“I don’t know. Until you’ve tried.”
“But Bella-”
“Will you do it?”
It was a small price to pay, I reasoned. I needn’t do much more than go through the motions. A few uncomfortable and inconclusive conversations would be the end of it. I could still take my escape route to Brussels, of course. But just the thought of the expression on Adrian’s face when he realized he’d lost was enough to ensure I wouldn’t. Along with the niggling doubt I’d cornered but still not crushed. The truth never seemed to be complete. Even Paul’s confession left several questions unanswered. Now I had the perfect incentive to ask them. And nothing to lose in the process. So far as I could see. “I could say I’d do it, Bella, and change my mind after tomorrow’s meeting. What then?”
She smiled. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“How can you be sure I wouldn’t?”
“Because, in your own mixed up kind of way, Robin, you’re an honourable man. Quite possibly the only one I know. You really believe the claptrap you spouted about Timariot and Small embodying certain values that are worth defending at all costs. And I imagine honouring a bargain is one of those values.”
I shrugged, unsure how to respond to such a back-handed compliment. “Maybe it is, at that.”
“Which also makes me confident you’ll abide by the one condition I have to impose.” She waited for me to look quizzically across at her before continuing. “Whatever you find out about Paul, good or bad, you’ll bring to me first. Before you tell anyone else.” She paused, then added with solemn emphasis: “Whatever it might be.”
“Won’t that be difficult, if Keith’s to go on thinking you’ll comply with his request not to interfere?”
“Keith needn’t know anything about it. We can communicate by telephone under the guise of business discussions. Some may genuinely be necessary after tomorrow’s meeting. Adrian won’t take defeat lying down. Of course, I can always pop back here if things become… urgent.”
“How will you explain your change of mind to Keith?”
“The same way I’ll explain it to Adrian, Simon and Jennifer. I’ll say you’ve persuaded me we can do better in the long run as an independent company. It might even be true for all I know.”
“I believe it is.”
“There you are, then. In a sense, you have persuaded me.”
Silence fell while a waitress cleared our plates and placed dessert menus in front of us. Bella emptied the bottle of wine into our glasses, lit a cigarette and sat back to study me across the table.
“Deal?”
“You’re not going to get anything out of it, Bella. All I can do is confirm Paul’s story. He’s telling the truth. You know that, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“You think he’s lying?”
“I think he may be.”
“The police will find out if he is.”
“But they won’t forewarn me, will they, if the truth turns out to be even more scandalous than the lie? Whereas you will.”
So that was to be my role. Bella’s scout into uncharted territory. But she wasn’t telling me all she knew. That was certain. And it was just as certain she never would. If I wanted to discover what it was, I’d have to go in search of it myself. Which was precisely what Bella wanted me to do. She’d dangled the carrot in front of me. And now she was showing me the stick. I should have been warier than I felt. I should have haggled for more information. But I doubt I’d have got it. And in the end it would have made no difference. I was curious now as well as suspicious. And curiosity always wins.
“Deal?” Bella repeated.
Nothing ever does turn out quite as you expect. I’d thought Bella was handing me victory on a plate. Actually, she was only giving me her vote, which amounted to the same thing in my mind but fell crucially short of it in reality. Adrian’s response to a challenge was the element I’d omitted from my calculations. He’d underestimated me often enough before. Now I underestimated him. I realized he’d guess something was up as soon as Bella notified him she was withdrawing her proxy and attending the meeting to vote in person. But I assumed he’d be powerless to do anything about it even if he deduced what Bella’s change of plan signified. And there I was wrong.
I phoned Uncle Larry that night to tell him I’d won Bella over to our side. He was as delighted as he was surprised. But by the following morning, when we all assembled in the boardroom, his mood seemed to have altered. He was still visibly pleased at the turn of events, but there was a sheepishness about his manner when I took him aside beforehand that puzzled me. I hadn’t had a chance to find out what lay behind it, however, before Simon sidled over and asked why we thought Bella had put in an appearance. She was looking unwontedly serious in a black suit and purple blouse, to Simon’s evident dismay. And she contrived, in mid-conversation with Jennifer, to glance across and catch my eye as I muttered a non-committal answer. Fortunately, before I could be backed into a lie, Adrian called us to order.
“You’ve all received details of the Bushranger bid,” he began, when we’d settled round the table. “Jenny’s worked very hard securing as many safeguards for us as possible and I’d like to pay particular tribute to her efforts. I’m sure we’re all very grateful to her.” There were murmurs of assent. Jennifer smiled in acknowledgement. “The offer document before you is now in its final and definitive form. The lawyers have been through it thoroughly and I take it there are no outstanding questions about its terms.” A mutual nodding of heads. “Very well. Before I put the offer to the vote, there’s only one other thing I wish to say.” He paused and glanced down the table at me, then went on. “If this board decides to reject the Bushranger offer, I shall resign, both as chairman and managing director.”
Jennifer and Simon turned and stared at him in astonishment. The meeting wasn’t going as they’d expected. “We aren’t going to reject it, Ade,” Simon put in with cheerful bafflement. “I should save your ultimatum for another day.” But when he looked round at the rest of us and saw only shifty unsmiling faces, his tone altered. “Well, we aren’t going to, are we?”
“That depends, doesn’t it?” said Adrian, “on why Bella’s joined us today.”
“Turned up for the books, certainly,” said Simon, still hoping he’d misunderstood. “Though always a pleasant one.” He treated Bella to a leery grin, which she conspicuously ignored.
“Why are you here, Bella?” Jennifer asked pointedly.
“To vote, of course. Like the rest of you. I do have a substantial stake in this company, even if I don’t work in it.”
“To vote which way?” enquired Adrian, looking her squarely in the face.
“Against acceptance,” she coolly replied.
“Bloody hell,” said Simon in surprise.
“Why?” asked Jennifer, rounding on her. “After clearly indicating your approval for so long.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“Or had it changed,” suggested Adrian.
“You can put it that way if you like. The fact is that Robin’s persuaded me we’ll do better in the long run as an independent company.”
“The long run?” Simon gaped at her. “What about the short run? The quick bucks? The two and a half million quid?”
“Money isn’t everything.”
“I can’t believe you just said that. It’s like the Archbishop of Canterbury announcing he’s turned atheist.” Bella arched her neck and looked down her nose at him. She didn’t seem to be amused. “What about the losses we’ve been making?”
“We’ll have to ride them out.”
“But we’ll go bust.”