Chapter 20

NESTA WAS ON the phone as Sandy walked into their Chelsea flat, shrugged off her raincoat and went through to the kitchen to drop her umbrella in the sink.

‘If you can raise it to six we could be in business,’ Nesta was saying. ‘Yes, thousand. You surely didn’t think I meant hundred.’

Hearing that, Sandy hurried into the sitting-room, kettle in hand, and looked over to where Nesta was sitting at one of the twin desks they’d rigged up in front of the window. ‘Who’s that?’ she asked.

Nesta, looking very girlish in a high pony tail and pristine red bow, put a hand over the receiver. ‘Vanessa Kerry,’ she mouthed.

Sandy’s eyes widened eagerly. ‘Anything doing?’ she asked.

Nesta held up a hand. ‘Anything less than six and I’m afraid …’ She paused, grinned across at Sandy, then sticking a thumb in the air said, ‘OK, that’s great. Sandy’s just walked in so I’ll put it to her and get back to you before the end of the day.’

Sandy descended into the opposite chair and leaned on the kettle. ‘Well?’ she said, as Nesta hung up.

‘You know, I’m really getting to like this agenting lark,’ Nesta responded, studying her fingernails. ‘In fact, I reckon I’m developing quite a knack for it.’

‘What did she say?’ Sandy pressed. ‘Are they offering Georgia the part?’

‘Yep,’ Nesta answered, ‘for five grand. I’m trying to up it to six.’

‘It’s a real low-budget film,’ Sandy cautioned.

Nesta shrugged. ‘She said she was going to discuss some kind of deferred payment with the producer,’ she said. ‘If he agrees, and you agree too, then it looks like we might get six.’

Sandy’s eyes were shining with joy. ‘You’re a genius,’ she declared. ‘Georgia Sands is going to be over the moon.’

‘Shall I call and tell her?’ Nesta offered, squinting as a rogue ray of sunlight suddenly splashed across the desk.

Sandy shook her head and started to get up. ‘Let’s wait until we’ve got it all firmed up, then you can tell her. Did anything else happen while I was out?’

‘Just a couple of calls,’ Nesta answered, looking at her pad. ‘Someone from The Bill wanting to check on Miriam Flander’s address and the source of all our non-existent misery, Slim Sutton.’

By now Sandy was dropping a couple of tea-bags into the pot, but at the mention of Slim Sutton’s name she came back to the doorway. ‘What did he say?’ she asked.

‘That he’ll be in London the week after next and he’ll be happy to meet up with you,’ Nesta informed her with a triumphant smile. ‘If you ask me, we’ve got him in the bag.’

Sandy threw her a look and as the phone started to ring again she returned to the kitchen, keeping an ear out for who was on the line. From Nesta’s reception she guessed it was a friend, so she carried on with the tea and scanned the mail that Nesta had left in a pile on the dresser. There were two contracts ready to be signed for two of Janey’s clients, a script for one of Diana’s clients to read, a telephone bill and a letter from an independent producer she’d met at a party a week ago.

It was incredible how well things were going, for not much more than three months had passed since that dreadful day in Michael’s office when he had fired her so callously and she had behaved in a manner she couldn’t even bring herself to think about now. Actually, were it not for Nesta, she doubted she’d have come as far as she had, for it was Nesta who had picked her up and put the fight back in her, when all she’d really wanted was to crawl away somewhere and die.

‘You can’t let him get the better of you like this,’ Nesta had shouted after finding her once again glued to a video of him at the première of United We Fall. ‘He’s just one man, for God’s sake. There are thousands more out there worth a thousand times more than he is, so for God’s sake pull yourself together and start showing him what you’re made of.’

And the amazing thing was how easy that was proving, for, initially at least, all she’d needed was her contacts book, a computer, a telephone and an early-morning vigil on the mail at Chelsea Harbour. The vigil was no longer necessary, as by now she and Nesta had contacted most of the McCann Walsh clients Sandy had dealt with on a regular basis to tell them she was working at home for a while. She’d fully expected them to know she’d been fired, but by some astonishing good luck they either hadn’t been informed, or simply didn’t care. Either way, they seemed more than happy to continue with Sandy at her new address and number, probably because they’d had a great deal more attention paid to them since Sandy had become involved in their careers. She had also been in touch with the producers and casting directors she’d done regular business with while at McCann’s to tell them the same story – that she was now working from home. It was quite staggering how smoothly she was cutting a slice out of McCann’s without anyone noticing, for she’d not only started receiving contracts now and changing the agent’s name from McCann Walsh to Sandy Paull, she’d actually banked several thousand pounds’ worth of commissions. Of course it was generally only bureaucrats or accountants who saw the contracts after they were drawn up, so there wasn’t really anyone to be curious about why the agent’s name had changed; to them the name was irrelevant, all that counted were the terms and the figures. And when the clients asked, which very few did, she simply told them that it was a new system McCann’s had introduced lately that was going through a trial period.

Of course, she knew what she was doing was illegal, but she had several good insurance policies that would ward off any threat of prosecution. In the first place, she could claim Michael had set her up to sleep with potential clients in order to entice them away from their current agents. Of course, he’d never done any such thing, but the fact that Slim Sutton thought he had was probably enough to make at least some of the mud stick. Secondly, there was the affair Craig was having with a member of Her Majesty’s Government, which she could always threaten to reveal should Michael ever decide to bring charges against her. Craig’s affair probably wouldn’t do much harm to the agency, but Sandy was trusting to how loyal a friend Michael was to Craig and therefore how far he would go to protect him. And should all else fail she would either file a sexual harassment charge against Michael, or plant a considerable quantity of cocaine in his office and tip off the police. The last was a means of making sure that if she went down then he went down with her. So one way or another, she was pretty confident of making him pay for the way he had used her, then so cruelly discarded her when she became an embarrassment.

‘So how did it go with Maurice today?’ Nesta asked, coming into the kitchen. ‘Did he show you anything you liked?’

Sandy laughed. ‘You’re going to love this,’ she answered. ‘He almost took me to Chelsea Harbour.’

‘No!’ Nesta gasped. ‘Oh, what a hoot that would be, setting up office right next door to Michael McCann.’

‘It was underneath, actually,’ Sandy corrected. ‘And believe you me, I’d give anything to see his face if we did set up shop there, but we can’t run the risk.’

‘You’ll have to make yourself official pretty soon, though,’ Nesta pointed out.

‘I know, but there are still a few things we need to get in place before we do. I’m seeing Jodi later, so we’ll probably have a clearer picture after that. Maurice showed me some great premises just along the road from here, by the way. I’ve got to tell you I could quite fancy myself in the executive suite. Just wait ’til you see it.’

Nesta looked surprised. ‘Have you taken it, then?’ she asked.

‘I’m considering it,’ Sandy answered, passing her a cup of tea. ‘Do you want a biscuit?’

‘There’s not a lot I wouldn’t do for a biscuit,’ Nesta groaned, ‘but some of us have to watch our weight.’

Sandy shrugged and turned to the cupboard, while Nesta eyed her almost perfect figure with full-blooded envy. It was amazing how shapely such a small and slender body could be, Nesta was thinking, as munching on a digestive Sandy said, ‘Are you going out tonight?’

‘If you mean am I working tonight the answer’s no,’ Nesta answered, turning back into the sitting-room. ‘But don’t start thinking you’re persuading me to give it up, because you’re not. I just feel like a night in, that’s all. Being your assistant takes it out of me, you know.’

Sandy laughed. ‘I’ll believe that when you really do give up the night job,’ she said. ‘What are you doing there?’

‘Typing this contract into the computer and changing the agent’s name to yours,’ Nesta answered.

Sandy stopped chewing, then, sitting down on the sofa she stared into her half-empty cup.

‘You’ve gone quiet,’ Nesta accused a few minutes later.

Sandy’s lips were pursed as she thought. ‘I was just thinking about something Jodi said on the phone earlier,’ she responded. ‘Michael’s gone to New York again. That’s the third time in eight weeks.’

‘So?’ Nesta responded.

Sandy’s looked at her and Nesta rolled her eyes.

‘Sandy, for God’s sake, you’ve got to get a grip,’ she scolded gently. ‘The man screwed you over in a pretty bad way, remember? You can’t let him get away …’

‘I know, I know,’ Sandy interrupted, sighing. ‘And I’m not letting him get away with it, am I? But that doesn’t stop me feeling the way I do. I mean, you can’t just turn those feelings off when they don’t suit you any more.’

‘OK, that’s true, but you’re going to have to accept the fact that one of these days he will get involved with someone else.’

‘He hasn’t since he fired me,’ Sandy pointed out.

‘And you’re thinking it’s because it’s still you he really wants?’ Nesta responded.

Sandy shrugged.

‘Oh, come on, get real, will you? Try making yourself accept that he probably is going to New York to see a woman, and deal with it. It’s the only way you’re going to get over him. And think what satisfaction you’re going to get the day you’re in a position to take over his agency, then decide whether or not you want to give him a job.’

Sandy laughed and felt a sudden thrill kick-start her spirits the way it always did when she envisaged herself having more power than Michael. It was true, she still wanted him desperately and nothing, just nothing, was ever going to persuade her they weren’t right for each other, but she could see now that it was never going to happen unless she made it happen. And she would, for she had too much ammunition on her side to fail.

‘Actually, what I was really thinking,’ she said, ‘was that all these trips to New York are probably to do with the Australian tie-up thing I told you about. Michael told me himself he wanted to get Chris Ruskin, his associate in New York, involved in the deal. I’m just trying to work out a way of getting the low-down on what’s going on there and somehow getting in on it too.’ She looked at Nesta. ‘Does that suit?’

Nesta was looking impressed. ‘As long it’s got nothing to do with you eating your heart out over him and another woman it suits,’ she confirmed, and picking up the phone as it rang she said, ‘Hello, Sandy Paull’s office. Oh hi, Maurice. Yes, she’s right here. I’ll put you on.’

As Sandy spoke to her personal business guru, who was also the chief investor in her soon-to-be-official new agency, Nesta carried on doctoring the contract in front of her while listening to the conversation. She didn’t know Maurice well herself, as he was a very private man, but there wasn’t much question about his devotion to Sandy, without which they wouldn’t be nearly as far down the road as they were. In fact, he and Sandy had spent the past couple of weeks going about London looking at possible venues for an office, and with the kind of contacts and indeed, ownership, Maurice could boast Nesta was pretty certain Sandy was going to end up in some penthouse suite in Belgravia or Mayfair. Or, if the current conversation was anything to go by, right here in Chelsea.

‘Do I take it from all that,’ Nesta said as Sandy hung up, ‘that you’ve put in an offer?’

‘He has,’ Sandy confirmed, with a very satisfied wiggle of her eyebrows. ‘We should know by the middle of next week whether or not it’s ours. And if it is, are you going to come work with us?’

‘Us?’ Nesta echoed.

‘Me and the other agents I’ll be recruiting,’ Sandy explained.

‘My, we are thinking big already,’ Nesta remarked. ‘Is this more of Maurice’s money that’s going to pay for these agents?’

‘In the very short term,’ Sandy replied. ‘But considering those I have in mind it shouldn’t be long before they’re paying handsome dividends on Maurice’s very handsome investment.’

Nesta’s eyes were alive with curiosity. ‘Don’t tell me you’re going to start poaching already,’ she said. Then, instinctively realizing she was heading down the wrong track she said, ‘No, you’re not going to other agencies, are you?’

Sandy was shaking her head. ‘There’s no need to,’ she smiled. ‘Not at this stage, anyway.’

Nesta’s pleasure was widening her grin to a point that made Sandy laugh out loud. ‘You know, sometimes I wonder if I don’t underestimate you,’ Nesta declared.

‘I wonder if you do too,’ Sandy responded.

Nesta gazed at her in amused admiration. ‘I never thought you’d have the guts for it,’ she said bluntly.

‘To be honest, I wasn’t sure myself until today,’ Sandy confessed. ‘Now, I can hardly wait to get started.’

Nesta gave a whoop of pure triumph. ‘Yeehah!’ she cried. ‘I don’t know what happened today, but whatever it was, hang on to your balls, Michael McCann, ’cos Sandy Paull’s a-ridin’ into town.’

The bar at the Collection, London’s latest place to be seen at, was crowded with media types as Sandy pushed her way through to join Jodi.

‘Hi, Sandy,’ Jodi said, as Sandy struggled on to the bar stool next to her.

‘How are you?’ Sandy asked, trying to catch the barman’s attention. ‘Thanks for coming.’

‘That’s OK,’ Jodi replied chirpily, watching Sandy as she quickly looked around to see who else was there. ‘I wanted to see for myself how you’re getting along. I can’t believe how much time has gone by since you left. I wish I could have seen you before this, but we’ve been so busy … Well, you know how it is. It’s good that you keep in touch, though.’

Sandy lowered her eyes from the gallery restaurant above and smiled. She was still the same old Jodi, dishevelled black hair, frank, pretty face and garish spandex clothes. For a moment Sandy felt as though she were the older of the two, when she was at least three years Jodi’s junior.

‘Are you OK?’ Jodi asked, peering into Sandy’s eyes as though to encourage a positive reply. ‘You look good.’

Sandy laughed and held out her wrists. ‘No scars,’ she declared. ‘Hope that doesn’t disappoint you.’

Jodi flushed. ‘Look, I know how it must have seemed,’ she said, ‘that I was taking sides with Bertie and everyone, but I swear I wasn’t. And for what it’s worth I think Michael treated you pretty shabbily when he fired you.’

Sandy’s eyebrows went up. ‘A gin and tonic please,’ she said to the barman. ‘Did you tell him that?’ she asked Jodi.

‘Are you kidding?’ Jodi spluttered. ‘No one’s allowed to mention your name.’

Sandy’s heart tightened. Was that because he was still angry with her, or because it hurt him to hear it? ‘That must be a tough one on Bertie,’ she commented, managing a smile.

Jodi looked miserable, for she never had found it easy to gossip behind other people’s backs.

Sandy eyed her for a moment, then, digging into her bag for her purse she said, ‘So Michael’s been seeing Ellen Shelby in New York.’ She had no idea how she managed to keep her voice so steady, when inside she was sick with rage. Indeed, it had taken very little to convince herself that Ellen Shelby was at the root of all the injustice she had suffered, for had she not come into their lives when she had, Sandy just knew that she would be the one Michael was seeing now.

‘I shouldn’t have told you that,’ Jodi replied.

‘You didn’t, I guessed,’ Sandy reminded her.

‘All the same, I’d prefer it if you never mentioned I told you,’ Jodi said.

Sandy laughed. ‘Who would I mention it to?’ she said. ‘I don’t work there any more, remember? And I certainly don’t know anyone else who’d be interested.’

Jodi was saved from responding as Sandy paid for her gin and tonic, then touched her glass to Jodi’s. ‘Cheers,’ she said. ‘It’s good to see you.’

‘And to see you,’ Jodi replied, brightening. ‘So what have you been doing? Have you found another job yet?’

Sandy nodded. ‘As a matter of fact that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’

‘Oh? Well, Michael said he’d give you good references and if you don’t want to speak to him yourself …’

‘I don’t need any references,’ Sandy interrupted.

Jodi looked startled. ‘Oh, then what?’ she said.

Sandy smiled. ‘Promise not to laugh?’

‘Promise.’

‘I want you to work for me.’

Jodi choked on her drink. ‘What?’ she gasped, wiping her mouth.

‘I’m setting up my own agency and I want you to work for me,’ Sandy repeated.

Jodi’s eyes were steeped in amazement. ‘How?’ she finally managed. ‘I mean, your own agency …’

Sandy was waving a dismissive hand. ‘Oh, you don’t want to hear all the boring details of how,’ she replied. ‘Just suffice it to say that we’re quite a long way down the road now and should be moving into our new premises some time next month.’

‘We?’ Jodi echoed.

‘Me and my partners.’

Jodi took more time to assimilate the news before saying, ‘Does Michael know anything about this?’

Sandy shrugged. ‘I shouldn’t think so,’ she answered. ‘How could he, when no one’s allowed to mention my name?’

‘But how have you managed it?’

‘I promise you, it wasn’t hard. So, are you interested in joining our team?’

‘To be honest,’ Jodi answered after a moment, ‘I’m amazed you’re asking when you of all people know how fond I am of Michael. I mean, I might not agree with what he did to you, but I’m definitely not thinking of leaving him …’

Sandy was shaking her head. ‘I’m not asking you to leave him,’ she smiled. ‘In fact, that’s the last thing I’d ask you to do. No, what I want is for you to pass me information on what’s going on in the office, you know like this Australian tie-up, or in Michael’s personal life, or even in someone else’s, if you think it might be of use.’

Jodi’s mouth dropped open in shock.

Sandy smiled.

‘Do you …? Are you asking me, will I spy for you? Is that what you’re saying?’ Jodi said breathlessly.

Sandy nodded. ‘Crude, but accurate,’ she said.

‘Then you’ve got to be out of your mind!’ Jodi cried angrily. ‘For God’s sake, what’s got into you even to ask me something like that. You know how much my job means to me, so does Michael …’ She broke off, too stunned to go on.

‘You told me today that Michael was seeing Ellen Shelby in New York,’ Sandy reminded her. ‘It’s as easy as that.’

‘As a matter of fact that wasn’t easy at all,’ Jodi shot back. ‘I’ve regretted it ever since.’

Sandy merely looked at her.

‘Jesus Christ, Sandy!’ Jodi cried. ‘What’s happening to you? Are you having some kind of breakdown or something?’

Sandy laughed. ‘Believe it or not, this kind of thing goes on all the time in business,’ she informed her. ‘I’m just getting the hang of it. It’s called utilizing your assets – and you, Jodi, are one of my assets.’

Jodi was shaking her head. ‘No, sorry,’ she said, ‘count me out. I couldn’t play that kind of game even if I wanted to, and I definitely don’t want to. In any case, how do you know I’m not going to tell Michael about this conversation?’

‘You probably think you are,’ Sandy answered.

An instant wariness came into Jodi’s eyes. ‘What do you mean?’ she said.

‘Well, you would tell him, wouldn’t you, you’re so loyal to him,’ Sandy pointed out. ‘Except you won’t, because I’m asking you not to. And because if you do then I’ll just have to let Harry’s wife know about the affair you were having with her husband the whole time she was pregnant.’ She smiled and took a sip of her drink.

Jodi stared at her in horrified silence.

Sandy waited it out.

‘Just like that,’ Jodi said in the end. ‘You’re telling me just like that, that you’re prepared to screw up I don’t know how many people’s lives in order to get me to tell you when Michael’s seeing Ellen Shelby. You’re sick, Sandy. You need help.’

‘I’m not just talking about when he’s seeing Ellen Shelby,’ Sandy corrected. ‘I’m talking about everything else as well. Most specifically, right now, anything you can find out about the Australia deal.’

‘And if I don’t, you’re going to Harry’s wife?’ Jodi said, as if only by saying it herself could she believe it.

Sandy nodded.

Jodi shook her head. ‘You’d never do it,’ she said. ‘You’re not that evil. I know you’re not.’

‘Don’t put me to the test,’ Sandy said mildly. ‘It’ll only be the worse for you if you do.’

‘And what about Harry? Why aren’t you asking him to give you the information? He’s a senior agent, he’ll …’

‘Obviously he hasn’t told you yet,’ Sandy smiled.

Jodi’s face was showing her strain. ‘Told me what?’ she said.

‘Harry’s going to be leaving McCann’s at the end of the month,’ Sandy informed her. ‘In time for the move into our new offices.’

Jodi looked as though she’d been slapped. ‘You mean you’re blackmailing him too?’ she said finally.

Sandy laughed. ‘Of course not,’ she responded, taking a sip of her drink. ‘I just offered him a better deal than he’s got at McCann’s. A full partnership, a generous profit share, the kind of room for manoeuvre that he’s not getting now and a few other things besides.’

‘And he accepted?’ Jodi said, hardly able to believe it.

‘Of course he did,’ Sandy replied, obviously still amused. ‘So would you, if you were in his shoes, because he won’t get an offer like it anywhere else. Nor will Craig, which is why he’s coming too.’

‘Craig!’ Jodi echoed.

‘Oh come on, that surely doesn’t surprise you,’ Sandy objected. ‘You know how closely Craig and I have worked, right from when I joined McCann’s.’ She paused, then said, ‘He won’t be coming until a month or so after Harry joins, but he’s already signed his new contract.’

Jodi eyed her suspiciously. ‘You’re blackmailing him,’ she declared. ‘You know something about him …’

‘Jodi, even if I did, it would hardly be a good idea for me to employ him on that basis, now would it,’ Sandy pointed out. ‘I intend for my new agency to work, and I wouldn’t stand much chance of that if I started out by forcing my new partners to come and join me. But if you don’t believe me, ask Harry and Craig yourself, I’m sure they won’t mind telling you the kind of deal I’ve worked out for them.’

‘How come neither of them have told Michael yet?’ Jodi wanted to know.

Sandy shrugged. ‘Maybe they have and no one’s told you,’ she suggested.

Jodi flushed, obviously stung by the idea Michael might not have confided something so vital.

Sandy smiled and finishing her drink, started to get up from her chair. ‘Think over my earlier proposal,’ she said. ‘I’ll be in touch in few days.’ She was already moving away when, as though suddenly remembering something she said, ‘Maybe I’ll see you at Harry’s baby’s Christening on Sunday.’

‘I can’t believe you’re letting her get away with this,’ Jodi said, as she and Michael stood in his office watching Craig saying goodbye to the others.

‘The alternative isn’t an option,’ Michael responded as Zelda came in to join them.

‘Makes you wonder if Hollywood haven’t got it right, making their clients sign up, rather than trusting to a verbal agreement,’ Zelda commented.

‘Exactly,’ Jodi agreed, ‘at least then she’d only be able to take the agent instead of all the talent too. I don’t mean to be disloyal to Harry, or anything, but we’ve got more of a chance recovering from him going than from Craig, ’cos Craig’s got the best literary list in London, everyone knows that.’

‘True, but with the way she’s stripped Janey and Diana of half their clients too, we’re not looking too healthy on any front, right now,’ Zelda replied. ‘Except Michael’s of course.’

Michael laughed. ‘Do you think she might try to poach me too?’ he asked.

Jodi looked at him with something akin to pity. ‘Doesn’t any of this bother you?’ she asked. ‘I mean, it should, but it doesn’t seem to the way you carry on.’

‘Jodi, what would you have me do?’ he said, starting to pour them all a drink.

‘I don’t know, match her offers, I suppose,’ Jodi responded truculently.

Michael shook his head. ‘It’s already too late for that,’ he answered, ‘and with the commitments we’ve made to new projects, like the Australia deal, we just weren’t in a position to counter-offer. Harry and Craig know that, and there’s no bad feeling between us. Ah, Dan, great timing,’ he said as his brother-in-law came in the door. ‘What’ll you have?’

‘A small scotch,’ Dan answered, patting his paunch. ‘Colleen’s at me to get rid of this. Hi, Zelda, how are you? Any grisly little secrets you want to tell us about before Sandy Paull comes in with an offer you can’t refuse?’

‘Och, to be sure, I’m feeling most left out,’ she responded. ‘What a dull life it is I’ve been leading all this time. And if only I’d known where my indiscretions might have taken me.’

Michael was grinning as he passed her a gin. ‘Did you speak to Angela Siddall?’ he asked.

Zelda coughed and nodded. ‘I’m seeing her tomorrow,’ she wheezed. ‘Oh, heaven help me I can’t shake this cold. I don’t think,’ she went on, ‘she’ll be able to join us right away, because she’s on a year’s contract with Shine Connell which isn’t due to expire for at least six months.’

‘OK, just get the low down and we’ll take it from there,’ Michael responded. ‘And I’ve been considering getting Paul Patton out of the BBC to come and start up a new literary list here. What do you think?’

Zelda’s eyes rounded with approval as she nodded over her gin. ‘Great idea,’ she agreed. Then, to Jodi, ‘Don’t look so aggrieved. It’s not that we don’t care about losing Harry and Craig, but life has to go on, hen, and there’s just no way she’s going to bring McCann Walsh to its knees, the way you seem to think she is, so stop worrying, will you?’

‘But if I hadn’t told you what was going on when Harry left,’ Jodi said hotly, ‘then none of you would be any the wiser now, would you?’

‘Och, I think we’d have cottoned on in time,’ Zelda assured her, ‘what with Craig going as well. But it’s true, we do have you to thank for telling us she wanted to know about the Australian tie-up.’

‘How much have you told her about that?’ Michael asked.

‘Only the stuff you fed me,’ Jodi answered. ‘Why? You don’t think I’ve been giving her anything else, do you?’

‘Calm down,’ Michael laughed. ‘No, of course I don’t. I just wondered how interested she still seemed, that was all.’

‘Very,’ Jodi stated. Then after thinking about it, ‘Actually, less so lately, but then that’s probably because I keep changing the subject and telling her about Ellen. That really bugs her, I can tell you.’

Zelda and Dan laughed, while Michael sat in his chair and looked thoughtful. ‘You know, it might not be a good thing to wind her up about Ellen,’ he said. ‘She’s gunning for us as it is – not that she’s going to succeed – but I just don’t think it’s wise to antagonize her any more than we already have.’ Then, lifting his head and resuming his smile he said, ‘Well, I think we’ve about exhausted that subject for now, so tell me, Dan, how long have we got before Clodagh and Colleen get here?’

‘About half an hour,’ Dan answered, perching on the window-sill and watching Bertie fussing around Craig’s empty office opposite. ‘What are you going to do about him?’ he asked, nodding in Bertie’s direction.

‘Offer him to Sandy?’ Michael suggested.

Zelda and Jodi laughed. ‘They deserve each other,’ Jodi commented.

Michael’s eyebrows rose, then, after taking a sip of his drink he said, ‘So, providing we’re all in agreement that Jodi’s to be trusted – all right, I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,’ he apologized, when Jodi threw him a thunderous look, ‘let’s go over the latest developments with World Wide Entertainment, which is what we’re now calling the international link-up. Chris Ruskin in New York is meeting up with an LA-based firm of headhunters some time in the next couple of weeks with a view to them searching out an agent to handle the West Coast operations.’

‘Surely you must know someone?’ Jodi piped up.

Michael shook his head. ‘No one I’d feel happy trusting and Chris feels the same. Mark Bergin doesn’t know anyone in showbiz except a couple of Australians, so he’s relying on us.’

‘What about Ellen?’ Jodi said.

Michael shook his head. ‘She works for ATI, remember, which would give her a real conflict of interests if we brought her in. So, for the moment we’re going with the headhunters. They’ll be given three months to come up with someone, which we’re confident they will, since Ellen assures me not everyone in Hollywood is a crook.’ He grinned to show he didn’t really mean that, but no one was convinced. ‘So,’ he went on, ‘as you know, we’ve already got an exchange programme worked out between three theatres in Sydney, three in London, four in New York and I’ve just found out today that we’re including two in LA. I know LA isn’t famous for theatre, but that’s only because it’s overshadowed by the screen world. They put on some damned good productions from time to time and it’s another way of getting more shows into the US. All that should start early next month and in the meantime we’re looking into financing a twenty-six-part series to be shot in Miami, Manchester, Perth and Singapore. It’s an adaptation of the Shirley Whitfield novel, Too Many Barriers.

‘Obviously, all this is costing a packet, but we’ve got some pretty strong support from a couple of banks in the US and Australia, as well as here. Am I right?’ he said, looking at Dan.

Dan nodded. ‘The Arts Council are interested too,’ he said, ‘and we’re working on tapping the lottery for a few bob. I was in talking to our own bank manager today and though the balance sheets haven’t looked too healthy the last couple of months – and probably won’t for the next few either thanks to Harry and Craig going – no one sees any reason to worry. Incidently, it’s now pretty evident that on top of the personnel she’s availed herself of, Sandy’s defrauded the company of some thirty-five grand or more, but Michael and I have discussed it and rather than bring any more unpleasantness to bear on the situation we feel the matter is best left as is.’

‘You mean you’re letting her get away with it!’ Jodi cried indignantly, her eyes moving accusingly between Dan and Michael.

Dan looked at Michael.

‘It was my decision,’ Michael explained, ‘which I took after the company lawyer contacted her and threatened to call in the police. She told the lawyer that if we did that she’d charge me with sexual harassment. So, all things considered, I think we’d do well to cut our losses and move past this. After all, we don’t want that kind of publicity coming down on us and I sure as hell don’t need it while we’re getting World Wide up and going. Besides, I don’t think she can hit us with much else now, can she? She’s got Harry and Craig, which is tantamount to forty per cent of the company …’

‘Don’t forget all the clients she took from Diana and Janey,’ Jodi butted in.

‘I’m not. All in all, she’s taken about fifty-five per cent of the company. But it’s only temporary, because everyone’s replaceable, even Craig, and unless Zelda succumbs to …’

‘Och, no, not me,’ Zelda cried, holding up a hand. ‘I go down with the sinking ship. After all, it was me who employed the little madam, so I’m responsible for …’

‘Let’s not get into that again,’ Michael stopped her. ‘We’ll get through this without too much trouble and when we do we’re going to be even bigger and certainly more international than before. In fact, it could well be that without even realizing it Sandy’s doing us a favour, because we could end up changing shape completely and with the way the industry’s going that’s probably no bad thing.’

‘So in other words, everyone’s dispensable, no matter who they are, or what they do, or how loyally they’ve worked for you?’ Jodi’s eyes were glittering with anger.

Michael inhaled deeply. ‘Jodi, I know you think Sandy blackmailed them into joining her, but I promise you she didn’t. They went of their own free will and we just have to accept that. So let’s get back to World Wide, shall we? We’re putting just about everything we’ve got into this venture, which is a gamble by anyone’s standards, so we need the whole team to pull together, which includes you, because if it works out it’s going to turn us into more of a production house than an agency. Of course, we’ll always be an agency, but as you know it was my intention a few years back to get into producing and I think the time has now come for me to take a look at it again. I’ve got a few projects in mind and if I manage to get any of them off the ground it’s going to mean you running my part of the agency while I’m otherwise engaged.’

Jodi stared at him. ‘But I’m not an agent,’ she pointed out. ‘I never even said I wanted to be one.’

‘That’s fine,’ Michael replied. ‘Zelda will be taking care of my clients. What we need you to do is get more involved in running the office.’

‘What, you mean like a manager?’ she said.

‘Exactly like a manager,’ he answered, ‘if that’s what you want to call yourself. The title’s entirely up to you, the pay increase is up to us and we’ve voted you a twenty-five per cent rise effective from the first of next month. You’ll also get a company car and an entertainment allowance.’

Jodi was boggle-eyed as she looked at Dan, then Zelda, then back to Michael. ‘What about you?’ she said. ‘Will I still be your assistant?’

‘Depends whether you want to be,’ he replied.

‘Well I’m certainly not handing over to anyone else,’ she retorted. Then breaking into an enormous grin she ran across the room and hugged him.

‘If I were you I’d keep this under your hat for a while,’ he warned as she let him go, ‘because the last thing we want is Sandy threatening to go to Harry’s wife again in order to get you away too. So the best thing you can do is tell her we’re already starting to struggle financially, which is more or less true as we’ve had to go into hock to the banks for a lot more than we intended thanks to Harry and Craig going, and tell her we haven’t even managed to find a replacement for Harry or Craig yet either. Embellish it with as much gloom and doom as you like, and try to keep off the subject of Ellen. Have you told her Ellen’s coming to London next week?’

Jodi shook her head. ‘I was tempted, I must admit,’ she said, ‘but I had a feeling it might not be a good idea.’

‘It wouldn’t,’ he confirmed.

Dan was frowning. ‘You surely don’t think she’d do anything to hurt Ellen, do you?’ he said.

Michael shook his head. ‘God knows what she’d do given half a chance,’ he responded. ‘I don’t know how the woman’s mind works, but if she starts delving deep enough into my personal life we all know what she’s going to find and I for one would much rather she didn’t.’

‘Does Ellen know about that?’ Zelda asked.

Michael shook his head.

‘But I thought it was getting serious between you two.’

‘We still live an ocean and continent apart,’ Michael reminded her. ‘Until we go at least some way towards closing that gap I don’t see how you can describe us as serious.’

‘He just calls her every day and goes over to New York twice a month to meet up with her,’ Jodi pointed out. ‘But that’s not serious. Nor is taking a three-week holiday with her in the Caribbean.’

‘All right, don’t get smart,’ Michael reprimanded. ‘And nothing’s been finalized on that yet.’

‘Well Clodagh thinks it has,’ Jodi informed him. ‘In fact, she seems to think she’s going too.’

‘What?’ He laughed. ‘She’ll be here any minute so we’ll disabuse her of that notion straight away. And speaking of my family, does any one know if Cavan called me back?’

‘Oh, yes, sorry, he did,’ Jodi answered. ‘I forgot to tell you. He rang about an hour ago while you were talking to Craig. Sorry I didn’t interrupt, but I thought …’

‘It’s OK, you did right,’ Michael assured her, getting to his feet. ‘I’ll just go over to Dan’s office and see if I can get through to him now.’

A few minutes later he was speaking to Cavan at his apartment in Leme.

‘Hey, you’re lucky to catch me,’ Cavan called down the line, ‘I was on my way out. How are you? How’s Ma?’

‘Everyone’s great,’ Michael answered. ‘The question is how are you? When I spoke to you a couple of days ago you sounded like you had something on your mind and frankly it’s not the first time you’ve left me with the impression you’re holding back on me about something. So what is it?’

‘There’s nothing,’ Cavan laughed. ‘You’re imagining things.’ He laughed again. ‘You’ve got to know by now that you’d be the first person I’d turn to if I was in any kind of trouble. So, take it from me, there’s no trouble.’

‘That’s your word, not mine,’ Michael pointed out.

‘OK, call it what you like. Everything’s coming up roses over here. How about over there? Colleen tells me there’s a new woman. Is it serious?’

‘We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you,’ Michael responded. ‘Or should we be talking about Michelle? Is that who this is about?’

‘Michelle’s fine,’ Cavan answered. ‘Everything is.’

Michael knew he was lying, but short of coming right out and accusing him he didn’t know how to get him to admit it. ‘OK,’ he said in the end, ‘you’re a big boy now, you can take care of yourself. If you find you can’t, then you know where I am,’ and he put the phone down.

As he started back to his own office he realized the call had made him much angrier than it should have and he couldn’t quite fathom why. Except maybe it wasn’t Cavan’s reticence that was rattling him, maybe it was that Cavan knew what was going on with Michelle when he didn’t that was giving him such a hard time. Whatever, something wasn’t right over there, he just knew it.