by Ber Carroll
There was a brief silence, Robert knew something serious was coming.
‘Speaking of your position, and considering the delicate situation with Cathair, I’ve decided to allow you to continue as vice-president while we investigate the fraud … However, I feel compelled to make it clear that under more normal circumstances I would suspend you immediately.’
Robert could understand Donald’s position. The president had a crisis on his hands. If the fraud scandal leaked to the shareholders, their confidence in the company would plummet. As would the share price and Donald’s share options, his nest-egg for his retirement. Then there was Cathair to consider. They were both painfully aware that they only had a letter of intent, not a signed contract. For these reasons, Donald needed Robert to continue in his role, and for the shareholders and Cathair to know nothing of the investigation taking place behind the scenes.
‘I understand.’ Robert stood to leave.
There was a lot he wanted to discuss with Donald but now wasn’t the time. Donald needed to let off steam, show that he was in charge. With that now established, Robert would be able to have a more productive discussion with him next time around.
It had been a long afternoon and Claire went to some considerable effort with dinner in an attempt to take her mind off Robert. She laid the table out on the balcony and opened a bottle of wine. It was six when the phone rang. She did some quick calculations on the time difference: it was the middle of the night in San Jose. She only picked up the phone when she concluded it was unlikely to be Robert.
‘Fiona’s not home yet,’ she said when she recognised Den’s voice.
‘I guess I’ll call back later.’ He sounded disappointed.
‘Hold on. Can I ask you a work question?’
‘Only if you promise never to mock me again for being a lawyer.’
‘Okay, I’ll try,’ she smiled before launching into a summarised version of what had happened that morning, ‘Amtech have retrenched me … at least I think they have. They offered me a very generous termination cheque in return for my signature on a non-disclosure statement.’ She paused to get his reaction.
‘I’m listening.’
‘I feel that the whole process was very unfair. I didn’t want to take the cheque but they said I was being let go regardless and, if I didn’t sign the non-disclosure, I would only get the minimum statutory payment.’
Den’s response was slow and considered. ‘When you transferred from Ireland, did your contract say that your period of service would be continued in Australia?’
‘No, I was terminated in Ireland and rehired here.’
‘That means your statutory payment would only be your notice period and a couple of weeks.’
‘That’s what they said. Can I sue for unfair dismissal?’
‘You could. However, the most you would get is six months’ pay. It sounds as if you’ve got more than that already with this cheque they gave you.’
She could hear some sympathy in his voice.
‘Yes, you’re right.’
‘Do you want me to have a look at the non-disclosure statement?’ he offered as an afterthought.
‘No, it’s okay,’ she sighed. ‘It’s probably best that I walk away and try to put it behind me.’
‘Ring me if you change your mind.’
‘Thanks. I’ll tell Fiona you called.’
Fiona didn’t come in until after seven and it was dark when they sat down to eat. The balcony light was blown and Claire put a small candle on the table. It was a romantic setting and she thought of Robert despite herself.
‘So, I’m unemployed, a new experience for me,’ she declared with a cynical smile.
‘At least you’re rich,’ Fiona commented, the glow from the candle flickering across her face.
‘I’m not sure that I did the right thing, taking the money … I feel as if I let them buy me out.’
‘Don’t be stupid – it could take you a while to find another job,’ Fiona said practically.
‘Yeah … you’re right …’
‘Did you call any of the employment agencies this afternoon?’ Fiona asked, sipping from her wineglass.
‘No. I have to come up with a story that explains my sudden departure from Amtech.’ Claire shrugged and looked at Fiona for ideas.
‘Didn’t David offer to give you a verbal reference?’
‘Yeah, but I look on that as a last resort … I don’t trust David any more … I can’t believe he was so callous to me.’
They sat companionably for a while as they finished the meal and the bottle of wine. Then the phone started to ring inside the apartment.
‘I’ll get it,’ Fiona offered.
Claire watched Fiona through the balcony doors as she picked up the phone. Her lips moved as she spoke, and she hung up within seconds.
‘Was it Den? I forgot to tell you he called earlier,’ Claire said when she came back outside.
‘No, it was Robert. I told him you were out.’
Claire’s heart raced.
He phoned. He wants to talk to me.
‘What did he say?’
‘Only that he would call back another time … I resisted the temptation to tell him to go to hell.’
She didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved that Fiona had taken matters into her own hands by saying she was out.
‘You know, I just can’t believe that Robert walked away from this without losing his job,’ Fiona said, shaking her head.
‘Welcome to the world of corporate politics. If you know the right people, you can get away with anything,’ Claire replied, her tone absent, still thinking of his phone call.
‘It seems so unfair. Don’t you want to get back at him in some way?’
Claire didn’t know what she wanted. She still couldn’t believe Robert had done this. They were silent as they listened to the sounds of suburban life drifting up from the street below. A woman was having a fight with her partner. Her voice was shrill and ugly, his answers low-toned and menacing. Another neighbour was trying to start his dead car, the engine coughing irritably until he finally gave up. At that moment, it all seemed very mundane and depressing to Claire. Her thoughts settled on what Susan had said about her mother being lonely – it had been niggling at the back of her mind for a few weeks.
‘Maybe I should go home …’ she said, her voice quiet as she looked at Fiona for her reaction.
‘Now you’re being ridiculous. You’ll still have the same problems in Ireland, just with the extra misery of the weather.’
Her bluntness made Claire smile. Fiona might not be very reassuring but she was unquestionably honest. It started to rain again, the soft drops sprinkling Claire’s bare arms. They quickly cleared the table and went inside.
There was a gentle knock on her door. Julia was in bed but awake. She sat up as Amy opened the door and popped her head inside.
‘Sorry to disturb you but there’s a call holding for you downstairs,’ she said with her usual annoying smile.
‘Okay, give me a minute,’ Julia replied tersely, making a point of waiting until Amy closed the door before getting out of bed.
Sudden panic struck as she put on her silk dressing-gown and went downstairs.
Please don’t let it be Robert … He couldn’t have found out I’m staying here, could he?
There was only one phone that the patients could use and it was inconveniently located in the hallway. She rudely slammed the door of the television room to block out the noise, before picking up the receiver.
‘Julia? It’s Cherie.’
‘Cherie? It’s very late,’ Julia said, her voice immediately defensive. She knew she had behaved badly when Cherie visited. She knew she owed her an apology.
‘Look, I know it’s late but I thought you would want to hear the good news,’ Cherie said, sounding excited.
‘What good news?’ Julia asked cautiously.
‘Robert’s back,’ Cherie revealed, almost triumphantly. ‘Way
ne saw him at work.’
‘You’re kidding me … really?’ Julia asked, sitting down slowly on the worn armchair next to the phone stand. She tucked the smooth silk of her dressing-gown around her legs.
‘Yes, really!’
‘He must have been worried that I went away on “holiday” without him.’ Julia gave a small laugh. The sound was foreign. It seemed like months since she had laughed. ‘Cherie, I’m sorry about last Sunday … I wasn’t feeling myself. This place is enough to drive any normal person around the bend.’
‘It’s no problem, I understand.’
‘Okay, thanks … well, goodnight – I guess I’ll see you soon.’
‘Keep your chin up. You’re halfway through – I know you can survive it.’
‘I hope I can …’
‘Do you want me to come and pick you up next week?’ Cherie offered.
‘Thanks, that would be great.’
‘Okay, I’ll get Wayne to mind the kids – he can work from home. We’ll do something nice, something to celebrate your new beginning,’ Cherie said enthusiastically.
Julia was grateful for her kindness, her endless support, but she didn’t know how to put her gratitude into words. She went back to bed and sat up against the pillows, reliving all the good times with Robert, excited about their future. He was back. Soon she would be able to see his suntanned face, run her fingertips through the bristle of his beard, feel his arms around her.
Donald acknowledged Robert with a civil nod as he shut the door behind him.
Robert sat down. They faced each other silently until Donald got up to pace restlessly around the office.
‘This company, ARS Corporation … I vaguely remember Julia buying a shelf company last year,’ Robert said, moving in his seat to keep up eye contact. ‘I think I can remember agreeing to be a director. She said she wanted to start a small business … I wasn’t listening too carefully at the time.’
‘Maybe you should learn to listen more carefully in the future!’ Donald’s words were harsh but Robert knew him well enough to detect a slight softening in his attitude since yesterday.
‘Point taken,’ he said.
‘Why would Julia do this?’
Donald was standing by the door. Robert turned in his seat to face him.
‘She’s an alcoholic … She’s mentally unstable … To tell you the truth, she’s capable of anything.’ He sighed, remembering how she had trashed the room in Sydney.
‘Do me a favour and choose your next wife more carefully,’ said Donald, making a gruff stab at humour.
Robert resisted the temptation to remind him that it was he who suggested they marry in the first place. To avoid gossip, of all things!
‘I can’t get this clear in my head,’ Donald said, his shrewd eyes focused on Robert. ‘There must be someone else involved. If it was Julia, she must have had a contact in Amtech Australia to pull this off.’
Robert had expected his line of questioning. He had nothing to substantiate his suspicions about Frank; however, he acknowledged that Donald deserved as much information as he could give him.
‘Yeah … I’ve been thinking along those lines too,’ he said slowly. ‘The only person I can think of is Frank Williams.’
‘Who is Frank Williams?’
‘The sales and marketing manager.’
‘Why do you think it’s him?’
‘I’m only guessing here, but he signed off on the invoices from DC Solutions, and he has a gambling problem so he probably needs money … and he knows Julia – they were very friendly when she went to Sydney a few weeks ago.’
‘When we finish here, ring that HR guy in Australia and tell him to get rid of Frank Williams immediately,’ Donald instructed ruthlessly.
‘I have no proof –’
‘I don’t care. Get him out of Amtech.’
It was out of character for Donald to be so rash. Robert’s reply was quietly determined. ‘I don’t want to get rid of Frank the way you did with Claire Quinlan.’
‘Who’s Claire Quinlan?’
Robert realised that Donald wouldn’t have bothered to commit Claire’s name to his memory.
‘The girl who uncovered all this and did the right thing by escalating it.’
‘Of course we had to get rid of her,’ Donald spluttered. ‘If this stuff leaks out, we’re in serious trouble. Cathair would certainly pull the plug.’
‘That may be true, but I still think that terminating Claire was unethical and unfair,’ Robert persevered. ‘She’s a professional – she could have been relied on to keep quiet while we investigated.’
‘I don’t have the privilege of knowing her personally. I had some tough decisions to make. It was a crisis, damn it!’
Donald’s face was a deep purple. Robert had never heard him swear before.
‘I’m just saying you were very fast to get rid of her,’ Robert commented, an outrageous thought coming into his mind.
Very fast, suspiciously fast. And I’m almost certain that Frank has a US-based accomplice.
Donald didn’t respond, his face still an unhealthy colour. Robert dragged his thoughts away from Frank’s accomplice to say, ‘I’ve checked all our bank accounts and can’t find where Julia would have lodged the money. If it was her, I’m not sure that I can retrieve the money without police assistance.’
Donald had to sit down on his chair. He glared at Robert from across the desk. ‘I decide when the police get involved, not you, and right now I can’t afford an indiscretion on their part.’
‘Believe me, I have the same concerns as you –’
‘Cathair should be signed by the end of next week,’ Donald cut in. ‘The police will be informed then and no sooner. Understand?’
Robert did understand: in Donald’s eyes Robert’s job was hanging by a thread, the flimsy thread of Donald’s own paranoia about the scandal leaking out.
The meeting was over. Donald’s shutters were up.
Robert was on his way out when Donald reminded him, ‘And remember, pay this Frank Williams some money and get him out of Amtech.’
Robert stopped in his tracks.
‘No, Donald, I will not pay Frank Williams out. If he leaves the company I have no way of finding out what happened, or clearing my name.’
He continued on his way before Donald thought of pulling rank.
‘I wasn’t expecting you home tonight,’ Claire said, looking up when Fiona came in. It was late; she had spent the last few hours updating her résumé.
‘You’re going to kill me,’ Fiona grimaced as she shut the door.
‘What have you done now?’ Claire asked, laughing.
‘I blabbed to James and Paul that you had been seeing Robert.’
‘You didn’t!’ Claire’s amusement vanished.
Fiona nodded. ‘Sorry.’
‘That was really stupid!’
‘I know. I know.’
‘James will tell everyone … Emma … Stacey …’
‘He won’t. I made him promise.’
Claire took a few deep breaths before asking, ‘What else did you tell them? You didn’t tell them I was paid money to leave, did you?’
‘No … only that you had a fling with Robert … I tried to backtrack but they immediately started firing questions at me.’
‘Of course they would! You don’t get much juicier office gossip than that!’
‘No, it was different,’ Fiona said, sitting down with a long sigh. ‘They weren’t interested in the gossip, they were asking other stuff.’
‘What do you mean? Was Paul jealous?’
‘No … at least I don’t think so …’
‘Charming! I’m not sure why he ever went out with me.’
‘David had told James you left Amtech for a competitor – he wanted to know who it was.’
Claire groaned inwardly at the complex web of lies. ‘What did you tell him?’
‘That I couldn’t remember.’
‘Did he ask why Robert le
ft so suddenly?’
Fiona rolled her eyes. ‘Why Robert left, whether he would be returning to Sydney … that’s why I didn’t stay over tonight – I had a pain in my head from all the questions.’
Claire could feel the beginnings of a headache herself.
‘Just make sure you tell them nothing else. It’s bad enough as it is,’ she said, getting up to go to bed.
‘I won’t. And I’m really sorry.’
After another restless night, Claire got up early the next day and went back to her résumé. She was finding it difficult to summarise all the experience she had gained over the last nine months: everything she’d learned about managing the inputs and outputs of the Finance department; everything she’d learned about the forces driving the business and the deals; everything she’d learned from being mentored by Harry and then Robert. It seemed that just as she’d found her rhythm with the job, she’d lost it. It wasn’t fair.
‘I’ve got the answer to all your problems right here,’ Fiona declared, waving a sheet of paper as she came in from work.
‘Really? That’s a relief!’ Claire said sarcastically.
‘Yes, it’s the intervention of fate.’ Fiona was being unusually overdramatic. ‘I saw this internal advertisement at work today. It’s for a project controller in our Melbourne office.’
‘Melbourne? What’s that got to do with me?’
‘Well, you said you wanted to get away from Sydney. Going to Melbourne would be a hell of a lot better than running home to Ireland in defeat!’
‘But I don’t even know anybody in Melbourne,’ Claire said with an incredulous laugh.
‘I’ve got a few contacts in our office down there. They’re really nice people.’ Fiona’s face was earnest.
‘I’ve never been a project controller before,’ Claire pointed out. ‘They probably want someone with previous experience.’
‘But they need someone quickly and you have the huge advantage of being available immediately.’ Fiona thrust the printed page in front of Claire. ‘Have a look at the job description – you’d be well able to handle it.’
‘It does look interesting,’ Claire admitted when she finished reading.