
,”
Margot acknowledged, "and you're right about the
problem. Most of those who record network programs later zip through
commercials without watching, thereby diminishing our advertising
effectiveness
.”

Ironwood nodded
.”
Especially since VCR owners represent an affluent
population group. It's how I watch TV
.”

Someone else added, "And don't forget mute buttons. I use mine whenever
there's a commercial
.”

"The truth is
,”
Margot said, "the whole VCR and mute problems are like
permanent storm clouds over us, which is why networks have dragged their
feet in researching their effects. There could have been a measuring
technique long ago, except we don't want to know the bad news, and in
that we have an ally-advertising agencies who fear that knowledge would
turn off big advertisers, depriving the agencies of enormous business
.”

"I'm sure
,”
Elliott prompted, "that your fiscal planning has taken that
into account
.”

"It has, Theo. Looking ahead and accepting that network advertising money
will diminish, we're seeking additional revenue sources, and it's why CBA
and others have quietly bought up TV cable operators and will acquire
more. The networks have the capital and one day soon cable TV may wake
up to find itself almost entirely owned by broadcast networks. At the
same time, we're exploring joint-venture agreements with the phone
companies
.”