Chapter Forty-Seven
CHAPTER
47
Claudine and Gloria are delighted by the documentary team’s involvement in this meeting, and particularly delighted that Kit will Zoom in. The meeting won’t start for another three hours but Astrid, standing on the stage at the front of the hall, has called us together to organise seating and to do a run-through of the program. A massive screen takes up the width of the stage.
‘The minister for the environment and planning, and water and other engineers have all confirmed they’ll be here.’ Claudine considers her clipboard. ‘We also have a consultant in biodiversity.’
‘We have eight media executives and distributors,’ Astrid says. ‘Also five sponsors.’
‘I’ve set aside two spaces for Mr Bulmer,’ Gloria says.
‘Who is he?’ I look up from setting out chairs. ‘Why does he get two seats?’
‘Harcourt Bulmer is a distributor, and he’s bringing his personal assistant.’ Gloria links her hands and looks up. ‘Thank you, God, for sending him all the way from London.’
Astrid rolls her eyes as she steps from the stage. ‘He is important to generate interest in our project, but so are the others.’
‘By the sounds of it, we’ll have standing room only.’ I take a box of teabags out of my bag and hand them to Claudine. ‘No one will miss me.’
Claudine looks a little startled. ‘What did you say?’
‘Grandpa never complains about anything, but missing the earlier meetings has been hard. As Astrid is taking charge tonight, I’ve asked Aiden to stream the meeting. I’ll take my laptop to the nursing home so Grandpa and I can watch together.’
‘Does Astrid know about this?’ Claudine looks uncertainly behind me.
‘No, but—’
‘What should I know?’ Astrid, stepping around me, crosses her arms.
‘Mac,’ Claudine smiles anxiously, ‘will be spending this evening with Gordon.’
‘She won’t.’
‘As far as I can see from the run sheet, all I’ll be doing is sitting on the stage. If you need someone up there to replace me, a runner or gofer, James will be here. He’ll be happy to step up.’
‘It has to be you.’
‘I’ll be with Grandpa.’
‘No complications.’ Astrid shakes her head. ‘Kit knows this.’
I’m lining up mugs on the table at the back of the hall when he calls. ‘Mackenzie.’
My legs have no right to weaken. ‘What time is it in Geneva?’
‘I got an early flight to Hobart. Then I came to the island.’
‘How long have you been there?’
‘Two hours.’ When the line crackles, I press the phone closer to my ear.
‘Is it cold?’
‘Yes.’ A short silence. ‘Astrid called.’
‘I figured.’
‘You can’t—’
‘I’m spending the evening with Grandpa.’
‘You agreed to do what was asked of you.’
‘What do you think I’ve been doing!’
‘Astrid’s guests, dignitaries, the community. They expect you to be there.’
‘My agreement to help was always subject to Grandpa’s needs.’
‘He doesn’t need you tonight.’
‘How would you know that?’
He hesitates. ‘I know.’
‘You’ve told him about this, haven’t you? You’ve manipulated him into supporting you.’
‘I wouldn’t do that.’
Kit wouldn’t do that. Is that why my throat clogs? Why my eyes sting and—
‘Mackenzie?’
‘I want to yell at you but you’re so far away and—’
‘I wish I were with you.’ A beep. Voices in the background. The line crackles again. ‘Frances will sit with Gordon. Aiden will stream to Frances.’
‘You’ve talked to Aiden too? And the nursing staff?’ I thump a mug on the table. ‘Have you told them to let Keith Urban in?’
***
I haven’t cried in front of Grandpa for years, but as soon as I see him tears track down my face. I lift an arm, swipe away wetness, reach for tissues and blow my nose.
‘Sorry.’
If Grandpa could jump out of his chair and pull me into one of the hugs we used to share, he would. But as he doesn’t have the breath to stand let alone jump, I push the tray aside and sit close.
He pats my hand. ‘What’s troubling you, Mary Mackenzie?’
‘I think you might know.’
He pats harder. ‘Kit wouldn’t ask you to be at that meeting without a good reason, and I’m as proud as punch that you’ll be there.’
‘They have footage of the park and mine, and Dad’s video. There’s nothing for me to do.’
‘Kit values your contributions.’ Grandpa swallows a cough, clears his throat. His words are raspy and wheezy. ‘And why wouldn’t he?’
‘Can we change the subject?’
‘Angelo and Lucas? What’s happening there?’
‘The police are still investigating.’
‘They were good kids, those two.’ Grandpa shakes his head.
‘You see the good in everyone.’
‘Because there’s generally good to see.’ He reaches for his water, pushes it away again. ‘Then again, it’s a terrible thing to contemplate. Angelo with a criminal past and getting Lucas involved with skulduggery. Let alone the grief they’ve caused you.’
‘Jeremiah said so much time had passed, it would have been impossible to prove anything against Angelo without Lucas’s evidence.’
‘And yours.’
‘Everything I said lines up with Lucas’s statement.’
‘He did the right thing in the end.’
‘He was forced into it.’
‘He’s carried a terrible burden.’
‘He wanted people, including you and me, to think Dad had killed himself.’ Grandpa closes his eyes, wheezes again. When I take his hand, his grip is weak. ‘I’m sorry. We don’t have to—’
‘No.’ He opens his eyes, nodding slowly as he looks into mine. ‘I’m ready to hear whatever you have to say.’
‘Dad met Lucas at the national park to give him a chance to explain why the hazardous waste was there. Lucas wanted to hide his involvement, which is why he didn’t tell anyone that he was there when Dad was killed.’
‘I’m proud of my boy for giving Lucas a chance to explain.’
‘Like Angelo, Lucas would have used Dad as a scapegoat if the truth about the waste had got out. Aren’t you angry about that?’
‘I was a fool for not asking more questions. I accepted the coroner’s report. I was angry with Sam that he’d left us.’
‘Lucas is a coward.’
‘Sam did things his own way—off on the rodeo circuit, then to Europe and Antarctica—but Lucas always looked up to him.’ When Grandpa reaches out, I hold the glass to his mouth. ‘Lucas was afraid of getting into trouble. Whether the first bribe he took was ten or ten thousand dollars, he would’ve been petrified of being found out. Angelo would’ve known that.’
‘Lucas won’t go to jail.’
‘He’ll lose his career all the same. No good comes out of dishonesty.’
‘There might not be enough evidence to charge Angelo over the hazardous waste, but he’ll be held accountable for other things.’
‘Including sending Joseph to the saddlery.’
‘Not that he knew it’d be Joseph.’ I pull back a smile.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Joseph was a terrible criminal, Grandpa. Angelo was furious it was him who took on the task of getting the film.’
When Grandpa frowns, his thick white brows knit together. ‘You kept the break-ins from me and Kit.’
‘He already thought I was trouble and—’
‘You can’t blame a man for wanting the best for you.’ Grandpa’s eyes are twinkling again. ‘Which brings us back to tonight. If you don’t get going, you’ll be late for the meeting.’