by Ber Carroll
‘You’ll be offered the opportunity for a blood or breath test. You’ll have to go to the hospital if you choose the blood test.’
‘I’m going to call my lawyer! I don’t have to do any tests – this has gone far enough.’
‘When you accepted your Californian licence, for the privilege of driving in this State, you accepted that you would undertake a blood or breath test. If you don’t, then you’ll lose your licence straight away and there will be an additional charge against you … and you can only call your lawyer when you have cooperatively finished our process. Understand?’
He looked at her again through the mirror. She turned her head rudely from his stare without answering.
‘How did I do?’ she asked, trying to see what he was writing down.
‘You’re three times over the legal limit, how’s that?’ He looked pleased, as if his guess had been proved right.
‘It’s wrong.’
‘I’ve taken two tests … You can call your lawyer now if you want.’ He nodded at the phones in the far corner of the room.
‘Can he come and get me?’
‘No. You gotta stay here for a minimum of four hours, until you sober up.’
It was too much. Suddenly she was yelling. ‘What? Where? Here? For another four hours?’
The other officers in the room looked in her direction, ready to spring into action if she got physical.
‘No, not here. In a cell.’
‘A cell! Are you totally crazy? You’re treating me like a criminal!’
‘That’s because you are a criminal.’
She turned her back on him and strode across the room to the phones. There were four phones mounted on the wall and they were all being used. A woman who looked like a prostitute, her mouth full of chewing gum, finished her call and sauntered away.
Julia called Tom Healy, Robert’s lawyer.
He listened to her scrambled version of events before saying, ‘I’m sorry Julia, he’s right – you can’t go anywhere for four hours.’
‘This is unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!’ She started to cry in frustration.
‘Just calm down. Lie down on the bed and sleep it off. Then I’ll come and get you.’
‘Will I have to go to court?’ she asked, suddenly panicking about how she could prevent Robert from finding out.
‘Yes, in about thirty days or so.’
‘Can you represent me?’
‘No, I don’t do criminal law. I can find you someone suitable. Don’t worry about it now, we can talk later.’
Julia hung up reluctantly. She didn’t follow his advice about sleeping on the bed; the thin mattress and blanket looked filthy. She sat on it, though it made her skin crawl.
Julia hauled herself into the passenger seat of Tom’s Landcruiser.
‘This thing is too high from the ground,’ she complained and he winced as she slammed the door.
‘Not for me – I love it.’ He looked over his shoulder before pulling out. ‘I guess you’ve lost your licence now. How are you going to get by without a set of wheels?’
‘I suppose I’ll have to get a cab to work tomorrow.’
They didn’t talk for the rest of the fifteen-minute drive. He turned into the street, passing her car parked on the corner.
‘I’ll drive it down to the house for you after I’ve dropped you off,’ he offered.
‘Okay.’
He pulled up outside the house. ‘I’ll ring you tomorrow and let you know what’s happening,’ he said, giving her a supportive smile.
Julia opened the door and turned to face him before getting out. ‘Don’t mention a word of this to Robert. He doesn’t need to know … If the court case happens in thirty days, it will be all over before he comes home.’ She slapped the keys into his hand. ‘Slip them through the letterbox when you’re finished.’
You’re wrong, Tom thought as he drove away. Robert does need to know. I’ll have to tell him.
Tom was in the process of filing for a ‘no fault’ divorce. Julia’s drinking didn’t have a direct bearing on it, but if she denied the irreconcilable differences, the judge would take her problems into consideration and would come down firmly on Robert’s side.
Julia let herself into the dark emptiness. She needed a drink. She walked over to the drinks cabinet. Her hands shook as she poured herself a stiff brandy. She drank it without stopping and immediately poured herself a second. Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the warm velvet of the sofa. It had been a long day but maybe not a totally disastrous one. She relived her conversation with Dr Stearman and felt the optimism from earlier in the day return. She blocked out any thoughts of the DUI charges. She trusted Tom to make the process as smooth and painless as possible. That’s what he was paid to do. Robert had known him for years and had frequently praised his professionalism and trustworthiness.
She needed to hear Robert’s voice. It was so long since she had spoken to him. The warmth of the brandy gave her the courage to dial his work number, nervous anticipation making her empty stomach churn.
‘Good afternoon. Samantha speaking.’
Samantha was Robert’s secretary. Her voice sounded youthful and Julia felt viciously jealous.
‘Can I speak to Robert Pozos, please?’
‘I’m sorry, Mr Pozos is in Hong Kong. However, I’ll be speaking to him shortly and I can pass on a message.’
‘Tell him his wife called. I’m at home … I’ll wait for him to return my call,’ Julia said with authority.
She poured another glass of brandy. And another. Robert was taking a long time to call back. The bottle was empty.
This is what drunk is … I should call the cops over to do a breath test. I’m probably fifteen times over their stupid limit by now.
Tom phoned Robert from his car phone as he drove home from Julia’s. Samantha answered the phone. He had spoken to her before – she sounded like a sweet young girl. She said that Robert was in Hong Kong but she could transfer the call to his mobile phone if it was urgent. Tom classified the news of Julia’s arrest as urgent.
‘Robert, Tom here. Isn’t Sydney far enough for you? What are you doing way up in Hong Kong?’
‘Keeping my hand in as vice-president – we have a big deal happening here. It’s a nice city but I miss Sydney. I’m getting quite attached to it …’ The line wasn’t great – Robert’s voice had a disconcerting echo. ‘If Samantha has given you this number, you must have something important to tell me.’
‘Yes, I do … Julia was arrested this evening for driving under the influence.’
‘For God sakes, doesn’t she have any sense? Did she hurt anyone?’
‘No. I’d say that she verbally abused the officer who pulled her over, but thankfully she didn’t harm anybody.’
‘How did you find out?’
‘She rang me. She was outraged at the injustice of it all. Her reading was three times the limit. She’s in serious trouble and it hasn’t registered with her yet.’ Tom was matter-of-fact in the way only a busy lawyer could be.
‘How much trouble?’ Robert asked, a sigh in his voice. ‘Will she have to go to prison?’
‘This is California,’ Tom said dryly. ‘You could be arrested for DUI three times and they still wouldn’t lock you up!’
‘I know Julia. She will do it again. And again. By the time she’s locked up, it could be too late, someone could be dead.’
‘She should be in rehab, Rob.’
‘I know. She’s seeing a shrink but she obviously needs more comprehensive treatment. Try convincing her, though …’
Tom was silent for a few moments. An idea was forming. ‘I could try to get the lawyer to negotiate a term in rehab with the district attorney. We could tell Julia that it’s necessary unless she wants to go to prison … She won’t know that you never get put away for a first offence.’
Robert clutched at the idea. ‘It’s worth a try. She needs to be in rehab, and if this is the only way of getting her there
…’
‘I need to check it out with Bill, that’s the lawyer. I’m not an expert in this area.’
‘Thanks, Tom. I appreciate this, and everything else that you’re doing. Keep me posted.’
‘Will do.’
Julia woke downstairs. The floor was hard. Her hand was at eye level. There was dried blood on her fingers. She sat up slowly. She had slept amongst the particles of glass that were all over the carpet. Where had the glass come from? She had been angry, angry with Robert for not calling back. She groaned when she remembered that it was the decanter, the one Robert had been given for his tenth anniversary with Amtech. The wall was marked from the impact. She was horrified at her own destructiveness and was sick before she could make it to the bathroom. She called work to let them know she was too ill to go in.
Dr Linda Stearman held a coffee in her strong tanned hands. Julia was also holding a coffee. Their cups were matching, pieces from a collector’s pottery set.
‘Cherie told me that you were arrested,’ Linda said, assessing Julia’s expressionless face.
Only her hands trembled as she lifted the cup to her lips.
‘It was the evening you had your first consultation with me, right? Let’s talk about what happened after you left here.’
‘I’d rather not.’ Julia’s voice was unyielding.
‘Okay, your choice, but it’s hard for me to help you if you won’t confide in me. We need some trust here if we’re to get anywhere.’ Linda paused to give Julia time to change her mind. She put down her cup on the glass coffee table. She could tell from Julia’s whole demeanour that she wasn’t going to give in. ‘How are things with Robert? Have you spoken with him recently?’
‘Yes.’
Linda sensed a lie in her abruptness. ‘It’s winter over in Sydney, right? Does it get cold?’
When she was faced with a difficult patient, like Julia, she often broke the ice with some friendly but irrelevant chatter. Anything to get the conversation going. Julia’s response was a shrug. Sydney was clearly a sore spot.
‘Are you planning on visiting him while he’s there?’ Linda persisted, staying pleasant.
‘We haven’t fixed a date yet. He’s been busy … same old problem. Amtech always comes before his wife.’
Some emotion at last. Linda was pleased with the breakthrough.
‘Are you being fair? It’s understandable that he would be a little preoccupied with this new role he’s taken on.’
Julia allowed herself to get angry. ‘This role in Australia is just a hobby for Robert. He’s a vice-president, for heaven’s sake, not a finance director in a far-off subsidiary. But it doesn’t matter where he is or what he’s doing, as long as he’s with that company, he’ll have no time for me. Our only chance is if he leaves … then we could be happy.’
Warning bells were clanging for Linda. She tried to diffuse Julia’s hatred for Amtech. ‘Julia, listen to me, this fixation on Robert’s company isn’t healthy for you. You can’t hang all your hopes on him giving up his job.’
Julia didn’t reply. There was a confidence in her smile that Linda didn’t like. The session finished. Linda had an uneasy feeling when Julia left.
Chapter 15
Claire’s spirits were not dampened by the drudge of early check-in, mandatory for the International Terminal, or the delays before take-off. She was in a holiday mood and had to keep reminding herself that she was going to Hong Kong to work.
The flight took nine hours and everyone was glad when the pilot started their descent. As they broke through the dense cloud, she caught a quick glimpse of the imposing mountains that surrounded the steel waters of the harbour. Then, with no warning, the plane dropped violently. She lurched forward in her seat. As it levelled, the pilot’s voice boomed over the intercom.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, I apologise for the sudden drop. We’re experiencing some very bad turbulence which will make our landing quite uncomfortable. Please ensure your belts are tightly fastened.’
Claire fought her way through the thronged airport, shaky from the landing, intimidated by the crowds. She was relieved that all the signs were in English as well as Chinese – it was easy to find her bags and make her way outside to the taxi rank. The taxi driver didn’t speak English but when she wrote down the hotel name for him, he seemed to understand where he was going. As the taxi sped towards the city centre, she was mesmerised, trying to take everything in. The office towers were lit up in an array of electric colours, and conveyed a city that was an unusual mix of East and West. The traffic was fast and heavy, zipping impatiently along the maze of freeways and flyovers.
The hotel was luxurious by her standards but probably nothing out of the ordinary in such an opulent city. Her room had a view of the harbour and the lights from the buildings glowed through the dusk and reflected on the water. She moved away from the hypnotic view and sat on the bed. It was only six o’clock but it was already getting dark. It was a daunting prospect, going out on her own in a strange city at nightfall, but it would be a dreadful waste to stay in her hotel room. The phone rang, intruding on her thoughts.
‘Claire?’ The voice was American.
‘Yes, speaking,’ she answered cautiously.
‘Hello, it’s Tony Falcinella. I’m glad you arrived safely. Welcome to Hong Kong.’
‘Thank you! I’ve just got to my room and I’m trying to decide what to do for the rest of the evening. Do you have any recommendations?’
‘I certainly do. I was calling to see if I could show you some of this wonderful city.’
‘Great, I’d like that. I need about an hour to unpack and have a shower. Is that okay with you?’
‘That’s fine. I’ll see you in the lobby.’
She arrived at the lobby within the hour. Tony wasn’t there. About five minutes later she saw his short, stocky figure approach.
‘Claire, it’s good to see you again.’ Tony was a formal man – he extended his hand for a firm shake.
‘It’s no problem. It’s a welcome break from the humdrum routine of my job back in Sydney.’
‘Where would you like to go? You’re the tourist – you say and I’ll lead,’ he said as they walked from the very cool lobby to the very humid street.
‘I’d like to take a walk around the city and get a feel for it.’
The horrendous rain of the previous week had abated and the evening was sticky but dry. The chaos was charming, too many cars and too many people competing for limited space. They wandered for two hours before Claire announced she would faint unless they went for something to eat. They chose an American-style steakhouse.
‘This isn’t very adventurous but I’m so hungry that I can’t take the risk of not liking what I get,’ she said, sitting down gratefully and studying the menu without delay.
‘You’re right – you do have the rest of the week to sample the local delicacies – like cat and chicken feet.’ Tony kept his face straight as he waited for her reaction.
‘Cat! You can’t be serious? I’m not so sure I’m hungry any longer.’
The waiter came to take their order, interrupting the unsavoury conversation.
‘It’s nice of you to give up your family time to show me around,’ she said, breaking off some bread to nibble.
‘My wife is very understanding. I would have liked her to come along this evening to meet you, but being seven months pregnant is uncomfortable for her.’ He tucked his napkin into his shirt collar. ‘I haven’t told her yet that I’ll be working tomorrow. She won’t be pleased. Sundays have been the only quality time that we’ve had together for the last two months.’
‘Do you want me to go in to the office tomorrow?’ she offered, sensing that he did.
‘I would be very grateful if you could.’ He sounded humble.
‘No worries.’ She moved the subject of conversation away from work. It was clear that he was under enormous pressure. ‘Is this your first child?’
Tony looked proud. ‘No, I have
two other children, ten and four years old.’
She guessed he was tempted to show her the photos he undoubtedly kept in his wallet. She knew he hailed from Amtech in San Jose and she was curious about his wife.
‘Is your wife American?’
‘No, she’s Hong Kong Chinese. I met her when she was studying art in California. I was working in Corporate Finance, for Robert. My wife wanted to come back to her family in Hong Kong after her graduation. We waited for almost five years until the right opportunity came up with Amtech. Robert took a risk putting me in this role … Looking back, I wasn’t quite ready for it. For a man who doesn’t have a family himself, he is extremely supportive of those of us who do. How about you?’ he asked. ‘Do you have a partner?’
She didn’t mind telling him about her woeful love life, he was so easy to talk to. ‘Not at the moment. I was seriously involved with someone in Ireland but we split up – he needed space. He’s getting married to someone else now. I still don’t know how he changed his mind about his freedom so quickly … Then, I met a guy in Australia who was the exact opposite, very full-on. I ended up begging for my space. I can’t seem to strike a happy medium.’
They chatted some more before the conversation inevitably returned to what was at the forefront of Tony’s mind. ‘I’m very glad to have you and Brian here. I’m only sorry that I didn’t ask Robert for help sooner. I thought we could manage alone. I was very wrong – I completely underestimated the effort.’
‘It sounds as if you have all the right people on board now.’ Her tone was reassuring.
‘Everybody except Frank. He’s on vacation, I believe.’
She didn’t know that Frank was away. ‘Brian’s an impressive operator and outsourcing is more up his alley than Frank’s. You’ll be all right.’
It was after midnight when they made it back to the hotel.
‘I’ll pick you up tomorrow on my way to the office,’ he said as she waited for the lift. ‘What time would you like to meet in the lobby?’
‘Whenever you like – I’ll fit in with you.’ She could do with a sleep-in but knew he would appreciate an early start.