“Can I sit down?” asked Casey.

“Please do. I’m finished here, and I have a team to brief. In case you have not noticed, the show opens in…?”
I looked at my watch.

“In 23 hours and 40 minutes. I have work to do. Not nice to see you, Casey.”

With that, I left her standing by an empty table.

Almost immediately, I felt a pang of regret for dissing her like that.

I put that to the back of my mind as I headed to the Exhibition Center with my team. I didn’t need to motivate them as they were busy finishing off setting up the stand. Our all-important product samples were sitting on the floor in three large yellow ‘Peli’ flight cases.

“Dave, do we need the samples out here today?”
I was speaking to Dave Mace, one of my best employees.

He smiled at me.
“Afraid of the competition getting a sneak preview?”

“Or worse. There is at least one company here who would love to get their hands on one of these right now.”

“But without the software, they are not much use to anyone?”

“There are, as we all know, some nifty bits of hardware under the skin of them. Those are worth a lot in the right hands, but yes, it is the software that makes our thing unique.”

Dave could see that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me.
“Where do you want me to stow them?”

“In your room. Mine is a nice fat target, especially with ‘her’ on the prowl.”

“She found you then?” asked Dave, grinning broadly.

“Yeah. I’d just finished having breakfast when she collared me. I just walked away.”

“Oh boy, you have it bad,” joked Dave.

I glared at him.

“Ok, ok, I get the message. You can give me a hand moving them then?”

“No problem, Dave.”

We’d just returned from stowing the cases in Dave’s room when she made an appearance.

“Get lost, Casey. Why don’t you go and report to whoever that you are working for these days that we are here, and if they as much as hint at showing one of the old Thermostats, they will be hit with a patent infringement lawsuit within the day? I have a local patent lawyer on speed dial.”

She smiled back at me.
“That bunch of crooks in Austin can get lost as far as I’m concerned. They are scam artists, and I hate myself for not seeing it before you opened my eyes.”

“So?”

“I’m here with my older brother. He has a stand in the next hall. He would love to see your new devices. Our family owns a chain of specialized building supply outlets. Not the big-box stores but where the small construction companies go to source the hard-to-find items that their customers want. If we don’t have it, we probably know someone who could make it.”
To reinforce her words, she showed me her ‘Exhibitor Pass’. It had the name of a very different company on it, plus the stand location, which was, as she had said, in the next hall.

She let that sink in for a second.
“That bunch of crooks in Austin screwed up my credit rating so badly, I could not borrow even a dollar without paying 100% interest. They made out that I falsified my expenses and embezzled over ten grand on my visit to you. They have fake bills from the hotel at the airport that I never stayed at. How they came to ten grand, which by some coincidence is what they paid Gabe Raskovic for his brief trip to your part of the world, is still being worked on by our family accountants. It gets worse…”

“Our accountants have discovered that the company is nothing more than a front for a gang of criminals from Hong Kong. Well, they were from there but left in 1997 before the Chinese takeover and left a network behind. After my falling out with them, my father called in a few favors and discovered all sorts of nasty stuff about them, including how, in 2016, they set out to take over and steal all the technology of at least a dozen companies. All are legal, of course, but they failed with your company. They made a mistake in laying off the patent holders, which meant that they lost control of the technology that went into your product. They sell a range of products in the USA, but most are now crap knockoffs of the real thing. Your devices were the last real product that they were selling. Their new ‘improved’ device has only around 40% of the functionality of your old one. If your new one is any good, then the people in Austin will have a lot of serious egg on their faces.”

“So?”

Casey’s body language said ‘frustration’ all over it.

“I’m not the enemy. Drop by our booth tomorrow, and I will introduce you to my brother.”

“Perhaps. I may be very busy from now until the end of the show. We do have a new product to show, you know?”

I knew that if Casey had been a nine-year-old, she would have stomped her foot loudly before storming off in a huff. Fortunately, she resisted that temptation but left us alone.

“Wow!” said Dave Mace, who had witnessed the entire encounter.

“Shut it, Dave! And that is not open for question,” I said sternly.

He grinned and went off to do something out of my gaze.
I couldn’t get Casey’s little speech out of my mind. I wondered if spending an hour folding flyers from an A4-sized sheet into three would do the job.

By mid-afternoon, we were all set for the grand opening the next morning.

“Ok, guys. We are done. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy Vegas, but don’t lose too much in the casinos or get drunk.”

The three of them looked relieved.
“Here, don’t squander it on the roulette table.”

I gave each of them two $50 bills.
“Remember, we have a week of hard work ahead of us. Relax, have a good meal and be here at 08:30 in the morning. Now get lost…”

They didn’t need to be reminded, and within a couple of minutes, I was alone at our booth. All around me, there were still sounds of preparation, but we were done well ahead of time.

I headed back to my room and changed into my running gear. I’d run out of excuses for not doing it.

I ran from the Holiday Inn south for three blocks before turning around and going to the landmark that is the Stratosphere Casino and Hotel. Then, back to the hotel just before it began to get dark.

Darkness was not easy to come by in Vegas. I estimated that the power consumption of the 'strip' was more than the entire needs of some countries, and much of it was powered by the already very critical water level of Lake Mead. From the local news, it seemed that Vegas was giving an impression of the band playing while the Titanic sank underneath them. The operators of the bright lights didn’t give a flying ‘F’ about the level of Lake Mead as long as the punters were piling into the city and spending, spending and spending money that more than a few didn’t have.

I knew right there and then that I had to get out of the city for a few hours at least. I returned to my room, took a quick shower and left, grabbing the keys to the Camry that I’d driven from Austin.

After picking up a burger and fries from a local restaurant that was well away from the ‘strip’, I headed east along I-15 until I passed over a crest, and Vegas was out of sight. I found a side road and, pulled off the interstate and stopped. The only sounds were the passing traffic some two hundred yards away and the cooling of the exhaust system of the Camry. Then, a freight train rattled past my location in a nearby cutting. It seemed to be around two miles long. It wasn't only the food that came in mega-sized portions in this part of the world.

It didn’t matter that the burger was almost cold, but to be out of that den of iniquity, if only for a few hours, was liberating. I could have stayed there longer, but the call of nature beckoned. I headed back to Vegas and went to bed.

The first two days of the CES event were very hectic for everyone. We were run off our feet with enquiries. A lot of those were for direct retail sales, which we were not planning on doing for six to nine months in North America. The reason for that was the need for UL and CSA [1] approvals. As we'd been working off the grid, so to speak, until the CES show, we could not sell anything until we had those approvals. We did get the details of several agents who, for a fee, would take our product through the work needed to get tested and approved. I would review them when we returned to the UK with the help of our DC Lawyer.

On the third day, the crowds were noticeably thinner. I’d been told that they’d pick up again towards the weekend.

I’d just returned from a comfort break when I was approached by a grey-haired man. I knew in an instant who he was.

“Hello, Lucas. I gather you are responsible for driving my daughter mad with frustration. I’m Corey Burbank.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Burbank.”

“Corey, please. Only my bank manager calls me ‘Mr’, and only then when he wants to give me bad news.”

“Ok, Corey, what can I do for you?”

“I’d like to take you to dinner tonight. I have a business proposition to put to you.”

He saw a look of concern cross my face. He smiled.

“Don’t worry, my scatter-brained daughter won’t be there. Are you game?”

“Ok, what time and where?”

“My car will pick you up at seven. There is no need to dress up or anything. Casual. I am not a man to stand on ceremony when I want to talk business.”

“Fair enough.”

I stuck my hand out and got a good handshake in return.

“I’ll see you later.”

He smiled at me before walking off.

One of my team, Tony Mace, came over to me.
“Was that who I think it was?”

I nodded.
“Yep. Her father. The resemblance is striking.”

“And?”

“And that, Tony, is that I’m going to dinner with him and only him tonight. He has a proposition he wants to discuss with me.”

I could see a look of concern on his face.

“Don’t worry, Tony. I would not dream of agreeing to anything unless I have the approval of the board.”

“Don’t forget it, boss. There are far too many lives depending on these sorts of decisions.”

“I know that, but haven’t I looked after everyone so far?”

“True, but ‘Sin City’ is well known for having a maddening effect on people. Crazy is the norm here, isn’t it?”

“Yep, and I’m not going crazy just yet.”

A stretch limo was waiting for me when I came out of the hotel
“Mr. Beatty?” asked the uniformed driver.

“That’s me.”

“Please, get in and buckle up,” said the driver.

I got inside the limo. The plush velour reminded me of the sofa that my parents once had and was not my preference. I guessed that this was rented for the evening to impress me. So far, I was seeing beyond the bling.

“Where are we going?” I asked once we’d left the Hotel.

“The private aviation part of the airport. Mr. Burbank is waiting there for you.”

Suddenly, I had visions of flying somewhere, never to return.

Corey Burbank was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps of a private jet. Even if it was rented, the renter would need deep pockets.

“Welcome, Lucas. Please come aboard.”

He saw my concern.
“Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere. It is hard to find private places to dine this week. I took the trouble of ordering from the company that caters for most of the jets that operate out of here. The owner is an old friend of mine and was open to letting me borrow it for a few hours. I had the ingredients flown down here earlier today.”

I climbed on board. Now, this was a different sort of luxury and opulence.

A table was set for dinner for two. I sat down in one of the leather-covered seats.

“I gather from my daughter that you are more of an ale person?”

“I am.”

“Good. I had my driver scour the city, and to my surprise, they found four cans of this. I remember it from my one visit to your part of the world.”

He handed over a can of ‘Old Speckled Hen’. I could not help but smile.

“I take it that you approve?”

“So far, I do.”

“Please pour us both a glass while I get the starter.”

As I did what he wanted, I began to form an opinion of him. He didn’t have the approach that the scumbags from Austin had clearly shown. He was treating me more as an equal.

Corey came back with a plate of antipasti.
“Please tuck in. I know two of the farms that produce the salami personally. They have been customers of our family business for over half a century.”

“What business is that exactly?” I had a good idea about what it was, but I wanted to hear it from him.

“I don’t know what my daughter has told you, but we are the ‘go to’ company in New England for the sort of building supplies that the likes of Lowe’s, Home Depot and the rest won’t supply. Those places are all about shifting volume. We are all about sourcing the things that make a development come alive. We work directly with architects and selected developers. I’m here to look for new product ideas and then to go on the road in the hope of expanding our base of partners and customers.”

“That’s almost the same as the company that she said her brother runs.”

Corey smiled.
“It is the same company. I’m the CEO, but my son is my appointed successor. Sadly, he has a lot to learn about the softly-softly way of doing business. For him, it is take it or leave it. Many of our oldest customers prefer the less pressure is the best way.”

“Families are sometimes the bane of our lives…” I commented.

“I’ll drink to that.”

We chinked glasses. I watched as Corey tasted the beer.

“This has a lot of depth of flavor. It makes a lot of our craft beers seem thin. Thank you.”

The meal was wonderful. We didn’t talk business until we’d eaten, which suited me perfectly.

“Thank you for an excellent meal. That is the best that I’ve had since I came over here. I’m sure that there are some decent places to eat, but I haven’t found them. I guess that those places are reserved for the high-rollers.”

Corey laughed.
“You are an astute observer of our society where appearances mean more than substance.”

“Thanks, but given the treatment we were given by the crooks in Austin, I think that it is fair.”

“I agree. Casey was, as you say, led up the garden path by them and then thrown under the bus. She wants blood, but we aren’t here to talk about the two of you. But I will just say this… sort it out with her one way or the other. If you can get her out of the country for a while, then we can try to repair her reputation.”

“Anyway, I’m glad that you enjoyed dinner. Time for a little chat about a possible business relationship if you are agreeable?”

“I am. After all, that is what you brought me here for?”

“Good.”

He reached into a file that was on the shelf at the side of his seat and pulled out one of our brochures.

“I like the idea of this thermostat. Everything the competition seems to be pushing on us is cloud-connected and needs a subscription. To me, all this subscription malarkey sucks big time. The vendor goes bust or gets taken over or simply decides to close the service, and all the customers are left with is more landfill, or the company supplying the service raises their prices so much that they go to landfill. That is not good. So far, we as a company have not stocked or sold any so-called smart thermostats or doorbells or any of the other crap that is on show all over the city this week for this very reason. Do you agree?”

“You could have been reading from that very brochure.”

“And when I read it, I thought that I had to meet you. I have some customers who you might not have thought about when designing this product. Interested?”

“I think so,” I replied.

“The group of customers are those who are building off-grid homes. Gone are the days of a simple log cabin. Many of the ones being built today are luxurious, including underfloor heating, indoor pools, saunas and hot tubs. Some are even powered by geothermal energy. This is a growing sector of our business. Covid caused a lot of people to rethink their life, and moving to an off-grid property in the middle of nowhere is proving attractive. One of my college classmates has just done this very thing. He sold his apartment in NYC that he’d owned since the before last property crash of ‘07/’08. He has more than enough after paying off the bank to buy 150 acres in the mountains about 10 miles from Aspen and build a dream house for himself and his family. The cost of that house is more than $2 million. That is the market that we and a number of our partners are going after.”

His words were music to my ears.

“By their very nature, they need a decent thermostat and one that is not selling the customer’s habits to the likes of… well, you don’t need me to say who I’m talking about. From the description of the device, I can sell probably… three to five thousand a year at sixty-five to seventy bucks a pop all over the US and even Canada. Once we start pushing them, I’d expect a lot of retrofit sales. These would be to the people who hate big business as much as they hate Uncle Sam.”

I deliberately had not mentioned a price. The old device had sold for $29.99 + tax in the US. We received what I’d always thought to be a miserly $16.50 each. That allowed us to make about $3.00 profit on each sale after all costs and the exchange rate at the time. If he could sell them for sixty bucks each, he should give us between $40 and $50 each. Our manufacturing costs would be a lot higher at first with these devices, but… It sounded tempting.
“That sounds interesting,” I replied, trying not to be too enthusiastic.

To my surprise, Corey pulled out a checkbook.
“What will it take to buy one of your demo units at the end of the show?”

“I don’t quite understand the urgency?”

He smiled.
“That is a good question. Let me explain why I want one right now.”

He took a drink from his class of wine.
“As I hinted at earlier, after the show ends, my assistant and I are going to tour around all the construction companies that have bought from us in the past… as in before COVID screwed everything up big time. I’m also going to visit some of the more well-known ‘off grid’ builders in the Rockies, the North West and then up to Alaska. I have a converted RV that is set up as a small product demo lab. That RV is being driven from New England as I speak and will be here in a couple of days.”

For a moment, he looked sad.
“We lost touch with a good number of customers because of COVID, so despite the objection of my son, I decided to embark on this trip to try to reconnect with the people who once bought from us before but have not since COVID. I have a few really cool new products, such as a solar-powered water purifier that is half the size and cost of those that they used to use and… hopefully, your device. Am I mad? My son thinks I am, but I don’t want to lose them as customers.”

“You know Corey, I think that you are a good guy. You do seem to care about your customers. So many suppliers these days could not give a toss about them. All they are interested in is the mullah.”

“Thanks for the comment. Sad as it may seem, I think that you described my son perfectly.”

“My problem is that we don’t have UL or CSA approval for these units yet.”

“That’s fine. I’m looking at sales for the summer. In a build, wiring in the Thermostat is a job that comes after what you guys call a second fix. As long as we have the wiring information upfront, then the place can be cabled up correctly in advance. For a lot of off-gridders, there are just two seasons: construction and winter. It is winter now, but plans are being made for the construction season.”

I smiled at him.
“The good news is that the new device was designed from the outset as a plug-in replacement for the old one. The absence of needing an internet connection to function is our USP.”

“Son, you are one smart cookie. “

“Thanks, Corey. I think we can let you have one on loan for, say, six months once the legal people draw up an agreement.”

“I can see why you drive my dear daughter crazy. You are not like all the other businessmen she has met. I’m in total agreement with her on that.”

It was my turn to smile.
“That was my one big lesson to come out from my MBA course.”

Corey seemed to be surprised.
“Casey didn’t tell you then?”

“No, she didn’t.”
Then he added.

“Son, if you can find it in your heart to make peace with Casey, then you two could be a powerful force together. No one would dare take you on.”

“And not to get her out from under your feet now that she does not have a job?” I replied slightly snarkily.

Corey laughed.

“I’d be proud to have you in the family if you can get it together with Casey.”

I thought to myself,
‘No pressure then’

But Corey came to my rescue.
“Even if you don’t, I want us to do business. From the half hour I spent going over your product yesterday, it is exactly the sort of thing that my clients will be wanting to have by the hundred. I’m not one to let personal difficulties get in the way of making customers happy.”

[To be continued]

[1] UL = Underwriters Labs. CSA = Canadian Standards Authority.