Dirty Dealings

by Gillian Godden

  The fat balding man looked up at Tony in surprise as he had pushed the door open so violently it nearly felt off its hinges.

  ‘And who are you, may I ask?’ he said, in English coloured by a deep German accent. ‘I am seeing no salesmen or reps today. Please leave.’

  Tony reached out and grabbed his shirt, yanking him out of the chair.

  ‘I am Tony Lambrianu and you’re sitting in my fucking chair. Now move, you fat bastard.’

  The shocked expression on the man’s face turned to a smug smile. He stood to one side and offered Tony his chair.

  ‘Pack your bags and get out.’ Picking up the man’s jacket from the back of the chair, Tony threw it at him.

  ‘I have rights, Mr Lambrianu. This is the twenty-first century. You cannot dismiss someone without good reason. I presume you have been listening to that maid’s lies about me. She comes in and accuses me of all kinds of things, none of which she has any evidence of.’ His smug expression annoyed Tony even more.

  Tony clenched his fist tightly and his punch threw the man backwards. Grabbing him by the throat, Tony started to squeeze tighter and tighter. The German was struggling and trying to fight him off, and managed to loosen Tony’s grip.

  The man got free and stood as far away from Tony as possible. He swept back his thinning grey hair. The very fact that he was so fat had steadied him. He obviously liked his food. The rolls of fat strained his shirt to the point where his buttons looked like they were going to pop.

  ‘Assault and dismissal, Mr Lambrianu. There are laws against this kind of thing. Any tribunal would tell you that.’ Although he was full of bravado and hiding behind his rights, inside he was shaking. He could see that this was not a man to be trifled with.

  ‘Stop it, Tony.’ Jake caught Tony’s arm before he had the chance to throw another punch. ‘You, Herr Schmidt, are very lucky that I am here. So take my advice and take a leave of absence, starting now.’

  Knowing that Jake was right, Herr Schmidt picked up his coat and left.

  ‘What are you doing?’ said Tony. ‘Are you trying to make me look a fool in front of that fat bastard?’

  ‘No, Tony. But he’s right, we have no evidence. The man is hiding behind government law. If Nonna signed anything giving him executor rights … let’s find out first, shall we? We need to know where we stand, so let’s play it his way for now.’

  ‘That slippery bastard has been creaming it off the top. I should have killed him.’

  ‘What? With a factory full of witnesses? Let’s do this the right way, Tony. We’ll get our revenge. But you’re also to blame. After Nonna’s funeral, you walked away. I loved her too, Tony, but you walked away and left Rosanna to it. Now, let’s sort this crap out.’

  ***

  ‘Pass the Bolognese, Ralph, love, and don’t forget to take your vitamins. I’ll get them for you.’ Julie reached over for her bag and took out the silver foil with blue tablets in. Looking up, she saw the puzzled expression on Francesca’s face and gave her a wink.

  ‘There you go. Yes, I know, give them here.’ Ralph swallowed the tablet that Julie gave him and carried on. ‘You need an accountant, Tony. Not one from here. They are probably up to their necks in it.’

  ‘I’ll fly mine out from the club. We’ll sort this, Ralph. I am so bloody angry.’ Seeing Ralph taking his vitamins stopped Tony’s train of thought. A puzzled expression spread across his face. ‘Since when did you start taking vitamins, Ralph?’ Now he was curious.

  ‘Few months now, Tony lad. Done me the world of good. I feel like a new man. You want to give them a try.’

  ‘No! Tony won’t need them. He does all that gym training and stuff. I’m sure he’s full of vitamins, what with Elle’s cooking and Fran to look after him.’ Francesca saw the panic on Julie’s face.

  Thankfully they were interrupted by Christopher. ‘I could do it,’ he said. Everyone around the table stopped what they were doing and looked at the young man. Even Adam stopped chewing his food.

  ‘Do what?’ snapped Tony. ‘Are you in the habit of listening to people’s private conversations?’ He was angry that this uninvited stranger had poked his nose in.

  After calmly picking up his glass of water and taking a sip, then adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses, Christopher continued. ‘I’m just saying, Mr Lambrianu, Katie is a qualified accountant and I am a business advisor at the bank. Maybe we could help. And it’s hardly a private conversation over the dining table, is it?’

  ‘Piss off, you nosey bastard. You come to my house, eat my free food and I bet I paid for your ticket! Then you stick your fucking nose in my business.’

  ‘Wait!’ Ralph held his hand up to stop Tony insulting this poor young man anymore. ‘He has a point, Tony. He’s a banker and Katie is in accounts. Why fly someone over? Give them a chance. Where is the harm? There is nothing to hide here, is there? Only what that man may have stolen.’ Tony, Jake and Ralph all exchanged glances. No, there was nothing shady here. Well, nothing that involved them, anyway. It was a legitimate company.

  After weighing up the situation, Tony agreed. Although reluctant, he could see that it made sense. It would take too long to fly out someone that he trusted.

  ‘Okay, Julie. We’re alone now,’ said Fran, later. ‘Everyone is sunning themselves and taking a break. Do you want to tell me more about Ralph’s vitamins?’ Francesca burst out laughing. ‘I have worked in the medical profession, you know, and I know exactly what those tablets are and they are certainly not vitamins.’

  ‘Bloody hell, Fran, we’re not all married to libido man, and Ralph is older than Tony. Yes, they are Viagra. You don’t really think I was coming on holiday with no excitement, do you?’ Now they both burst into laughter. Julie’s secret was out. She had been buying Viagra off the Internet for months and had convinced Ralph that he needed to start taking vitamins. The glint in Julie’s eyes and the pink flush in her cheeks said it all. ‘Bloody hell, Fran, he’s been like a two-dick dog in a poodle parlour lately. Chasing me around the bedroom. It’s wonder he can pull his pants up with that thing of his on permanent standby.’ Laughter filled the room. Julie never failed to amaze. She always had a plan up her sleeve. ‘While we’re on the subject of holidays and relaxing, maybe this would be a good time to tell Ralph about Diana. His libido is high and the environment is relaxing. Why don’t we do it over a nice dinner? With everyone around the table eating and drinking the news might go down better.’ Francesca was trying to be reasonable. She knew there was never going to be a good time, but here, shared as chatter, it wouldn’t be as confrontational, and Diana had some form of back-up from the rest of the family.

  ‘What! You have got to be joking. Especially with Tony slamming around the place waiting to see how much that German has ripped him off. But you’re right, there is never going to be a good time. Well. Let me put some lippy on and brave it out. Maybe I should give him one of his vitamins first.’ Again, they both burst into laughter. Francesca nearly felt sorry for Ralph, but then thought about what Julie had said. Ralph felt like a new man and, whether he knew it or not, he was enjoying the effect of the pills.

  CHAPTER 9

  THE BITTER TRUTH

  Over the next few days Tony was like a cat on hot bricks, waiting to see what Christopher and Katie were doing in his study all day. He paced up and down all of the time and even tried listening at the door. ‘Do you want a glass, Tony?’ Julie stood there with a glass in her hand, grinning. ‘They say you can hear better with a glass at the door.’ Turning on her heels, she burst out laughing. The house seemed to go into silence over those days, everyone waiting and watching. Each time the door opened Tony stood up, waiting for the outcome, but Katie and Christopher were only taking loo breaks.

  ‘Fucking hell, Jake, how long does this shit take? We know that German prick is ripping us off, why is it taking that kid so long to figure it out?’

  ‘Because he wants to do it properly, with evidence, Tony. No stone left unturned, eh?’ Jake ha
d just left when the door opened and Christopher appeared. He had waited for the opportunity to get Tony alone.

  Standing in the doorway of the lounge, he said, ‘Could I have a word with you, Mr Lambrianu?’. Looking up, Tony took in the young man before him. He was surprised that even in this warm climate he was still wearing the semblance of his suit, although without the tie and the jacket.

  Maybe Scarlet shared the same sense of humour as he did, as he could see her point now. She had called Christopher dull and a boring old fart. It was the first time that Tony had actually paid him any attention. He was a few years older than Katie and quite staid in his manner. He had obviously been brought up properly. His speech and his manners were impeccable. He did have the Clark Kent look about him, Scarlet was right about that, and it seemed he also had brains.

  Getting straight to the point, Tony said, ‘Shut the door, Christopher, and come and sit down. What have you got to tell me?’ He felt he had waited long enough. It had been days.

  Christopher had folders under his arms and opened a briefcase full of papers. Adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat as though he was about to make a speech, he began.

  ‘I speak Italian, Mr Lambrianu, as does Katie, and you can also translate online, but I’m sure you will understand the paperwork,’ he said, handing over receipts and invoices. ‘As you can see, there are many bottles of wine, and I mean hundreds, unaccounted for. I appreciate there must be an amount of wastage, but there is no documentation that accounts for what is missing. Also, the orders don’t match. I have taken the liberty of contacting a few of the supermarkets that you supply and asking them to send over duplicate invoices etc.; none of them match, Mr Lambrianu. It seems you are right. Your new manager has, indeed, been helping himself. I also note that there is a company in Germany, very new, and I presume not one that you have started.’

  The lounge door opened and Katie walked in.

  Taking a breath, she said, ‘I presume he’s started telling you the bad news, Dad. Well, it gets worse.’

  ‘How the hell could it be worse? I haven’t got time to look through all of these figures now, but I trust you; he’s been ripping us off and you’re both sure of it. What could be worse than that?’

  Sitting down beside Christopher on the sofa, she began to tell Tony more of what they had found.

  ‘We all know that Nonna was an old lady, Dad. Wait.’ Katie held up her hand to stop her father before he leapt to his grandmother’s defence and started shouting. Seeing his cheeks flush she could tell his hackles were up at the mention of his grandmother but this had to be said. ‘Face it, Dad, she was an old lady and sometimes she was a forgetful old lady. Rosanna doesn’t understand invoices and receipts and so none of this is her fault. Possibly when the new manager was handing things to Nonna to sign, he sneaked in some papers without telling her what they were. It seems she has signed over the running of the vineyard to him. In fact, he is the executor of the vineyard. He is in charge of the day-to day-running, the payments, everything. It’s legal; we have checked. Christopher’s brother is a lawyer. Nonna signed it over without realising it.’

  Katie had already discussed with Christopher that she would be the one to give her father this bad news. The accounts and receipts were one thing, but telling her father that his grandmother bordered on dementia and didn’t know what she was doing would be like a knife in his heart. Not only did he feel guilty that he hadn’t taken over the reins when he should have, his beloved grandmother had been robbed of everything she loved.

  This was something Katie had to tell him. He wouldn’t accept it from anyone else. Exchanging glances with Christopher, Katie waited for the explosion of anger from her father, but none came. He sat there stunned. Looking at them both, his face was expressionless.

  ‘Are you telling me that none of the vineyard is ours?’ he asked, eventually. His voice was low and even wobbled slightly as the words left his mouth. He was trying his best to comprehend the situation.

  ‘Well, the grounds and the houses are, but he is in full charge of the vineyard, it seems.’ The silence was deafening. Katie half-wished that he would start shouting and having one of his tantrums.

  ‘And you say all of this is legal? How? How is it possible for her to turn all of this over without anyone knowing it? Surely lawyers must have been involved?’

  Christopher felt very awkward sitting in front of this man and telling him not one grape on this land belonged to him. Adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat, he said, ‘None of the lawyers involved in the takeover were Italian, Mr Lambrianu, if that is what you’re thinking. It seems there was only one and, of course, he was German. Rosanna has witnessed this, though I doubt she knew what she was signing. He will have told her some story about him being the manager or something. That is something you need to ask her. Maybe she will remember doing it.’

  Tony was nodding his head, trying to take it all in. This German manager had been very thorough and got everything legal. He had taken advantage of an old woman and robbed her blind. He remembered being pleased, himself, when he had met the German and been told that he was running things and everything was in good hands. He never dreamt it was anything like this. This man had robbed him of his heritage.

  ‘Thank you, Christopher, you have been very thorough in your investigations. Would you both please leave me now?’ Tony stood up indicating that he wanted them to leave; he was about to shake the young man’s hand when Christopher interrupted him.

  ‘Can I just say, Mr Lambrianu, while we’re on the subject? You and your family produce some very expensive wines. Excellent wines, in fact. But I feel you’re missing out on a certain market.’

  ‘Not now, Christopher. Let’s leave Dad to it. He needs time to take all of this in.’ Katie was pulling Christopher out of the room and steering him to the door. She knew now was not the time to talk business. Her father needed time to get his head around this revelation.

  ‘No, let him speak, Katie. What is it? What else is there you want to say?’ Tony waited. More bad news. Well, he might as well have it all in one go.

  Pulling his arm away from Katie, Christopher stood face-to face with Tony. He could see that she was embarrassed and wanted to leave the room as quickly as possible. ‘Many people these days enjoy a glass of wine or a cheap box of wine from the local supermarkets, but they couldn’t afford your prices. You have grape wastage and your wines have to mature. As clarets, they can take years. You could use that wastage to produce a cheaper wine which would mature more quickly. It is possible that you could use another name for it which would distance you from it and avoid touching the reputation that you have. People would just see that it came from the same vineyard. Although I doubt if any of the young people with their boxes of wine would look at the labels to see where it is made.’

  Tony’s face clouded over and he withdrew his hand. His voice was very calm and very steady, which Katie knew was always a bad sign. She preferred him shouting and screaming, at least that meant he was getting it off his chest. ‘You have just told me that I don’t have a vineyard to make any kind of wines in, so what are you talking about? My family have always produced top quality exclusive clarets, not the cheap shit you’re talking about. Now, leave me in peace.’ He was trying to remain calm, this young man had done him a service, but Tony felt he was pushing his luck too far, now. Christopher was insistent, however.

  Katie closed her eyes and shook her head at Christopher. Now was not the time to discuss this kind of business with her father. ‘Leave it, Christopher. Save it for another time. Please, let’s go.’ She pulled him again by the arm and almost pushed him out of the room. Then Christopher turned. He was on a roll and he didn’t want to stop now that he had Tony’s attention.

  ‘I’m sure you will sort this matter out, Mr Lambrianu. I have no doubt about that. So, when you do, maybe you would consider what I have said. There are many vineyards out there doubling their income by doing what I have suggested.’

/>   ‘Will you just fuck off and leave me in peace?’ Now Tony was angry. This guy was getting on his nerves with his ideas and proposals, although he was right about one thing; he would sort this matter out. Now. Today! ‘Just for the record, thank you for earning your bed and board, but that doesn’t include my daughter. I take it you are sleeping alone and keeping your hands to yourself?’

  Tony felt like taking him down a peg or two. He wanted to shout at somebody and this persistent upstart business advisor was getting on his nerves.

  Surprisingly, Christopher stayed calm, although he blushed slightly. ‘I assure you, Mr Lambrianu, I have nothing but respect for your daughter.’ After opening the door he left the room, walking past Jake, who avoided his gaze.

  ‘Whoa, I heard that. Does that mean he is gay or that Katie is just plain ugly?’ Jake couldn’t help laughing, even though he could see that Tony was in no laughing mood. ‘I take it you have just read him the riot act about keeping his hands to himself. Oh, come on, Tony you would be like a ferret up a drainpipe if a beautiful woman was alone in a bedroom just across the landing.’ Suddenly the smile appeared on Tony’s face. They burst out laughing like two schoolboys. ‘Too bloody right, Jake. What she sees in him, I don’t know. He is as plain as a stump fence.’

  Jake shrugged. ‘Well, for the record, Tony, I have actually spoken to him, unlike yourself, and he seems like a decent guy. He has brains and his conversation is okay, too. Maybe you should give him a chance and not just see him as the enemy, taking little Katie’s affections from you, eh?’

  ‘Maybe. But for now, Jake, sit down, and let’s get back to business. He has looked into everything so I suppose you’re right there, he does have a head on his shoulders. That German bastard has taken the vineyard away from us, it seems. He has conned Nonna into signing over the vineyard to his care.’ Tony waited for the penny to drop.