by Brian Smith
‘I didn’t like Ben Findlay, I didn’t respect his competence and we disagreed on many things, but none of that justifies setting him up for failure. I’ve always respected your capability and what you bring to the business, but what you’ve done in the past few weeks – doubting my loyalty to the firm, keeping me in the dark, trying to undermine me and Ben as well – that’s destroyed the trust we once had. How can we work together if we don’t trust each other?’
Vern leant forward to pour tea into their cups. He offered Mike the milk jug and stirred two heaped spoons of sugar into his tea. He took a mouthful of the tea and sat back savouring the flavour before replacing the cup on its saucer.
‘Yeah, it’s true: I did wonder whether you’d been sounding off to someone outside the firm about the problems we were having. That was why I gave you that spiel about looking for a takeover. I pretty soon knew the leaks weren’t coming from you, but they were coming from somewhere, and the other day I found out who.’
‘Surely not Ben?’
‘Freda Bradshaw confessed.’
‘Freda? I don’t believe it.’
‘There’s a lot gone on in the past few weeks that you’re having trouble believing. She told me there was this charming man who bumped into her car when she was in the supermarket, stayed around to make sure she had his insurance details and insisted on taking her out for dinner to make up for causing the scrape on her car. They got on well and went out together a couple of times.
Freda found it easy to confide in her new friend and started telling him how unfairly the firm had treated her boss by bringing in the son of the owner over him and how the son was ruining the business. He was very attentive and rang to speak with her almost every day. It took until last week, but finally he overreached and she became suspicious. He didn’t like it when she started questioning him and got nasty so she broke it off. Yesterday she told me.’
‘Poor Freda.’
‘Poor all of us.’
Vern sat up and leaned forward to stare at Mike over the tops of his glasses.
‘Earlier on you made it sound like I was having fun setting you up and telling a couple of crooks how I was going to sabotage the company. I’m not proud of some of the things I did, but for me the end justified the means. I was prepared to do whatever it took to secure the future of the firm. To run a company like ours over a long stretch, you need to take risks. If the risks you take only have consequences for you, that’s easy. But when you have to put others at risk, that’s when it gets really hard. If you want to stay in a huff with me because I went out on a limb and took you out there with me, then you’d better find another job. On the other hand, if you want to learn how to keep our company afloat in good times and in bad, I’m willing to teach you all I know.’ Mike went to respond but Vern continued. ‘No, don’t say anything right now. Think it over. Talk it over with Lissa. You’re due back in a few days. Come and see me first thing with your answer.’
Lissa was in high spirits when she returned from her lunch. As she came down the passage from the front door, Mike could say no more than, ‘Hi. How did it …’ before she swept into the family room and spoke over the top of him.
‘It went really well and several of the guests asked for my card.’
‘Great.’ Mike hesitated for a moment before adding. ‘I know you won’t like me saying this, but you’ve gone much better and much faster than I thought you’d be able to.’
Lissa sat beside him on the couch and gave him a thoughtful glance.
‘That’s OK. I didn’t like it when I first told you my idea and you sounded so doubtful about it. I thought you had no confidence in me but, as we’ve talked further, I could see you were thinking about the problems I’d run into. That’s the way you are; the way you’ve always been – don’t let enthusiasm for what you’re about to do blind you to the problems. I get pissed off with your attitude at times, but it’s worked well for you so far and now I’m in business for myself, I need to be more like you.’ She grinned at him before saying, ‘Not too much like you, though. That’d be too boring.’
‘Mary was going to help, wasn’t she? How did she seem?’
‘She was great, too. It would be good if we can build up the business so she can leave that dull job at the dentist’s.’
Lissa turned to face Mike and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was the excitement of her success reflected in her colouring, but he was struck by how attractive she looked and the impish gleam in her eyes added to her allure.
‘One of the guests was greatly taken by her and asked for her phone number.’
‘That’s a bit quick isn’t it?’
‘Argh, Mike, you’re hopeless.’ Lissa punched him in the arm with enough force to make him flinch – he still carried a few soft spots from his encounters. ‘He wasn’t suggesting he move in with her and I don’t even know whether she gave him her number. It was good for her, though. She needed a boost after the past weeks. You get so protective over her that sometimes I think you’d prefer she went into a nunnery.’
‘Sorry.’
‘How did you get on with Vern?’
Mike took Lissa through his conversation with Vern and the ultimatum he had put to him.
‘So what’s the problem?’
‘How can I work with someone who goes off on his own and doesn’t tell me what he’s up to, even though I’m directly affected by what he’s doing?’
‘Surely you can understand that sometimes he might find himself in a situation where he thinks it best not to tell you what he’s doing? That’s how you run your marriage.’
‘Aw, come on, Lissa,’
‘Did you tell me what you were doing when you went to the site that night, or when you went to the pub to meet Alan Reardon, or when you called on Shane at the gym? Did you give me the full story when Carla told you about the offer she had made to your dad? Do you always tell me what you’re thinking? Do you ever tell me all you’re thinking?’
Mike held his arms over his head as though warding off blows. ‘OK. OK. You’ve made your point. I have been keeping a bit to myself and perhaps I should have told you more. But we still trust each other, don’t we?’
Lissa glanced quickly at him and then turned her head away.
‘There’s another way of looking at it, you know,’ she said. ‘Vern put together an elaborate plot to save Findlay’s from this guy, Jerry Kane, but that wasn’t what saved the firm – you did! Even though, as you see it, Vern let you down badly, you were the one that came out on top – not Vern. Over the years that firm has been very good to you and now they’ve offered you the best opportunity you’re ever likely to get. So take it. Learn all you can from Vern and now you have a better idea of what a wily man he is, keep a close eye on him. Do that and you’ll come out on top again.’
‘Yeah. If I’m honest, it’s what I really want to do. Perhaps I am being too precious. Thanks.’
Mike leant across to kiss Lissa on the cheek, catching her unawares, so that they made awkward connection.’
‘No time for this, lover-boy. One of us has to pick up the kids shortly.’
‘There’s something else I want to tell you.’
The note of anxiety in Mike’s voice caused the smile to disappear from Lissa’s face. ‘Oh yeah? What’s that?’
‘I think I have a solution to Dad’s problems.’
‘Really?’
After Mike had taken Lissa through his proposal, she nodded and pursed her lips. ‘What does your dad think?’
‘He wants me to speak with Mario Mancini.’
‘When are you going to do that?’
‘Actually I think it would be better for me to speak with Carla.’
‘Of course.’ Lissa gave him a quizzical glance. ‘Another lunch date, I suppose.’
‘You want me to tell you everything I’m thinking about Carla? OK, here goes. I find her a very attractive woman. She is beautiful, elegant and I enjoy speaking with her. She is also ambitious and ruthless a
nd has been using her charm on me to get what she wants from Dad. For a while I was under her spell, no question about that. Her father, a shrewd but arrogant man, was on to it straight away and I guess you had some idea of it as well. In the past few days I’ve woken up to a few things. One of them is that what we have, with its occasional rough spots, is so much more real and more important than any fantasy. I need to speak with Carla again because she’s the one calling the shots on the development of Bay Street, not her father. I’m going to ring her now to set up a meeting at a place I will choose, where I will put my proposal to her. You have nothing to be concerned about.’
Mike decided it was not politic for him to use his old spot at the CityView site, so went to the Convention Centre car park and walked back down the river to Bistro Vite. Yesterday Carla had sounded a little distant and distracted when he rang to suggest they meet for coffee at the bistro.
‘After last time, you feel more secure with me on the ground rather than up in the air,’ she said.
Perhaps she meant it as a joke about his fear of heights but she sounded more depressed than amused. The lunchtime crowd had not yet arrived and there was no breeze, so he chose to sit on one of the wicker chairs outside, overlooking the marina. He turned away from the sight of the gently rocking cabin cruisers and gazed downstream past the Riverside towers to the Bolte Bridge. How long would it be before so many sights would immediately take him back to Alan’s murder?
He saw Carla approaching along the path by the river. She wore jeans and a leather jacket over a white blouse, a subdued style that made no difference to the graceful elegance of her walk, the walk that had first captured him.
‘Michael,’ she said and he was surprised by her reserve. She took his hand as he stood to greet her and stretched up to brush her lips quickly past one cheek. Immediately they were seated, a waitress appeared. ‘My, what good service,’ Carla exclaimed. ‘I will have a skinny latte, please.’
‘Nothing to eat?’ Mike asked, and when she shook her head, he looked up at the waitress. ‘A long black, thank you.’
‘My father has shown me the film you took and played me your conversation with Sarac. I’m so sorry for all you’ve been put through.’
‘Not your fault. It’s the death of Alan Reardon that troubles me most. Nothing happened to me that hasn’t already been fixed or won’t mend, and it was certainly worth it all in the end.’
Carla nodded. ‘I couldn’t be more pleased to see Kane and Sarac get what they deserve.’
It occurred to Mike that Mancini, through his police contacts, would certainly know about the deal Sarac had struck, but it appeared he had not told Carla. He also wondered if Mancini had explained to her how the recording of the conversation with Sarac had been made. Probably not.
‘You must be sad that Rubicon has been caught up in all this.’
‘I told you I’m not involved in Rubicon,’ she stated with an annoyed toss of her head. ‘I am sorry the Riverside project will be held up, but one day I hope my vision for it will be realised by someone, and it doesn’t matter to me if that’s not Rubicon.’ She lifted her chin and smiled. ‘After all, I have my other interests and I hope you have brought me good news about one of them.’
The waitress returned with their coffees, allowing Mike an opportunity to concentrate his thoughts and give Carla a concise account of his proposal. When he had finished she said, ‘And this is what your father wants most of all? It’s funny what major decisions can sometimes turn on. It was smart of you to see that, or did you have to persuade him?’
‘I have to confess it was something your father said to me that started me along the track that led to this.’
‘He’s a shrewd man, my father, who gives good advice. The trick is not to let his overbearing manner prevent you from taking it.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Mike said before looking intently at Carla and asking, ‘So you agree with my proposal? We haven’t talked money yet, but the name is vital.’
‘The name is fine. It’s time to bring the lawyers in and for me to make you a formal offer. I’m sure the money will not be a problem, either. We both know how crucial your father’s building is to my plans. As soon as I have title to the property I can begin to obtain planning permission. I’ve already had work done on the design. Maybe, within the year, we will be able to begin demolition prior to construction.’
The businesswoman who had been sitting before him as she spoke suddenly transformed herself with a coquettish smile. ‘I’ll need a good builder, of course. Would you like a job? We would make a good team.’
‘I think Findlay’s would be keen to do it – maybe as a joint venture if that appeals to you.’
The smile left Carla’s face and her voice rose. ‘You’re not going back to Findlay’s after the way they’ve treated you? Surely you couldn’t work with Ben Findlay or Vern McKenzie.’ She paused and her face softened into an appeal. ‘I could make you a much better offer.’
‘But you’ve already got Angelo.’
‘Not anymore.’
‘Surely he won’t be out of it for long, if at all. He was coerced and had a minor role – the police know that.’
Carla shook her head dismissively.
‘I’m not talking about Angelo’s problems with the law. My father has already offered him a very good lawyer who believes, at worst, he can get him off with a minor penalty. Angelo has found his own lawyer, though; he doesn’t want anything to do with our family. He blames me for his troubles and continues to complain Rubicon wouldn’t have run into the problems it has if it were not for my determination we should press ahead.’ She tilted her head and shrugged. ‘He’s right to an extent. It’s a good example of what happens when I refuse to listen to my father, but it’s not the main reason Rubicon is in trouble. That came when Angelo brought Kane in to the business.’
Carla sipped her coffee and took a deep breath.
‘It’s all over between Angelo and me. This business has been the final breach. The truth is we should never have married in the first place – we have so little in common. It was a mistake we soon realised but we kept working together on the Riverside project and treated one another with politeness, neither blaming the other. Angelo is a handsome man who can be most engaging and I was charmed by his passion for building. What I should have seen much earlier is that he is a one-dimensional man – a man with very limited interests outside building. He is bored by many of the things that excite me. We only stayed together out of convenience. Angelo wanted desperately for Rubicon to grow and to prosper, and my ideas were important in achieving that, but he was never comfortable having me or my father involved. Rubicon had been his creation and he didn’t want to share it with anyone else – even his wife. If one of us had found an interest in someone else, we would have parted earlier. But we did not.’
Carla seemed to retreat within herself, becoming more downcast the more she spoke. Mike had to restrain himself from reaching across the table and taking her hand. She took another mouthful of her coffee and sat up straight, as if summoning her resolve to go on.
‘So many men are such stunted creatures. The first thing they think when they meet me is how they would like to take me to their beds. I see it in their eyes. Early on, I was flattered and willing to play up to my image but I soon tired of that. Many of them fluff their plumage and strut around like birds in a courtship dance, some become tongue-tied and awkward, trying to keep their urges hidden, and a few try to intimidate me, knowing I have no interest in them and pretending they don’t mind. I soon learned I had a weapon I could use with men to get what I want but I despise those men who so easily succumb.’
Mike gave a rueful smile. ‘Of course, I’m one of those you were able to entrance so easily.’
‘What?’ Carla looked at him sharply. ‘Oh, yes, I see. I am very determined – as a woman I have to be. I will do whatever it takes to achieve my aims.’
For a moment Mike thought of Vern making the same claim
for himself. In all other respects he could see no similarity between Carla and Vern.
‘I did start with you as I do with any man who finds me attractive,’ she said. ‘I saw you looking at me that night in Café Filipo and when I found who you were, began to plan how I could use you to advance my plans for Bay Street. But that changed. Even at our first lunch together, I saw you were different but I persisted. Then in my apartment I could not continue leading you on. That’s why I broke away from you. I wanted you, but not like that – such affairs always end badly and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I’m sorry for burdening you with my confessions. I should have just shut up, but who else can I be open with like I am with you? Very few men treat me as a person with whom to share conversations, opinions, ideas or feelings. You’re one of those few – a very special one. I began to realise that when we first talked about jazz and then you listened so attentively and sympathetically to me telling you my problems.’
Mike leant forward to look into Carla’s downcast eyes.
‘I was so thrilled to find someone who shares my love of jazz, someone who understands how I feel about music,’ he said. ‘Music finds its way into all parts of my life. I even believe I can tell the state of a building site by listening to its sound. On a good day there is an energy and a cohesion in the sound that, for me, is a form of music. Do you think that’s silly?’
‘No, of course not. I hear music in many places.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
While this story is set in Melbourne, I have appropriated a number of well-known locations and, in some cases, replaced the occupants with my fictional businesses and characters. There is no connection between my fictions and the actual occupants of the sites.
I am grateful to Mike King, Jenny Strangward and John Sewell for advice on building practices as I am to Paul Delianis and Nick Parissis for their tutoring on police procedure.
I also wish to thank my editor, Tony Berry, for the work he has done.