After Rick’s early call, Claire tried to calm down. She was in a cold place. Rick’s interest in Arrow Hall was hanging by a thread. In the quietness and confined space of her new flat, Claire quickly drank two cups of dark coffee and nibbled at a croissant. Wherever Arrow Hall was going, killing off the fraud on the site and the people dealing in it was becoming urgent.
But today she had agreed to face up to Lady Ruth Jackson. Later that morning, she scanned the few papers Stone had given to her about Marine House, this large, seafront mansion, and she was unsure how easily Lady Ruth would meet her. Dressing smartly, she took her time in front of the mirror; she had to feel right, but her confidence was always there, having met many antagonistic, even plain rude and shifty, characters. She had tidied up many messy deals for Harry Stone and Rick. And what made it easier today, tempting her to this meeting, was a tinge of curiosity about the titled Jackson family.
The distance from her new flat to the Mayfair house of Lady Ruth Jackson was only a couple of miles, and to unwind further from the dark and devious legacy with James and Arrow Hall, Claire decided to walk to the meeting.
Claire was shown to the same third-floor room, just as Stone had been. As she was staring at the full-length portrait on the wall, the door noisily opened. A woman, who had grey hair and who was very upright, as if she was facing up to someone she did not like, came in. She was followed by a man some years younger. Claire knew who they were. But, in these very formal, unsmiling surroundings, talking about Harry Stone’s future was very unreal.
‘Please sit down,’ the woman said, pulling her own chair noisily from the table.
‘This is my mother, Lady Ruth Jackson. I’m her son, Josh.’ The man spoke quickly as soon as they were seated.
‘I’m pleased to see that Mr Stone is not with you. I had told him last time he so rudely stalked out of this room that we would not sell Marine House to him. That hasn’t changed. We wouldn’t want to be accepting laundered money in payment for that lovely property. But there’s more than that. I hear from the letting agent that he intends to sit there after lease end for as long as he likes. Well, we’ll see about that. And now I want the strongest message taken back to him that we will have him evicted very quickly, and I will hound him for trespass and costs until my property is restored to me in good order and with vacant possession.’ There was a pause as Lady Ruth looked at Claire. ‘So, after that, what have you come to say that won’t waste our time?’ Lady Ruth asked, eyeing Claire closely.
‘I will pass your message back to Mr Stone, but I’m sure he already knows what he can legally do. May I move on, because his interest in buying is still there. I can confirm he has the money, it’s all ready to pay, he does not need to borrow anything, and he can move very quickly to finalise a contract. And he will not only pay all rent due to lease end, but he will also be ready to pay rent right up until completion if that runs beyond lease end,’ Claire said in one breath.
‘Why does a well-spoken, nice-looking lady like you get to do business with a man like Harry Stone? He’s rough, and he’s vulgar; he has no manners. So, where do you fit in? But I haven’t asked your name yet,’ Lady Ruth said, suddenly remembering her omission.
‘Claire, Claire Watts. I’ve known Mr Stone for some time – I’ve kept his business affairs tidy for him, and he’s asked me to help him with everything at lease end with Marine House.’
‘So, where’s he got the money? Where does a man like Stone suddenly find £2.5 million? Honest money I mean, not from some laundering scam.’ Lady Ruth asked.
‘Let me be firm, please, in saying that Mr Stone has the money. I am collecting all his investments into his one London bank. The price will be ready to pay over as soon as a deed of sale can be signed,’ Claire said, slightly raising her voice.
‘Coming from you, Claire, I perhaps can convince myself to believe that.’
‘Thank you, and I hope that gives you confidence to reconsider his offer to buy the property.’
‘I’m still worried about that man’s consorting with criminals. The raid on Marine House was in all the papers, you know. So, don’t get too close, Claire, would be my advice.’
‘Those problems are all in the past. In all his dealings, he has never been convicted of any offences or even charged with them. Though the police visited Marine House, they found nothing to connect him to any money laundering,’ Claire said, her voice again getting louder.
Josh stared at Claire, and his face was blank. It was as if he wanted to say something to her but not in front of his dominant mother. The door of the room noisily opened. A middle-aged woman entered. Her hair was windblown, untidy and her round face showed a pout at her mouth. She gave Claire a sullen look and then moved towards Lady Ruth, who had slumped back in her chair. Lady Ruth put her hand up to halt the intruder.
‘Mother, I don’t know who this woman is, but this meeting has got to stop. And I will deal with Marine House my way and only when I’m ready,’ she said.
The intruder was talking very loudly; it surprised Claire, and she sat more upright in her chair. She looked at Lady Ruth, who had closed her eyes. The meeting had lasted less than ten minutes but was now finished. This was a family warring with each other – Claire had often heard Stone lose his temper, and she did not want to hear more like that today. Claire picked up her papers, and she stood to leave as the woman advanced more into the room.
‘Thank you, Lady Ruth, for seeing me. I’m sorry to take your time, and I had hoped for a more positive response that I could report back to Mr Stone,’ Claire said.
Lady Ruth did not reply but glared at her daughter. Josh, the son, said nothing but looked angry at the interruption from his sister. And without looking at Lady Ruth, Claire left the room. As she was starting down the circular stairs to the front door, Lady Ruth’s daughter caught up with her.
‘I’m Edith. Mother doesn’t know how to handle these things, so anything to do with Marine House you deal with me. Tell your Mr Stone that too, please,’ she said.
‘I’ve come to find out if the offer from Mr Stone is going to proceed. And your mother was not able to give me an answer. So, if Mr Stone should only deal with you, why don’t you ask your mother to confirm the position to me so that we don’t waste any more time together?’ Claire said.
Claire felt hostile to this very aggressive woman, and she stood square to face her.
‘Here’s my card – call me sometime,’ Edith replied sharply.
Edith looked at Claire with eyes that glared. She did not know what to make of this well-dressed woman facing her. But Claire turned away. And as Edith stalked off noisily down the corridor, Lady Ruth called out to Claire.
‘Claire, please would you come back for a few more minutes.’
As Claire turned, Lady Ruth looked directly at her as if she was seeking somebody to confide in.
‘I don’t normally have to apologise to anyone, but I’m sorry for this interruption. Please remember this, I own Marine House. It is mine to sell, but what you have seen is the children expecting to share in the proceeds. They’re trying to jump in front of me.’
‘Mr Stone knows you own it. But we do need to know who to talk to about Marine House, if only to discuss end-of-lease matters.’
‘Claire, please listen to me because I am the only one who will deal with all this.’ Lady Ruth paused and again looked directly at Claire. She had more to say. ‘You look like someone who understands how families work, so let me tell you, Edith is just going through a divorce. She’s a bit upset at the moment. She married below herself. A man nearly twice her age, worked in the City. It fell apart last year as we all thought it would. He left her with nothing, and now I have to support her. Silly girl. But, Claire, don’t take any notice of her outburst this afternoon.’
Claire listened out of politeness as Lady Ruth spoke with a tone of authority. Dealing with this disjointed family was like trying to hold a plate of jelly, and Claire could now see clearly that Stone would have been hostile to meeting with her. Lady Ruth’s scorn for him would have shown too much, and he would not know how to deal with her. The daughter Edith’s intrusion with a loud, booming voice was perhaps the sort of person Stone could argue and bargain with. In their loudness, they would almost respect each other.
But today’s meeting had wasted valuable time. And Stone did not have much time left.