“What’s your first name?”
“Donald.”
He pressed a buzzer on the side of his desk. After a moment the secretary came in. She had a notebook with her. He said, “Take a letter, Miss Sykes, to Mr. Donald Lam. ‘Dear Sir: With reference to your suggestion that you wish to reorganize a corporation which has forfeited its charter to the State of California, it will be necessary for you to give me more specific data as to the name of the corporation, and the purpose for which you wish it revived. My fee in such a matter will be fifty dollars in addition to whatever expenses are necessary.’— That’s all, Miss Sykes.”
She got up without a word and left the office.
When the door had closed, Crumweather said, “I suppose you know how it’s done.”
“The same way you did it for the Foreclosed Farms Underwriters Company?”
He said, “Let’s not talk about my other clients.”
“All right. What do you want to talk about?”
Crumweather said, “You have to take all the risks. I’ll write letters confirming every conversation I have with you. I’ll give you letters which you are to sign. I have a list of certain old corporations which forfeited their charters to the State of California for failure to pay franchise taxes. I’ve carefully checked those old corporations. Naturally, you want one which didn’t do any business, against which there aren’t any outstanding legal obligations, and where the entire treasury stock — or a large part of the treasury stock — was issued.”
“What’s that got to do with it?” I asked.