Crimson (57 page)

“Does my office know I’m he re?”

The nurse laughed.

“Your telephone calls keep our switchboard permanently occupied. Your secretary’s staying at the Grand Hotel. She’s posted a bodyguard outside this door, to stop the press harassing you. I’m afraid there have been a few silly stories in the tabloids.”

“Damn!”

Buster Annabel has visited several times and tel eat least twice a day.” .4.4,don’t want to see her! Please see she isn’t let in!” Don’t get excited. You needn’t see anyone you don’tt to see.” t happened to my plane? Did it catch fire? How did I out?” “Your plane didn’t catch fire, and it’s being repaired. The airport fire-and-rescue team pulled you out: they said ya .a were lucky the door didn’t stick. Your secretary has all the newspaper clippings.”

“I need a telephone straight away.”

“I’m sorry, not until tomorrow. Doctor’s orders.” you don’t bring me a phone, I’m going to call the bodyguard and have him carry me to one,” Miranda said.

1 1must make just a couple of calls.”

After further argument, in order to calm the patient’s growing agitation, the staff sister agreed that Miranda could have the telephone trolley for fifteen minutes.

Her secretary wasn’t at her hotel, so Miranda dialled Lord Brighton’s number.

“Hello … no, James, I’m fine. Pay no attention to newspaper stories. I want to know what’s happening about the EGM. What’s the proxy situation?” “The proxy votes have started to arrive, but we haven’t received as many as I expected. Perhaps the shareholders are going to turn up at the EGM … No, we haven’t had proxies from Highland Croft Holdings, but don’t let it worry you.”

“How can I help worrying, James! Highland Croft Holdings will decide the vote! Their four point eight per cent leaves only four point two of other voting shareholders as Adam and I can’t vote the shares we control.”

“Perhaps they plan to send a representative to the meeting.”

“Or perhaps they’re waiting until the last minute, when they’ll auction those shares between me and Adam for an enormous premium, on condition that Highland Croft votes for the agreed purchaser who will, of course, not buy until after the EGM.”

“That’s right. If either you or Adam buys those shares he fore the meeting, then, as interested parties, you won’t be able to use the votes.” Grimly Miranda said, “If Adam gets control of that block of shares, then I ran kiss KITS goodbye. So I’ll be forced to buy them, no matter what the price. I’ll borrow against my existing shareholding to raise the cash.”

“You’re clearly recovering,” Lord Brighton said.

“I made sure no one would trace my query to you, but Higkland Croft is not prepared to sell.”

“They’re saying that to drive the price up!”

“There’s nothing to be gained by worrying. Don’t forget that, without you, KITS wouldn’t be nearly such an interesting proposition. Adam can’t see that because he isn’t objective at the moment. I assume he’s so used to getting his own way that he’s forgotten how to, handle himself when he can’t.”

As Miranda replaced the telephone, a nurse entered.

“You have a visitor. She’s telephoned every day. A Miss Buzz.”

“Buzz! How wonderfulP “Only ten minutes, mind,” the nurse said.

Miranda looked up at the angular figure and burst into tears.

“A fine mess you’re in!” Buzz took Miranda’s hand.

“My poor girlie. Ain’t seen you cry since you was six years old, when you fell out of the beech tree, remember? There, there … tell old Buzz about it.”

“Oh, Buzz, everything is such a mess. I thought I was so clever, but I’ve been so stupid. I’ve only just realized…” that can’t There’s nothing wait 7Won’t fret, my girlie o, Buzz! This can’t wait! … I should’ve listened to I think Adam is keeping Gran in that place and stealing her money.” Briefly Miranda outlined her suspicions. so 1hat’s what he’s been up to with all them fancy schemes,” Buzz said sourly.

“Nell should have put her money the Woolwich that’s where my salary goes: safely tucked-“It:way in a building society … What are we to do, my girl?” “Can’t you get her out of there, Buzz? I don’t think we should wait until I’m fit enough, and I don’t trust anyone -else.” Buzz brightened.

“We mustn’t let them have any warning. That matron could arrange a compulsory detention order, which’d keep Nell there for another month while the nursing home tidies up its records, of course.”

“Can’t you sneak in and get her out somehow?” “Not me. That matron wouldn’t let me in again!”

Miranda stopped snuffling as a thought occurred to her.

“What’s the time? … If it’s eight in the morning here, then it’s late last night in Los Angeles. I’m going to phone Sam and find out where Clare is.” Instead of the usual operator’s delay, within a few minutes Miranda was connected to Sam, to whom she quickly told her story.

Sam said, “I never trusted that bastard Adam. Too smooth and agreeable. That persuasive, masterful air, that total assurance of his all the things you women liked about him were the things that made me distrust him.”

“Maybe you’ve had more experience with con men.”

“Yeah, they’re a dime a dozen on the West Coast.”

“Do you know where I can find ClareT “Sure. I make a point of knowing what she’s up to. She’s gone skiing with Josh. Klosters, I think. But Clare can’t handle this! She’s no match for a crooked lawyer.”

“Sam, you’re so strong, so capable, so experienced, such a knw-it-all … “Let me think … Luckily, we’ve just finished post production work. I can catch a plane tomorrow. First we rescue Elinor, then we go for Adam. I’ll be happy to help you do both.”

TUESDAY, 28 JANUARY 1969

Still wearing her yellow ski outfit and suede-soled orange socks, Clare looked around her new bakery with satisfaction. David had designed the extension, built on to the side of the kitchen. Next to the two professional ovens were slatted cooling shelves.

A month of Swiss sunshine had tanned Clare’s skin, and her aquamarine eyes sparkled. She glowed with health after her first Proper holiday in four years; she had enjoyed every minute of it.

Clare returned to the kitchen, pulled a cheese tart from the refrigerator, and put it in the oven to warm for lunch. Through the back window, she could. see the new toboggan that David had bought in Klosters. After school, Josh and his gang would take it up on the snow-covered hill behind the cottage.

Clare now had a luxurious, five-hour period before she started to prepare for that night’s baking. She wandered into the sitting room and put a record on the stereo David had given her for her thirtieth birthday. Somewhat guiltily, she enjoyed the peaceful feeling of being alone in the cottage. She sat down and put her feet up on the brass fender before the log fire. As she dreamily watched the crackling flames, she listened to the music and thought not for the first time how much luckier she was than Louis XIV. Louis may have been the Sun King and all France may have trembled at his frown, but he couldn’t listen to Maria “XOas in his bath. Nor could he survey the world from ‘“40vteen thousand feet up in the air. And Louis XIV had 7 to ver had the chance to ski … The doorbell shrilled. Clare stood up, thinking, If it’s a Jehovah’s Witness, I’ll n’qream. She opened the door.

“Sam! What the hell dyou think you’re doing here?”

“Let me inside and I’ll tell you.” Sam was shivering.

“Miranda called me from the hospital.”

“What’s wrong with Miranda?” .

“Everything’s okay, but she crashed her plane.”

“Was she badly hurt? Where is she? Who’s looking after her?”

“Look, could I please come inside?” Sam shivered again.

“She’ll be out of the hospital soon. I spoke to her this morning. You can call her yourself this afternoon. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about her crash it even made the LA Times.”

After a battery of anxious questions about her sister, Clare explained, “I haven’t seen a newspaper for nearly a month. We got back yesterday evening two days late because of an airport strike. I haven’t even read my mail yet.” Clare stood aside ungraciously as Sam stepped into the house; then she led the way to her living room.

“Where’s Josh?” Sam asked.

“You can’t see him this evening,” Clare said curtly.

“He’s going to tea with a friend and then it’s Cubs night.”

“I can wait,” Sam said, determined to be pleasant.

“You look terrific.” Coldly antagonistic, Clare glared at the man who had cheated on her, and who, for almost four years, had refused her a divorce, all the while providing no child support.

“How about some coffee?” Sam suggested, warming his hands at the fire.

“No coffee,” Clare said. She wondered what Sam had done to himself. he looked years younger than the last time she’d seen him.

Noticing her surreptitious look, Sam grinned.

“Yes, I’ve taken myself in hand. For my no-flour diet, deduct two years; for no-more-vodka resolution, deduct four years; for exercise bicycle, deduct four years; for new teeth, deduct two years; for smart haircut, deduct one year; for well-cut pants and shirt, deduct two years.”

“I’m not interested,” Clare said acidly.

“Say what you’ve come to say, and then get out.” Sam said, “You will be interested.” Briefly he outlined Adam’s treachery, Elinor’s plight, and the trust problem.

“Are you telling me that Gran has been in a nursing home for nearly a year and my sisters didn’t let me know?”

“Don’t take it out on me, Clare. I’m the one that’s just flown halfway around the world to do something about it.”

“Where’s Gran? I must see her.”

“There’s a limo and a driver waiting outside to take you wherever you want to go, but first I have to talk to you. How long is it since you saw Elinor?” Clare said brusquely, “July 1965, at-Saracen.”

“You mean you haven’t seen Elinor for almost four year sT Sam was astonished..

“I tried,” Clare said uneasily.

“I wrote to Gran several times, but my letters were always answered by Adam. He said he was sorry to write formally but he had been instructed by his client that she wished no communication to take place … that sort of thing.”

“I bet Elinor asked Adam to check you were okay. I bet she wanted a reunion. And I bet Adam covered his ass nicely.”

“His letters put my back up.”

“They were meant to,” Sam said.

“But how come Buzz didn’t get in touch with you, behind Elinor’s back or in front of it? : how ry lare ashamed, said, “Buzz did t .1 don’t know found out where I was, but she turned up one evening, after I’d moved into my basement flat. I’d had a tough day at the shoe shop one woman took three hours to buy one pair of shoes. Buzz started telling me to be a good girl apologize to Gran. I’m afraid I yelled at her and told her fairly forcibly to go. Then she tried to give me money she hid in an envelope and that convinced me she was really coming from Gran.”

“And Buzz never tried to contact you aga in?” Sam asked.

Clare answered reluctantly: “Yes … She telephoned several times. I’m afraid that I … I thought she was Gran’s spy, you see? Every time she spoke to me, Buzz said I should think of Josh and not cut off my nose to spite my face and … I was determined not to slink back to you with my tail between my legs, as you all thought I would. I was determined to show I could stand on my own feet and live my own life. I wasn’t a little girl to be pushed around.” She glared at Sam.

He sighed.

“Buzz always said you were as stubborn as Elinor…”

“If you’ve come here to Hastily Sam said, “Sorry! But didn’t Miranda or Annabel contact you then?” Clare hesitated, then admitted, “Yes, they did but with amazing lack of tact! Annabel was feeling sorry for herself on the other side of the Atlantic. And Miranda’s face seemed to grin out of every paper I picked up and everything she was doing was exactly what I was trying not to do!” Again she glared at Sam.

“I don’t think you have any idea how difficult it was for me with no employable skills to earn my own living and look after Josh.”

“I promise we’ll talk about that after I tell you why I’m here.” Sam then outlined Miranda’s plan to remove Elinor from the nursing home.

Persuasively he ended, “The nursing staff have never seen you, Clare, and they’ve never seen me, and they can’t refuse to let us in if we turn up on the doorstep on an unexpected business trip to England with our passports to prove who we are. We’re Elinor’s blood relatives.” Clare said hesitantly, “Of course I want to See Gran as far as possible, and I’ll do anything to make her happy. But … have you any proof of this wild story? You said that Miranda has concussion. Are you sure she wasn’t a bit delirious when she told you this?” “Don’t forget Buzz,” Sam reminded her.

“She was the first person to become suspicious of Adam and of the nursing home, but nobody listened to her. Call Buzz if you like she’s with Miranda.”

After she telephoned Buzz, Clare’s reticence immediately disappeared. She said, “Eastbourne isn’t far from here. Buzz says the best time to remove Gran is probably in the early afternoon, when there are visitors around and the staff won’t want to make a fuss. Let’s leave now.”

110”DAY, 28 JANUARY 1969

1.v, still worried Clare said, seated in the back of . I if ly moving rented Bentley. She had changed from her ski clothes to a respectable navy suit.

11 don’t want to push you. The final decision is yours and so is the responsibility,” Sam said firmly.

“She isn’t my grandmother. I know nothing about British medical law, but I do know that possession is nine tenths of the law.” Clare stared out at the snow-covered landscape.

“I never ought I’d miss her so much. Before her illness, Gran was rock of our family; she seemed so strong and always there to look after us. After our … manent disagreement … there was a hole in my life. And it will ver be filled. I just know it.” Sam said, “Will, you stop talking as if Elinor’s dead? ow it’s your turn to look after her. That’s all.” Eventually the Bentley turned off the road and passed 33 tween snow-encrusted, elaborate black gates and up a ng drive. Curvi Sam glanced at the white columns of the mansion before him. With a note of doubt in his voice, he said, “This place ?”