by Brian Cain
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
Wednesday the twelfth of July, nine am, all board members had gathered in the city office boardroom for a meeting. They all gave their first individual speeches on company progress. Jason spoke last, giving his explanation on being front-page news around the entire country, for the past few days. He told of a meeting that afternoon with Terry Denman of the APP, leader of the opposition in Federal Parliament. He went on to state that they should gather what they could from him, while they could, as he felt he would soon move on. His inner drive was to rise to high office and serve the people. He couldn’t tell them why at the time, other than he felt that was his destiny. Everyone expressed concern about his ambition, feeling they would be deprived of proper leadership. He assured them they would be fine. All had been sent to him and he felt at ease. Jason knew this showed in the fact that no one had any major problems to bring up, everything was running smoothly.
It was one pm, everyone had left, Jason was studying reports left by members of the board. Debra buzzed him from her office. “She’s here Jason, shall I send her in?”
“Oh, yes please.” In walked a well groomed, short girl of about nineteen. She carried a square case. “So you’re the one who makes Debra’s hair look so nice every week?” The girl sat down in front of him but couldn’t speak. “Are you okay dear?”
The young girl was a devout “Full On” fan. “You really are Jason Brinkly aren’t you,” she said softly. “Debra said she worked for you; I never really believed her.”
“She doesn’t work for me, she works with me, er... I didn’t catch your name.”
“Tanya.”
“Tanya, my name’s Jason. The reason I called you here is I need a much more manageable haircut than I have. So I can just get up in the morning, have a shower and go.”
Tanya started shaking. “I’m too nervous, I might ruin it.”
Jason leant over and took her hand, she calmed immediately. “I’m sure you see what I want, can you see it?”
“Yes, yes I can see what you want.” She smiled, Jason let go of her hand. She got up and hastily prepared a chair in a clear part of the office. “Please sit here.” Jason sat down, she draped him in a plastic cape to shield his clothes and went to work. She spoke as she worked away, in fact she never shut up. “I don’t suppose you know about Deb and a guy from your band, Tom. Apparently he does sound for you. They’re going out together. I think she wants to marry him. God she’s a prude, if I looked like her I’d be out every night chasing a husband. This Tom guy must be really something else. Wish my boyfriend was exciting, all he does is play with his car.” She went on and on and on. Jason was going to give her a bit of hot gossip by telling her they got engaged last night on only their second date. But he couldn’t get a word in edgeways. In fact after about fifteen minutes, his eyes glazed up and his ears went numb. The next thing he responded to was a mirror in front of his face. “There, what do you think?” Jason saw exactly the vision he had given her. Parted down the left side, with a flowing wave combed back past his right ear, with the length just above his collar at the back. To avoid any continued ear bashing, he walked out to see Debra while she packed up. Debra stopped typing when she looked at him and took off her reading glasses.
“God, you look so handsome Jason. Your hair hid so much of your shoulders. Look, you’ve got ears.”
“I now know why when you come to work after having your hair done, you are so very quiet. There’s not really much left to say is there?”
Jason had agreed to see Denman at five that afternoon. Meeting after hours allowed them to make the most of their office time as they were so busy. It was three thirty; Jason received an unscheduled visit from Inspector Sloan. “Ah, Sloan, what an earth is your first name?”
“Mason.”
“Mason Sloan, what a great name for a policeman. Sounds like something out of a Dick Tracey story. What can I do for you?”
“With all that’s going on, it’s tremendously quiet around here. You don’t even have any security. Don’t you get bothered all the time?”
“A lot of people come, they forget what they came for when they reach the door and wander off. That’s unless I want to see them of course, like yourself.”
“I don’t think I want to know any more about that.”
“That’s okay, you’ll find you won’t remember anything about it anyway when the time comes.”
“I popped in to tell you of the progress we have made since the arrest of Banks and Harrogan. The state attorney general wanted to pop in and see you personally only he is very busy. Many have come forward with information from all walks of life on these two. This has led to more arrests of city council members, APP members and unfortunately members of the force, a domino effect you might say. Harrogan is turning state evidence in a move to cut down his custodial sentence. Banks caved in this morning, not wanting to go to trial. This will keep a lot of this out of the papers, a shame as I think they deserve whatever they get, along with all their friends. By the end of the week we would have made over forty arrests in conjunction with this investigation. All because of you; you’ll make the police force redundant if this continues.”
“You’re the one who made the arrest Mason, without you I wouldn’t have done what I did. The people around us will see what went on and make their own decisions. I have great faith in mankind as a whole. If you have some people in places of high trust that are trying to keep all this quiet, let me know when Banks and Harrogan come up for sentencing. I want everything out in the open, so people can be judged by the people, so they can be disgraced if they’re bad, or upheld if it’s good. Establishments will have to get used to that as well, it’s a big change so it won’t happen over night. That’s supposed to be the rule, but it’s not being followed. ”
“Running for the seat of Parkin and carrying that into politics is a very big ask. You’ll be challenging most of the establishment.”
“I don’t think it’s most of it, but certainly some of it, probably the string-pullers. I’ll show you when I find out.”
“I hear that Harrogan is being sentenced Friday week, he’s been singing like a contented canary. When I know exactly I’ll let you know. Banks is taking longer, his case is riddled with something new every minute. Press releases have been very scant, still a lot of people running for cover. The attorney general wants something on this as soon as he can, so as Harrogan has been so forthcoming, a result for them next Friday will show the public justice is at work. Oh and thanks to you, I’m to be promoted to state head of CIB, the commissioner is very pleased with my work. We’ve removed some of the people in the department we’d been after for years.”
“How long have you been on the force Mason?”
“Joined from school as a cadet at Fort Largs in sixty-five, thirty years now.”
“I know this won’t be your last promotion, thirty years to find out you’re a good man. Things happen slowly around here don’t they?”
“Not of late Jason, not of late.”
When Sloan had left, Jason continued eyeing the mound of company documents on his table. He had let Mary know he would be late due to his meeting with Denman. At five thirty Jason put down his pen and looked at his door. A few seconds later someone knocked. On giving entry, it was Denman. He shook Jason’s hand firmly. “Sorry I’m late Jason, the traffic is terrible at this time of the evening, so I walked over.”
“To get straight to the point Terry, what do you think is the best plan of action?”
“Firstly, I’d like to say how excited everyone is about you running for Parkin. Peter Carlton, party secretary has rung me from Canberra endorsing your appointment. He is very keen to meet you and hopes to get over next week. The government is only too aware that if Parkin falls to us what it means to them. We and they knew we had no worthy candidate for the seat, with your arrival amidst so much fanfare we all know different now. The by election is only a month away, the fourteenth of August. So do you have any ideas on a camp
aign?”
“Why is the seat up for election?”
“The government’s member was drowned in a boating accident in Queensland a month ago, a shame really, he was a very good man.”
“Yes, I remember reading about it now, didn’t mean much to me at the time. We have an office block in Stirling, Dad worked out of it years ago. Two of them are empty, they front the main street. We can set up an office there, I can get out and about with the people, see how they are going. Look at some budget forecasts if I can get hold of the information. Make some announcements on what we intend to do. I could have it up and running next Monday.”
“We can’t help you much finically, things are really tight.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be any problem.”
“When you really look at it, Banks had a really good idea running you in the seat.”
“Hitler had some really good ideas till he marched into Poland, don’t you think?”
Denman chuckled. “Yes indeed. We need a good campaign organiser, we don’t have anyone at the moment. I can’t think of anyone off hand outside of the party either.”
“I have a feeling that is about to be rectified.” There was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” shouted Jason.
The door opened and there stood Beagle, brief case under his arm. “I hope you don’t mind this intrusion, but I have the full plan for your park. For your observation.”
Terry stood up. “Beagle, what on earth are you doing here?”
“You know Beagle Terry?” asked Jason.
“Yes, Beagle is a mathematical genius, handled Banks’ campaign for Mayor. Another person who was under Banks’ thumb.”
“Would I be right in thinking that he would be a good campaign man and political aid?” asked Jason.
“That’s for sure, Beagle can work things out on his head that takes mathematicians ages to work out with a computer.”
Jason turned to Beagle. “Would you like a job Beagle? I’m running for the seat of Parkin for the APP We need a campaign adviser, an aid if I win the seat.”
“You’ll win the seat without me Jason. I’d love to be there, but what of my connection with Banks. The media will make a meal of it.”
“I imagine you have given the police a lot of information on Banks, would I be right?”
“Yes, unfortunately Fred is in a lot of trouble. He wouldn’t take my advice, everything had to be crooked. When the authorities have finished with him, I don’t think he will ever see the light of day.”
“Have the police charged you?” asked Terry.
“No they can’t charge me, I haven’t done anything wrong except follow some very dodgy instructions.”
“You won’t get any dodgy instructions from me Beagle, the point that you co-operated with police only helps as far as I can see,” said Jason.
“Banks also forced me into a situation similar the one you encountered, I had no choice, my livelihood revolved around him.”
“Nobody will mind if you stop that, you won’t have any problems like that with me, I can assure you. You’re just misguided,” said Jason.
“In that case, we better all sit down so I can put the past behind me and look forward to the future.”
“I can’t believe neither of you noticed my haircut, I thought it would raise an eyebrow or two.”
Terry raised his eyebrows. “I expected it, but not this soon. Looking after long hair takes too much time. You have acted on your experience I would think. It’ll be a winner.”
Jason nodded and smiled. “Full marks Terry, what do you think Beagle?”
“Oh, I don’t think I should comment on something like that.”
Jason insisted. “Go on try us.”
“I thought it would make a difference, but it’s the same. Hair length bears no relation to character, just a personal preference. I’m embarrassed because I thought it did.”
Jason looked at Terry, “I knew I didn’t cut my hair for nothing, it’s furthered Beagle’s education to the ways outside the circle he has lived in. I can relate to that.”