The Shiptons had also offered their support and had even suggested she should stay with them for a few days but she assured them she needed to be at home to manage Ron’s affairs. Deep down, Maureen knew it would be such a strain to keep up the pretence of the grieving widow. It was fortunate that in recent months Ron had simplified his business empire and The Cedars Hotel was the only non-scientific enterprise left in the Radford empire. That was run efficiently with little input from Ron, so Maureen had spoken to the manager and asked him just to continue in the same vein. There was no immediate need to decide its fate.
Her mobile rang.
‘Hello, Maureen Radford.’
‘Mrs Radford, this Allegra Smyth-Anderson, from Wheatley and Featherstone.’
‘Oh, yes, thank you for returning my call.’
‘It appears that your late husband did not get around to making a new will. The one we have here is now invalid since your recent marriage. Are you sure he hasn’t drawn up one without using our company and lodged it in your safe perhaps?’
‘No, there’s nothing here,’ said Maureen. ‘We were so busy with the wedding and immediately afterwards, I assume it just slipped his mind.’
‘I’m so sorry that his death occurred when you had only been married such a short time. It is truly tragic.’
‘These things happen,’ replied Maureen, swallowing hard to give the appearance of being upset.
‘Well, assuming no will turns up and it still might I guess, as you go through everything, it means that your husband died intestate. As there are no surviving children or grandchildren then you will inherit all your husband’s property and possessions and all of the estate including interest from the date of death.’
‘I see.’
‘You may, of course, make your own bequests to anyone you think might have been included. In the will we have here, there was a small bequest to an Albert Radford and large charitable donations. He also left a generous bequest to Sidney Failsworth, his accountant.’
‘That’ very helpful. Yes, I would like to make some additional bequests. Would you be able to go ahead and begin preparing the accounts for the probate application?’
‘Certainly. Do you want us to be the personal representative?’
‘Yes, I think I’ve too much to cope with as it is.’
‘Of course. All I need is a copy of the death certificate or several if you have them, it will help speed up the process.’
‘Yes, I’ll drop them into you later today or tomorrow.’
‘Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.’
‘I will, thank you. Goodbye.’
Maureen sat back and closed her eyes. All this would be hers. She could hardly believe it. Ron had implied he had taken pity on her and indulged her with a lifestyle for which she should be eternally grateful. In fact, Maureen had found some notes and a draft will which he was presumably intending to have drawn up but his all-consuming obsession with PersCure and his onset of ill health meant he’d never actually got around to completing the task. It was quite apparent from the notes that Maureen would have received only Brensford Manor, assuming he had got around to including her on the deeds. He had left the remainder of his fortune to charity. Ron thought he was indestructible and that had been his downfall. Pride comes before a fall she cruelly thought. Her musings were interrupted by yet another call, this time from Sidney.
**
It was late afternoon and Maureen was at Welch properties signing some paperwork which Laura had put aside for her. The door opened and Laura greeted the visitor.
‘Good afternoon, sir, can I help you?’
Maureen looked up, ‘It’s OK, Laura, Mr Sobol has a meeting with me. Please come into the office, sir.’
Tomek followed Maureen and she closed the door.
‘I won’t keep you long as you’ve probably had a tiring day at work.’
Tomek smiled, ‘I am glad to be busy and have lots of work.’
‘Well, that’s good. I want to make amends to you for the distress you and your partner suffered following shall we say, a lack of clarity on behalf of ClinTry recently.’
‘Have you spoken to the manager there?’
‘I have indeed,’ lied Maureen, ‘but we are here to discuss your complaint, not the manager.’
‘Yes, well, I was just saying..’
‘If I may carry on. I can’t change what happened to your partner which was very sad but I can make a gesture which would perhaps make life easier for you.’
‘Money?’
‘Yes, money. I think you would be very unwise to try to bring a case against ClinTry as the paperwork was all in order. We would, of course, have legal representation and if you lost the case then you could end up with a large legal bill. That could be considerable.’
‘How much?’
‘You mean how much would the legal bill be?’
‘No, how much you offer me?’
‘I am willing to give you three thousand pounds as a goodwill gesture. Providing you sign a disclaimer that this is the end of the matter and you are entirely satisfied.’
Tomek sat in silence considering the proposition.
‘Five thousand.’
Maureen smiled, then remained silent. She was going to make Tomek sweat a bit. She shuffled some papers on her desk then looked up at him. ‘You drive a hard bargain, Mr Sobol. OK, I will agree to your demands but no more. Are we agreed?’
‘Where do I sign?’
‘I have the paperwork here.’
Maureen gave him a pen.
‘I will go and get your money. It is a cash payment. I assume that is acceptable?’
‘Of course.’
Maureen went into another room to count out the money. It was the money from the safe at Brensford Manor. It was one way of laundering it and getting it off her hands. She placed it in a brown envelope and handed it over to Tomek.
‘Thank you, Mrs Radford. My card, should you need any work doing,’ and he handed over the details of his building firm.
‘I’ll bear you in mind. Goodbye.’
Maureen breathed a sigh of relief after he left. Three months ago she wouldn’t have believed that she would have resorted to the same kind of tactics as Ron. She had effectively bought someone’s silence. She had no idea of knowing who had been in the wrong but it was a damage limitation exercise. Once she would have looked down on this sort of behaviour but perhaps it was a necessary part of business. Often there were grey areas and it was a case of finding a mutually satisfactory solution.
‘I’ll be off now, Laura, if there’s nothing else you need from me?’
‘No, it’s nearly closing time, I’ll lock up soon,’ replied Laura.
‘Are you OK to handle the viewings of the set of properties we are planning to sell?’
‘Yes, all arranged for Thursday.’
‘Excellent. Just shut the office when you need to.’
‘Of course. Good night, Mrs Radford.’
‘Goodnight, Laura.’
**
‘Hi, dinner will be ready soon, chicken tonight,’ called Petra as she heard Tomek come through the door.
He went over to her and kissed her.
‘Hi, good day?’ she said.
‘Yes, come and sit down.’
‘OK, what happen? Is something wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong, come and sit down.’
Petra still looked worried as she sat next to Tomek on the sofa. She waited for him to speak.
‘I went to see Mrs Radford. She has given us some money, for the problems you had.’
‘Oh, no, I told you not to cause trouble!’
‘I’ve not caused trouble. It is all finished. I sign a paper saying we won’t ask for more. She was nice. Understanding. Not like that bastard Radford himself.’
‘I see. He is gone now, I won’t miss him.’
‘Exactly. Mrs Radford is a nice lady. She gave me two thousand pounds. To say sorry.’
/> ‘Really? That much!’
‘Yes, we can save for a deposit. It’s cash so we will need to put it in bank in several amounts, not whole lot at once.’
‘OK, thank you.’
Petra hugged Tomek. He would find a hiding place for the rest of the money tonight. Petra was more than happy with the amount he’d told her. It was a good outcome for everyone.
Chapter 60
‘Come in, Mrs Radford,’ said Christian. ‘Can I get you a tea or coffee?’
‘Tea, please, thank you.’
‘I’ll just get that organised.’ Christian went to tell Fay.
He returned and sat behind his desk. ‘As I said on the phone, I’m sorry for your loss. I still can’t believe it. Ron was so full of life and enthusiasm for the business.’
‘He was indeed. I’m afraid he neglected his own health and it eventually caught up with him. He was due to have a heart bypass operation this week in fact.’
‘Gosh, I had no idea his heart was so bad,’ said Christian faltering over what to say next. He was saved from embarrassment when Fay knocked on the door and brought in two teas and a plate of biscuits. ‘Thank you, Fay.’
‘I have a few things I want to discuss with you Christian. I plan to do all I can to keep ClinTry operating here in Persford.’
‘Well, that’s a big relief.’
‘Good. I wanted to put your mind at rest so you can concentrate on the business.’
‘Oh, I shall, you can count on me.’
‘Because it appears to me that at times you might not have been giving it your full attention?’
‘Er, I’m not sure I’m following you.’
‘Well, there was a bit of a misunderstanding by Petra Drabek about contraceptive precautions which resulted in an inspection by the MHRA. So, either she was trying to get money out of us or there had been a lapse in rigour.’ Maureen raised her eyebrows.
Christian remained silent.
‘So? Which was it?’
‘The inspector was happy with the paperwork, there weren’t any problems,’ said Christian defensively.
‘Indeed. I guess we will never know. However, I’ve been looking through some of the participant lists for the Phase I trials and a large proportion appears to be non-British nationals. Rather odd I think?’
‘I’m not sure..., well, they all met the criteria for the trial,’ mumbled Christian.
‘Do not take me for a fool, Christian. I know my husband didn’t always follow things to the letter of the law. The incident with Petra Drabek wasn’t damaging as it turned out but we don’t want any repeat performances. Do we?’
‘No, of course not. Have you heard anything further about this, well, incident?’
‘No, the matter is closed.’
‘How?’
‘It is closed. I do not wish to elaborate.’
Christian observed the woman before him and wondered if Ron had been reincarnated in a woman’s body. Some of the things she was saying bore a resemblance to her detestable late husband.
‘Returning to the matter of recruitment for clinical trials.’
‘Yes, I’ve been responsible for that but the inspection recommended we employ someone else.’
‘They did, so go ahead and advertise. If Judith is still in the area try to get her back. We may need to offer her some inducement. Keep me informed.’
‘OK, I’ll get on to it today,’ said Christian, jotting details down on a pad.
‘So, from now on we make sure we recruit people properly and pay them the correct amount for their trouble. Also, we do not take private patients for Phase II.’
Christian’s mouth fell open.
‘I know what was happening. It ends, now, OK?’
‘I want to explain about that. I wasn’t happy about it at the time, please, believe me, I told Ron what he was doing was unethical.’
‘So why did you agree so readily?’
Christian looked very uncomfortable now.
‘I’d rather not say. It was complicated.’
‘I found a file on you in my husband’s office. You had an affair with Laura Bentley. Ron used this to get your compliance. Does that sum things up nicely?’
Christian’s mouth fell open. ‘Well, er, yes, I guess so.’ He rubbed his forehead. ‘I’m not proud of what I did but I was desperate.’
Maureen handed him his file. ‘Here you are. Burn it, shred it, do whatever you want with it.’
Christian took it and put it in his desk drawer. He felt too embarrassed to speak.
‘Now, I’ve spoken to Laura. She was as much at fault as you, she understands that. However, she also enjoys working for me and Welch Properties and she’s very efficient. I also pay her well, much better than she would earn doing a PA job in other companies in Persford. So, I’ve told her that if she tries any of her blackmail tricks again on you she will lose her job and be reported to the police.’
Christian’s eyes widened.
‘She won’t trouble you again,’ said Maureen with finality.
‘Well, that’s...’ he paused, ‘that’s....I don’t know what to say.’
‘How about thank you?’
‘Yes, of course, sorry, I mean thank you. I can sleep more easily now.’
Christian could be seen to relax. His shoulders dropped and his expression lifted.
‘I want you to make sure that we maintain our MHRA Phase I accreditation. We must adhere at all times to the guidelines and if their requirements change we adjust our way of working to ensure compliance. OK?’
‘Yes, of course, I’ll keep a watch on it.’
‘Good. We must make sure that participants have every confidence in us. Update the website to emphasise our ethical standards. We want to grow the business and we will do it on the basis of our reputation. Understood?’
‘Completely,’ nodded Christian. He was having trouble keeping up with the businesswoman sitting before him.
‘Good, I think that will be all for today. Thank you for the tea, I’ll be in touch.’
Maureen left Christian sitting at his desk speechless, wondering whether all that had actually happened or whether he was going to wake up and find himself still in bed. Maureen Radford was a formidable personality. He’d assumed that Ron had married someone whom he could totally dominate and manipulate. How wrong he had been. His job had suddenly taken on a whole new perspective. He would actually enjoy coming into work each day and the spectre of Laura was finally banished to history. That brief moment of madness had taken him to the brink, actually teetering on the edge and by a stroke of good fortune, he’d been pulled back from the precipice at the last minute. It was a significant moment in his life, an experience he would not be repeating. This morning’s meeting had demonstrated in the starkest possible terms that any future transgressions would not be overlooked by the steely Maureen Radford.
**
Sidney Failsworth was sitting in Ron’s old office opposite Maureen who looked very at ease in the large leather swivel chair. Her small frame was rather dwarfed by it but Sidney had long suspected that the new owner of Brensford Manor would be a redoubtable employer just as her predecessor had been.
‘So, how’s Melissa?’ asked Maureen.
‘Oh, fine, thanks. We’d like you to come to dinner one evening, perhaps after the funeral?’
‘Thank you, I’d like to.’
There was an awkward pause and Sidney continued to drink his coffee.
‘Let’s get on with the business of PersCure and the additional equity. Have you had time to look into my suggestion?’
‘I have, yes and on balance I think it’s a good idea. I don’t know why I didn’t suggest it to Ron at the time. I think everything was so rushed, he first raised it on the morning of the wedding.’ Sidney suddenly stopped speaking as he realised he had been tactless. ‘Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that it was thoughtless.’
‘Don’t worry. I wish we’d had longer together but we didn’t and I’ve got to accep
t that. Life must go on and I want to carry on Ron’s businesses in his memory.’
‘OK, well, obviously the woodland might take a while to sell but ten acres in this sought after location should attract plenty of buyers. We would still need a short-term loan but hopefully, it will be only for a few months.’
‘Excellent. Have you got the land registry details there?’
‘Yes, I’ve outlined the segment of land in red. There will still be a respectable margin between the outbuildings and any new houses which are built and of course, they will be well separated from the main house.’
‘It looks fine. Go ahead with it.’
‘You are perfectly sure? About reducing the size of Brensford Manor estate?’
‘Of course. It’s far too big for me.’
‘Right. I’ll contact several land agents and let you know what they say.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I’ll be off then,’ said Sidney, putting the paperwork back in his briefcase.
‘Before you go, I just wanted to mention something.’
Sidney tried to smile but his expression looked forced.
‘I know that you were the person who told Ron about some of my, shall we say dealings, in the course of running Welch Properties.’
‘Sorry, I’m not sure...’ said Sidney, reddening slightly.
‘Come on, don’t play ignorant. I’ve been spending a lot of time in this office, going through all the files and I must say Ron was very meticulous in his record keeping.’
Sidney nodded.
‘So, I want us to wipe the slate clean, OK? Let’s forget what happened in the past. You seem to be a very good accountant and I’d like to continue to employ you.’
‘Well, thank you. I’d like to continue to work for you.’
‘If I hear that any of my errors of judgement are shared with anyone else then I’ll have no hesitation in mentioning to the professional accountancy bodies that you have taken cash payments on numerous occasions and haven’t declared them for tax purposes. We aren’t talking about small amounts either. I am right, am I not?’
Sidney felt his stomach churning.
‘I’ll take that as a yes, then.’
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