‘What’s happened?’ Instantly, a look of comprehension flashed. ‘Not Jonathan?’
‘Yes, I’m afraid so.’
‘Tell me all about it.’ Paula stared at Emily anxiously, thoughts of Jim and the divorce momentarily swept to one side.
‘Alexander prefers to fill you in, Paula. He asked me to ask you to wait until he gets here. It’s rather involved. And that’s why I’m in London – because of Jonathan. Alexander wanted me to be here for the meeting with you. Actually, Alexander and I have thrashed the situation to bits for the past two weeks – ’
‘You mean you’ve known all this time and you didn’t let me know!’
‘We wanted to be sure, and get a plan together, also we had to talk to Henry Rossiter and John Crawford. We needed their advice. We’re going to have to take drastic steps, Paula.’
‘Is it that bad?’
‘Pretty serious. However, Sandy and I have it well under control. Sarah is involved to a certain extent.’
‘As we thought.’ Paula sighed. Her dismay increased.
The door opened quietly and Alexander walked into the study. ‘Morning Emily, welcome back, Paula.’ He came over to the sofa, kissed them both and took a chair facing them. ‘I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee, Emily,’ he said to his sister. ‘I walked over from Eaton Square and the weather’s beastly this morning. I’m frozen.’
‘Yes, of course.’ Emily lifted the silver pot, poured. ‘What about you, Paula?’
‘Yes, thanks, I might as well.’ Her eyes were penetrating as they rested on Alexander. ‘You ought to have let me know.’
‘To be honest, I thought about doing so, Paula. Emily and I discussed it at great length, and we finally decided there wasn’t much point. You would have worried and you couldn’t have contributed very much from New York. Besides, you had your hands full with Sitex. I didn’t want to drag you back to London. Furthermore, I only just got to the root of it all at the end of last week. Well, more or less.’
Paula nodded. ‘Tell me everything, Sandy.’
‘Well, here goes. Philip’s plan worked. Malcolm Perring helped me to flush Jonathan out, but I had another source of information. It was this source that enabled me to really nail him. But I’m jumping ahead of myself. I’d better begin at the beginning.’
‘Please,’ Paula said.
‘Malcolm Perring did eventually come up with the perfect property deal for Harte Enterprises. He took it to Jonathan – who expressed considerable interest. Then nothing happened. Malcolm kept ringing him over a two-week period, and Jonathan stalled. However, in the middle of November, Jonathan invited Malcolm to come over to the office for a meeting. Apparently Jonathan waffled on for a while about it being an excellent deal, but finally he turned it down. He said Harte Enterprises could not handle it at that particular time. He suggested Malcolm take the deal to a man called Stanley Jervis at a new company, Stonewall Properties. He explained that Jervis was an old friend, very reliable, and in the market for big real estate deals.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ Paula muttered, ‘Stonewall Properties belongs to Jonathan Ainsley.’
‘Correct. And get this – Sebastian Cross is his partner.’
‘That odious man. Ugh!’ Paula shuddered.
‘Sarah also has money in the company,’ Alexander told her. He shook his head. ‘Foolish girl.’
‘She’s been duped by Jonathan again, just as she was when she was a child,’ Paula remarked softly.
‘Precisely,’ Emily interjected. ‘Only this time there are far-reaching consequences for her.’
‘Yes.’ Paula scowled in perplexity, now demanded, ‘But how did Malcolm Perring manage to find all this out?’
Alexander answered, ‘He didn’t. I did. Malcolm Perring went along with Jonathan’s idea, since that was the whole purpose of our plan – catching him with his hand in the till, so to speak. Malcolm had two meetings with this Jervis chap, and then suddenly Sebastian Cross was on the scene. He’s pretty much up front in the company now, even though Jonathan is obviously hiding behind straw men, his men, since his name doesn’t appear anywhere.’
Alexander lit a cigarette, continued, ‘Malcolm started negotiations with Cross and Jervis, playing them along, inducing them to believe he was prepared to close the deal with Stonewall. He didn’t take to either of them, and suspected that the company was shaky financially. He did a bit of investigating, talked to people around the town, and his suspicions were soon confirmed. As planned, Malcolm began to back off, much to the astonishment of Jervis and Cross. They were scared of losing the deal, and started to boast about the big business transactions they had recently handled. Malcolm brought this information to me. I went through the files in our real estate division late one night, and discovered that we could have made all of those deals. Jonathan had passed them over to Stonewall. That clinched it for me, Paula. I knew positively that he was as guilty as hell. Malcolm finally cut off negotiations with Stonewall, explaining that another real estate company had come in with an enormous offer, one which his partners were insisting the firm accept.’
‘And they bought it?’ Paula asked.
‘They had no choice. I was ready to swoop down on Jonathan and then quite unexpectedly some other information fell into my lap. And within forty-eight hours I had enough on Jonathan to hang him.’
‘Where did the new information come from?’ Paula leaned forward eagerly, riddled with curiosity.
‘John Cross.’
‘Alexander, you can’t be serious!’ Paula’s astonishment was evident. ‘John Cross,’ she repeated and her eyes widened as she drew back, looked at Alexander askance. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘It’s the truth.’
‘But why would he confide in you?’
‘Actually, Paula, John Cross was looking to confide in you. He only got in touch with me because you weren’t around. He asked me to come to Leeds to see him…he was in St James’s Hospital.’
‘Oh,’ Paula said. ‘What was wrong with him? Was he very sick?’
‘Poor old man,’ he murmured. ‘He died, Paula. John Cross died just a few days after I saw him. It was cancer, I’m afraid. He was riddled with it, and obviously in great pain.’
‘Oh Sandy, how awful.’ Paula pursed her lips. ‘Poor man. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. And he wasn’t so bad. Weak, a little misguided maybe, and under the thumb of that rotten son of his.’
Alexander cleared his throat. ‘I immediately drove to Leeds, and went to see John Cross at the hospital. I was with him for almost four hours. The doctor allowed me to stay that length of time, because – well, he was dying. John Cross talked about you for a while. He said he had a great deal of respect for you, Paula, admired your honesty and fairness. He then explained that you’d been very courteous to him in the autumn of 1969 when you saw him in London. I told him I knew about your meeting. He commented about your patience and your kindness to him that day, and said he understood why you hadn’t been interested in re-opening negotiations for the acquisition of Aire Communications…because his company no longer had any real assets since the building had been sold. That’s when he confided that Stonewall Properties had bought the Aire building for five hundred thousand pounds. Apparently his son persuaded him to sell. He insisted that he’d been cheated by them, because the building was worth a million at least. I had to agree with him. John Cross became very upset, and he said this to me, Paula: “Imagine my shock when I discovered six months ago that it was my son who robbed me, who ruined me, ruined any chance for Aire Communications to make a recovery. I was heartbroken that Sebastian could do such a terrible thing to me. My son…my only child.” He began to weep, and I can’t say I blamed him.’
‘What a ghastly thing to happen to him…so Grandy was always right about Jonathan…she was very suspicious of him at the time of the Aire Communications negotiations,’ Paula said.
‘And with good reason.’ Alexander crossed his legs, sat back. ‘Mr Cross wanted you to kno
w, us to know, that Jonathan was Sebastian’s partner and that he had been working against Emma Harte for years. He mumbled something about despising family treachery, said he wanted to die with an easy conscience.’
Paula sighed, rubbed her weary face. ‘What else did he reveal about Stonewall Properties?’
‘Not a lot, at least, nothing I didn’t already know through Malcolm. Mr Cross confirmed that Jonathan had been moving deals away from Harte Enterprises and into Stonewall, and he confessed that his son had bled him dry, taken every penny he had. The old man was very bitter when he explained that it was only because of his sister’s generosity that he was able to have a private room at St James’s, and private doctors. You see, Paula, old Mr Cross was destitute.’
Paula sank back against the cushions and for a reason she would never fully understand her eyes filled with tears. She coughed behind her hand and reached for one of Alexander’s cigarettes. ‘How sad that he had to end his days in such a frightful way…betrayed by his own son.’
Emily announced, ‘Sebastian Cross is a bastard. And Jonathan Ainsley is no better, is he, Sandy?’
‘No.’ Alexander gave Paula a long look. ‘John Cross told me something else, and this is the worst part of all. However, because of it, I am going to get Jonathan. Really get him, Paula. In an effort to bail out Stonewall Properties, which is in grave financial difficulties, Jonathan borrowed a lot of money – against his shares in Harte Enterprises.’
Paula was momentarily dumbfounded and thrown off balance. She gaped at her cousins, then gasped, ‘But he’s not allowed to do that.’
‘Exactly!’ Emily cried. ‘Don’t you see, because he did that we can nail him…actually, he’s nailed himself to the cross, hasn’t he?’
Paula nodded, asked sharply, ‘Are you sure there’s no mistake?’
‘None,’ Alexander replied. ‘John Cross knew about the loan, don’t ask me how, but he did. He wouldn’t reveal his source, nor did he realize the true importance of his information to us. He merely wanted to alert us to our cousin’s activities. In a funny way, I think he blamed Jonathan for his son’s transgressions, although I’m not so sure he’s correct there. However, he was able to give me the name of the finance company who made the loan to Jonathan. Obviously Jonathan couldn’t borrow from a bank – they’d want to know too much.’
‘I can’t believe he would be so foolhardy,’ Paula said. ‘He’s fully aware he’s not permitted to use his shares in Harte Enterprises as collateral, nor can he sell those shares unless it’s to another shareholder – ’
‘That’s right,’ Alexander interrupted. ‘He can only sell them to me, Emily or Sarah. Those are the company laws, which are very precisely spelled out in the articles of incorporation by Grandy. She wanted to ensure that Harte Enterprises remained a private company, a family concern, with no strangers or outsiders involved, and she made damned certain that that was the way it would be.’
‘Which finance company did he get involved with?’
‘Financial Investment and Loan.’
‘Good God, Sandy, they’re crooks,’ Paula exclaimed, horrified. ‘Everyone knows that they’re a shady outfit. How could he be so stupid?’
‘I told you, he couldn’t go to the bank. A bank would want to know everything as far as those shares are concerned, as would a reputable finance company.’
‘How much did he borrow and against how many shares?’ Paula demanded.
‘He put up seven per cent of his shares, just under half of his sixteen per cent, and he raised four million pounds against them. However, the loan company gave him a poor deal. Those shares are worth twice that much, except, of course, that they cannot be sold to anyone – except to one of us. Still, the finance company weren’t aware of that at the time they made the loan. They are now.’
Paula experienced a sudden sense of relief and her troubled expression lifted. ‘You paid off his note and retrieved the shares, didn’t you, Sandy?’
‘I did. Last Thursday Emily and I met with the managing director of that dubious little company, along with Henry Rossiter and John Crawford. It was all very troublesome, and there were a lot of strong words, heated arguments and general unpleasantness. We returned again on Friday, all four of us, and I paid them back their four million pounds and they returned the shares. There was some interest due, but Henry and John were adamant, refused to let me pay that. They told the managing director to go after Jonathan. And there you have all the gory details.’
‘Where did you and Emily get the four million from? Did you use your own money?’
‘No. John Crawford figured out a way for Harte Enterprises to buy the shares back, rather than an individual. As you know, Paula, Grandy drew up a number of legal papers in regard to Harte Enterprises just before she died. I have extraordinary powers, a free hand in many instances, especially if the overall good of the company is involved. John and Henry agreed that this situation with Jonathan was such an instance. However, I told them that Emily and I are perfectly willing to purchase those shares if they decide, at a future date, that this is the proper thing to do.’
‘I see.’ Paula stood up and walked to the fireplace. A thought struck her. ‘Are Sarah’s shares involved?’
‘No. Stupid she might be, but she would never risk her shares,’ Alexander replied.
‘What are you going to do about Jonathan and Sarah?’ Paula asked, her eyes sharpening.
‘I intend to fire them both. At noon today. I’ve called a meeting. I’d like you to be present, Paula.’
CHAPTER 47
There was a sanguine air about Jonathan Ainsley as he walked into Alexander’s office at Harte Enterprises.
Being an egotist who was convinced he was smarter and shrewder than anyone else, it never occurred to him that his double dealing might have been uncovered.
‘Hello, Alexander,’ he said, strolling nonchalantly across the room, shaking his cousin’s hand. ‘Sarah told me she’s been asked to come to this meeting too. What’s it all about then?’
Alexander sat down in the chair behind his desk and said, ‘There are some important matters I have to discuss. It won’t take long.’ Alexander’s clear blue eyes, so intelligent and honest, rested on Jonathan, but only briefly. He shuffled the papers on his desk, filled with contempt and loathing for the other man.
Walking over to the sofa, Jonathan sat down, lit a cigarette and lolled back against the leather cushions. He glanced at the door as Emily came in, and gave her a warm smile. This was entirely fraudulent, since he disliked Emily. But the feeling in no way matched his virulent hatred for Paula, and that hatred flared when she hove into view, stood in the doorway a split second later.
Rising, he greeted Emily with a degree of cordiality, but his voice turned a shade colder as he said to Paula, ‘You’re not involved in the day-to-day running of Harte Enterprises, so what are you doing here?’
‘Alexander invited me since I have a family matter to talk about.’
‘Ah yes, family matters do seem to preoccupy you these days, don’t they, Paula?’ he said sardonically. He lowered himself into a chair, muttering, ‘Not the will again, I hope.’
‘No, not that,’ Paula replied, her voice calm, betraying nothing. She followed Emily over to the sofa and sat down. Ever since his bitter outburst at the reading of the will, Jonathan had dropped all pretence with her. He did not bother to conceal his animosity and a minute ago she had seen the antipathy flickering. She had also noted that his anxiety had slipped through the bland façade he was trying so hard to hold in place. Paula looked down at her hands, half smiling to herself. Her presence had unnerved him, try though he had not to show it. After a second or two she lifted her head, studied him surreptitiously, her eyes objective. How attractive his appearance was. So fair of colouring and fine of feature. Yes, he was very clean cut, and there were times, such as now, that he had the look of an innocent choir boy. Yet she knew he was a schemer who would stop at nothing to gain his own ends.
Sarah swept in grandly, scanned the room. ‘Hello, everyone,’ she murmured coolly, and then spoke to Alexander directly: ‘I’m in rather a hurry. I have a luncheon date at one o’clock with a very important buyer. I hope this isn’t going to take long.’
‘No, it won’t,’ Alexander said. ‘I intend to make our meeting as short as possible.’
‘Oh good.’ Sarah swung away from the desk, looked at Emily and Paula on the sofa, and purposely chose a chair near Jonathan. Sitting back she offered Alexander a sweet smile.
He stared at her for the longest moment. Not an eyelash flickered and his face was suddenly cold and implacable. Sarah’s smile slipped and she frowned at him, obviously puzzled by his manner.
‘It seems odd to me,’ Alexander began, ‘that Stonewall Properties has such severe, such grave, financial problems.’ He focused on Jonathan. ‘Bad management, do you suppose?’
Jonathan felt a tightening of his stomach muscles and all of his senses were alerted for trouble. Secure in the knowledge that he could not be linked to Stonewall, he managed to keep a composed demeanour. He shrugged. ‘How would I know. And don’t tell me you’ve dragged us here to discuss another company?’
‘Why yes, that is one of the reasons.’ Alexander leaned forward, peering at Sarah. ‘Were you aware that Stonewall Properties is likely to go belly up in the near future?’
Sarah opened her mouth and closed it swiftly. The disturbing information about the secret company, which she had invested so much money in, had stunned her. She did not doubt its truth, since it came from the reliable Alexander. She was anxious to speak to Jonathan alone, but she dreaded tackling him. He could be so difficult and now it was fear of his wrath that made her hold her tongue.
Alexander continued to regard her unwaveringly. She had paled under his fixed observation and her eyes were suddenly alarmed. He knew Sarah would crack if he increased the pressure.
But he addressed the room at large. ‘What really baffles me, though, is how they managed to get into this state. Stonewall have closed an amazing number of genuinely good deals. I can’t imagine why they are floundering so badly. Unless, of course, somebody has had a hand in the till.’
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