Frame-Up (38 page)

"Yes, I am. Last evening, you agreed to come with me on a surprise
tour. DI Willis gave permission for you to go outside the greater London
area."

"I don’t want to go on a surprise tour."

He pulls the covers back over his ears. I yank them away again, this
time completely.

"You will enjoy it. You haven’t been in the countryside for a long
time. It will do you good."

"Sleeping will do me better."

I pull him into a sitting position. "Carlo, remember your arm; it will
hurt if I have to drag you into the bathroom. Up. Take a shower and
shave."

He finally gets off the bed and disappears in the second bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later he comes out, clean, shaved. He looks much better.
The deep rings under the eyes have almost disappeared. I renew the
dressing of his wound. We eat breakfast and by eight o’clock I park the
van in the street outside dad’s house in the Boltons. Carlo has never been
here.

"What’s this? You said we’d go into the countryside." He is still
sulking.

"That’s right, but we change cars."

Father put his Audi into the driveway, the key in the ashtray.

"Whose car is this?"

"That’s part of the surprise tour. You’ll have to discover this as we
drive along."

"I’m not really in the mood for silly games."

"Fine, then get out of that mood."

Twenty minutes later we are on the M4 on the way to Swindon, where
we will turn off to Gloucester and then into Wales. Carlo lowers the
backrest and is soon asleep.

Tuesday, 10:20
a.m.

Near the Gloucester Cathedral I take a break from driving, and we enjoy
a coffee in a tearoom. Carlo is now fully awake. He even shows interest
as we admire the outside of the cathedral and he points out some
intriguing architectural features of the structure. The countryside becomes
more varied after Gloucester. I play a Harry Cohen CD I know he likes.
He hums along, his face relaxed, seemingly enjoying the scenery. Past
Ross we are on narrow roads over hilly country, driving at a leisurely
pace. Shortly before noon we amble along the upper part of the Golden
Valley and twenty minutes later reach our destination, Hay-on-Wye,
where Lucy’s parents live, just inside Wales.

Susan and Clara are waiting by the gate. They wave frantically when
they recognize their father’s car as we drive up the road. I stop inside the
gate and get out. They literally throw themselves at me, both talking and
laughing at the same time. Carlo gets out too and walks around the car.
They eye him curiously.

"Is this your new boyfriend?" murmurs Susan. "I like him better than
your last one."

Carlo must have heard her. He grins and says: "I didn’t like him either,
but no, I’m not her boyfriend, only her younger brother."

"Then you are my brother too," she exclaims and holds out her hand
to greet him. "I’m Susan, and you’re Carlo, right?"

For a second, he looks disconcerted, then he shakes her hand, all
charms now, and says smiling: "I didn’t know I had such pretty sisters."

Clara now comes forward too. "I’m Clara. I’m six and Susan is eight.
How old are you."

"I’m so old I don’t remember."

The girls giggle, and then Susan retorts in her typical superior tone: "I
know how old you are. You are five years younger than Ceci. So you are
twenty-one."

"You’re not only pretty, but you’re also smart. And thank you for
reminding me."

She laughs. "I don’t believe you forgot it, and you are a flatterer, but
I think I will like you anyway."

"I’m glad. Come, I’ll tell you a secret about Ceci," he says in a
conspiratorial tone, taking her a step aside. Clara follows, exclaiming: "I
want to hear it too."

"You know what Ceci means in Italian?" he asks in a murmur loud
enough for me to hear.

They both shake their heads.

"It means chickpeas."

"Chickpeas," they cry, repeating it several times, giggling, looking at
me mischievously.

"Aren’t they both a delight, Carlo? They are very dear to me."

"Yes, they are. I’m not sore at you anymore for dragging me along."

Lucy walks slowly down the driveway, offering an uncertain smile. I
guess she must be as apprehensive to meet Carlo, who for ten years has
refused to meet her, as he is about her. Susan runs to her, shouting: "Ceci
brought our brother along. It’s so exciting." She breaks into a giggle and
adds: "He told us that Ceci means chickpeas. Isn’t that funny?"

I observe Carlo’s reaction as Lucy comes closer. A slight frown, that
dissolves slowly into a smile. He goes to meet her, holding out his hand.
"I’m Carlo and you must be Lucy, and you wonder what took me so long
to meet you, and now that I’ve met you and my two new sisters I ask
myself the same question." Smooth, all charm, the way he conquers
people.

"I’m glad you came. You must be hungry after that long drive. Lunch
is ready."

It’s a good beginning.

On the way back, Lucy drives. Carlo sits between the two girls. They
play guessing games. He teaches them a few Italian phrases and a song.
There is no doubt that he is charmed by them. For the last hour of the trip,
Clara sleeps, curled up against him.

Lucy invites us in, but I decline, and I can see that Carlo is relieved.
It’s one thing to get to know his half sisters and their mother; it’s another
to front up to his father. Lucy does not insist. I know she understands.
Susan gets Carlo’s promise that he won’t wait another few years before
he visits them again.

On the short trip in the van to my apartment, I notice that he has
become fidgety, fighting, I guessed, the craving for a high. We have a
simple dinner and empty a whole bottle of wine, Carlo drinking the major
portion of it. He withdraws to the spare room after the meal.

Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.

A Mr. Aaron Levy from Lewis Stockbrokers left a message on my answer
service that he wishes to see me at their London office at my earliest
convenience. Then he suggests ten o’clock on the next day, Wednesday,
asking me to confirm it. I did expect to get a call from them or else I
would have called them, but I’m surprised that it is so promptly. I leave
a message on the receptionist’s answer phone, confirming the time.

Silvio and I have a long chat on the phone. When I mention my
dilemma about what to do with Carlo while I’m at my appointment, he
suggests that I bring him to the restaurant. He will take him on his
shopping round.

"And what’s happening on the war path with Emilia, or has peace
broken out?" I ask after thanking him.

"She is much subdued. You really must have rattled her badly. She
called you a bitch and said she hopes you will make my life a misery."

"That sound like she is softening up to the twenty-thousand-euro offer.
So what’s the next step?"

"I don’t know. I would have to cash in some bonds, I guess."

"No, that’s not necessary yet. You offer her a thousand and the ticket
back to Italy, against a written promise that she will sign the papers for
an uncontested divorce, and in turn give her a signed promise to pay
another nineteen thousand, the moment the divorce has been granted."

"You’re right, otherwise she might renege once she has the money."

"And I can lend you the twenty thousand, now that my commission
earnings will be unblocked by Lewis."

"That would help. Thanks."

"Shall I write up the promissory notes?"

"Would you?"

"Yes, I’ll have them ready when I see you tomorrow morning. She
may well yield if she sees twenty fifty-euro notes right in front of her.
You have that much cash?"

 
I hear his chuckle. "Yes, and I can just see her greedy eyes."

Wednesday, 9:20
a.m.

I deposit Carlo with Silvio who is ready to go on his shopping round.
They take the van, rather than Silvio’s station wagon, since he has to pick
up several cartons of wines and other bulky items, which would require
two trips with his vehicle.

At three minutes to ten I enter the offices of Lewis Stockbrokers. At
the reception desk Maggie is typing at her computer. When I stand in
front of her, she looks up and rises abruptly, visibly flustered.

"Ah, Miss Walker," she addresses me formally, rather than by my first
name as she did three week ago, "good morning. Mr. Levy is waiting in
Mr., ah, ah, Mr. Garland’s office. Please, follow me. I will announce
you."

"Maggie, I worked here for over two years. I’ve only been away for
three weeks. I still know my way around. There’s no need to lead me by
the hand, and I’m still Cecilia, as before," I reply, smiling.

"Ah, sorry, Miss Walk …, Cecilia, please go ahead," she stutters,
turning crimson.

All heads turn as I enter the brokers’ room. My cubicle is still empty.
Long rises from his chair, facing me.

"Good morning, Miss Walker," he says in a low voice. "We heard that
you will be coming back."

"Morning, Edward. I hope you are well again? I heard that you had the
flue a few days ago."

He flushes, averting his eyes for a moment, and then answers: "It was
nothing serious, but thank you for asking."

It takes all my strength to keep a straight face. Although he implies it
was nothing serious, our encounter in his penthouse must have shaken
him more than he is willing to admit even to himself. He treats me with
kid gloves.

One by one the brokers offer their greetings. I wonder what has
happened that they suddenly display such excessive courtesy. It can
hardly just have been the arrest of Garland which clears me of any
wrongdoing, nor the fact that I’ve had a major hand in it, which they
would hardly know yet. Mr. Levy soon clears up the mystery.

He gets up from his chair, greeting me warmly, even shakes my hand,
rather surprising coming from an American, and then invites me to sit.

"Miss Walker, first I wish to present the sincerest regrets and apology
of Lewis Stockbrokers’ head office for the frivolous accusations of fraud
made against you by Mr. Garland. It must have been a horrible ordeal for
you to be arrested for something you didn’t do. It was a shock to all of us
to learn that the very person who accused you perpetrated this insidious
scam. I know that an apology cannot undo what he has done and
obviously we will not accept his act of firing you."

"Thank you, sir. Lewis Stockbrokers bears no blame for what Mr.
Garland did, and I hold no grudge against the firm."

"I’m glad to hear that. I have been briefed by DI Willis and also by the
two senior stockbrokers of this branch of what happened and how you
were deliberately and knowing misled, and the involvement of two
members of Goldsax, which I hear have been sacked by Goldsax and
indicted for their part in the scam. DI Willis also admitted that without
your courageous private investigation the case might never have been
solved, and Mr. Garland would have gotten away scot-free. So, our
congratulations for the initiative and courage you have shown."

"Thank you, sir." I sense that he is leading up to something, but at this
point still have no idea what it is, except that he probably wants me back
as a broker.

"Miss Walker, it goes without saying that I have reinstated you as our
trusted employee. I have already given instructions for freeing your
commission and security portfolio and any pay due to you." He chuckles.
"You may be interested in hearing that yesterday I received a phone call
from a Mr. Carvaggio of Ventura Holdings. He wants us to assign you
again to manage their portfolio. In fact, he insists on that. Apparently he
also heard that the case was solved by your intervention. Quite
remarkable."

Yes, and unexpected, but then I may have saved his neck
— not
something I’m going to mention to Mr. Levy, so I just nod and let him
continue.

"However, reinstating you simply into the position you held before
would be a waste of your talents and a missed opportunity for Lewis
Stockbrokers. Mr. Garland has done you a great injustice, but, as his job
reviews show, even he recognized your potential, not only for your
skillful and efficient trading and valuable knowledge of several important
continental languages, but also for your savvy and smooth ability to pull
off large deals. The trading record shows that you are by far the most
prolific stockbroker of the London branch. Both senior stockbrokers here
confirmed that in spite of the negativity displayed toward you by some of
the junior staff, you never lost your cool and showed a remarkable
maturity for someone of such a young age. And from how you handled
this unfortunate affair and the initiative you showed, I also think that you
have great leadership potential. After consultation with the New York
office, I have been authorized to offer you the position of manager of this
branch."