Petrie, Nick - Peter Ash 01 - The Drifter by Petrie Nick

Author:Petrie, Nick [Petrie, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-01-12T06:00:00+00:00

24

Skinner suggested they connect at an East Side coffee shop. Peter agreed only because he wanted to talk to the man face-to-face and it was too cold for any sane person to meet outside. He parked his truck on the street, locked Mingus in the back of the truck to avoid another hamburger rampage, and left his gun tucked into his toolbox.

Alterra Coffee was a quirky local place in a repurposed industrial building, now filled with laptop-toting hipsters, businesspeople meeting out of the office, and a few street people getting out of the weather. There was a warm buzz of conversation, but the open feel and tall glass roll-up door and skylights helped keep the white static from driving Peter out immediately.

He was deliberately late but still had time to get coffee and find a table by the glass roll-up door before Skinner strolled in. The same white-blond hair and pale, aristocratic face. No coat, no briefcase, just a midnight-blue suit worn with the same elegant disregard Peter remembered from the man’s office. Peter wondered if finding investors was like getting a date, where the secret was in appearing not to need one.

Skinner surveyed the room. Peter caught his eye and lifted a hand.

“Peter Ash?” Skinner walked over and flashed his easy, careless smile, almost shocking in its warmth and charm. Peter could see how the man had managed to talk so many wealthy, intelligent people out of their money. It was the smile that built Lake Capital.

You’d never know the SEC was investigating his company.

They shook hands, Skinner’s grip harder than expected under the pampered skin. “Great to meet you, Peter,” he said, taking in Peter’s faded blue jeans and white shirt. “Boy, I wish I could dress like you every day. Better or worse, finance is still a suit-and-tie business.”

His eyes lingered on the multicolored bruise on Peter’s cheek.

Peter was counting on the bruise to get Skinner wondering. He was pretty sure Skinner wouldn’t recognize him from his first visit to Lake Capital. He might have noticed the bruise, but it had turned a deep shade of purple. Regardless, Skinner probably didn’t have many meetings with guys who looked like they’d been in a fight.

“Anyway,” said Skinner as he sprawled comfortably in the skeletal metal chair. “I appreciate your interest in Lake Capital. Somehow I haven’t heard your name before. What business are you in, Peter?”

There was also a trace of an accent in Skinner’s vowels, but Peter couldn’t pin it down. As if he’d come from a foreign country just around the corner. Or maybe it was just private school, in the land of money.

“Oh, you know,” said Peter. “A little of this, a little of that.”

“Give me a hint,” said Skinner, that smile flashing on and off like a beacon. “What’s the most fun? What makes the most money?”

“Salvage,” said Peter. “Finding opportunities others have missed.”

“Oooh,” said Skinner. “What kinds of opportunities?”

Peter leaned forward. Skinner leaned in to meet him. It was a salesman’s trick, Peter knew, to mirror your customer.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.