Chapter Six
Neville. Before the kidnapping.
Joanna Neal captivates me from the start.
Her beauty is evident, but it’s her radiant warmth and kindness that truly stand out.
She welcomes me with open arms. She’s refreshingly humble and approachable, a stark contrast to the pretentiousness I anticipated.
In my experience, wealth often comes with a certain aloofness, but Joanna is an exception, extending hospitality that many others have withheld.
‘Would you like some coffee, tea… or perhaps a glass of wine? We’ve just uncorked a new bottle,’ she offers generously.
I’ve met a lot of rich people in my time, and most of them never even offered me a cup of tea, let alone anything stronger. I can smell the remains of their Chinese dinner.
‘Or the promised whisky,’ Neal adds.
‘Thanks. A glass of wine would be great.’
The lounge window is so large that it reminds me of a shop front.
It's triple-glazed and so clear that the panorama appears as if on a high-definition screen at the cinema.
The view is fantastic. You can see the whole of Oxford from here.
The birds hasten past, buffeted by the winds that whistle through the spires as if to remind us that we're in their space now.
The city below is so far away that it's like another world.
Daniel Neal seems less affected now that he isn't with his besuited friend.
‘Nice apartment,’ I say, accepting a crystal glass of red wine from him. From somewhere in the flat, I hear a child cough.
‘Baby monitor,’ explains Joanna. ‘He's had a little infection, but he's fine now. Do you have kids?’
‘Two girls,’ I say. ‘I'm divorced, so I only see them once every two weeks.’
Her face darkens. ‘Oh, I'm sorry,’ she says, and I can tell she means it.
The flat is luxurious, but lived-in. Toys are scattered across the floor, but the decor has been professionally designed.
The couches and chairs match perfectly with the long curtains at the window, not that you need curtains this high up.
The lamps are designer, and the large rug covering the floor must have cost thousands.
Daniel enters the kitchen and returns with a plate of cheese and crackers. I think of Bradley Stern and want to laugh at the irony of it, for the only thing I got from him was abuse and perhaps one piece of good advice: ‘First rule of business, Nev, know your clients.’
‘So, what do you do?’ I ask Neal.
‘I'm the chief finance officer for Lance and Holland.’
‘Well, I won't need your services,’ I say without thinking. They both look at me oddly, so I feel the need to explain. ‘My last client swindled me out of a hundred thousand quid,’ I add. ‘My company built those new houses on the A434.’
‘But they are brilliant,’ says Joanna.
I smile. ‘Thanks. He called them shoddy and refused to pay the balance. I've since learned that I'm not the first person he’s done this to.’ I finish my wine, which I can tell is a good one, and stand up. ‘Well, thanks for seeing me, but I’m sure you could find a better builder who won’t have people saying he does shoddy work. ’
I'm at the front door when Joanna says, ‘No, we want you. We don’t think your work is shoddy. We’ve heard great things about your work from people we know.’
‘I second that,’ says Daniel. ‘Let’s show you our plans and see what you think.’
I look at their plans with interest. They certainly know what they want. But I can’t help putting the obvious question to them. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, why are you buying a house when you’ve got this fabulous apartment?’
Joanna looks slightly embarrassed, and I feel bad. I wasn’t judging them, I was just curious.
‘I’m a surgeon,’ she explains. ‘This place is useful for when I’m on call. The hospital is just around the corner. It’s much nicer being in your own bed, but we’ve always wanted a house in the country.’
I nod. ‘Well, leave these with me. I can’t see any problems. I’ll come back to you with a quote.’
Neal sees me out. ‘Thanks so much,’ he says.
These will be decent people to work for, I think gratefully.