‘Oh, that’s easy to explain,’ replied Zaphia. ‘Henry thought the private investigator who cleared his debts wanted the file for the sole purpose of blackmailing your father.’
‘And what was the real reason?’ asked Florentyna.
‘The file had been purchased anonymously in Chicago on behalf of William Kane, who then passed it on to the FBI.’
Florentyna felt such hatred whenever she thought about William Kane, she couldn’t stop herself from taking it out on Richard. But it was obvious that Richard was every bit as angry about his father’s behavior, which Florentyna discovered when she overheard a phone conversation between him and his mother.
‘That was pretty tough,’ said Florentyna when he finally put the phone down.
‘Yes, it was. My poor mother’s getting it from both sides.’
‘We haven’t reached the last act of this tragedy,’ said Florentyna. ‘Papa has wanted to return to Warsaw for as long as I can remember. Now he will never forgive your father.’
Once the trial began, Florentyna followed the proceedings each day by phoning her mother in the evening after Zaphia had returned from the courtroom. When she listened to her mother’s view on the day’s happenings she wasn’t always convinced they both wanted the same outcome.
‘The trial is beginning to go in your father’s favor,’ she said in the middle of the second week.
‘How can you be so sure?’ asked Florentyna.
‘Since the FBI has lost its star witness, their case hasn’t stood up to much cross-examination. H. Trafford Jilks is making Henry Osborne sound like Pinocchio with a nose that was four feet long.’
‘Does that mean Papa will be proved innocent?’
‘I wouldn’t think so. But the courtroom officials are predicting that the FBI will have to make a deal.’
‘What sort of deal?’
‘Well, if your father pleads guilty to some minor offenses, they will drop the main charges.’
‘Will he get away with a fine?’ asked Florentyna anxiously.
‘If he’s lucky. But Judge Prescott is tough, so he may still end up in jail.’
‘Let’s hope it’s just a fine.’
Zaphia made no comment.
‘Six-month suspended sentence for the Chicago Baron,’ Florentyna heard the newscaster say on her car radio as she was driving to pick up Richard from the bank. She nearly collided with the Buick in front of her and pulled over into a ‘No Parking’ zone so that she could concentrate on what the newscaster had to say.
‘The FBI has dropped all the main indictments of bribery against Abel Rosnovski — known as the Chicago Baron — and the defendant pleaded guilty to misdemeanors on two minor counts of attempting to influence a public official improperly. The jury was dismissed. In his summing up Judge Prescott said: The right to do business does not include the right to suborn public officials. Bribery is a crime and a worse crime when condoned by an intelligent and competent man, who should not need to stoop to such levels.
‘ “In other countries,” the judge added, “bribery might be an accepted way of life, but that is not the case in the United States.” Judge Prescott gave Rosnovski a six-month suspended sentence and a twenty-five-thousand-dollar fine.
‘In other news, President Kennedy...’
Florentyna turned off the radio and heard someone tapping on the side window. She wound it down.
‘Do you know you’re in a restricted area, ma’am?’
‘Yes,’ replied Florentyna.
‘I’m afraid it’s going to cost you ten dollars.’
‘Twenty-five thousand dollars and a six-month suspended sentence. It could have been worse,’ said George in the car on the way back to the Baron.
‘Don’t forget that I lost Poland,’ said Abel, ‘but that’s all history now. Purchase those two percent of Lester’s shares we need from Parfitt even if it costs a million. That will make up the eight percent of Lester’s that I need to invoke Article Seven of their bylaws and then I can slaughter William Kane in his own boardroom.’
George nodded sadly.
A few days later the State Department announced that the next American ambassador to Warsaw would be John Moors Cabot.
Chapter eighteen
The morning after Judge Prescott had given his verdict on Florentyna’s father, the second event occurred. The extension of the apartment phone rang in the shop and because Nancy was removing the summer clothes from the window, replacing them with the new autumn collection, Florentyna answered it.
‘Oh, I wondered if Mr. Kane was in,’ said a lady’s voice. She sounded a long way off.
‘No, I’m sorry, he has already left for work. Would you like to leave a message? It’s Florentyna Kane speaking.’
There was no immediate reply and then the voice said: ‘It’s Katherine Kane. Please don’t hang up.’
‘Why should I do that, Mrs. Kane?’ said Florentyna, her knees feeling so weak that she sank into a chair beside the phone.
‘Because you must hate me, my dear, and I can’t blame you,’ Richard’s mother said quickly.
‘No, of course I don’t hate you. Would you like Richard to call you back when he comes home?’
‘Oh, no. My husband doesn’t realize that I’m in touch with him. He would be very angry if he ever found out. No, what I was really hoping for will finally depend on you.’
‘On me?’
‘Yes. I desperately want to visit you and Richard and see my grandson — if you’ll allow me.’
‘I’d like that very much, Mrs. Kane,’ said Florentyna, not sure how she could sound more welcoming.
‘Oh, how considerate of you. My husband is going to a conference in Mexico in three weeks’ time, and I could fly out on a Friday. Only I would have to be back first thing on Monday morning.’
When Richard heard the news he went straight to the refrigerator. Florentyna followed, bewildered. She smiled as he slipped the gold foil from Claude’s bottle of Krug and began pouring.
Three weeks later Florentyna accompanied Richard to the airport to welcome his mother.
‘But you’re beautiful!’ were Florentyna’s first words as she greeted the elegant, slender lady who showed not the slightest sign of having spent the last six hours on a plane. ‘And you make me feel terribly pregnant.’
‘What were you expecting, my dear? An ogre with red horns and a long black tail?’
Florentyna laughed as Katherine Kane put an arm through hers and they walked off together, temporarily forgetting her son.
Richard was relieved to see how quickly the two of them became friends. When they arrived back at the apartment, Katherine reacted in the time-honored way when she set eyes on her first grandchild.
‘I do wish your father could see his grandson,’ she said. ‘But I fear it’s now reached a stage where he won’t even allow the subject to be discussed.’
‘Do you know any more than we do about what is happening between the two men?’ asked Richard.
‘I wouldn’t have thought so. Your father refused to let the bank support Davis Leroy when his hotel group collapsed and Florentyna’s father therefore blames my husband for the subsequent suicide of Mr. Leroy. The whole unfortunate episode might have ended there if Henry Osborne hadn’t come on to the scene.’ She sighed. ‘I pray to God the problem will be sorted out in my lifetime.’
‘I fear one of them will have to die before the other comes to his senses,’ said Richard. ‘They are both so confoundedly obstinate.’
The four of them had a wonderful weekend together even if Kate’s grandson did spend most of his time throwing his toys onto the floor. When they drove Katherine back to the airport on Sunday night, she agreed to come and see them the next time her husband was away on business. Katherine’s last words to Florentyna were ‘If only you and my husband could meet, he would realize immediately why Richard fell in love with you.’