AMY WATCHES THE TALL assistant steady herself before collecting her chair and sitting back down. Beside her, Mike Nichols looks frazzled. His eyes dart around, fixed on whoever is talking. Is he drunk already? Across the table from Nichols is the minister. Amy recognises him from the paper. He seems completely unfazed, shovelling food into his mouth despite the unfolding melee.
‘You tried to sell me out, you dirty dog,’ Noah Winters hollers at his son.
Buddy shakes his head. ‘Dad, Dad—’
‘Judas. Shut your mouth.’
‘Dad, can I—’
Noah throws his wine at Buddy Winters. Not the wine on its own but the glass and all. It collects Buddy square in the face. The man yelps, hands waving around, completely under attack.
The minister dabs his mouth. ‘Noah,’ he says, gently.
Noah wheels around. ‘Yes? What is it, Russell? Eat your fucking dinner.’
The minister grumbles, turns back to his plate.
Amy signals to the waiter. ‘Can I have another glass of that wine?’
‘Certainly.’
As the wine is poured, Amy feels eyes on her.
They’re all watching.
Noah Winters leans forward, lowers his head. ‘Enjoying your dinner, Miss Owens?’
‘It’s fine,’ she says. ‘Are we done with the family drama?’
Noah doesn’t answer. He just watches her.
‘Do you have something to say?’ asks the minister.
The front doorbell chimes.
Right on cue.
Noah motions for the butler to answer it.
Amy lays down her fork.
As they wait, Buddy stands up, making to leave.
‘You might want to stay for this,’ says Amy.
The butler is thrown into the room, landing on the timber floor and sliding a few feet. Bill Webber and the blond man called Sunny appear. They both have guns.
‘These guys work for my father,’ says Amy.
If Noah is concerned, he doesn’t show it. ‘Go on.’
‘My father and Allan Watts were hoping to buy Buddy’s share of the park. Unfortunately, Allan is dead, and my father isn’t too far behind him. It’s a long story, but these two are Allan’s silent partners. They’ve been knocking over the banks here on the coast. I’m sure you’ve seen it on the news.’
‘I see,’ says Noah. He turns to Buddy. ‘This is who you would leave me with? This!’
Buddy is beyond caring. ‘I still might sell it to them.’
‘Over my dead body.’
Amy clears her throat. ‘You say that, Noah, but do you mean it? Because he does,’ she says, nodding at the blond one. ‘That one is capable of anything.’
‘I can deal with men like these,’ says Noah. ‘Men like these, I understand. It’s the rest of you I have trouble with. What do you want?’
‘Let Buddy offload his stake, and then open the fucking park as planned, and you’ll never see these two again. They need to leave town, so they’ll be truly silent partners, all the way.’
‘How can we be sure of that?’ says the minister.
‘My father informs me that his word will be enough. He’s heading up all this. It’s his show.’
Noah smiles. ‘Your show, too?’
‘For the time being,’ says Amy.
‘Get him on the phone,’ Noah says to one of the staff. ‘I’ll take it upstairs.’
They wait in the quiet.
The clock ticking.
Mike Nichols says, ‘What about me?’
‘Quiet down,’ says the minister.
A voice from the other room says, ‘We’re calling now, sir.’
Noah slowly gets out of his chair. The old man leaves.
The clock ticks over and chimes.
Midnight.