VELOCITY - DEE JACOB [103]
“I had a long talk with Jayro Pepps, the materials manager, yesterday. He explained some realities that, for whatever reason, I had not come to terms with.”
“You want to know what I think?” asked Amy. “I think we should bring back Murphy Maguire. At least temporarily.”
“Well … I don’t disagree with that,” said Wayne. “Kurt does seem to be in over his head. And I have to admit that Maguire did somehow get good performance out of Oakton. Although, if he’s going to come in and completely undo everything Lean has accomplished –”
“Wayne, please. Save it for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Why? Tomorrow is Saturday.”
“Yes, you heard correctly,” said Amy. “I’m calling an emergency management meeting for my direct reports and a few others, like Murphy. I want everybody in one place as soon as possible to take stock of the situation and lay the basis for a turnaround strategy.”
Wayne nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll be here.”
“No, not here,” said Amy. “I think I’m going to hold it at my house.”
“Your house? Why there?”
“Because I want us to think outside of the box – so I don’t want the meeting inside any of the usual boxes. I want the meeting to be off-site, but on such short notice I don’t know what would be available – and anyway that’s not where I want to spend my energies. Besides, the price is right. My place is free. So what the heck.”
“All right. Count me in,” said Wayne.
“Good,” said Amy, “because anyone who tries to make excuses not to come is fired.”
Wayne looked at her and decided she might not be entirely serious, but she also was not kidding.
She left then. Wayne reopened the window he had minimized, and resumed reading about the Theory of Constraints.
Amy sent the email proclaiming the “leadership meeting,” as she put it, at her house for Saturday. She sent it to all the senior managers: Elaine Eisenway, Garth Quincy, Wayne Reese, and Viktor Kyzanski. But she also included Murphy Maguire and Sarah Schwick – Murphy because she wanted him back at Oakton, and Sarah in hopes that she would be a voice of reason to counter Viktor’s obfuscations. She also included Kurt Konani, as the current Oakton manager; and she decided to add Jayro Pepps because of the materials management and inventory issues.
Murphy called her, tactfully inquiring why he was being included in such a group, and Amy simply told him that as the most experienced manager of Oakton, she wanted his counsel for herself and the group. She would wait and listen on Saturday before deciding conclusively whether to bring him back to take his old position.
By midday Amy had heard from everyone except Viktor and Sarah. Just as Amy was about to go to lunch, Sarah called.
“Hi,” said Amy, “did you get my email about the meeting tomorrow here in Highboro?”
“Yes,” said Sarah. “I’ll be there. Murph and I are going to travel together. We’ll leave late this afternoon. But, um, Viktor …”
“What about Viktor?” asked Amy. “Don’t tell me he’s out of the office.”
“In fact, he is out of the office. And I don’t think he’ll be able to make it.”
“Why not?” Amy demanded, starting to steam.
“Because he’s in jail.”
A pause followed.
“Did I hear you correctly? Viktor is in jail?” asked Amy.
“Yes. And his bail hearing isn’t until Monday,” said Sarah. “His attorney is trying to get it moved up, but the prosecutor considers him a flight risk and is trying to hold him. I’ve been on the phone for hours this morning.”
“Why was he arrested?”
“Speeding.”
“Speeding?”
“And a lot of other charges.”
“How fast was he going?”
“At the height of the chase, his Porsche was clocked at being ‘in excess’ of one hundred and forty miles per hour.”
“The chase?”
“It began on Interstate Seventy in western Maryland around Ha-gerstown about one thirty in the morning,” said Sarah, “and continued across the border into Pennsylvania. Finally, south