Icefall

by Hallowes, Guy

  'Where are you?' he asked.

  'At The Bandstand.' She explained briefly what had happened at the police station. 'Most of these people seem perfectly decent to me, but some of them must have known of the plan hatched by those two morons.'

  'I have just spoken to your boss. He says ASIO and the police got their wires crossed and you were arrested.'

  'I hope to have nothing more to do with any of it, but I'm sure there is more to the story than you suggest. I think that bloody senior policeman arranged my arrest when he made the phone call. Are Bill and Demetriou safely locked up? Once that is assured I can find out what the hell is going on here.' She didn't mention anything about the policeman's remark regarding her background. Demetriou must have told them something about that shirt and tried to put the blame onto me; well best of luck with that.

  'At the very least you will still be asked to give your side of the story to some sort of enquiry.'

  'Okay, but I have better things to do than screw around with a lot of incompetents looking after their own interests.'

  The Bandstand story emerged after much probing by Tanya. 'This place was always short of money,' said Caroline, an attractive, no-nonsense, buxom brunette, in her mid-thirties. 'Bill had said not to worry, that he would be able to fix it. We were introduced to Demetriou something like three years ago. He seemed nice enough, but we realised quite quickly he was into all sorts of illegal stuff. Anyway, he provided much needed funds and before we knew where we were he had us by the balls. He then moved to your place. He had no idea about The Settlement or that you were there, but his behaviour changed altogether then. He became obsessed with revenge.' She looked at Tanya curiously.

  Tanya thought it was far too early to share any confidences. 'So what is the real situation here? We would like to think there is a strong, independent, and viable settlement and we'll help anyway we can, once we know if anyone else here harbours bad will towards us.'

  There were some discussions among the local group while Tanya spent her time taking a critical look around. Eventually Caroline found her. 'We can show you all the figures. Luckily, I've been keeping the books so I know exactly what is going on.'

  Halfway through the process David arrived on horseback. 'We were wondering if you were alright, since we hadn't heard anything.'

  'I'm glad you're here. Take a look at this. The cash is all being taken up with interest payments. If it wasn't for the interest the place is viable.'

  'Who do you make all the payments to?' asked Tanya.

  'Just the bank,' said Caroline.

  'Who owns this place?'

  'I do. Bill had some idea it would be better if the property was in my name. There are some mortgages though and there is another document here which I have refused to sign.'

  Tanya quickly read the document and then looked at her in admiration. 'That has probably saved your bacon. Give me two weeks.'

  There was a look of uncertainty on Caroline's face.

  'Because of some loose ends that Demetriou has left, if you let me I can arrange that the property will remain in your name free of any mortgage.'

  'There are some operational things that can also be done, which will improve your cash position. I will also help by making suggestions for improvements,' said David.

  There was still a look of distrust on Caroline's face.

  'What was your dream in coming here?' asked Tanya.

  'Just to be left alone to get on with life as we saw fit, without all this interference from governments.'

  'I am sure we'll be able to achieve that for you.'

  'I need to talk to the others. Can we reconvene in an hour?' said Caroline.

  When they were alone Tanya said, 'Nobody will talk about the raid on The Settlement, not even Caroline. They all claim they knew nothing. They were aware that Bill and Demetriou had gone off, but not where. I am uncomfortable about that.'

  David shrugged.

  They spent time talking to five locals in their management committee. Caroline tended to defer to a tall, good looking man whose name was Rolfe. Tanya watched Rolfe and wondered if he was trustworthy. He seemed to want more than a working relationship with Caroline, but she seemed quite unaware of his interest.

  The meeting broke up leaving Tanya with a brief to unscramble their finances. She flew backwards and forwards between Sydney and The Settlement over the next three weeks, the bank insisting they could do nothing until the new mortgage deed was signed. But, because of the disgraced Demetriou's money laundering activities, ASIO was persuaded to cooperate. Between George, ASIO, and Tanya, they were able to concoct a scheme whereby it appeared the bank had been actively engaged in money laundering.

  Tanya had persuaded Jonathan to put pressure on ASIO to cooperate, 'All along they have misinterpreted the situation,' she argued vehemently. 'It was those fuckers who sent Demetriou, a known and dangerous criminal, to spy on us. His unofficial actions could very easily have destroyed us altogether. I know Government hoped to close us down, but burning the whole fucking place down in a helicopter fuel fireball would be a little over the top. If someone senior finds out … and all that horseshit with Harold, they must bear some responsibility.'

  'Okay, okay, they will cooperate, don't worry.' Jonathan was amused by Tanya's passion.

  'I will come down myself if I have to,' said Tanya, more calmly. She was surprised by Jonathan's confidence and apparent authority. He must be more senior than I thought.

  'No. I understand your need to support The Bandstand. The ASIO people will cooperate, I promise you that.' Jonathan admired Tanya, although he was distrustful of her background. I'm bloody glad I'm not married to her though. Poor Mark. It must be like having a tiger roaming round the house, day and night. No wonder he strayed with Virginia, stupid bugger.

  The bank did not want to be associated in any way with possible money laundering. When Tanya delivered all the paperwork to a still suspicious Caroline, she, Rolfe, and several others spent two days examining it. Tanya noticed Caroline had started taking more care with her appearance since David had been visiting from The Settlement.

  A contrite Caroline returned. 'I am sorry I've been so suspicious, but we have been let down before. We could never have achieved this ourselves, so thank you.'

  'No problem,' said Tanya, taken aback. She was expecting some questions at least.

  'There is one other thing. We would like to pay you to run all the finances and legal affairs for The Bandstand.'

  'We can work something out.' Tanya thought this would help keep The Settlement secure. No more bloody Demetrious, she almost said out loud. 'How has Rolfe reacted to that idea?'

  A shadow crossed Caroline's face, 'He left this morning. He wanted to deal with it all, but I can handle the management and I now know I can trust you with the legal and financial issues. I think Rolfe saw this place, without Bill and Demetriou, as a major opportunity. But, he would have landed us in the same mess you've just rescued us from … We've trusted the wrong people.'

  'I still don't understand how not a soul here knew anything about what Bill and Demetriou were up to that night. Caroline, you have to come clean with me.'

  Caroline burst into tears, 'You have to believe me; none of us knew. Bill and Demetriou were becoming more and more secretive. They often went off without telling anyone. I know Bill was desperately worried about the financial situation. I only know what Rolfe said, that Demetriou had let slip he "had something" on you people and that would help solve the problem. Rolfe didn't know much; Bill wasn't sure if he could trust him.'

  Caroline broke Tanya's silence, 'What's going to happen to Bill and Demetriou?'

  'I expect they will spend most of their lives in jail,' answered Tanya.

  'And if they are let out?'

  'Well, if they come anywhere near here or The Settlement I will shoot them,' said Tanya vehemently.

  Caroline smiled, 'Unless I get 'em first.'

  Tanya changed the subject, 'I told you there were a co
uple of issues. Firstly, young Jane. If she isn't pregnant now, it won't be long before she is.'

  Caroline's eyebrows raised a notch, thinking that dealing with a teenage pregnancy was mere bagatelle compared to the recent events, 'What has Jane been up to? I have been so preoccupied I haven't been keeping my eyes open.'

  'Well she and James seem to spend every spare moment in the sack. From the first time we visited they haven't been able to keep their hands off each other.'

  'They are very young, maybe just a good solid lesson on birth control would solve the problem for the time being.'

  'One solution could be James living here or Jane coming to The Settlement,' offered Tanya.

  'I will speak to her parents. What is the other issue?'

  'Security,' said Tanya. 'We chose our location so that when the Ice Shelf collapses it will be easy to make inaccessible from the outside. While your place is quite isolated, when people are trying to escape Sydney and the surrounding towns they will soon find their way here and you will be overwhelmed.'

  Caroline asked to hear about the projected disaster again.

  'You don't need two access roads,' continued Tanya. 'You should plant one of the roads up with some fast-growing trees. The other road could be narrowed considerably by planting trees on the verges. The trees can be cut down over the road, blocking it for a couple of kilometres. People may still be able to walk in, but what I have suggested makes you more secure.'

  'What are you planning at The Settlement?

  'To blow up a whole mountain. That is why we purchased the explosives.'

  'A whole mountain?'

  Tanya nodded. 'Obviously the more secure you are, the more secure we are and vice versa.'

  'I don't see why we can't plant trees. It makes sense.'

  Tanya returned to The Settlement by helicopter, with Jane in tow, who was to live with Joe and Patricia. Monthly reciprocal visits between the communities were arranged.

  Tanya also had regular discussions with George, 'On another subject ...'

  George had responded laughing, 'Another curve ball I expect.'

  'What do you know about Fred Costas?'

  'I have something on that name perhaps, I'll dig and let you know.'

  The next time they spoke George said, 'You asked about Fred Costas?'

  'Oh, yes, I almost forgot,'

  'That must be a first,' said George laughingly. 'Fred is Demetriou's half-brother.'

  Tanya sucked in a deep breath, 'You're joking!'

  'No, same father. Otherwise he is completely clean, not even a parking ticket. He has tried to protect Demetriou from time to time though, some sort of family bond.'

  'Shit, I knew there was something. If Demetriou ever gets out of jail, I suppose Fred will continue to support him.'

  Chapter Thirteen

  Fred’s Trial

  Tanya had a quiet chat with David about Fred's affiliation with Demetriou.

  'What do you want to do? Fred has been one of the mainstays of this place. I don't know what we would have done without him.'

  'We would have found another builder,' was the acid response from Tanya.

  'Well, what do you want to do?' repeated David tiredly.

  'Confront him. You must agree, whatever his relationship with Demetriou, it is unacceptable to have people on the inside conniving to destroy this place. Come on David, can you imagine it? If the fuel tanks were blown up the whole place would have become a fireball. Despite our insurance, we do not have the resources to completely rebuild the place. We would be left with the option of committing suicide or dying of starvation like the rest of the population, the last six or seven years' work for nothing. He bloody well has to go.'

  'Then we will have another enemy on the outside knowing our secrets. Isn't there another way? Anyway, you exaggerate; the tanks are far from here. '

  Tanya was silent. She was determined nobody was going to threaten The Settlement, now as much her dream as David's. Because of her thoughtless encounter with Demetriou, she also had another reason to be rid of Fred. If he didn't know already, she was certain he would be told in time. 'If all the fuel we plan to store in those tanks was blown up there is certainly a danger that fire would spread to the village; they are only five hundred metres from here. We have insulated the tanks from bushfires, but if the tanks are blown up our precautions have no effect.'

  'We could involve the police.'

  'The police?' said Tanya contemptuously. 'In this situation they would be about as much use as two tits on a bull.'

  David laughed. 'What about getting him to sign something acknowledging his relationship with Demetriou and that he has actually endangered the lives of people here as well as possibly destroying the whole project.'

  'And then?' asked Tanya. 'He will still own his position here. What do you think the rest of the community will think if they find out about Demetriou? And what Fred did to protect him? We should speak to him first, but I really think we have to consult with the community. People have put their faith in us. If Fred managed to do something in the future with Demetriou's help and the community finds out we were aware all along, they would go ballistic.' Tanya was furious. 'As soon as the Ice Shelf collapses the authorities will have to empty the jails. Those two hyenas will make for this place, especially if they know that Fred is still here.'

  'After the Ice Shelf collapses we will have to have our own legal system and run trials,' said David thoughtfully. 'Maybe this should be the first issue to consider.'

  Tanya hesitated for a moment. This really is the solution, she thought.

  'Brilliant, quite brilliant! If we manage this correctly we will avoid the mass hysteria a story in the newspaper might generate. We must speak to Fred, soon.'

  'There are some lawyers already in the community. We should appeal to them and make sure everyone understands what we're doing. We should distance ourselves and just appear as witnesses.' Any brief feelings of animosity she might have felt towards David had dissipated as she applied her mind to the issue.

  The two lawyers were approached separately. One agreed to act as prosecutor, the other as defence. They brought in a colleague from outside to act as judge. It was agreed that a jury of six would decide whether Fred was guilty or innocent. The external judge spent days in the community contemplating what sort of punishments could be appropriate under the circumstances should Fred be found guilty.

  He was arrested and questioned by Tanya with David attending. They presented the lawyers with all the evidence they could muster.

  David briefed the community newspaper that Fred was to be prosecuted for willfully endangering the existence of The Settlement and the people living in it. He told the editor that this particular trial would create a basis for dealing with offences against the community once the place was isolated.

  Many of the residents struggled to find seating in the small community centre where the trial was held. The prosecution opened by stating they would prove that, because of misguided loyalties, Fred had endangered the community. The defence opened by stating that Fred had been a model citizen, had built a lot of the houses in the village, and had done far more good than harm in the community. There was general applause from the audience at this point.

  The judge banged his gavel looking benignly over the large gathering, before he said, 'I realise there is enormous interest in this case, but I must insist you keep quiet during the proceedings and that you don't try to influence the jury in any way. If this happens again I will regretfully have to clear the court.'

  The prosecution called David Bower to the witness stand. David explained Fred's contributions and trusted status.

  'Would you say he had a privileged position in the community?'

  'Certainly. He was one of the first settlers and was consulted on all building projects.'

  'Do you think he has made a great deal of money doing what he did?'

  'Probably not, his quotes are always very competitive, but he made enough to keep his
head above water. In any event, no settler comes here to make money. Almost without exception, the people who come here share the vision to build a community that will survive the forthcoming disaster.'

  'Do you think the defendant shared this vision?'

  'Yes, I had many conversations with him on the subject. He was always very positive and made many constructive suggestions helping us become more self-sufficient.'

  'And you say he was trusted?'

  'More than almost anyone else outside the family.'

  'Who was responsible for recruiting the settlers?'

  'Mostly me. The family, particularly Tanya, agree on the skills required and the type of people we think will fit in. Then I go out and find those people. Although family members have introduced people who have successfully settled here. In almost every case, I conduct the final interview.'

  'What is the purpose of the final interview?'

  'To ensure the prospective settler buys into the vision, understands the standard of living may well be lower than what they are used to, and that they would have to take on certain responsibilities for the benefit of the community.'

  'Did you or anyone else interview Charles Smith?'

  'No.'

  'Why?'

  'He had been introduced by Fred, whom everyone trusted. Fred knew what we were about and understood the process. We attempted to arrange interviews, all of which fell through. I now think this was a deliberate move on Fred's part to shield him. So Charles and his family just arrived once his house had been built.'

  'When did you realise Charles was not what he seemed to be?'

  'Tanya knew him when she was growing up. She told me his name used to be Demetriou Smith. Further digging revealed his criminal record and time spent in jail. Tanya also found out Fred had funded Demetriou's arrangements here; he paid for the house, for example.'