Blaze (59 page)

As she heard her car arrive outside the mansion and the butler open the door, she stood and looked down at the twinkling ring. For a moment she wanted to grab it, but turned away. She hated blue.

Ali didn't feel like going home. She told Tom to take her back to work. Lights burned in several offices as people worked late to meet deadlines and prepared for tomorrow's editorial meeting. Larissa and the art department had left.

Belinda's desk was neatly cleared. Ali could see past it that the lights were on in her office. She'd speak to Belinda about that. And there was a strange and ugly smell about the place.

When she stepped inside the door she stopped, sniffed and gagged. Glancing quickly around, she couldn't see what was causing the vile smell. The lights were also shining out on the terrace. Holding her hand to her nose she rushed outside. No one was there. But the smell was overwhelming. Then she saw it.

There was a large red stain on the terrace, running from the sandpit. And as she edged closer, she saw the source of the smell – a bucket lay on its side spilling blood and rotten animal excrement over the model village as if a putrid volcano had erupted, smothering them all.

Ali wanted to vomit, but anger overcame her heaving stomach and she rushed inside, grabbed her bag and picked up the phone, yelling at the startled operator, ‘Get fucking Reg Craven on the line. I don't care where he goddamn is!'

 

L
ucien and Nina returned to the jeweller's shop hand in hand. The old man threw out his arms in delight, reaching across the counter top to pump their hands.

‘I am so happy to see you, Madame. I was worried something bad had happened.' He reached out to touch Nina's cheek before turning to Lucien. ‘Your little gift worked, it seems.'

‘Yes. That and a rather agreeable arrangement to travel around the country and write about the good things.'

The jeweller nodded at Nina. ‘And there are good things in this country. We have a fascinating history. And so many beautiful places.'

‘We wanted to thank you for coming up with cash so speedily for us,' said Nina. ‘My grandmother told my mother that the jewellery would always help her out of trouble. She gave me a dragonfly pin, which I've never had to sell, but knowing it was there helped me to take a risk years ago.'

‘Not as big as the risk you just took,' observed Lucien and grinned as she dug him in the ribs.

‘Beautiful gems shine even more brightly on beautiful women,' said the jeweller with a slight bow to Nina. ‘Now, speaking of beautiful pieces. I did as you asked and have arranged their sale.' He looked suddenly concerned and said to Nina, ‘That is, if you still wish to sell them. Perhaps they are sentimental and now you do not wish to part with them?'

‘I am keeping this little ring, that's all,' said Nina, touching the small gold ring with her family seal on it.

‘You mean, you've sold the jewellery already?' asked Lucien.

The jeweller nodded. ‘I have a buyer lined up.' Lowering his voice he added, ‘It is worth a substantial amount. Fine stones and beautiful old workmanship. An international dealer will put them to auction. I believe I have found you a worthwhile price. Unless you wish to wait for the auction in London?'

‘No. And you must take a commission,' said Nina.

‘There is a slight problem. You might have trouble taking this money out of the country. Especially after your little, er, predicament.'

Nina looked at Lucien. ‘What do you think?'

‘We can talk to the embassy. May we leave it in your safe while we're travelling?'

‘Of course. Enjoy your little holiday.' He gave a courtly bow once again.

Larissa sat at her desk with her hands over her ears. While she couldn't actually
hear
Ali's voice, she could
feel
it in her marrow. All hell was breaking loose over the desecration of the sandpit village. And while Ali was not blatantly accusing Reg – or anyone else – it was the philosophical, moral and ethical outrage that Ali ranted had been violated. Her space. Whoever had done the vile deed might as well have thrown the excrement over Ali herself, she took it so personally.

While the staff kept po-faced about the incident, outside the office there was much giggling and comments like ‘I wish I'd done it'. Eddie adored the scenario and dared April to write about it in her gossip column.

‘And keep my job?' she snapped. ‘I'm keeping my mouth shut on this one.'

But it was too good to keep under wraps. Two days later, the episode was gleefully written up in a Sunday newspaper column with a photo of Ali taken at a cocktail party. It was pulled from the files and showed her wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. The caption read, ‘
Gung-ho flung dung leaves tacky taste
'. And went on to describe the ‘foul deed'.

Ali summoned Larissa. ‘Find out who leaked this story. It's an outrage. And how dare the editor of that rag run a piece about another editor like that?'

‘Ali, you know how superior newspapers think they are to magazines. I mean, wouldn't you run it if you were the newspaper's editor? And April does take more than her share of digs at people. It's payback time,' said Larissa feebly. She knew every media outlet in the country would pounce on the titbit. Whoever had leaked it had chosen the column that rated next to April's in popularity. ‘And I wouldn't begin to know where to start to find out. You'll never know. Let it go,' advised Larissa.

‘If it wasn't Reg who leaked it, it could have been April. These bitch columnists can't help themselves.' Ali slammed her fist on the table. ‘I will not be made to look a fool.'

Larissa realised what was also bothering Ali about the leaked incident was the fact that she hadn't been able to control it. Ali was fanatical about running her life precisely the way she wanted it. The unforeseen rarely ruffled her existence. With no children, no live-in lover, no hobbies or interests outside her work, Ali kept a tight rein on her lifestyle. And suddenly Larissa saw how shallow and self-centred that life was and how frighteningly similar it was to her own.

Larissa stood up, surprising Ali, who hadn't terminated the meeting yet. ‘Get a life, Ali. What's it matter in the big scheme of things? Maybe it's made you seem more human.'

Ali was so shocked that Larissa was out of the office before she could think of an answer.

Larissa stopped by April's office. Leaning in the doorway she asked casually, ‘You don't have to answer, but do you have any inkling about who leaked the flung-dung bit?'

‘It wasn't me, goddamn it! How stupid would I be?' April's voice was gruff with annoyance.

‘I agree it would have been foolish. Tempting though.' She gave a grin and April thawed a bit.

‘Yeah. But if there's a hot piece I can't use, I'm certainly not going to give it to a rival.'

‘Makes sense. What about the culprit of the deed, any thoughts there?' asked Larissa. ‘Not that I'm doing Ali's dirty work for her, even though she asked.'

‘She would. Well, she should know she has more enemies than friends around here. But, put it this way, in my book the finger points to the dreaded Reggie. He was ropeable after that last meeting, but frankly I never thought he'd have the guts. He could have hired a hit man to do the flinging.' April paused. ‘Come to that, he could have done the telling too. It's really made her mad.' April looked pleased. ‘Well, I don't envy you your job. Good luck.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘Fronting the staff and reporting back to Ali.'

Larissa frowned. ‘I'm not being her lackey. I was hoping to shake the culprit's hand.' She moved down the hallway deep in thought and went back to her office. Glancing at her watch, Larissa wondered if Gerard was in bed. It was late in New York. They hadn't spoken in two weeks, other than by email. There was a distance more than physical between them since he'd gone back.

She dialled his number, but the phone rang in their New York apartment without being answered. Depressed, she picked up her bag, left the office and went home. Once again the indecision about her life rattled her. If Gerry still wanted to marry her, why wasn't he there? Where was he?

There were dozens of reasons for him to not be by the phone – Gerard was working hard and organising the move to New Hampshire – but his absence reinforced Larissa's insecurity. He was moving on with his life. She was treading water. And a nagging resentment chewed at her because of it. And there was some jealousy in there as well. She began to visualise Gerry with another woman. Sleeping with her. Murmuring into her hair in the night as they cuddled. Holding hands as they wandered through the city looking for a café for breakfast. Larissa's blood began to boil. This was too painful to contemplate. She shook herself and admonished herself for being so stupid. Served her right for such silly fantasising. But the devil on her shoulder whispered, ‘Ask yourself why you care so much.'

Eddie Kurtz sat in Ali's office nodding sympathetically. ‘It's a bitch. Who would do such a thing? I mean, we all have an idea of whoooooo might have done the vile deed . . .' He drew out the word and rubbed the edge of his nose and mimicked straightening a bow tie.

‘You think so too?' Ali looked thoughtful.

‘Chuck him out. He's so behind the times,' said Eddie airily. ‘You can do better than him.'

‘It's not that easy,' sighed Ali. ‘Reg is part of that upstairs boys' club.' She didn't elaborate on the fact that she and Reg Craven held equal positions of power or that she was in no position to push Reg out the door. He was in charge of making the magazine financially viable.

‘Well, darling heart, you and I can show him up. I have a hot prospect lined up to buy space – only the biggest hair product company in the universe! I told them a few ideas I had and they're hot to trot. You don't need to work with some redneck who throws shit then tells the world about it.'

‘You think he talked to that Sunday rag columnist?' Ali began to seethe again.

Eddie shrugged. ‘Who am I to say? Just know who your friends are, Ali heart. I'm off. Anyone divine you want in the way of ad clients lined up, just say the word.'

‘Tiffany, Sotheby's, Bollinger, Chanel. We're missing some international names. Too many local people.'

‘For you, anything.' Eddie skipped from Ali's office and gave Belinda a wave. ‘Toodle-loo, Bee.'

Belinda gritted her teeth. This so-called promotions cum ad manager was too familiar for her taste. She didn't like him and she didn't trust him. He seemed an unlikely choice to be Ali's confidant. But then he was an outsider, and he was certainly clever – and Ali had found him, so no wonder he kept on her good side.

Twenty minutes later, Eddie was sitting in the Yellow Brick Road salon. He was regaling Dane, Miles and Rex with the story of the sandpit saga. ‘God, it was hysterical. She's been ranting up and down the hallways. The shit smell is still there on the terrace, it soaked into the cement. But what really pissed her off was the whole shebang going public on Sunday.'

‘You're a wicked, bad boy,' said Max, shaking his finger at the unabashed Eddie. ‘Doesn't she suspect you leaked it?'

‘No, she loves me. Okay, girls, what other gossip do you have that you haven't given to that April bitch?'

‘April comes in here for the goss on the social set, we don't mind passing on titty bits. We just have to be so careful our clients don't discover how she finds out. I mean, why do you hate April Showers?' asked Dane.

‘Let's just say we had a run-in one time. We go back a long way,' said Eddie somewhat ominously. ‘I'm an elephant, I never forget.'

‘So you're nice to everyone's face and knife them in the back at the first opportunity,' laughed Rex.

‘It's called survival, sweetie, keeping your options open,' sniffed Eddie. ‘You'll never know who you'll need to call on in the future.'

April's society page, written under the pseudonym of Beau Monde, was proving a big hit. Not-so-gentle digs at the cognoscente had only increased its appeal. She wrote about top names, whether they liked it or not, in the worlds of big business, politics, arts, diplomacy and old money with a sprinkling of academia and genuine philanthropists. Wannabe do-gooders trying to big note themselves by promoting A Cause, celebrities from movies, TV and sports, the normal fodder for tabloid press, rarely rated a mention. Beau Monde annoyed socialites when their parties and inside moves were written about in not-so-flattering detail. When the old money set entertained, extra precautions were taken with staff and outsiders to make sure no whisper of the details were leaked to Beau Monde.

Ali had grudgingly complimented April on her work, adding, ‘If you get us sued, you're out of here. It's in your contract if you recall.'

Larissa was sitting at her desk, staring morosely at Sydney Harbour, which today gave her no joy. Like Miche, she was still in shock over the death of Sally Shaw. She felt so guilty about it and had confessed her role in the
Reality
segment to Miche.

‘Don't blame yourself, Riss.
Reality
would have found her one way or another. And there's no way we could have stopped them doing what they did. I blame myself too, for not realising how depressed, how flaky, she was. I just didn't want to involve myself in that world. I should have warned her about the Jacques and Tony scene.' Miche bit her lip and Larissa knew she was thinking of her mother again. No one had realised how depressed and lost Lorraine had been feeling.

‘Let's not beat ourselves up,' sighed Larissa. ‘We can look out for one another as best we can, but we still have our private lives to lead. Even you and me and Nina, close as we are.'

‘But I think of you as family,' cried Miche. ‘I don't have any family any more.' Tears had washed down her face. Larissa quickly wrapped her arms around her. ‘Of course we're family. You know that. You're the closest family Nina has too.'