O'Connell Bridge - Pt. 19

It was pouring rain when LC left the ER Saturday morning. He made a mad dash to his truck, clicking open the door as he ran. “The foggy mess on the windows would make a good writer’s metaphor for my life right now,“ he said to the morning air. He waited till the rain soaked foggy windows cleared on his truck before moving.

Minutes later, he pulled into the Waffle House in Ogden. “Rain and emergency medicine seemed to go hand in hand,” LC commented to the waitress at Waffle House. “The minute the rain began to fall, people began running into each other and taking dope. We had at least a half dozen overdoses, two knife fights, one shooting, three heart attacks, one stroke, one burned hand, and a dozen sick people, mostly geriatric. Plus we had five or six serious car wrecks come in. We were slammed all night.”

“I think they were busy here, too. Seems like they get that way when it rains. But, I just got here. Whata ya have?”

“Waffle, patty sausage, and coffee. And, if I fall asleep while eating, just throw some napkins over me.”

The waitress laughed. “Most of the sleepers here are drunks. They curl up in a back booth until the manager throws’m out.”

“I nursed a warm Pepsi all night; does that count?”

She didn’t reply, just poured his coffee and yelled the order to the cook.

A smattering of other people had braved the rain and was seated at the counter and booths of the small restaurant. Thunder shook the windows of the Waffle House.

A hooded figure in a rain slicker slid into the restaurant and came up to LC’s booth. “Mr. Brennan, may I sit here?” It was a British accent.

LC glanced up. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t believe so.” He pulled off the raincoat and extended a hand. “I’m Montgomery Leyand-Jones, representing the O’Neil Milling Company.” He produced a card and placed it on the table in front of LC. “Though, I have been watching you, I’m afraid. Very much of a peeper, you might say. Not just today, mind you, but for a few days. That job you do at the hospital is a doozy.”

“I suppose. By all means, join me.” LC gestured to the opposite seat. He looked around for a possible camera. “What’s this about?”

The man unwrapped a briefcase from his folded coat. “That’s why I’m here and we’ll discuss the why in a second; hopefully I can get some hot tea.”

LC grinned. “You’re going to tell me that something is changed and the trip and everything is cancelled or something like here’s your bill. Maybe I have to buy something to continue. My brother has been warning me for a month now that all this O’Connell Bridge stuff was just a front for a timeshare come on.”

The British man sat silently waiting for LC to finish. A disconcerting smile crossed his lips. Finally, he said, “Hardly.”

LC felt exhausted. “Listen, I just put in eight hours of exhausting work, I inserted catheters, hooked up saline bags, pushed a hundred beds, held crying women, held back fighting men, emptied enough bed pans to clog the sewer; I cleaned bathrooms, scrubbed bloody floors, scooped up things that would turn your stomach, so you see, this morning, I don’t feel like guessing.”

The man sitting opposite reached in his briefcase and placed a white multi-page paper with a blue backing sheet at the side of LC’s coffee. “This is an agreement, nothing more. It’s not a contract per se.”

A waitress hovered. “You want anything?”

“Do you have brewed hot tea?”

“I got tea bags,” she looked over her shoulder, I think they’re maybe Lipton.”

The man looked up. “I’ll have ice water.”

“You want anything to eat?”

“No, ma’am.” The British man said.

The waitress didn’t say anything, just turned and walked away.

LC didn’t read the paper but asked. “What kind of paper? What am I reading.”

“It’s an agreement. Before you travel to meet Mrs. O’Neil.”

LC finally looked at the form.

“This Nondisclosure Agreement is entered into by and between O’Neil Corporation, Eleanor D. O’Neil with principal offices at Bruistian Street, London, GB and Liam Brennan, located at Wilmington, NC USA for the purpose of preventing the unauthorized disclosure of Confidential Information as defined below.

1. Definition of Confidential Information. For purposes of this Agreement, "Confidential Information" shall include all information or material that has or could have commercial or personal value or other utility in the business in which Disclosing Party is engaged. If Confidential Information is in written form, the Disclosing Party shall label or stamp the materials with the word "Confidential" or some similar warning. If Confidential Information is transmitted orally, the Disclosing Party shall promptly provide a writing indicating that such oral communication constituted Confidential Information.
2. Exclusions from Confidential Information. Receiving Party's obligations under this Agreement do not extend to information that is: (a) publicly known at the time of disclosure or subsequently becomes publicly known through no fault of the Receiving Party; (b) discovered or created by the Receiving Party before disclosure by Disclosing Party; (c) learned by the Receiving Party through legitimate means other than from the Disclosing Party or Disclosing Party's representatives; or (d) is disclosed by Receiving Party with Disclosing Party's prior written approval.
3. Obligations of Receiving Party. Receiving Party shall hold and maintain the Confidential Information in strictest confidence for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Disclosing Party. Receiving Party shall carefully restrict access to Confidential Information to employees, contractors, and third parties as is reasonably required and shall require those persons to sign nondisclosure restrictions at least as protective as those in this Agreement. Receiving Party shall not, without prior written approval of Disclosing Party, use for Receiving Party's own benefit, publish, copy, or otherwise disclose to others, or permit the use by others for their benefit or to the detriment of Disclosing Party, any Confidential Information. Receiving Party shall return to Disclosing Party any and all records, notes, and other written, printed, or tangible materials in its possession pertaining to Confidential Information immediately if Disclosing Party requests it in writing.
4. Time Periods. The nondisclosure provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement and Receiving Party's duty to hold Confidential Information in confidence shall remain in effect until the Confidential Information no longer qualifies as a trade secret or until Disclosing Party sends Receiving Party written notice releasing Receiving Party from this Agreement, whichever occurs first.
5. Relationships. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute either party a partner, joint venturer or employee of the other party for any purpose.
6. Severability. If a court finds any provision of this Agreement invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall be interpreted so as best to effect the intent of the parties.
7. Integration. This Agreement expresses the complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior proposals, agreements, representations, and understandings. This Agreement may not be amended except in a writing signed by both parties.
8. Waiver. The failure to exercise any right provided in this Agreement shall not be a waiver of prior or subsequent rights.

This Agreement and each party's obligations shall be binding on the representatives, assigns, and successors of such party. Each party has signed this Agreement through its authorized representative.

Disclosing Party

By: ____________________

Printed Name: ___________

Title: __________________

Dated: _________________ Receiving Party

By: ___________________

Printed Name: __________

Title: __________________

Dated: _________________

“Mrs. O’Neil will sign when you arrive in Dublin on the 26th, I will deliver your signature to her day after tomorrow. Your copy will be waiting for you at the hotel when you arrive.” The British attorney continued, “To sum it up, it says that you are going to come into a lot of detailed information concerning Eleanor O’Neil, O’Neil Milling, the O’Neil family, friends and associates, business partners and associates of said business partners; and you agree to the best of your knowledge not to disclose such information by word of mouth oral or written, data; or other communication of such information, sale of said information, or otherwise disposition of said information without the express written permission of the O’Neil Corporation concerning the O’Neil Corporation, it’s subsidiaries, or persons in the past or now associated with the corporation.”

The glass of ice water and a straw were dropped on the edge of the table without comment.

“Do I need to have a lawyer look at this?”

The man placed a card on top of the typed sheet. “While I am a solicitor in the British Isles, I have taken the initiative to contact your brother Mike’s attorney. I figured that a lawyer accepted by your bother would fit your requirements, realizing that you probably had no need for an attorney in your studying. This is his card, though if you want to look up his number, you may. He is waiting for your call.”

“You paid my brother’s attorney, who is probably a divorce lawyer, to wait for my call at 6a.m. Saturday morning. Pretty darn cool. That musta cost a nickel.”

LC picked up his cell phone and called the number on the card.

A man answered. “Scott Nelson. Attorney here, and by the caller ID, I guess you’re Mike’s brother. I was told you’d call.”

“Uh, this is LC, Liam Brennan. I was like supposed to call you about an agreement.”

“Yep. That’s correct, a guy came by yesterday; a British attorney; pretty cool, first time I ever met a Brit attorney. Anyway, he brought by a paper for me to look at like you said. I made some minor suggestions for changes, but all in all it is a simple non-disclosure agreement. It is specifically assigned to you for and covering the future affect of one event. I think it is safe to say, that other than my technical changes, a couple of things to make it legal in North Carolina, it is pretty innocuous. What it says is you are going to meet a big wig in, let's see... I have a copy here, the O’Neil corporation, and it is likely you will come into some very private information about that corporation or the family associated with it, and you agree not to say anything about what you heard or saw. Like I said, not much to it. It’s a straightforward non-disclosure agreement. These things are not unusual for corporations involved in high-level negotiations. I imagine some of those Hollywood stars probably have some of this language in their pre-nups. Simply speaking, they don’t want you to talk about them once you are out of their sight.” He paused. “Is that all?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Say hello to Monte for me. Tell him if he needs legal representation here in North Carolina for the Corporation or whatever, he can always call on me. I guess Mike and Bambi are still going strong, haven’t heard anything.” He disconnected.

LC looked across the table. “Monte?”

“Your brother’s attorney called me that. Now, as to the agreement.”

LC read it carefully.

The waitress hovered with two plates. “Where do you want these plates?” There was a waffle on one and two sausages on the other.

LC pointed at Monte’s side of the table. “Right there for now.”

Monte moved the paper over and handed LC a pen. “Don’t forget your physical.”

LC glanced up and then went back to reading.

After a few minutes, he looked at Monte, “They’re really hush hush about themselves. No wonder I couldn’t find much info.”

“Mrs. O’Neil sees no need for advertising as she is an investor and not in retail sales. While she is not a recluse, she also is very conscious of avoiding the limelight.”

“I see.” LC re read the multi-page agreement, then took the pen and signed where the attorney indicated. “Okay, now what.”

The British attorney folded the agreement and slid it into his briefcase. “I suggest you eat your breakfast.” He slid out of the booth and picked up his coat.

“Hey, can you tell me anything at all what’s going on?”

Monte pulled on his raincoat and paused. “What do you need to know?”

“Why? Why is this happening to me?”

“Mrs. O’Neil will provide you with that information.”

“I mean, I’m just a 22 year old, soon to be 23, student/medical worker guy living in Wilmington, NC. I drive an old pickup and…”

Monte held up his hand. “We know all that. But, you are apparently highly thought of in some circles, Mrs. O’Neil is anxious to meet you. By the way, since you are not a business prospect or associate, this meeting you will be having with Mrs. O’Neil is highly unusual.”

“The only person who highly thinks of me is, well, I guess my brothers and sisters. After all, we’re family. I’m not sure they think highly of me though, I am kind of a nuisance to them. The staff at the ER thinks I do decent work; at least I get good reviews. I guess the patients think me okay, if they think of me at all. I have guy friends, girl friends, and in-between friends. My roommates would probably give me a decent recommendation if you find them sober and feed them. My professors generally think I am a good student. Most animals like me, though I have little use for cats or fish. Oh, one of the waitresses here at the Waffle House thinks highly of me and would really like to seduce me. But, I tip well.”

Monte chuckled. “Eat your breakfast, Liam.” He pulled up the hood on his jacket and walked out of the restaurant into the rain, and with the briefcase tucked under his coat.

To be continued...