Chapter 22
The President’s Lounge was a well-known, members-only club in California. It was frequented by the rich and famous and was very exclusive. Nicholas had been a member for some years, but he’d only been in the establishment once when he’d met with a director. It wasn’t his scene.
He nodded to a few people he recognised and made his way to the bar at the far end of the room. He didn’t like the place. It was all bright lights and wall-to-wall names from the American edition of Who’s Who. It wasn’t somewhere he felt comfortable.
He ordered a beer from the bartender and sat down.
‘Hello, Mr Kaden. How are you? We haven’t seen you here for some time,’ the barman greeted with a smile.
‘Try about five years.’
‘How’s everything with you?’
‘Good thanks. Listen, I’m meant to be meeting with Eric Lawson-Peck tonight. Has he arrived yet?’
‘Sure. He’s in his office. It’s on the fourth floor.’
‘His office?’
‘Yes.’ The barman put a bottle of beer on the bar.
‘His office?’ Nicholas repeated.
‘Yes. Mr Lawson-Peck owns the President’s Lounge. Take the door at the end of this room and take the lift to the fourth floor.’
Nicholas took a swig of his beer then crossed the room.
He caught the lift and when the doors opened, there were two large, black men, dressed in tuxedos, stood outside waiting for him.
‘Mr Kaden,’ the larger of the two men greeted.
‘Hey.’
‘If you wouldn’t mind removing all the metal you’re carrying and holding your arms out. Just for a weapons check.’
‘A weapons check?’
‘Yes, sir, it’s just routine. If you wouldn’t mind.’ The smaller man produced a scanning machine.
Nicholas took off his watch and removed his car keys from his pocket. He handed them to the large man, then held his arms out for the smaller man to run the machine up, down and around him like a wand.
The machine let out a loud beep.
‘A belt buckle. Sorry, forgot.’
The smaller man parted the jacket of Nicholas’ suit and revealed the offending item. He then patted Nicholas down from shoulders to toe and even looked inside his socks.
‘Thank you, Mr Kaden. It’s this way.’ The larger man gave Nicholas his valuables back.
The two men led him down the corridor and they stopped at a thick set of double doors. The larger man pressed a button and spoke into an intercom.
‘Mr Lawson-Peck, I have Mr Kaden. Are you ready for him?’
There was silence for a time and then the reply came.
‘Show him in, Fraser.’
There was a buzz. Fraser pushed open the door and the smaller man indicated for Nicholas to follow, while he brought up the rear.
He stepped into the room. There were glass windows at the far end, with a fantastic view of the city below. A big desk sat just in front of that, with a chair either side and a bookcase full of leather-bound books on one wall. There was no one else there.
‘Wait here,’ Fraser ordered, pulling out the chair from the desk.
Nicholas did as he was told and sat down while the two men went back through the room and left.
He was just contemplating standing back up again when a sudden movement to his right made him turn. The bookcase rotated and Eric Lawson-Peck appeared in the room.
Nicholas had only ever seen the man in photographs and there was nothing striking about his appearance. He was of average height, approximately five foot ten. He had receding, fair hair that was greying at the temples and he was slimly built. He was wearing a dark-blue, designer suit, his shirt open at the neck, and no tie.
Eric paused momentarily and then walked swiftly towards his desk and sat down opposite Nicholas.
Eric placed his hands on the desk and then suddenly stood up again and outstretched his hand in Nicholas’ direction.
‘I don’t believe we’ve ever met.’
‘No, I don’t believe we have. I would’ve remembered,’ Nicholas responded, unmoving.
Eric smiled and sat back down in his chair.
‘So, to what do I owe the pleasure?’ Eric opened a drawer of his desk and took out a box of cigars.
‘I would have thought that was obvious.’
‘Not to me. Would you like one?’ He offered the cigars across the table.
‘No thank you. I don’t.’
‘Oh, that’s right. You had cancer, didn’t you? How stupid of me! Someone who’s had cancer wouldn’t want to be taking any unnecessary risks, would they?’ Eric lit his cigar and drew on it, producing a fog of smoke.
‘Look, Eric, we both know why I’m here…’ Nicholas started.
‘Thank you. I’d be delighted,’ the older man interrupted.
‘What?’
‘Your marriage to my daughter. I would be delighted to come. I take it you have brought an invitation.’
Nicholas let out a sigh.
‘That isn’t why you’re here? Well then, I’m at a loss as to why you are here.’
‘You know why. Ever since the paper printed that article about Freya telling someone you were dead, everything’s started to go to shit for her again. Just like it did the last time you involved yourself in her life,’ Nicholas snapped.
‘I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Come on. Don’t play the innocent with me. I’m an actor, remember? I can smell an act and you don’t fool me. You can’t bear it that everyone’s questioning you again. Snooping into your world, wanting to know why Freya doesn’t want to have you anywhere near her. Wondering again if the other article you bullied her into changing was actually true.’
‘I’ll tell you something, shall I? I don’t much care for people getting the police around my property in the early hours of the morning, waking me up and asking pointless questions. I don’t much care for people who bandy my name around all over the place and spout malicious lies about me. I do not care for people who show me no respect.’ Eric leaned forward in his chair, his arms on the desk.
‘And I don’t much care for people who beat up my driver, break into my home and send my fiancée obscene letters.’
Eric smiled and sat back in his chair.
‘Do you know, Nick? May I call you Nick? Perhaps I should, seeing as how we’re almost family. Do you know I was actually surprised Jane managed to keep her anonymity for so long. At the end of the day though, it’s always the same old story with her. She just can’t keep her mouth shut.’
‘Her name isn’t Jane anymore. She hasn’t been Jane for a long time. Her name is Freya and the reason Freya can’t keep her mouth shut, as you so eloquently put it, is because she can’t forget what you put her through.’
‘Have you ever considered, Nick, that maybe Jane’s been embellishing things? I mean, she does have a habit of doing that, doesn’t she? Perhaps she’s still feeling a little aggrieved I sent her to prison. I mean, that might just give someone an axe to grind, don’t you think?’
‘What are you trying to say? That you didn’t beat Freya quite as hard as she tells people you did? That she hid in her wardrobe less times than she claims? There has to be truth at the beginning for it to be embellished.’
‘Your fiancée needs to learn some self restraint, particularly when the press is around. I was sure that’d be something you’d have taught her by now. I’ve seen you work the journalists, avoid the tricky questions, change the direction of conversation. I have no doubt you know when to make no comment.’
‘If you knew Freya at all then you’d know she’s her own person and no one tells her what to do, least of all me.’
‘Well, well, what is this? You’re admitting you’re not the master of your own household? I’m surprised at you, Nick.’ He took a long, slow drag of his cigar.
‘We share things, Eric. That’s how a relationship should work. There shouldn’t be a tyrant handing out orders with a firm hand and a sharp tongue. That behaviour doesn’t make you a man; it makes you a bully.’
Eric smiled and nodded, resting his cigar in the ashtray on the desk. Nicholas swallowed. Eric thumped his hands down on the desk and leaned towards Nicholas, his lips curled into a snarl.
‘How dare you come into my office, sit there and insult me! I thought better of you. I thought you might have a little respect for me. I didn’t think you were foolish enough to try and pick an argument with me,’ Eric hissed.
‘You don’t frighten me. Look at yourself! A small man in a flash suit, hiding behind a big desk and two, even bigger security guards. Appearing from behind a false bookcase! What was that all about? Who do you see yourself as, Eric? Some kind of Bond villain?’ He held firm in his seat.
‘If I were you, I’d keep that smart mouth of yours in check. I have a feeling you’ve been with Jane for too long. Some of her acridness has rubbed off on you.’
‘The only people you attack are those you think are smaller and weaker than you. I am not one of them.’
‘What makes you think I won’t finish you right here and now?’ Eric wanted to know.
‘You don’t have it in you. You don’t sully your own hands. You pay people to do it for you.’
‘Not when it’s personal.’
‘Listen, you can do whatever you like to me. You can have me assaulted, have me killed if you must, but leave Freya alone. She’s suffered enough.’
‘You’d put yourself in the firing line for her. How touching.’
‘I love her. I would do absolutely anything in my power to protect her. That’s why I’m here now. Don’t think for a moment I really want to be anywhere near you, let alone in the same room as you. You disgust me.’
‘It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? What disgusts people. I mean, what’s your definition of disgusting, Nick?’ Eric queried. He sat back in his seat and picked up the cigar again.
‘What are you talking about? I don’t have time for this. I’ve said what I came to say.’ He stood up, turned away.
‘Sit down!’ Eric ordered.
‘Go to hell! I’m not answerable to you.’ He headed towards the door.
‘Oh, trust me. You’ll want to hear this.’
Nicholas turned back round to face him.
‘Please, sit back down. I think you’ll need to.’
‘I’m not in to playing games.’ He walked back to the desk and Eric.
‘I understand you’ve met my son.’ He relit his cigar and raised his eyes to meet Nicholas’.
‘I’m sorry, you’ve lost me.’
‘You met my son, the other day. Now, he’s a fine boy, almost a chip off the old block. I mean, he has definitely inherited my business brain. He’s rich and successful and he’s going places. In fact, the only defect he has is a rather pathetic weakness in the emotional department,’ Eric told him.
‘I’m still not with you. I didn’t know you had a son.’
‘No, well, it isn’t something I’ve broadcast. In this case, all parties concerned have kept their mouths shut. But despite his rather unsavoury conception, he’s turned out rather well. His name’s Jonathan, by the way. I believe Jane still calls him Jonny.’
‘Oh my God.’ He took a breath and moistened his lips.
‘I did say you’d want to stay and hear it, didn’t I? So, now who’s disgusting, Nick? Jane, for sleeping with her half-brother? Or me, for parting them when I could?’
‘My God. This is sick. You are sick. I don’t believe a word of it.’ Nicholas rose from his seat.
‘You’d better believe it, because he’s the only reason I’m not having you and Jane wiped off the face of the planet. He came to me. He heard about your driver’s little incident and he begged me, he pleaded with me to leave his sister alone. It was pathetic. It was utter weakness. He was snivelling and grovelling and it made me feel nauseous. And do you know? Despite everything, I think he still loves her. It’s a little frightening considering their genealogy, but I suppose deep feelings never leave you, do they?’ Eric continued.
‘If you are lying about this, I swear to God I’ll kill you.’
‘Empty threats bore me, Nick. No, it’s the truth. Jane has a half-brother. Her ex-fiancé.’
‘Is he planning on telling her? Because he’s just pledged a whole stack of money to her charity.’
‘Is he planning on telling her? Well, he was sworn to silence by me until I lifted that bar about… ooh, it must be an hour ago now. His begging and pleading hit a nerve with me. Perhaps I’m getting sentimental in my old age. I told him I’d leave you and Jane alone… on the condition he told her the truth about his parentage. I thought that news should be just enough to ruin her wedding day and more importantly, your wedding night. I mean, how is she going to feel knowing she’s slept with her brother?’ Eric smiled a smug, self-satisfied grin.
‘You are one sick fuck; do you know that?’
‘You can leave now. You know where the door is.’ He dropped his gaze and picked up some paperwork from the desk.
‘Stay away from me and stay away from Freya, or I promise you, I will make you pay,’ Nicholas warned. He stood up, fixed his eyes on Eric.
‘Goodbye, Nick. I would say it’s been a treat. But, well… it hasn’t.’
‘The feeling’s mutual.’ Nicholas headed for the door.
‘Oh, and by the way, just so we’re clear about things. I don’t waste my time sending threatening notes. I find actions usually work best. So, whoever has it in for Jane on that score, it isn’t me. Letters, they’re so amateur.’
Nicholas didn’t reply. He pulled open the door and left the office.