Detective Gower and Roth seemed to fade away and it was almost as if she was back in her tiny studio apartment at the university.
“Billy, I have something important to tell you. Come here!” Sam called.
He was putting the kettle on to make a cup of tea. His eyes lit up. “Wait, don’t tell me… you’re pregnant?”
Sam was surprised by his answer. “No, you silly billy. I bought the Millennium apartment.”
“Wow, that’s awesome, but I thought you were moving in with me after your uni commitment finishes in six weeks?” He sounded a little disappointed.
“No, you know I want us to live in the city. I wanted to buy the penthouse, remember, but someone else gave them a better offer. Anyway, the apartment I just bought will do until the penthouse becomes available again. And when it does, it will not slip through my fingers a second time, that’s for sure!”
“What about my place?”
“Now that it’s paid off, how about we keep it for our weekend place. What do you think?”
“Sounds great. I’m happy if you’re happy!” Billy said with his special smile.
“Thanks, honey! Anyway, what if I were pregnant?”
“Are you?” Billy’s smile grew wider.
“No, of course not. But how would you feel if I were?”
“I would be the happiest guy in the world.”
She smiled. “You know, I have loved you in all the wrong ways. Thank you, my darling, I will make it up to you soon.”
His love warmed her heart. She was the luckiest woman in the world to have him.
He stepped forward to take her into his arms.
“Dr Page, are you alright? Dr Page? Hello!” Roth said, holding the door open for her.
Sam blinked a couple of times, not ready to leave her memories of Billy behind. Her eyes filled with tears at the reminder that he would never see their baby. “Yeah… what did you say?”
“We are waiting to take you home. Are you okay, doc?”
She wiped away the tears. “Sorry about that. Don’t know what got into me.”
“That’s okay. This way back to the car and we’ll get you home.”
Back To Business
The silence in the car was deafening as the two detectives drove Sam back to her apartment. When they arrived outside, she hastily bid them goodbye, nodded to the security guard standing by her private elevator and headed upstairs.
After climbing out of a still-warm bath with the scent of bergamot clinging to her skin, Sam pulled on a pair of yoga pants and one of Billy’s favourite T-shirts and ordered dinner from her favourite restaurant. It was a three-hat restaurant that, as a rule, didn’t make deliveries, but Sam had come to an agreement with them, for a price, and the food was worth every cent.
Having thanked the delivery man, she sat down to her duck and cauliflower in red wine jus with salted grapes and a side of broccolini. She reached for a bottle of Grange Shiraz, a perfect match for the duck, when she remembered the baby and opted instead for a bottle of sparkling grape juice. Although definitely not a Grange, it was a refreshing drink and would not put her baby at risk.
She was glad to be home and eager to get back to business first thing in the morning. She yawned as she finished her drink, so she headed off to bed. Exhausted, physically, and emotionally, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she slipped into a deep sleep.
The next morning, she had a 10 a.m. meeting scheduled with her team of lawyers to follow up on the merger approval and to congratulate them on a job well done. They had texted her the previous afternoon to inform her that the merger approval had been granted.
Before they arrived, she called Betty for an update and to inform her that she’d decided to fly over to Perth in the company jet later in the day to get the ball rolling on the merger.
“Welcome, please come in. I have morning tea ready in the boardroom and we can talk there,” Sam said to the lawyers with a smile as they entered. “Please serve yourself. There are hot and cold beverages, warm croissants and an assortment of freshly baked muffins.”
Once they had helped themselves to food and drink and each had taken a seat at the table, Sam said, “Who’s going to update me on the proceedings of yesterday’s hearing?”
Lyn Blackwood took the lead. “Ma’am, it was like clockwork. Everything went exactly as you said it would. We used your thirty-five-point plan as instructed without any resistance. We asked the panel to provide us with a set of guidelines to cross-reference with our understanding of them, which worked. We went through the points step by step and once the panel saw that our plan matched their guidelines, we had it in the bag.”
“What about any other interests opposing the merger?” Sam asked, looking at the men for a response.
“There was no opposition whatsoever,” said Craig.
“By 3 p.m. it was all done!” Lyn added.
“Outstanding!” She shook hands with each of them.
“Where were you? I thought you said you would be there all day,” Lyn asked.
“I was… tied up, let’s say… a bloody hectic situation!” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, well done, team. Great work. Please eat up and enjoy.”
“Sorry you missed it,” said Lyn.
“Never mind. On another subject, I would like you three to join the Page Global team. If you are agreeable and are happy to work exclusively for me, I would be proud to have you all on board. With the merger approved, we have a lot of work to do to complete that project as well as other business in the works. Page Global needs to establish a good working relationship with a bank and we need to investigate our international law obligations.”
Sam handed a folder of documents to each of the three. “Here are copies of your contracts for you to review if you are interested. You have a week to think about it and get back to me.”
Again, Lyn took the lead after they all looked at the amount of the retainer just for agreeing to the contract. “I don’t need any more time to think about it, Dr Page, I would all love to work for you. And I’d be happy to sign my contract now!”
“So would I,” agreed Craig and Chris almost simultaneously.
“That’s what I want to hear, great! Are you ready to start work tomorrow?”
They all nodded.
“Fantastic! I’m flying to Perth today and will contact you from there. Once you have signed your contracts, I will immediately deposit your retainer into each of your accounts before I go. Again, well done and I’m looking forward to working with you.” She shook each of their hands again.
After some more small talk, Lyn, Craig, and Chris walked out and into the elevator, leaving Sam extremely satisfied both with their accomplishment of achieving government approval for the merger and securing their services. She could now make her way to Perth to get the merger moving, knowing they would be available to back her up throughout the process.
No sooner had she transferred their retainers into their accounts she got changed, packed a bag, and grabbed an Uber to the airport. Her jet was already out on the private section of the busy airport tarmac with its engines running.
“How was the flight, Sam?” Betty asked, placing a huge pile of folders into her arms as the office staff relieved her of her handbag and travel luggage.
“Good thanks, Betty. What’s all this? Can’t you wait until I settle in first?” Sam asked.
“No time for that, sorry. I’m just following your instructions, remember,” Betty replied, walking back to her desk.
Sam put on the book glasses to take in everything in the folders Betty had handed her. She was pleasantly surprised to discover Malcolm's intention, once the merger had been approved, was to increase coal production without incurring huge additional labour costs, which the company could ill-afford. The plan was well thought out and had merit.
She was also thrilled to discover that supply wasn’t an issue and planned to meet with the industry’s labour union to work out a deal to extend workers’ shifts in the shor
t-term as a way of keeping jobs. In return, a guarantee would be put in place to assure workers that once volume was up and yield targets achieved, shifts would go back to how they were, plus a four percent wage increase for each employee.
She needed to get the union representatives to understand that, without this deal, in less than twelve months the company would be bankrupt and all its employees out of work. All her capital was going into the merger, so this deal was simply about keeping Page Global employees in jobs for the long-term.
Sam quickly drafted a letter and forwarded it to her team in Sydney, who established contact with union officials and arranged a meeting at the Perth office in two days’ time.
Betty insisted Sam stay at her place for the night and they stopped for dinner at a Yum Cha restaurant near her home. Over a smorgasbord of delicious dim sum along with Chinese tea, they talked mostly about Malcolm.
“After my husband died from lung cancer almost ten years ago, Malcolm and his wife, Alice, were very supportive and that’s when I got close to Alice,” said Betty. “Around about the same time, she started working in the office with Malcolm, but the constant closeness ended up being too much and it was the beginning of the end of their marriage.
“They split up twice. The first time was almost five years ago and the second and final time was last year. It was after their first breakup that our affair began, but it didn’t last long.”
Sam hid her surprise at Betty’s openness. “And Malcolm and Alice got back together after you split up? That must have been hard for you.”
“Yes, by the time they got back together, we had ended our affair and didn’t bring it up again. When they separated for good last year, Malcolm was initially so distraught that I kept away from him, waiting for him to make the first move… but I waited too long,” Betty whispered, sipping on her green jasmine tea.
“Sorry, Betty. You loved him, didn’t you?” Sam said.
“I guess I did,” she admitted.
It struck Sam as sad that Betty hadn’t made Malcolm aware of how she’d felt about him or tried to reignite their relationship.
Back at Betty’s house, Sam thanked her for sharing her battle with her. Their surprisingly intimate conversation had distracted her from the concerns of her upcoming meeting with the union officials.
Also, not once that evening had Sam thought about the lowlife Antonios Garza, who nearly got away with not only the book glasses but also the murder of Mr Harman, Dr Dunn, and her beloved Billy. Now that Garza was forever out of her life, for the first time since taking possession of the glasses, it felt strange for her to not be looking over her shoulder. A sense of peacefulness washed over her and the thought that no one else would try to take them from her brought a smile to her face.
The next morning Sam and Betty picked up breakfast on the way into the office. Then, working with her team in Sydney, they finalised the proposal, and they set up the boardroom for video conferencing to allow her team to participate in the meeting as a show of strength to intimidate the union officials.
The meeting came and went without any hitches, with the union officials agreeing to all her requests. As soon as they left, and before shutting down the video link, Sam decreed that celebrations were in order and asked for the champagne that had been delivered to the Perth office and her team in Sydney especially for the occasion, be opened immediately.
As she enjoyed a glass of bubbly with her team on both coasts, she felt she had it all. Looking around with a smile from ear to ear, she envisaged a wealthy future beyond her dreams and was determined that nothing and no one would stop her from achieving it.
You Killed My Father
Sam stayed another two days with Betty as they both arranged the purchase of an apartment in Perth for Sam before flying back to Sydney. En route from the airport via an Uber, she checked in with Lyn, Craig, and Chris to inform them of her return.
Back in her Sydney apartment, Sam walked into her boardroom to drop off the meeting’s documents. She screamed at the scene before her. Sister Sue was tied to one of the chairs, bruised and battered and crying profusely.
“About time, mademoiselle, we’ve been waiting for you!” a well-groomed man bellowed in a mixed Australian and French accent. He wore black trousers and his white shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal tanned forearms. With one hand he grabbed Sister Sue by her hair and with the other, he held a knife to her throat.
“Who are you and what have you done to Sister Sue? Who sent you?” Sam yelled as her briefcase and the documents she held dropped to the floor.
“I will be asking the questions, mon cheri,” he said, gliding the blunt edge of the blade across the skin of Sue’s throat, back and forth, almost like a dare.
“Sister Sue, what are you doing here?” Sam asked.
“I was waiting for your text, and I got worried, so I came here to see if you were okay, and he opened the—” A vicious blow to the side of Sue’s face abruptly cut her off.
“Leave her alone, you fucker! I’m sorry, Sue, I forgot all about you. Everything is fine now,” Sam said, horrified that she’d put her in harm’s way.
Without looking at Sam, the man calmly turned the blade over and rested it on Sue’s neck, at the same time using his other hand to mime what looked like a spray of blood coming from Sue’s throat.
“Okay, okay, please don’t hurt her. I will tell you anything you want,” Sam said.
The man turned toward her. “I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to kill her!”
“Why would you want to kill a nun?” Sam asked, more confused than ever.
“You killed my father so I will kill your mother,” the deranged man stated, his eyes filled with hatred.
“You must be mistaken! Who’s your father? And Sister Sue is a nun. She’s not my mother.”
“Antonios Garza was my father and you murdered him. As for your mother, she and I have been here for some time now waiting for your return, and we have got to know each other quite well. The Bible says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
“But, in the New Testament, Matthew 5:38–42 says, ‘But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.’”
“Impressive, but it won’t save your mother,” he said, taking the knife away from Sue’s throat and pointing it at Sam.
“Why would you think I killed your father?” Sam asked, trying to buy more time.
“I know you killed him with those glasses you have on, and soon you will suffer and endure my pain before I kill you too. You see, I know everything, so there’s no escape for you. Now you will watch your mother die.” He calmly turned back and stood next to Sue.
“What is he talking about, Sue?” Sam asked.
Sue looked up at Sam, and with tears streaming from her eyes said in a voice filled with pain and weariness, “I’m sorry, my girl, but I’ve been afraid to tell you all these years. Do you forgive me? You have always been the love of my life.”
“What are talking about? You can’t be my mother! My mother died when I was a baby.” She turned to Garza Junior and pleaded, “Look, she doesn’t know what she’s saying. Wait… wait, here, take the glasses. Please take them and leave us alone.” In total despair, Sam stared into Sue’s eyes.
“Yeah, I will take the glasses, once you are both dead. I will take them off your cold corpse with pleasure,” he said nonchalantly.
“Monsieur, je n’ai pas tué votre père, mais si vous la tuez, je ne vous dirai jamais qui l’a fait!” Sam said1.
“Your French is very good. Okay, now you have my attention. Tell me who killed my father. I will know if you’re lying.”
“Your father’s men knocked me out and kidnapped me, and when I woke up hours later on the lounge in his apartment at the Shangri-La, I saw what looked like flames shooting out of his eyes. He was wearing the book glasses. Now, the glasses have certain restrictions, and they will not allow you to keep them on for any lengthy
period. If you disregard these warning signs, you will not live to regret it. It was the book glasses that killed your father,” Sam said. “Can I ask your name, please?”
“My name is Anthony Garza,” he replied. “Did you know my father was a priest?”
Sam shook her head but didn’t say a word, silently prompting him to continue talking. She moved around the room, trying to creep closer.
“He left the priesthood before I was born and from then on, lived his life differently from how he was brought up. He became a bent and twisted man as a result of searching for those glasses.
“Growing up, I thought they were a myth. He always kept me at a distance, something I never understood until I was a man and realised he was responsible for doing the most appalling and diabolical things to people who crossed him.
“During those rare visits I received from him as a child, he would tell me stories of the holy glasses and the powers they have. I always loved when he would tell me about all the bad stuff that would happen to anyone who wore them beyond their limits. He was aware that there were limits regarding the time one could wear the glasses, so I suspect there is something you are not telling me. But the details don’t matter now. I hold you personally responsible for his death.”
“Okay, kill me, but why hurt an innocent nun who thinks she is my mother?”
“YOU KILLED MY FATHER. I’M KILLING YOUR MOTHER!” he screamed in rage.
As he’d talked, Sam had inched closer and when he finished screaming at her, she pounced. In contrast to his father, Garza Junior had a slim build and stood no taller than five foot four, so after kicking the knife out of his hands and knocking him to the floor, she effortlessly held him down with her foot against his throat.
But he grabbed her ankle and, with a strength that belied his small frame, forced Sam backwards until she found herself flat on her back on the floor. He leapt on top of her and wrapped his hands around her throat.
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