The share aspect of World Wide aside, he needed to look into the new contracts Forgon had drawn up for his personal SWAT team to go in and screw up the movie after he’d fired Vic Warren. Warren’s was just one of many lawsuits now pending following Forgon’s interference, though Michael believed he could persuade Vic to withdraw his suit, except it would probably be under the proviso that he managed to get Ted Forgon out of the picture.
With the Colombian threat now taken care of there was nothing standing in the way of the film’s completion, though Michael had been worried for a while that Ellen might not want to carry on after what she had been through. However, from the brief discussions they’d already had, there seemed no doubt in her mind that they must continue. It wasn’t only that they both still totally believed in the movie, it was also the only way of saving their entire assets, not to mention reputations. Though getting it all up and running again, when actors, co-producers, assistant directors and even the directors might already be committed elsewhere, wasn’t going to be easy.
However, Michael was at least going to try for the same team; they knew the original script and most were already way down the line in pre-planning and spending. Hopefully most of that could be brought back on track without too much trouble, or extra expense, though he needed to find out how the financial picture was now looking, since Forgon’s band of cowboys had appropriated the budget during those insane few days before they’d been forced to stop.
But even more important than all the re-hiring and firing that needed to be done was where Tom Chambers now wanted to go with the movie. He still owned the rights to the story, though the script, naturally, belonged to World Wide. There was no question that it worked as it stood, but because of all the recent publicity, Tom’s
latest
experiences in Colombia needed to be incorporated into the final scenes. And without his permission – and co-operation – there was no way that could happen.
Ten days ago Michael wouldn’t have had any doubt about Chambers’s readiness to give all for the movie, but now he wasn’t so sure. With Galeano and Molina both dead, and the Zapata boys in custody on charges that included the rape and murder of Rachel Carmedi, Chambers had the vindication he’d been seeking, so what need did he now have of Hollywood and a movie? If anything, he was probably much keener to get away from the place, to move on with his life and finally put Rachel’s memory to rest. And Michael couldn’t blame him for that, since the pain he’d been carrying these past four years had to come to an end some time, and there was no getting away from the fact that now certainly seemed like that time.
After spending three hours with his lawyers and managing yet again to avoid Ted Forgon, Michael went back to his car, and on a sudden impulse drove over to the Four Seasons. He’d heard on the grapevine that Chambers was back, had even been hoping he’d call, though wasn’t too surprised that he hadn’t. He was probably just planning on staying long enough to wrap things up here before moving on out to the next war zone or corrupt regime that needed exposing. Despite all that had happened, Michael didn’t feel good about him leaving, especially not with the way things stood between them now, nor when he knew how badly Chambers must be feeling after the events of the past week.
After getting the receptionist to announce him, he rode up in the elevator and took a right turn down the corridor to the room he’d been told. When he got there he hesitated a moment, still not sure how he was going to play this.
‘Hey,’ Chambers said, when he opened the door.’ How are you? It’s good to see you.’
‘Good to see you too,’ Michael responded, taking his hand. He was immediately struck by the dark circles around Chambers’s eyes, and the apparent weight loss that made him look both younger and older. Apart from that, however, he seemed in pretty good shape for a man who had just undergone the kind of ordeal he had.
He stood back for Michael to come in. ‘Can I fix you a drink?’ he offered. ‘There’re most things here. How about a Scotch, to wet the baby’s head, or did you already do that?’
‘No, not yet,’ Michael responded, certain there was no bitterness in Chambers’s tone, though he wouldn’t have blamed him if there were.
Chambers took a couple of miniatures from the mini-bar, then turning to face Michael he put the bottles down and fixed him with dark, earnest eyes. ‘You know, I want to get this out of the way,’ he said, pushing a hand through his untidy hair. ‘I mean, I’m not too good at this sort of thing, but I want you to know that if there’d been anything I could do, anything at all to change what Ellen went through … To have prevented it, even …’
Michael held up a hand. ‘Let’s not get into it,’ he said. ‘We both know you weren’t to blame, for any of it, so how about we just work on putting it behind us and cut right to the celebration – not only for the baby, but for the fact you managed to get yourself back in one piece.’
Chambers’s grin was slow in coming. ‘Now there’s a sentiment I never expected you to have,’ he remarked, and Michael could hear the relief in his laugh. ‘In fact,’ he continued, ‘when I boarded the plane in Bogotá I got the feeling I could be letting you down big time by not getting myself bumped on to the Great Hereafter.’
Michael was laughing. ‘Well, I won’t deny there were moments there when I wouldn’t have minded if we’d never met,’ he confessed.
‘Believe me, I felt so bad I wouldn’t have minded myself,’ Chambers responded. ‘So how is Ellen? Is she doing OK?’
‘She’s doing great,’ Michael answered. ‘She should be home on Saturday. The baby came home yesterday.’
Chambers smiled and turned for the drinks. ‘A boy?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ Michael answered and watched him pour. God only knew what he was feeling now, whether he was disappointed, relieved, or even bitter that the baby wasn’t his but if it were anywhere near as bad as Michael suspected, Michael could only admire how well he was handling it.
‘We’re having a family dinner on Saturday night, if Ellen does come home,’ he said. ‘Would you join us?’
Chambers looked at him in surprise, and felt himself start to colour. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked.
Michael shrugged. ‘Sure I’m sure. You kind of feel like family, so it would be right for you to be there.’
Chambers touched his glass to Michael’s. ‘Then I’d love to come,’ he said.
Michael hesitated a moment, then decided to go ahead with what had just occurred to him. ‘Ellen’s got something to ask you,’ he told him, hoping she was going to agree to what he had in mind more readily than she had agreed to a name for their son.
‘Are you kidding?’ she laughed, when Michael told her, just before they were leaving their bedroom to go and join the rest of the family on Saturday night. ‘I can’t think of a better idea. You’re a genius, my darling, and I love you for coming up with it.’
Michael laughed and pulled her gently into his arms.
‘You know what I thought you were going to say?’ she murmured, as he kissed her. ‘I thought you were going to get me to ask him if he’d carry on with the movie.’
‘Ah, well,
he’s
got something to ask
you
about that,’
Michael
responded, stroking her hair back from her face and looking far into her eyes.
‘Oh?’ she said. ‘So you two have already discussed it and didn’t tell me?’
‘Kind of,’ he said. ‘Does this hurt?’
‘No, you can hold me even tighter if you like,’ she told him.
Wrapping her more closely to him, he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her for a long, long time.
‘Come on,’ she said, finally, ‘or we’ll never get out there.’
‘Are we taking him?’ Michael said, nodding towards the cradle.
Ellen laughed. ‘Oh God, I almost forgot,’ she confessed. ‘I guess I’m just not used to him being around yet.’
‘You wait until three in the morning,’ he warned her. ‘You’ll know you’ve got him then.’
‘Oh and to be sure he was the one who got up,’ Clodagh said, coming in through the open door. ‘We’re all waiting for you now, so come along with you. I’ll bring little Connor. Such a good idea to let Ellen and Robbie choose the name, I dread to think what you’d have come up with, Michael.’
Michael looked at Ellen and Ellen grinned.
An hour or so later they were all gathered around a table next to the pool, candles flickering in the early evening breeze, dish upon dish being transported back and forth by Nina and Clodagh. Matty was at the foot of the table, sitting with her Uncle Frank on one side of her and Robbie the other, while Ellen, at the head of the table, was between Michael and Tom. And for the brief moments they allowed themselves to sit down Clodagh and Nina were in the middle, Clodagh between her son and grandson whom she regularly and happily scolded.
‘You know, I can’t tell you what a relief it is to see you here,’ Ellen said to Tom. ‘None of us wanted you to go to
Colombia
the way you did, and to be frank, we weren’t at all sure we were going to see you again.’
Chambers’s eyebrows went up. ‘Would have made a great end for Forgon’s movie,’ he said.
Ellen grimaced and looked at Michael. ‘We’ve got to do something about that man,’ she said.
‘I’ll make a note of it,’ he responded.
Cutting him a look she turned back to Tom. ‘I’m sorry if I’m being dense here, but I’m not sure I understand how Galeano died,’ she said.
‘Food poisoning,’ Chambers answered. ‘I know Gómez would never admit it, but the minute we walked into Galeano’s cell and Gómez laid eyes on that chef, he knew exactly who he was and what was going to happen.’
‘Do you think Gómez planted him there?’ Matty asked.
Chambers shook his head. ‘No, that wouldn’t be Gómez’s style. The guy was very probably from a rival drug cartel, put there by one of Galeano’s enemies to stop him ever coming out.’
‘And Gómez turned a blind eye?’ Ellen said.
‘I guess it’s what you call Colombian justice,’ Chambers responded.
‘Which’ll probably be the South American version of Clodagh’s justice,’ Michael responded, affecting an Irish accent as he hugged his mother. ‘So maybe we should get you working in Forgon’s kitchen, Ma? What do you say?’
‘I say you’re a cheeky little blighter,’ she replied. ‘My cooking never did away with anyone yet. But for certain folk,’ she added with a menacing glare at her son, ‘it can always be arranged. Now, what’s been happening to the wine? Did we run out?’
‘No, Ma, you drank it all,’ Michael told her.
‘Michael!’ Ellen laughed. ‘Don’t tease her and go get some more.’
‘… and then,’ Robbie was saying to Ellen’s dad, ‘we changed my bedroom all around, so that Connor’s bed can fit in there too, and afterwards Grandma couldn’t find any of my clothes. So then Grandma Nina came in and they started playing on my computer and wouldn’t let me have a go.’
Frank was chuckling at Robbie’s indignation. ‘That’s women for you, son,’ he told him. ‘Get themselves all in a confusion and go off doing something else while we men sort it all out.’
‘Did you hear that, Mom?’ Ellen enquired.
‘Oh, I heard all right,’ Nina replied. ‘And I’ll lay money Clodagh’s got a good answer.’
Everyone looked at Clodagh. ‘Well, we’ve got to remember who won the war,’ she said.
They all burst out laughing at the ludicrous non sequitur, and raised their glasses to Clodagh. Then Ellen tapped her plate with a fork and called for everyone’s attention. ‘I have something to ask Tom,’ she announced when everyone was quiet. She looked at Tom and smiled, then turning to Michael she took hold of his hand. ‘Actually, we both have something to ask Tom,’ she corrected. ‘Tom,’ she said formally, ‘Michael and I would be honoured if you’d agree to stand as Connor’s godfather when it comes time for his christening. But a quick warning,’ she hastily added, ‘if you accept, you really will become family. And just look at them.’
Tom looked around the table. ‘I can’t think of a family I’d rather belong to,’ he confessed, ‘or of a little boy I’d rather have as a godson.’
‘What about me?’ Robbie wailed.
‘It goes without saying you’re his godson,’ Michael jumped in, certain he could square this with Michelle. ‘Didn’t you know that?’
‘No,’ Robbie answered. ‘You don’t tell me anything, Dad.’
‘Wait for the facts of life,’ Matty advised. ‘He’ll be
happy
to share those with you.’
‘What are
they
?’ Robbie said.
‘They’re something that fit rather snugly into godfatherly duties,’ Michael answered with a grin in Tom’s direction.
‘Well it definitely won’t be his grandfather,’ Nina sniggered, then pulled a face at the scowl she received from her famously puritanical husband.
‘OK, OK,’ Tom said, tapping his glass for attention. ‘My turn to ask something of Ellen now.’
‘Do we all get a go at this?’ Matty wanted to know.
‘If we do, then I’ve got something to ask Michael,’ Clodagh responded.
‘Do we want to know about this?’ Ellen enquired.
‘No, we certainly don’t,’ Michael responded. ‘Over to you, Tom.’
‘Ellen,’ Tom said, turning to face her, ‘I want to ask you if you’ll write the end of the movie, according to the facts I give you, and if you can do it without me, so that I can get on with a life that’s been on hold for too long.’
‘Oh my God!’ Ellen cried, fumbling her glass back to the table. ‘Are you serious? Sure I’ll do it. But it’s your movie, Tom. You should be here making sure we get it right.’
He was shaking his head. ‘I know you’ll get it right,’ he answered. ‘And if you come across any problems and need to speak to me, the world’s small enough now for you just to pick up a phone and call.’ He smiled at her and lifted his glass. ‘I don’t know when you’re going to be strong enough to get back to work, but hopefully this is something you can do at home for a while, while taking care of my godsons here.’
Ellen leaned forward and taking his hands in hers she kissed them hard. ‘I’ll do you proud,’ she promised. ‘I swear, I’ll do you proud.’
‘Oh my, I think I’m going to cry,’ Clodagh threatened,
reaching
for a napkin.