by Louise Guy
Nat stared after her as she crossed the kitchen and went out the back to find Amy. She saw her pull her jacket tight around her.
‘Was that really Hannah?’
Her father looked concerned. ‘Whatever happened between her and Damien must be serious. Like you, I would have expected more from her about this investment. That was not the Hannah we know.’
Nat’s phone pinged again with a message from Eliza.
Amazing! Are you going to reinvest the money?
Nat sent back a quick text.
Not sure. Thinking about it.
Her phone went silent for close to a minute, then a long text arrived.
Jacob said you can add more of your own money to it too if you want to. Although knowing the financial position both you and I were in when we met, I guess that might not be an option! Limits your risk too. One of his friends invested the savings of five of his siblings, which really freaked Jacob out. It worked out okay and they all made money, but I think the more people involved the more personally responsible he feels. As he keeps reminding me, this isn’t their normal trading cycle, so it does make him more concerned for everyone involved. But for now, I’m on cloud nine. Doug and I are almost out of debt! See you in the chat room tonight if you’re going to be around?
Nat sent another quick text.
Will be online in about an hour. Just at my dad’s now.
A smiley face emoticon blowing a kiss came back.
‘Everything okay still?’
Nat looked up at her father. ‘Yes, just Eliza. She and her husband were in a huge amount of debt, and she’s just told me that it’s almost been cleared. It’s crazy! She also mentioned that I could add to my investment with my own funds or anyone else’s, from what I can gather. I wouldn’t want anyone to take that risk though, so I won’t mention it.’
Her father nodded. ‘Good idea.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Although, it is rather intriguing. Can you stick around for a drink or dinner even? I’d love to learn more.’
Her father ran his hand through his hair, frowning with concentration as he looked at the figures from Nat’s investments. They’d brought Sue up to speed and now the three of them sat in his office, staring at his computer screen.
Sue squeezed Nat’s hand. ‘I’m so happy for you, hon. You deserve some good luck. It’s the universe giving back to you after all you do for everyone else.’
‘It’s quite amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,’ her father said.
‘I know,’ Nat said. ‘It would be interesting to find out what their total investments are each day. If Jacob can allow me this kind of return out of the kindness of his heart, how many millions are they making?’
‘Many, I expect.’ Her father frowned again. ‘I have heard of this before you know, the salmon run, as you referred to it. A guy I used to play golf with mentioned that his company had it happen. He made a lot of money in only a few weeks and then retired. He wasn’t greedy, just set himself up for a comfortable future. I remember thinking it was the perfect scenario.’
‘Was that Stuart McCreedy?’ Sue asked. ‘He and his wife moved up to the Murray River to play golf and enjoy the water views.’
He nodded.
‘Are you interested in investing in it, Dad?’
‘I’m not sure.’ He looked to Sue. ‘Perhaps a small amount, just to dabble? I know Nat’s not keen on us selling the house, which I understand, and something like this could at least buy us more time before having to go down that road. But I’d be too scared to risk a lot. If Jacob turned three thousand into twenty-seven thousand, I wonder what he could do with five?’
Sue nodded. ‘We could risk a small amount, but nothing more. We do need to be extra careful at the moment.’
‘If you want to do that,’ Nat said, ‘you can use some of the money that’s in the account. It shows that we can split how much we invest. It doesn’t have to be the full amount. I owe you just over five thousand from the money I’ve borrowed in the last few years.’
Sue and her father shook their heads in unison. ‘We couldn’t use your money,’ Sue said.
‘Yes, you could. How about this? We put five thousand back in, and that’s me repaying Dad. If it turns into more, then you keep the five plus the interest it gains. If it loses, then I’ve paid you back.’
Her father hesitated. ‘I’m not sure that’s fair to you.’
Nat laughed. ‘Of course it is. I’m getting an absolute bargain. I’m paying you back with money that wasn’t even mine to start with!’
Her father and Sue exchanged a look.
‘It’s your call,’ Sue said. ‘I think it’s an exciting opportunity, but I’d hate to lose any money.’
‘It’s a risk,’ Nat agreed. ‘But that’s just the nature of life, isn’t it? You take a risk to get a reward.’
Her father hesitated for only a second before his face broke into a wide smile. ‘Okay, let’s do it. I have a feeling our luck is about to change.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hannah leaned against the kitchen pantry, feeling Damien’s absence more than she ever had before. If he was home, she’d probably be making them both a herbal tea right now. He often worked a night shift on Sundays, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be away, but he’d never stayed overnight at his parents because of a disagreement between the two of them.
Amy was in bed, choosing to read for an hour before switching her light off. Bear was no doubt snuggled up with her. His dog bed had become a joke, having never been slept in. Still, it was an excellent place to store his toys.
Hannah poured herself a glass of water and took it upstairs to her office. She wondered if Eliza or Nat were online? The investment situation certainly sounded too good to be true, but so far even she, the risk expert, couldn’t see a downside. Nat hadn’t lost anything, and even if she lost every cent in the account, she still wouldn’t have lost any of her own money. But Hannah couldn’t see that being a problem. For a start, she didn’t have any money, but also Eliza and Jacob had made it very clear that when the run stopped, it stopped instantly and his company went back to their regular day-to-day financial management.
Hannah opened her computer and typed ‘Salmon Run Finances’ into the search bar. It was something new to her. She changed the search term, trying to get something that wasn’t related to the salmon industry, but didn’t find what she was looking for. Perhaps it was an insider term, although the internet would usually still find something. She guessed if she trawled through hundreds of pages, she might get to something other than the catching of fish.
She gave up and clicked on the Gambler’s Aid chat room instead. Nat and Eliza were already chatting. She skimmed through their conversation, seeing that they were both ecstatic about their recent financial gains. Hannah smiled as she read through Nat’s description of her reaction that day.
PinkFish88
I’m worried about my sister. Her reaction was so calm, and she appeared genuinely happy for me. I couldn’t believe it, to be honest. No suggestion at all that this was too good to be true and there were many risks I should take into consideration. I think she’s struggling. She looked terrible. Problems with her husband, which still blows me away. I thought they had the perfect marriage. I’m assuming that’s why I didn’t get a lecture. I guess it will come in time.
LizaE
Hopefully, by then, you’ll have a lot more money in the bank, the salmon run will be over, and there’ll be nothing she can say, other than she wished she’d invested. Did you offer her the opportunity?
PinkFish88
No, your text came through as she was leaving so I didn’t think to mention it. I guess I probably should. We’ll see how this small investment goes, and if we’re still doing well, I’ll have a chat with her. I wouldn’t want her to think I’d excluded her.
BrownDog40
Evening, ladies!
LizaE
Suze! How are you? We’ve been so worried about you. Did you talk to yo
ur husband?
BrownDog40
Yes, I told him everything. He left the house soon after we finished talking, which was at about six this morning. I hate to imagine what he’s going through. He’s got so much to deal with. I want to be with him to help him; coming to terms with what his father did is going to be incredibly difficult. But he won’t accept my comfort now. He looked at me as if he hated me.
PinkFish88
Give him time, Suze. It’s a lot to digest. He probably doesn’t know what to think. Hopefully, he’ll come around and realise that your only motivation was to protect him. That’s got to win you some brownie points.
LizaE
Lia’s right. He needs time and space. You seem like a decent and kind person. I’m sure he’ll remember that at some point and come around. Just don’t push him, let him do it in his own timeframe.
Hannah read their messages, nodding as she did. They were both right. Time was what it was going to take to get through this. Telling Damien she was sorry didn’t cut it and wasn’t the case anyway. She was sorry she was put in this position to start with, and she was sorry that she’d made a bad decision. But she reminded herself that she was pregnant with Amy at the time, Trish was undergoing chemo, and Damien was a big enough mess over the thought of possibly losing her. Adding this on top of everything else may very well have led him to a breakdown.
PinkFish88
We’ve been celebrating Jacob’s investments while you’ve been having such a hard time. I’m sorry your weekend hasn’t gone as well as ours.
LizaE
The offer is still there from Jacob if you’d like to invest, Suze. Doesn’t have to be a lot, but they are doing well at the moment. He thinks there’s still a bit more left in the run, but it won’t go on forever. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll tell him to get in touch to answer any questions you’ve got and set up one of the accounts for you.
Hannah considered the offer. Each time Nat mentioned it, or she thought about it, as much as she couldn’t come up with any good reason that Nat should stop, her gut still swirled uneasily. Things that sounded too good to be true usually were. Nat was right in that her usual style would be to voice all her negative opinions on the scheme, but this time she would do it differently. She typed back a message.
BrownDog40
Would love to hear from him, thanks!
PinkFish88
That’s fantastic, Suze. I’d hate for you to miss out when we’re all getting so much benefit from this.
When Hannah had left her father’s, Nat was saying she planned to withdraw the money. It now sounded like this perhaps wasn’t the case.
BrownDog40
Are you investing more, Lia, or is it time to collect up your winnings and cash out?
PinkFish88
I was planning to stop, but Jacob seems so confident that there are still a couple of weeks left that I decided to try another investment. I owe my dad five grand, so he’s asked me to reinvest that and if it gains anything then he’ll take that money. His superannuation fund has let him down, and while he was planning to retire soon, he certainly won’t be living the type of lifestyle he’d like to be.
LizaE
Oh, that’s awful. Hopefully, the five grand will multiply for him. He could then reinvest it and make some more. Or even add some of his personal funds if he wants to get his future sorted.
PinkFish88
Not sure he’d want to take a risk like that and not sure I’d want to encourage it! If the five thousand works out for him, I’ll be thrilled, as will he.
LizaE
Sounds perfect. You seem very close to your dad.
PinkFish88
Not overly close but I’m hoping that this investment might give us something special to share. Fingers crossed. Must say I’m having a strange kind of day. I took my niece out to the movies, which was lovely. She’s a great kid, so much more mature than I remember being at twelve. Then I had a friendly conversation with my sister and Dad, which doesn’t sound strange, but it is for us. My sister and I rarely agree on anything. Usually one of us says something to put the other offside. And then, after discovering that my money had multiplied nine hundred percent, I got home to find my grandmother passed out in her armchair. My sister took her out to lunch, and I think she must have drunk a bottle of bubbles by the looks of her! She’s a classic. I’d better help her to bed.
LizaE
Night, Lia. Suze, let me know your email address and I’ll get Jacob to contact you. I’m about to ring him about something else so will tell him you’re expecting to hear from him. Chat tomorrow. x
Hannah sent Eliza the Gmail address she’d set up in order to join Gambler’s Aid anonymously, then signed off and opened Gmail, a small smile playing on her lips. It had been nice having a normal conversation with Nat at her father’s earlier, and she was interested that Nat had acknowledged it too. Her thoughts went to Phyllie. They were lucky Nat was available to move in with her but that wasn’t likely to last forever. She sighed. It was tricky getting older. At twelve, Amy was fighting for her independence. In their thirties, Nat and Hannah were having difficulty with a range of things, from finances to marriages. In his sixties, her father was facing issues as he neared retirement, and at nearly ninety, Phyllie was in the hardest place of all. A strong, independent and capable woman who was becoming a victim of old age. It had the potential to strip her of everything she loved, but mainly her freedom.
Hannah realised at that moment that she’d approached the Phyllie situation in entirely the wrong way by suggesting assisted living. What she should be doing was standing up for Phyllie’s rights – being an advocate for her. If Nat was right, that she was struggling with her memory, and if anything as serious as dementia was on the cards, then they would have to do everything to ensure Phyllie lived out her years precisely as she wanted and deserved to.
Hannah sipped her water, thinking of her grandmother. At eighty-nine, they probably didn’t have many years left with her. God, she would be missed. She’d filled their childhood with joy before and after their mother had passed. It was hard to imagine a world where she didn’t exist.
An email notification popped up on Hannah’s screen. She put her glass down and opened it. It was from Jacob. A very professional-looking email signed off at the bottom by Jacob Swain from BlueStar Financial Advisory. She clicked on their website link and started reading. She was intrigued to know more about this company and exactly who Jacob Swain was.
Hannah was on a mission the next morning when she arrived at work. She hadn’t heard from Damien and needed something to distract her. BlueStar Financial Advisory was precisely that. She’d done further searches on BlueStar but had found nothing other than the website. That rang alarm bells. Surely successful financial advisors would have media coverage, or stories picked up by other sites that would come up in the search results. Searching on Jacob also only brought her back to the BlueStar website. She picked up the phone and dialled Julian Baker’s number. He worked for Fraud Alert, a company that No Risk used regularly. Fraud Alert looked into companies that presented a risk and helped No Risk provide their clients with an even more substantial risk analysis than they could do on their own.
‘Hannah Anderson! I haven’t spoken to you in months.’
Julian was a lovely guy, tall and broad, with short clipped hair and always in dark suits. He presented himself how Hannah imagined an FBI agent would. They’d always got along. Julian had hassled Hannah to look after his wife when she was in the planning stages of setting up a new business. Hannah had done it as a favour, rather than billing Tracy, and Julian had been eternally grateful. He’d always said to get in touch if she ever needed a favour.
‘I hope you’re ringing to call in that favour?’
‘I am. Although I’m happy to pay for your time.’
Julian laughed. ‘After all you did for Tracy, no way would I be charging you. Now, tell me what you need.’
Ten minutes lat
er Hannah hung up and forwarded him the information Jacob had sent her. It provided details on his company, the bank account to deposit funds into and a web link to view a sample online account to show what information was provided. Julian promised to get back to her within twenty-four hours, which was a comfort. She hoped for Nat’s sake that Eliza’s brother checked out, but the more she searched on the company the more doubts she was beginning to have. Mind you, what they were doing still didn’t make any sense. She realised now she should have suggested to Nat that she withdraw at least some of the money to make sure it would actually be released. At the moment everything was purely on a computer register.
‘Hannah?’ Erica, No Risk’s receptionist, stuck her head around Hannah’s office door. ‘There’s a guy in reception who doesn’t have a meeting scheduled with you but is very insistent on seeing you. Says it’s a matter of life or death.’
Hannah scrunched up her face. ‘Really? Who?’
‘Zane Fox. Should I send him in?’
Hannah froze. What the hell was he doing here? She took a deep breath, reminding herself he had nothing over her now. Not only that, she’d planned to report him to the police. He shouldn’t be allowed to operate as a private investigator if he was going to use his knowledge for blackmail.
Erica was waiting for her.
‘Are any of the meeting rooms free?’
‘You can use number three. I’ll send him in. Do you want me to offer tea or coffee?’
Hannah shook her head. ‘He won’t be staying long.’
She made her way to meeting room number three and sat at the head of the long table. A minute later, Erica showed Zane into the room. Hannah didn’t get up. She pointed at a seat to her left and waited for him to sit down.
‘What do you want?’
‘I thought I’d give you one more chance to buy my silence before I speak with Janine Markinson.’
Hannah shook her head. ‘No. Now leave.’
Zane didn’t move. ‘I think you’re making a big mistake.’