This
time he didn’t need to tap the microphone. “I have to inform you,”
he
said, “that there are seventy-seven disputed ballots, and
I will now invite the two candidates to join me in the center of the room so
that they can decide which ones should be considered valid.”
Harry
ran for the first time that day and grabbed Fletcher before he joined Mr. Cooke
in the horseshoe. “That means that whichever one of you is in the lead, it must
be by less than seventy-seven votes, otherwise Cooke wouldn’t be bothering to
go through this whole rigmarole of seeking your opinions.”
Fletcher
nodded his agreement. “So you must select someone to check over those crucial
votes for you.”
“That’s
not a difficult choice,” Fletcher replied, “I select you.”
“I
don’t think so,” said Harry, “because that will put Mrs. Hunter on her guard,
and for this little exercise you’ll need someone whom she won’t feel threatened
by.”
“Then how about Jimmy?”
“Good idea, because she’s bound to think that she
can get the better of him.”
“Not
a hope,” said Jimmy as he appeared by Fletcher’s side.
“I
may need you to,” said Harry mysteriously.
“Why?”
asked Jimmy.
“It’s
just a hunch,” replied Harry, “no more, but once it comes to deciding those few
precious votes, Mr. Cooke will be the man to watch, not Barbara Hunter.”
“But
he won’t try anything with four of us standing over him,” said Jimmy, “not to
mention all those staring down from the gallery.”
“And
he wouldn’t dream of doing so,” said Harry.
“He’s
one of the most punctilious officials I’ve ever dealt with, but he detests Mrs.
Hunter.8I
“For
any particular reason?” asked Fletcher.
“She’s
been on the phone to him every day since this campaign began, demanding
statistics on everything from housing to hospitals, even legal opinions on
planning permits, so my bet is he’ll not relish the idea of her becoming a
member of the Senate.
He’s
got quite enough to be worrying about without the likes of Barbara Hunter
taking up every spare moment of his time.”
“But,
as you said, there’s nothing he can do.”
“Nothing
that’s illegal,” said Harry. “But should there be any disagreement over a vote,
he will be asked to arbitrate, so whatever he recommends, just say “Yes, Mr.
Cooke,” even if you think at the time it favors Mrs. Hunter.”
“I
think I understand,” said Fletcher.
“I’m
damned if I do,” said Jimmy.
Su
Ling checked the dining-room table. When the front doorbell rang, she didn’t
bother to call up for Nat, because she knew he was rereading The Cat in the
Hat.
“Read
it again, Dad,” Luke always demanded when they reached the last page. Su Ling
opened the door to find Tom clutching a bunch of parrot tulips.
She
gave him a big hug, as if nothing had happened since they last met. “Will you
marry me?” asked Tom.
“If
you can cook, read The Cat in the Hat, answer the door and set the table all at
the same time I’ll give serious consideration to your proposal.” Su Ling took
the flowers. “Thank you, Tom,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“They’ll look beautiful on the dining table.” Su Ling smiled, “I’m so sorry
about Julia Kirk-bridge, or whatever her real name was.”
“Never
mention that woman to me again,” said Tom.
“In
future, our dinners will just be the three of us, a
menage
a
trois
; sadly without the
menage
.”
“Not
tonight,” said Su Ling. “Didn’t Nat tell you? He’s invited a business colleague
to join us.
I
assumed you knew all about it and I, as usual, was the only person he informed
at the last minute.”
“He
didn’t mention anything about it to me,” said Tom as the doorbell rang.
“I’ll
get it,” said Nat, as he came bounding down the stairs.
“Now,
promise me you won’t talk shop all evening, because I want to hear all about
your trip to London...”
“How
nice to see you again,” said
Nat.
“It
was just a short break,” said Tom.
“Let
me take your coat,” said Nat.
“Yes,
but did you manage to see any theater?”
“
dis
. yes, I saw Judi..” began Tom as Nat ushered his guest
into the living room.
“Let
me first introduce you to my wife, Su Ling. Darling, this is Julia
Kirkbridge
, who, as I’m sure you know, is our partner in
the Cedar Wood project.”
“How nice to meet you, Mrs. Cartwright.”
Su
Ling recovered more quickly than Tom.
“Please
call me Su Ling.”
“Thank
you,
and you must call me Julia.”
“Julia,
this is my chairman, Tom Russell, who I know has been looking forward to
meeting you.”
“Good
evening, Mr. Russell. After all Nat has told me about you, I’ve been looking
forward to meeting you too.” Tom shook her hand, but couldn’t think of anything
to say.
“A
glass of champagne, I think, to celebrate the signing of the contract.”
“The
contract?” mumbled Tom.
“What
a nice idea,” said Julia. Nat opened the bottle and poured three glasses, while
Su Ling disappeared into the kitchen. Tom continued to stare at the second Mrs.
Kirkbridge
as Nat handed them both a glass of
champagne.
“To
the Cedar Wood project,” said Nat, raising his glass.
Tom
just managed to get out the words, “The Cedar Wood project.”
Su
Ling reappeared, smiled at her husband, and said, “Perhaps you’d like to bring
our guests in for dinner?”
“Now,
I think it’s only fair, Julia, that I should explain to my wife and Tom that
you and I have no secrets.”
Julia
smiled.
“None that I can think of, Nat, especially after
signing a confidentiality agreement concerning the details of the Cedar Wood
transaction.”
“Yes,
and I think it should stay that way,” said Nat, smiling across at her, as Su
Ling placed the first course on the table.
“Mrs.
Kirkbridge
,” said Tom, not touching his lobster
bisque.
“Please
call me Julia; after all we have known each other for some time.”
“Have
we?” said Tom, “I don’t
..”
“That’s
not very flattering, Tom,” said Mrs.
Kirkbridge
,
“after all, it was only a few weeks ago, when I was out jogging that you
invited me for a drink and then to dinner at the Cascade the following evening.
That’s when I first told you about my interest in the Cedar Wood project.”
Tom
turned to Nat. “This is all very clever, but you seem to have forgotten that
Mr. Cooke, the auctioneer, and our chief teller, have all come into contact
with the original Mrs.
Kirkbridge
.”
“The
first Mrs.
Kirkbridge
, yes, but not the original,”
said Nat. “And I have already given that problem some considerable thought.
There is no reason why Mr. Cooke should ever meet Julia, as he retires in a few
months’ time. As for the auctioneer, it was you who did the bidding, not Julia,
and you needn’t worry about Ray because I’m going to move him to the Newington
branch.
“But
what about the New York end?” said
Tom.
“They
know nothing,” said Julia, “other than that I have closed a very advantageous
deal.” She paused. “This is lovely lobster bisque, Su Ling. It’s always been my
favorite.”
“Thank
you,” said Su Ling as she cleared away the soup bowls and returned to the
kitchen.
“And,
Tom, can I just say while Su Ling is out of the room, that I would prefer to
forget any other little indiscretions that are rumored to have taken place
during the past month.”
“You
bastard,” said Tom, turning to face Nat.
“No,
to be fair,” said Julia, “I did insist on being told everything before I signed
the confidentiality agreement.”
Su
Ling returned carrying a serving dish. The smell of roast lamb was tantalizing.
“I’ve now worked out why Nat asked me to serve exactly the same meal a second
time, but I’m bound to ask, how much more do I need to know if I’m to keep up
this charade?”
“What
would you like to know?” asked Julia.
“Well,
I’ve worked out that you’re the real McCoy, and therefore must be the majority
shareholder of the
Kirkbridge
company, but what I’m
not sure about is, did you at your husband’s request jog over building sites on
a Sunday morning and then report back to him?”
Julia
laughed. “No, my husband didn’t expect me to do that, as I already have an
architecture degree.”
“And
may I ask,”
continued
Su Ling, “did Mr.
Kirkbridge
die of cancer and then leave the company to you,
having taught you everything he knew?”
“No,
he’s very much alive, but I divorced him two years ago, when I discovered he
was siphoning off the company’s profits for his personal use.”
“But
wasn’t it his company?” asked Tom.
“Yes,
and I wouldn’t have minded so much if he hadn’t been lavishing those profits on
another woman.”
“Would
that woman by any chance be around five foot eight, blond, like expensive
clothes, and claim to hail from Minnesota?”
“You’ve
obviously met her,” said Julia, “and I expect it was also my ex-husband who
called you from a bank in San Francisco claiming to be Mrs.
Kirkbridge’s
lawyer.”
“You’ve
no idea where the two of them are at the moment, by any chance?” asked Tom.
“Because I’d like to kill them.”
“Absolutely
no idea,” said Julia, “but should you find out, please let me know. Then you
can kill her and I can kill him.”
“Anyone
for
creme
brulee
?” asked Su
Ling.
“How
did the other Mrs.
Kirkbridge
answer that question?”
inquired Julia.
Members
of the public were leaning over the balcony observing every move, and Mr. Cooke
seemed to want everyone in the hall to witness what was going on.
Fletcher
and Jimmy left the senator to join Mrs. Hunter and her representative inside
the horseshoe.
“There
are,” said Mr. Cooke, addressing
both candidates
,
“seventy-seven disputed ballot papers, of which I believe forty-three are
invalid, however there remain difficulties over the other thirty-four.” Both
candidates nodded. “First I am going to show you the forty-three,” said the
returning officer, placing his hand on the larger of the two piles, “which I
consider to be invalid. If you agree, I shall then go through the remaining
thirty-four that are still in dispute,” his hand transferring across to the
smaller pile. Both candidates nodded again. “Just say no if you disagree,” said
Mr. Cooke, as he began to turn over the ballot papers in the larger pile, only
to reveal that no vote had been registered on any of them. As neither candidate
put up any objection, he completed this part of the exercise in
under
two minutes.
“Excellent,”
said Mr. Cooke, pushing those ballot papers to one side, “but now we must
consider the crucial thirty-four.” Fletcher noted the word crucial, and
realized just how close the final result must be. “In the past,” continued Mr.
Cooke, “if both parties were unable to agree, then the final decision would be
left to a third party.” He paused.
“If
there is any dispute,” said Fletcher, “I am quite happy to abide by your
decision, Mr. Cooke.”
Mrs.
Hunter didn’t immediately respond and began whispering to her aide. Everyone
waited patiently for her response. “I am also happy that Mr. Cooke should act
as the arbitrator,” she finally conceded.
Mr.
Cooke gave a slight bow. “Of the thirty-four votes in the disputed pile,” he
said, “eleven I believe can quickly be dealt with, as they are what I would
call, for lack of a better description, the Harry Gates supporters.”
He
then laid out on the table eleven votes that had “Harry Gates” written across
the ballot paper.
Fletcher
and Mrs. Hunter studied them one by one.
“They
are obviously invalid,” said Mrs. Hunter.
“However,
two of them,” continued Mr. Cooke, “also have a cross against Mr. Davenport’s
name.”
“They
must still be invalid,” said Mrs. Hunter, “because as you can see, Mr.
Gates’s
name is clearly written across the paper, making
them invalid ballots.”
“But...”
began Jimmy.
“As
there is obviously some disagreement on these two ballots,” said Fletcher, “I’m
happy to allow Mr. Cooke to decide.”