“My understanding is that whether it involves one or one hundred areas of noncompliance the entire hearing starts again,” Tony said with false confidence.
“That’s what they want you to believe, but that’s incorrect. Just comply with this section and it’s done. Did you know your clients can ask the government for assistance to help them to comply?” Sam said.
“How?” Barry asked, looking at Tony.
“If the director of either of the two companies involved in the merger puts a request for assistance in writing to the government, they will respond in writing with the best way to get it done. Then, if they still need help, they can arrange for a government official to visit their location and assist them to comply. How about that?” Sam showed them where that was stated in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission guidelines.
“The ACCC guidelines, absolutely. We are going to get along just fine, Professor.” Tony walked over to Sam and shook her hand once again.
“We are off to a great start.” Barry looked satisfied.
Celebration Dinner
Walking into her new apartment after picking up some groceries from the local supermarket on her way home, Sam should have been congratulating herself on a successful first day at her new job.
If that was not enough, she had managed to purchase her opulent apartment outright. But she had no time to rest on her laurels; she needed to read the court hearing transcripts for the case her new boss had tasked her with, after telling him it was nothing she couldn’t handle.
Sam needed some time to get used to the size and splendour of the place—spacious four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with open plan living that she had finally moved into after waiting four weeks for her interior designer to furnish and decorate it.
On her way to her bedroom, she barely noticed the spectacular city views. Positioned on the thirty-fifth level, the view was undoubtedly breathtaking, but she was disappointed that she had been outbid and had missed out on purchasing the penthouse overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, with its own private glass elevator. Plus, she hated that this apartment was only one level above an entire floor of office spaces.
She had no time to spare if she was going to get changed and meet Billy at their favourite Italian restaurant near his apartment at 7:30 p.m. He’d been trying to arrange a celebration dinner for the last couple of weeks and she owed it to him to be there on time.
She felt more guilty than ever for ignoring him, not only during the last two years due to her university commitments, but over the last few weeks. That was now in the past and at dinner, she planned to tell him that he would be her priority from that night onward.
She was so grateful for his support and patience and for helping her with all the tasks she’d set out for him, from paying bills to retrieving things for her that she’d left in his apartment, sometimes even during his work hours.
This thought horrified her as she was applying her makeup. She quickly washed her face, re-applied it, and raced off to catch the Manly ferry.
“Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?” Billy asked with arms open wide as he sauntered over from the restaurant door.
“I love you, honey.” Sam fell into his embrace.
He frowned. “Hey, what’s going on. What happened?”
“Nothing. I’m being silly. I’m just happy to see you.”
“Come on, Sam. What’s going on? Tell me what’s up, please! Did something happen at work?”
“Nothing, honestly. I’m just sorry I haven’t been around very much for you and you do so much for me. I don’t know how you have put up with my shit over the last couple of years.” She fell silently back in his arms.
“Hey, stop that, sweetheart. Don’t worry, I haven’t done anything I didn’t want to do. I’m with you and I do those things for you because I love you.” Billy held her tightly. “No more tears now, because tonight we’re celebrating.”
Once they were seated, Sam slipped off to the bathroom to fix her makeup again while Billy ordered their drinks. The restaurant was busy for a Monday night, but it was summer and the start of the school holidays, so Sam suspected they were lucky to get a table without a booking.
“I’ve ordered the wine. Are you alright, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Sorry about that, honey. I’m so sorry for everything over the last few years. It’s just hit me, and I don’t know how you put up with it all this time!” She couldn’t start crying again. There were only so many times in one day she could fix her makeup.
The waiter arrived with their bottle of wine and poured them both a full glass and promised to come back shortly and take their meal orders.
“Enough of that, tonight is all about you, Sam—a celebration of an incredible accomplishment. Did you know that you started uni in early 2014, completed your bachelor’s degree twelve months later, and immediately commenced a PhD? If that wasn’t enough, you became a university lecturer and bloody completed your PhD eighteen months later. Who does that? Dr Samantha Page, I may not be a scholar, but I know this is unheard of.
“Then you got a six-month full-time teaching spot at the same uni. And now you’ve started a fancy new job and moved into your new apartment. That’s sensational, Sam! Yes, 2017 has been a huge year for you. A toast to Dr Samantha Page, the woman who can do anything!”
“How did you remember all that?” Sam blushed and laughed.
“It was easy because I’m so proud of you. But now I’m starving so let’s get something to eat.” His stomach rumbled.
They both laughed and opened their menus and, when their waiter returned, placed their orders. As they enjoyed their wine and just spending time together, Sam made a promise that she would have every weekend dedicated to him without fail.
As they walked hand-in-hand out of the restaurant, Billy said, “Let’s take a walk along the beach, sweetheart.”
“It’s Monday. I need to get back home for an early start tomorrow,” she said regretfully, placing her hand on the side of his face.
“I understand; it’s a new job. I’m sorry for arranging this on a Monday night.” He kissed her palm.
“Why are you apologising? I should be apologising! Remember, starting this weekend, I’m going to spoil you. Just you wait and see. Walk me to the ferry and I’ll tell you what I’m going to do to you.” She pulled him towards the wharf.
As they walked to the ferry, they discussed how they would pleasure each other in her new apartment on the weekend. He seemed surprised by her renewed focus on him but pleased.
On her return to her apartment, Sam got straight into her reading and didn’t stop for three hours. It was almost midnight when she put the book glasses away and got ready for bed, after setting an alarm on her phone for 6:30 a.m.
The next morning, she was impressed with herself for making it in to work in forty minutes. Ten faster than the previous day.
“Good morning, Dr Page. Sorry to disturb you but I came in early to meet you. Hi, I’m your personal legal secretary, Joanne Lewis,” a young woman announced cheerfully. She was petite with soft brown eyes and an open face.
“Hi, Joanne. Please call me Sam. Come in. How are you?” She got up from behind her desk and walked over to her.
“Good, thanks. Welcome onboard. I’ve heard so much about you and I’m looking forward to working for you.”
“Thank you. Have you been working here long?” Sam asked, looking her up and down.
“Yes, nearly ten years now. I’m up from conveyancing. I hope you don’t mind, but I must ask you, I need this Friday off, please. I’m picking up my parents from the airport. They are flying in from Brisbane and staying over for the weekend.”
“Yes, of course, Joanne., Anything else I can help you with, please let me know.”
“You are too kind, Sam. Thank you. I’ll be in the front office if you need me and I’ll also be handling all your incoming calls. Can I get you a tea or coffee?”
“I can get my own tea and coffe
e, Joanne. Thank you anyway.”
“I don’t mind. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I have a huge pile of documents I need you to file away for me please, so you can start on those. And, Joanne, I’m really looking forward to working with you,” Sam said while walking her out the door.
Around morning teatime, Sam was in the boardroom in a senior staff meeting when Joanne walked in and whispered in her ear, “There are two police officers in your office.”
Sam immediately stood up, excused herself and followed her back to her office. “Do you know why they’re here?”
“No, they just asked for you.”
“Hello, I’m Samantha Page. How can I help you?” Sam said as she walked into her office.
“Hello, Dr Page, I’m Senior Constable Larry Bennett and this is Constable Martha Brently. We are from Manly Police Station. Sorry to interrupt your work, ma’am. It took us a while to track you down.”
She looked them up and down. The two constables were as well-built and bulky as she would have expected, but it was the look on their faces that brought about the whisper of nerves. It was a while since Sam had felt that way. “Yes, this is only my second day working here,” she said, trying to smile.
“Yes, Professor Grasim from Sydney University told us we could find you here. Ma’am, we regret to inform you that William Ashley was attacked last night while walking home. An ambulance was called but, I’m sorry, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Manly Hospital.”
As Sam buckled and dropped to the floor, he said, “Martha, quick, call an ambulance. She’s fainted.”
Not Billy!
“Dr Page, it’s okay, you’ve just fainted. You’re in your office and we would like to take you to St Vincent’s Hospital for a check-up as a precaution,” the paramedic said as he took her vital signs.
“What happened?” Sam asked, still hazy. It all came back to her when she sat up and saw the police officers. “Not Billy. No, not Billy!” Sam sobbed, her heart breaking into pieces.
“Do we have your permission to take you to the hospital for a check-up, Dr Page?” the paramedic asked.
“No, I’m okay. I just need to sit down for a while,” she said between sobs as tears streamed down her face. The paramedic helped her up off the floor and walked her over to her chair behind her desk. “Can you tell me where Billy is, please?”
“The police officers are still here. I’ll go get them for you.”
“Ma’am, we can take you to identify the body,” Senior Constable Bennett said when he came back into her office.
“How do you know it’s my Billy?”
“His driver’s licence was in his wallet as was your picture.”
Sam looked at Barry, who was standing just inside her office looking concerned but helpless. He caught her eye. “Go and do what you need to do. Take whatever time you need.”
Distraught and heartbroken, she turned to the police officer. “Okay, thank you.”
“Certainly, ma’am,” he replied respectfully.
“Have his parents been notified?” Sam asked after gathering herself and looking around frantically for her glasses.
“I can find out for you.” He asked his partner to call in to let Manly Hospital know they were on their way with Dr Page.
“My glasses, I can’t find my glasses!” said Sam.
“I’ve got them, Dr Page, here you go.” The paramedic handed them to her. “I took them off while I was conducting my examination. They’re very fancy.”
“Thank you. They’re a family heirloom,” she explained with a sick feeling in her stomach.
The two officers escorted her out of her office into a full room of silent, staring staff, but she barely noticed any of them.
She found herself in the back of a police car on the way to do the unimaginable. She struggled to contain herself and, when it was confirmed that Billy’s parents had not yet been contacted, she broke down again and sobbed.
When they arrived at Many Hospital, Sam was barely holding herself together and the shock of seeing Billy’s lifeless body was so overwhelming that the hospital duty doctor administered a mild sedative.
By the time the police officers got her back to her apartment and settled her on the lounge, she had come out of her numb state and thanked them for driving her home. When she closed the door on them, she burst into tears and sobbed until her tears ran out.
It was a few days later, after ignoring many knocks on the door, phone calls and text messages, she decided to answer a knock that was a little more aggressive and persistent than the others. Still in her nightwear and looking like a zombie, she opened the door.
“Sam, you okay, darling?” Sister Sue said, bursting into tears.
“Oh, Sister Sue, Billy is gone. He’s dead!” Sam cried.
“I know, darling, I know. I just found out and I’m sorry for taking so long to get here to see you, but you are a hard person to find, my darling.” Still in the doorway, Sister Sue embraced Sam with tears streaming down her face.
“How did you find me?”
“Professor Grasim told me where to find you.”
“Please come in!” Sam almost dragged her inside and closed the door.
“Oh, my goodness, Sam.” Sue gaped at the opulence of her new apartment.
“Yes, I know. It’s a little over the top, isn’t it?”
“A little over the top is an understatement. It’s the lifestyle of the rich and famous.”
“Thank you for coming, Sue. I really need to talk to you.”
“What happened to Billy? I was watching the news and they showed his photo and said he was attacked by three men on his way home to his apartment. I was shocked when they said they’d killed him. Why would anyone kill such a good boy?”
Sam froze. “Did you say three men?”
“That’s what they said on the news.”
Her mind raced. Three men… “All I know from the police is that he was attacked near his apartment, that’s it. What else did they say on the news?”
“Witnesses spotted three men dragging Billy into a street near his apartment and he was later found by a shopkeeper. Oh, Sam, I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without him, Sue. That kind of love only ever comes once in a lifetime.” Sam fell into her arms.
After holding her for a few minutes, Sister Sue pulled away. Sam was surprised by the resolute look on her face. “Sam, look at me, my darl—” She stopped short when the doorbell began to ring nonstop.
Startled, they went to the door and opened it.
The two police officers who had notified her about Billy were standing outside. “Sorry to trouble you again, Dr Page. Can we come in, please?” asked the senior officer.
“Yes, come in. This is Sister Sue,” Sam said.
“Hello, Sister. I’m Senior Constable Larry Bennett and this is Constable Martha Brently from Manly Police Station,” he said as they walked in.
“You have a beautiful home, ma’am,” Officer Brently said while placing her folder on the coffee table.
“Why didn’t you tell me three men killed him? It’s all over the TV,” Sam asked.
He frowned. “It was early in the investigations and we didn’t want to tell you until we had the facts and yes, you are right, three men have been identified by witnesses and we have confirmed that with CCTV,” he said.
“And what have you done about it?” Sam asked.
Senior Constable Bennett stood up. “That’s why we are here, to tell you that the three suspects have been arrested. We will be charging them later today with the murder of William Ashley.”
Sam choked back tears. “Thank you, thank you so much.”
The following few weeks were a blur for Sam. Being without Billy sent her to that dark place that was all too familiar from her childhood. It was as if his killers had taken her life as well as his. She felt broken beyond repair. The road she had travelled had changed her in a way she wasn’t sure she fully u
nderstood.
But she knew one thing—Billy’s killers wouldn’t get away with it.
That meant she had to snap out of it. She needed to make sure they paid for his death and she would make sure it hurt.
It’s My Business
Late one afternoon, Sam received a text from Barry Stanley requesting she call him urgently.
After some small talk, Barry got to the point of his call. “I have a friend, a well-known businessman, who’s fallen on hard times after his marriage failed and his health took a bad turn. He is looking for a business partner who is trustworthy, honest and smart, and you were the first person I thought of.”
Despite the dead feeling that was constant since Billy had died, Sam couldn’t deny she was flattered. “I’ll have to think about it.”
“Will you at least meet with him? He’s happy to come to your apartment if it’s easier for you. I can bring him over.”
Sam barely thought about the meeting until 9 a.m. approached and she went to welcome her guests into her home.
“Good morning, Samantha. Oh sorry, Dr Page. I’d like to introduce you to Malcolm Sutton,” Barry said as they stepped into her apartment.
Standing over six-foot-tall with intelligent hazel eyes and short jet-black hair that must have been dyed, Malcolm Sutton was a man she felt strangely comfortable with, despite having just met him. “Hello, gentlemen. Welcome,” Sam said politely.
“Pleased to meet you, Dr Page,” Sutton said, looking at her up and down. He seemed surprised at how young she was; a reaction that she saw all too often.
“Please call me Sam. Come into the boardroom where I have arranged to have morning tea. Would you like tea or coffee?” She walked them inside.
The Book Glasses Page 15