35
Unexpected Plans
Paul took a sip from his now cold coffee and placed the cup back on the saucer.
He’d arrived at ten sharp, eager to hear Arsenio’s full explanation.
It had been eating away at him all night, the uncomfortable feeling that he was keeping important information from Jerome was weighing uneasily on his conscience.
Having sat and listened to a very detailed assessment, then sifted through the hundreds of photos from Scott and Gary’s surveillance, he now wished he’d never pressed Arsenio.
When Scott had explained the situation, he’d kept it short and concise.
Hearing every sordid detail in Arsenio’s uniquely colourful execution made Paul’s blood boil.
The cold coffee stuck in his stomach and made it churn even more.
Paul had never particularly liked Liz. She wasn’t a likeable woman and he often wondered what Jerome saw in her, past her good looks.
Having said that, he knew Jerome wasn’t a superficial person but Paul couldn’t understand how he wasn’t able see her for what she really was, a spoilt, self-obsessed, selfish bitch.
Unlike Jerome and the rest of the Ferretti family, Liz looked down on all the staff the family employed and only spoke to them if she needed to.
She was the worst kind of snob, coming from a low class single parent family and now, having married into wealth, thought she was above everyone else.
Her mother had been abandoned by her father once she’d become pregnant, meaning her mother had to work in minimum paid jobs just to keep them financially afloat.
After remarrying, when Liz was almost ten, Liz’s family moved to a better part of Birmingham where Liz’s step father lived.
It was there that Liz started dance classes, her naturally tall slim frame making her stand out from her fellow classmates.
When Liz was fifteen the dance school entered her into a national dance competition.
It was there that Graham’s modelling agency had spotted her and from then on, she had been signed up with them.
“Shall I get you another?” Arsenio looked at the cup Paul had just replaced.
For the last forty minutes Paul hadn’t touched his drink, listening intently to the detailed evaluation Arsenio had given him.
He’d asked no questions at all. Arsenio gestured to the table and Paul moved over to look at the photos, then he’d sat back down again, to scan over the reports.
Arsenio didn’t see the point in hiding anything.
In fact he was hoping that now Paul knew everything, he may be able to assist, see something he’d missed or even suggest a new tactic.
Paul shook his head. “No, I’m fine.” He shuffled in his seat, then put down the thick folder on Arsenio’s desk.
“What are you going to do now?” he asked gruffly.
“I’m not entirely sure. Cos thinks we should wait until after Christmas to tell Jerome anything, simply because it would disrupt the family and his businesses at the busiest time. Which, incidentally, I agree with.”
Paul took a deep breath and nodded.
“I’m not entirely happy with the idea of playing along but we really have no choice.
I’m also not looking forward to telling him.
It’ll destroy him. Cos is hoping we can steer him into the right direction and let him work it out for himself.
But that may take a while. He’s pretty blind-sighted when it comes to her and for some reason she seems to be able to manipulate him.
” Arsenio shook his head. Paul still said nothing and just sat absorbing the information.
Arsenio couldn’t tell if his lack of input was because he was angry or stunned.
“Apart from the fact it’s emotionally going to disturb Jerome, he also has his businesses to think about.
Luckily, she can’t touch those.” Arsenio saw a hint of relief pass over Paul’s face and continued.
“But as you know, that’s not what’s the most important thing to Jerome.
He’ll want full custody of his children and that is where he’s going to have a problem.
Judges don’t care about affairs and Liz will use the children until she gets what she wants. ”
“Money,” Paul said bluntly.
“Exactly. I don’t think a reasonable lump sum will do it.
She needs a guaranteed, steady supply. There are a few scenarios that will” – Arsenio waved his hand in the air, searching for the appropriate word – “encourage her to leave the children. The first is, if her career takes off and she’ll be travelling a lot and earning money, the chances of that happening though are slim.
The second, is if we can find something on her that shows she’s unfit as a mother, so the court will give Jerome full custody.
That’s why I’m keeping up the surveillance, but after all this time all she’s doing is banging the trainer. ”
“Is there a third?”
“Yeah, we give her a serious amount of money that makes it impossible for her to refuse. But we’d be talking six figures.”
Paul sucked on his teeth. “At least,” he confirmed. “That’d cripple Jerome.”
“Yes, but he’d do it.”
“Unless we dig deeper and find something. We might need more time.”
“That’s what I want to do but to be honest everyday that goes by I’m finding it harder to pretend I don’t know anything.”
They sat in silence for a moment while Paul processed everything he’d been told. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.
“It’s not what I expected to hear.” His eyebrows rose. “I’ve been so preoccupied with preventing the drug problem at Sky. Maybe I should’ve listened more to the gossip,” he huffed.
“Jerome’s a private person and he’s very guarded about his family Paul. I had no idea until he told me. I knew she was a piece of work but…” Arsenio trailed off, trying to reassure Paul.
“Who knows?” Paul asked.
“Cos, Scott, Gary and some guy in Spain. That’s all.”
“And there’s a video?”
Arsenio nodded.
“Let me look at those photos again. Now it’s all sunk in a bit, I may see something.” Paul rose from his chair and paced over to the table. “The trainer isn’t working anywhere now is he?”
“No. Just personal training at homes.”
Paul nodded and looked at each photo carefully. Arsenio pointed out different shots that he thought were important and Paul scrutinised them further.
“This photo here, see? And these ones that come after?” Paul picked up a photo of Jonathan getting out of his car and walking into a drycleaners. They were a succession of photos of him entering, then leaving.
“Yes, what about them?” Arsenio looked closely, seeing nothing unusual.
“He hasn’t taken in anything to be cleaned or picked anything up. What date was this?”
Arsenio turned over the photo to where the date was pencilled on.
“Let’s cross reference it with the report.”
Arsenio leaned over the table to pick up the file from his desk and opened it up. He scanned the time log. “He was there for forty-five minutes. That’s strange.” Arsenio furrowed his brow looking at the report he was holding.
“It’s even stranger that it’s across town from where he lives and he must pass at least half a dozen drycleaners on his way there, including some from the same chain.”
“You think there maybe something in that?”
“Maybe, but it’s definitely worth a closer look.”
“I’ll get Scott to check it out.”
LIZ DROPPED HER CIGARETTE butt on the floor and stepped on it.
She looked around nervously, then walked through the heavy door into White Lightening Drycleaners.
She was sure this was the head office. Jonathan had mentioned it was in the Kirkstall area of Leeds.
The chemical smell hung heavy in the warm air of the shop front.
It was busy with three staff taking different garments and handing over freshly laundered items. The wall behind the counter boasted a two-hour cleaning service at an extra cost, as well as delivery and mending service.
Liz could see why the chain was doing so well with fifteen shops scattered around the region.
Liz stepped up to the counter when the previous customer had left.
“I’m here to see Gabe. I’m a friend of his cousin Jonathan, Liz.
” The young girl who was dressed in a blue skirt and white shirt with the logo embroidered on the pocket, gave Liz a once over and nodded.
Liz watched her go over to a phone at the rear and call someone.
Within a few minutes the girl opened up the security door for Liz to walk through.
“His office is up the stairs right at the end.” The girl pointed down a corridor past a number of large double doors.
Liz thanked the girl and walked in the direction she’d indicated.
There was a rumbling noise, which sounded like several washing machines working simultaneously, and the hissing of iron presses, which only made the atmosphere even warmer.
Liz quickly climbed the stairs and found herself on the next floor where two large, casually dressed men were standing by the office door.
“You here for Gabe?” one of them asked her.
Liz nodded suddenly feeling nervous. She’d come to the head office desperate for her slimming pills, but now she’d finally got there she felt decidedly uneasy.
The upper floor had a distinctly different air about it but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
Before she could think anymore the second man opened the office door.
“Go right through.”