by Brian Smith
As if reading his mind Carla said, ‘I must not delay you.’ He was about to disagree but thought of the complicated explanation he must give if he went down that path, so merely shook his head politely. ‘Come, I have arranged for a simple lunch: some antipasto.’
One of the platters on the dresser contained a variety of meats – ham, pepperoni, prosciutto and roast beef. Another had mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red capsicums and pickled chilli peppers, while a third held taleggio, mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese with olives and stuffed pimento. After Mike had served himself, Carla would not let him return to the table. ‘That’s not a proper meal for a builder. Please take more and don’t forget the herb bread. We pride ourselves on that.’
When they were again settled at the table, Carla smiled and said, ‘I expect you find it strange that, having done no more than nod to you the first time we met, I should invite you to lunch with me in our private room.’
‘The invitation did surprise me, but I can understand, with your involvement in Rubicon, you might not want to be seen lunching with a project manager from Findlay’s.’
Carla looked away from him. ‘I’m not involved with Rubicon.’
While Mike was surprised by what she said, he was even more surprised by the intensity of the regret in her voice.
‘But the article in the New Idea with the shots of you and your husband in your Flinders house made a lot of the two of you working together.’
The sadness on Carla’s face was lightened by an impish smile. ‘Michael, I wouldn’t have guessed you would be a reader of New Idea.’ Lissa would have made the same joke but with an edge to it.
‘Oh, I have to keep up with New Idea. How else can I stay in touch with the latest news on Kate and Will?’
The smile disappeared and she sighed. ‘That article must have appeared over six months ago – in much happier times.’
Unsure how to respond, Mike said, ‘You have a great house at Flinders.’
Carla nodded. ‘Yes, that was one of my projects. I found the site and chose the architect. He did a great job. Perhaps one weekend you might like to stay with us, although Angelo often uses it these days to entertain his business associates – all male affairs, to which I’m not invited. He’s got another session there next Sunday. I haven’t been there for weeks, and heaven knows when I could invite you. I’m sorry.’
Mike was even more at a loss as to what he should say. He would have liked to take Carla by the hand and comfort her, but… ‘No need to be sorry,’ he tried in a sympathetic tone.
It was Carla who reached over to squeeze his hand. ‘Thank you.’ She took her hand away and lifted it to touch her face. ‘I didn’t invite you here to burden you with my troubles, but it is so good to talk.’ She gave another deep sigh. ‘I had such high hopes for the Riverside project. Angelo is a capable and experienced builder, but he lacked the ambition and the support he needed to make Rubicon a great company. I saw the potential of the site and convinced Angelo we could use it to lift Rubicon to the highest rung of developers. I knew my father had the contacts and the experience to secure the funding and help smooth our way with government and the bureaucracy.’
She looked around as though reappraising the room.
‘This is where we entertained prospective investors and put our case to them. In fact it’s where we met with anyone we needed to influence. Angelo had nothing appropriate at Rubicon. He still doesn’t and continues to use this room.
‘Working together as closely as the three of us did, there was always going to be a problem. My father has such a strong personality he finds it almost impossible to be involved in anything without starting to dominate. You would have seen that last Friday. I’ve learned to cope with him over the years. Before my involvement, Angelo had run Rubicon entirely on his own and couldn’t abide what he saw as my father’s interference. I had to be the peacemaker between them.
‘That New Idea article you saw was written after we had finished the first two stages, which were hugely successful. Then, six months ago, when the prestige market went into a downturn, my father began to worry.’
‘The money men are always the most nervous,’ Mike said. ‘It’s the same for all building companies.’
‘But he kept at Angelo until they had a flaring row and he taunted Angelo, telling him he couldn’t survive without his funding. Angelo was furious. Somehow he managed to find alternative backers – he’s never told me who they are – and took great pleasure in throwing Dad out. I’ve never held a formal position in Rubicon, but Angelo and I talked about and worked through all the issues. Now though, he’s very secretive and tells me almost nothing. Although he says he has everything under control and is forging ahead, I can see he’s worried. My father has prospered in some very tough businesses in very tough times and I’m sure he could help Angelo, if only they could find a way to work with one another.’
Carla broke off and Mike thought she was about to cry, but she swallowed hard, gently brushed her lips with her napkin and continued in a voice, which carried an edge of frustration.
‘When you saw us last Friday, I was trying to bring the two of them together again. It was a disaster. Both my father and my husband are too proud and too pig-headed to reach an accommodation. I despair of them. The way it’s going, Angelo and I have little to keep us together.’
Mike leant forward so their heads were close together. ‘Yeah, I can see how tough it is for you.’ This time he did take her hand. ‘I wish there was something I could do to help.’
‘You have. You’ve listened.’
She took her hand away after giving his a gentle squeeze, lifted her head and squared her shoulders.
‘Enough of this. Would you like coffee? I certainly need some.’
‘A short black, please.’
Carla went to the doorway through which he had entered and pushed a button on the wall. Almost immediately a young woman, dressed in the black uniform of the waiting staff, came up the stairs.
‘Gina, may I have a short black for my guest and a latte for me, please.’
When Gina had gone, Carla returned to the table and said, ‘Now I must tell you why I invited you today. You know, of course, our fathers have been friends for many years?’
Despite the rapport Mike had established with Carla, the memory of how his father had looked and sounded when he spoke of his links with Mario Mancini, led him to be cautious. ‘I didn’t know, but on Saturday my father told me about their time together back in the old days.’
‘You’re lucky. My father refuses to talk about those times. I think he’s not proud of the man he once was. What did your father say?’
‘I don’t think either of them were model citizens, but that was a long time ago.’
‘Did he give you any details?’
The return of Gina with their coffee gave Mike time to think about how much he should tell Carla. ‘They knew one another at the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market.’
‘But why won’t your father talk with mine now? What happened?’
Mike was puzzled. Mancini had said something similar on Friday night. ‘They haven’t been in contact for many years.’
‘So your father hasn’t told you?’
‘Told me what?’
Carla sat back and sighed. ‘When your father said you were involved in the business I assumed you knew all about our proposition.’
‘What proposition?’
‘Riverside wasn’t my only development project.’ Mike noted how Carla now spoke as if she had been in full control of Riverside. ‘For some years I’ve been working on the development of a joint commercial, retail and domestic complex to be built on a large chunk of the Bay Street precinct in Port Melbourne.’
‘Including my father’s shop?’
Carla nodded. ‘Over a number of years we have quietly bought up the properties we need and hold them as a land bank, ripe for development. The key property we still lack is owned by your father. While we have
tried to keep our interest secret, there’s been some inevitable leakage and I’d be surprised if your father didn’t know the powerful position he holds. We also know from our enquiries that he is not nearly as active in his business as he once was and his shops are not running well. I suppose you know, although perhaps he is holding out on you about that as well. This would be a great opportunity for him to get out at a large premium to the building’s commercial value. For months now we have been trying to talk with him, but we can’t make first base. He refuses to have anything to do with us. I can’t imagine why.’
‘I think I can.’
‘You do?’ Carla gave him an imploring smile. ‘Please tell me.’
‘You should ask your father.’
‘He doesn’t know.’
‘He knows. He just prefers not to tell you.’
Carla nodded. ‘I see. Both our fathers are keeping secrets from us. I’ve told you your father’s secret. I think you owe it to me to tell me my father’s secret.’
Mike shook his head, but when Carla continued to stare pleadingly at him, he weakened. ‘OK but I’d much rather your father did this.’
He took Carla through an account of her father’s early career, softening his crimes as far as he reasonably could, and giving her an expurgated description of how his father had arranged to protect himself. Carla listened carefully, her eyes seeming to grow larger as he went through the story. When he finished, she said. ‘That explains a lot.’ She wasn’t going to let him off lightly, though. ‘Did he actually kill someone?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘No, you were careful not to. Too careful for my comfort.’
‘He said he did, but Dad wasn’t sure whether he had, or was trying to impress. Having a recording of him boasting of it would certainly have given my father a strong hold over him, although Dad is now ashamed he used it to give himself security rather than tell the police at the time.’
Carla lifted her chin and seemed to stare at something over Mike’s head, her voice gaining a reflective tone. ‘It also explains why my father was so reluctant to pressure him. I’ve never known him to hold back in a situation like this before. Do you think your father would deal with me, or has he got it in for the whole family?’
‘Come on. He hasn’t got it in for anyone.’
Carla reached out as though she intended to touch him again but did not go through with it. ‘I’m sorry. You’re right. Would you be willing to speak with your father and see exactly where we stand? Assure him my father need not be involved at all. This is my project, not his.’
‘I’m certainly going to speak with him. He tells people I’m involved in the business and says nothing to me about a heap of important issues. This is probably the biggest, but it isn’t the only one.’
Mike sat in his car in the casino car park. Which problem did he think about first? He had many to choose from. Had Alan or Vern set him up for the attempted bribery charge, or was it both, working together with Ivan Sarac? In their different ways, both had tried to reassure him, or was that just a ploy? And both knew more about the set-up than they were willing to tell him. Just like his father was unwilling to tell him about the problems in his business and the offer from Mancini. He had promised Carla to speak with his father. Mike thought again of the look she had given him when they parted, saying how good it had been for her to be able to share her problems with someone she trusted, and how she hoped they would meet again, soon. He could still feel the touch of her lips where she had lifted herself to kiss his cheek. He wasn’t the only one looking for someone he could trust. Should he tell Lissa about his father’s situation? No, that would involve telling her about his lunch with Carla. He also had to tell her about the bribery charge and his suspension. How would she take that news? And where was Shane? He needed to ring Mary.
Settling for the easiest option he called his sister.
‘No, still no sign of him.’
‘If he did go on a bender last night, he’s probably only just coming to now. I’m sure he’ll be in touch soon.’
‘You’re just like the rest of them!’ Mike could hear the catch in her voice. ‘The police aren’t interested. All they want to tell me is how many people go missing each day and how all but a very few eventually turn up safe. They’re not even trying to look for him. I’ve checked with the hospitals and been to a few of his favourite pubs but they haven’t seen him. I went to Doherty’s Gym. They remembered the argument you had with him all right – you made a real fool of yourself. Maybe Shane’s decided he doesn’t want anything more to do with a woman who has a brother like you.’
‘I was trying to help you.’
‘Great job you’ve done there.’
‘He hasn’t been in touch with anyone at Rubicon?’
Mike thought of Sarac but didn’t suggest his name to Mary.
‘I checked at Riverside. The man I spoke to there was worse than the police. “No, haven’t seen him since last week,” he said. “Sometimes other things take him away and we just have to put up with it.” When I asked him to explain what he meant he hung up on me. Isn’t there something you can do?’
‘You seem to have done everything already. We’re just going to have to wait.’
‘You sure there’s not something you’re not telling me.’
‘Of course I’m sure.’
‘Thanks for your support,’ Mary snapped and rang off.
His second call was to Alan Reardon. ‘Sorry to have to cut you off earlier, but we need to talk.’
‘Yeah, the commission people have been to see me now.’
‘What did they say?’
‘How about the Lord Nelson again tonight?’
‘No. The Gainsville Cafe at the back of Southgate. I’ll see you there in half an hour. There’s a lot more going on than you’ve been willing to tell me.’ Mike passed the time waiting for Alan Reardon by watching the trickle of tourists pass the window of the cafe on their way to the lift which took them to the Skydeck in the Eureka Tower. He remembered the Gainsville Cafe from when Lissa and the children had press-ganged him into going with them to see the view from the tower. He had enough difficulty coping with the heights of building sites without going to the ultimate, glass-walled horror of the Skydeck. Reluctant to allow his children to know of his fear, he went with them but insisted on a coffee beforehand, delaying the inevitable.
How should he play it with Alan Reardon? The commission people had certainly said ‘attempted bribery of a union official’, so why were they seeing Alan? Was he giving them more evidence to frame him? But, if Alan was working with Angelo Rossi, why would he show him the photograph of Vern?
Alan was almost ten minutes late when he came through the door, wearing a deep frown. ‘I don’t like meeting in such a public place.’
‘The sign outside says they make Melbourne’s best coffee, it’s not nearly as public as along the river and a lot safer than your choice last night.’
‘I watched to see if you were being followed but I didn’t spot anyone.’
‘I wondered what delayed you,’ Mike said. ‘You are very careful, aren’t you?’
‘If the commission is on to you for bribing me, you shouldn’t be calling me on your mobile.’
‘A bit late for that now, isn’t it?’
Alan shrugged. ‘If this place has the best coffee in Melbourne, we’d better get some.’ When they returned to the table, Alan’s mood had improved. ‘I’m sorry about last night. I had no idea it would turn out like it did.’
‘But you knew something was on?’
‘I certainly didn’t expect you to be attacked, although I did warn you.’ Alan leant back to appraise Mike’s face. ‘Are you sure you’re OK? Quite a shiner you have there.’
When Mike continued to look at him enquiringly, he said, ‘I was expecting there would be an attempt to set me up for a charge of taking bribes, but I didn’t know how or when it might happen.’
‘You were expecting it? You
’d better explain.’
‘I was expecting it because that was how I got into trouble last time.’
‘Last time?’
‘Yeah. Back in Perth. It didn’t happen a lot, but enough. If a union official was being a nuisance then he might find a payment in his bank account, or maybe more than one, he couldn’t explain. If he backed off – no problem, the money stayed and more came his way, provided he behaved. If he continued to be a pest, though, the authorities were tipped off about him taking bribes. That’s what happened to me. That’s why I’m here. I was naive then, but I learned. When Sarac’s boys couldn’t scare me off, I guessed they might be up for the same scam, so I got in first and went to the commission. I’ve got no time for the commission – I’m glad the Federal Government has decided to close it down – but I had to involve them if I was going to protect myself. ’
‘But you told me Sarac began to behave himself when you kept the pressure on.’
‘Yeah, he did. I didn’t expect it to last, though. The pressures on Riverside are too severe.’
‘How do you know all this?’
Alan gazed, unblinking, at Mike before taking a sip of his coffee. ‘Tell me what the guys from the commission said to you, Mike.’
‘They haven’t said much yet. They asked me which union officials I’d been dealing with and I told them you and I had been discussing the WorkSafe investigation into last week’s sling failure.’ When Reardon gave an appreciative nod Mike flared. ‘Can you tell me how someone’s managed to hit the credit card I have from the firm for two whacks of five hundred dollars I can’t explain or provide paper work for?’
‘The commission got on to that quickly.’
‘They haven’t seen it yet. Vern showed me the card record he’d already called up.’
‘Ah, Vern. Of course. I should have realised. I told you he’s working with Sarac.’