them, of course, to fully honor existing obligations. But we can work with all sorts of different contractors and vendors. They’re usually pretty quick to see the advantages of working with us. It means more business for them, sometimes considerably more. Of course, in such cases we take a commission on that end as well. It’s very similar to going to an out-of-network health care provider. You pay for the privilege.”
Kat said, “You told me that you were a ‘liaison.’ What exactly do you liaise?”
“Well, I’m the face South Richmond presents to the Northwest Michigan Band of Chippewa Indians, and vice versa.” Here he paused to smile, demonstrating the face in action. “Mostly I keep lines of communication open. In the very rare instance when one party has a complaint, I convey it to the other. I mediate in those rare instances. This is very rare, though. I must stress the rarity. Most misunderstandings can be cleared up without my ever having to pick up the phone and call back east. That’s one advantage to my being based on-site. I am the face they deal with. It’s a relationship. And for the most part, the job is the very pleasurable matter of overseeing things going very smoothly. It’s very similar to the work, speaking of journalism”—he gestured at her notebook—“of a managing editor. I coordinate the contributions many different individuals bring to a very complex series of operations.”
“And what did Jackie Saltino do?”
“Jackie reported to me. He was our transfer pricing manager.”
“What’s ‘transfer pricing’?”
“It’s pretty complicated to explain. But it has to do with maximizing profit.”
“And this is what Jackie Saltino did.”
“Yeah, until he left us.”
Kat had memorized the details, but it was the authority of the notebook to which she deferred. It was easier, sometimes, kept unpleasant confrontations to a minimum, to rattle off known facts transcribed in her own hand as if they were questionable pieces of information she herself couldn’t quite accept. She flipped a few pages back. “I have Jackie Saltino dropping out of high school in the tenth grade. Two years at Spofford Juvenile Center for auto theft and aggravated assault, remanded to Elmira Correctional Facility when he turned eighteen after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a fellow detainee at Spofford. Paroled at twenty-one, worked for Archer Courier as a foot messenger for eight months, until he was rearrested on charges of having beaten a Henry I. Baumann, the recipient of a package who he, Jackie, thought had withheld a tip. This time he went to Auburn.” She looked up. “It kind of just goes on.”
“And you disagree with the idea of giving a person who’s paid for their mistakes a chance to wipe the slate?”
“No. I’m all for it. I was just saying that, looking at this history, it doesn’t really suggest the preparation or temperament necessary for a complicated management job.”
Argenziano gave her that tight smile again and sipped his mineral water. “Jackie worked hard to get where he was.”
“But then he left.”
“People do leave us.”
“Mr. Argenziano,” Kat said, “there’s a reason why you agreed to talk to me about Mr. Saltino, but I’m not sure what it is.”
“You called and said you were interested in him.”
“I called Manitou Sands and they put me in touch with Gary Houkema.”
“Gary. Director of public relations. Terrific guy.”
“But when I reached Gary Houkema he told me that you wanted to talk to me.”
“Jackie was my employee. He was directly under me.”
“I mean like he wouldn’t say a word to me, this Gary Houkema. And I thought, that’s funny. Usually it works the other way around. You call a person directly involved in a story and they refer you to PR.”
Sean returned with the salad and steak. He set the food before them quickly and moved off. Kat turned
Kat said, “You told me that you were a ‘liaison.’ What exactly do you liaise?”
“Well, I’m the face South Richmond presents to the Northwest Michigan Band of Chippewa Indians, and vice versa.” Here he paused to smile, demonstrating the face in action. “Mostly I keep lines of communication open. In the very rare instance when one party has a complaint, I convey it to the other. I mediate in those rare instances. This is very rare, though. I must stress the rarity. Most misunderstandings can be cleared up without my ever having to pick up the phone and call back east. That’s one advantage to my being based on-site. I am the face they deal with. It’s a relationship. And for the most part, the job is the very pleasurable matter of overseeing things going very smoothly. It’s very similar to the work, speaking of journalism”—he gestured at her notebook—“of a managing editor. I coordinate the contributions many different individuals bring to a very complex series of operations.”
“And what did Jackie Saltino do?”
“Jackie reported to me. He was our transfer pricing manager.”
“What’s ‘transfer pricing’?”
“It’s pretty complicated to explain. But it has to do with maximizing profit.”
“And this is what Jackie Saltino did.”
“Yeah, until he left us.”
Kat had memorized the details, but it was the authority of the notebook to which she deferred. It was easier, sometimes, kept unpleasant confrontations to a minimum, to rattle off known facts transcribed in her own hand as if they were questionable pieces of information she herself couldn’t quite accept. She flipped a few pages back. “I have Jackie Saltino dropping out of high school in the tenth grade. Two years at Spofford Juvenile Center for auto theft and aggravated assault, remanded to Elmira Correctional Facility when he turned eighteen after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a fellow detainee at Spofford. Paroled at twenty-one, worked for Archer Courier as a foot messenger for eight months, until he was rearrested on charges of having beaten a Henry I. Baumann, the recipient of a package who he, Jackie, thought had withheld a tip. This time he went to Auburn.” She looked up. “It kind of just goes on.”
“And you disagree with the idea of giving a person who’s paid for their mistakes a chance to wipe the slate?”
“No. I’m all for it. I was just saying that, looking at this history, it doesn’t really suggest the preparation or temperament necessary for a complicated management job.”
Argenziano gave her that tight smile again and sipped his mineral water. “Jackie worked hard to get where he was.”
“But then he left.”
“People do leave us.”
“Mr. Argenziano,” Kat said, “there’s a reason why you agreed to talk to me about Mr. Saltino, but I’m not sure what it is.”
“You called and said you were interested in him.”
“I called Manitou Sands and they put me in touch with Gary Houkema.”
“Gary. Director of public relations. Terrific guy.”
“But when I reached Gary Houkema he told me that you wanted to talk to me.”
“Jackie was my employee. He was directly under me.”
“I mean like he wouldn’t say a word to me, this Gary Houkema. And I thought, that’s funny. Usually it works the other way around. You call a person directly involved in a story and they refer you to PR.”
Sean returned with the salad and steak. He set the food before them quickly and moved off. Kat turned
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