Before the Storm

by Di Morrissey

  Ellie smiled as she watched Patrick and Sam head outside. Then she found Roger’s number in her phone and listened to it ring, feeling a little nervous.

  ‘Hello, Roger. This is Ellie Conlan.’

  ‘Hi, Ellie, I’ve been waiting to hear from you. I realise you must be busy down there on the coast.’

  Ellie gritted her teeth at the slight hint of sarcasm in his tone. ‘Depends how you define “busy”. I’m certainly treasuring this special time with my grandfather.’

  ‘Very good of you to spend time with the oldies. Is he being cared for in a home, or managing himself?’ Without waiting for an answer – because, as Ellie knew, he wasn’t interested in her grandfather or her personal issues – he continued, ‘Of course, one has to move on in life. So, what are your plans?’

  Ellie had framed a few phrases to lead into her decision, but Roger was being so blunt she figured she wouldn’t waste time, either. As he was fond of remarking, unoriginally, ‘Time is money’, so she got to the point.

  ‘Well, Roger, I have decided to say thanks, but no thanks, to your kind offer.’

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. ‘I’m not being kind. I respect your talent. You can make a huge contribution to the company.’

  ‘Thank you. It’s nothing to do with any personal grudges or animosity either,’ she added quickly. ‘But I’m saying no to life in Melbourne for now. No to the pressure and hassles of a city. I’m using this chance to explore some creative ideas I’ve never had the time to focus on before. But thank you for contacting me and making me the offer.’

  ‘Well, I must say I’m surprised you’d opt out of the fast lane. Would an incentive package of more money and a piece of the action help persuade you? A seat on the board?’

  Ellie blinked. This was quite a concession, a major offer. Shares, no less. In the moment she paused to take this in, Roger pushed further.

  ‘You can understand I’d need your answer without any protracted negotiations. You know how this industry works.’

  ‘I do, indeed, Roger.’ She took a breath. She found that the answer was clear in her mind. ‘Thank you again, but I think I’ll stick with my decision.’

  ‘I see.’ She could tell he was surprised. It was a generous offer, and one that many would proverbially kill for. ‘Well, there’s probably nothing more to say, then. Best of luck down there, Ellie.’

  ‘Thank you, Roger. Goodbye.’

  Ellie hung up and looked at her phone with a wry smile. ‘And good luck to you too, Roger,’ she said aloud.

  Ellie went out onto the verandah to find Patrick, who glanced up at her with a questioning look.

  She shrugged. ‘It went just as I expected. And I feel great.’

  She leaned down and patted Sam, who looked up at her lovingly, tilting his head, tongue lolling.

  ‘You know what, Sam? That was really easy. Now it’s onwards and upwards.’

  ‘No regrets?’ asked Patrick.

  ‘Nope. Actually, I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders.’ She grinned, and Patrick chuckled.

  ‘So, do any new opportunities beckon?’

  ‘You know what, Poppy? I feel in control of my life and destiny for the first time in ages and ages,’ said Ellie. ‘For better or worse.’

  ‘Excellent.’ Patrick smiled. ‘I’m so glad, Ellie.’

  ‘Okay, I’m off to work,’ she said. ‘Enjoy your morning off, Poppy.’

  ‘Go get ’em,’ said Patrick, and turned back to his crossword as Ellie went inside to gather her things and head down to the Chronicle office.

  ‘Patrick won’t be in till later,’ she said to Maggie and Jon as she walked into the main room. ‘A weekend of celebrating took it out of him.’

  ‘I can imagine, but it was lots of fun,’ said Maggie. ‘Did you hear that ratbag Councillor Lowe on the radio this morning?’

  ‘I thought he was making it all too personal, the way he was bagging Meredith,’ said Jon.

  ‘She might say something privately in council about it,’ said Maggie. ‘Have you heard from her today?’ she asked Ellie.

  ‘Not yet. There weren’t so many bad posts on the website when I checked this morning. I suspect now that people have actually sat down and read the article they might see her worth.’

  ‘I think the majority of people in town would admit that she’s been a darn good mayor,’ said Maggie.

  ‘Tommy from the bookshop says he’s organising a “Rally for the Mayor”. He was pretty outraged at Lowe’s comments,’ said Ellie.

  Jon laughed. ‘Great idea!’ he said. ‘Crazy, but good.’

  ‘What do you know about Tommy?’ Ellie asked them both.

  ‘I believe he never got over losing his young wife. She was killed by a hit-and-run driver,’ said Maggie. ‘You know the lookout at the top of the hill coming into town? Well, Tommy had the lookout built, with support from the roads people and council. He paid for it and worked with the project manager. It’s a scenic spot with a seat that overlooks the town. I sometimes see him sitting up there, just gazing out to sea.’

  ‘I never knew that about the lookout. It’s really sad in a way,’ said Jon. ‘But you know, Tommy’s done lots of really wonderful things for this town. The paper’s covered a few of them – the ones we hear about, anyway. He never asks for any recognition and I reckon he tries to fly under the radar, even from us.’

  ‘What sort of things?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘He donated money for a residential home for disadvantaged children,’ Maggie chimed in. ‘It’s attached to a school but it’s not a traditional boarding school. He helped find some amazing woman to run it and set up a board to oversee it. Although he doesn’t go there often, I’ve heard he keeps tabs on it. He told me all about it once when I was in his shop. I’m sure he’ll talk about it if you ask privately. Not for the paper or anything.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Ellie.

  ‘You know, Ellie,’ Jon said quietly, ‘Tommy insisted on paying for my adaptive car, with the hand controls, swivel seat and hoist and so on. It’s given me so much freedom.’

  Ellie shook her head in admiration. ‘I knew there was a reason I liked Tommy. And now I understand why he seems like such a loner. He still has a broken heart,’ she said. ‘In some ways I’m surprised he still lives in Storm Harbour. You might think it holds too many sad memories for him.’

  ‘Maybe,’ said Maggie. ‘Remember, though, Storm Harbour’s a place where people look out for each other. We want the place we live, where we have our roots, to be that sort of community.’

  ‘We’re a tribe,’ said Jon with a grin.

  Ellie was thoughtful for a moment. ‘And like all ­families, we have our tiffs and arguments, but hopefully we can resolve them, too. So let’s get on with sorting out the ruckus over the mayor then.’

  *

  Tommy and his friends had hit the phones. That afternoon a small group gathered outside The Shed with hastily painted signs on boards and cardboard. Another group was in the bookstore, listening to Tommy who was organising everyone. He spotted Ellie and Jon and waved.

  ‘Aha, the first of the media to arrive!’

  ‘Who else is coming?’ asked Ellie as Jon took out his camera.

  ‘Whoever feels moved to do so, to show support for a very fine mayor. Ah, here comes esteemed Queen’s Counsel Bolton.’

  Ellie turned to see Roly rocking up in a jacket and tie, looking formal and professional.

  ‘So, what is the order of the day?’ asked Roly.

  Tommy pointed to a propped-up chalkboard. ‘The route is marked here, through town, with a final assembly point outside the council chambers, where,’ he pointed to a huge bouquet of flowers, ‘they will be presented to the mayor. She has been notified to appear to accept them, which she agreed to – after some persuasion,’ said Tommy. Then added, �
��This is a rally of support for our mayor. It is not a protest march.’

  ‘Who’s going to present the flowers?’ asked Ellie. ‘You should, Tommy.’

  ‘Yes, hear, hear,’ came shouts from the people gathered.

  Tommy grinned and nodded.

  They set off in a ragtag group, chattering and laughing. The march along the footpath swelled as passers-by joined them. Talking to people along the way, Ellie discovered that some had come along especially, while others had simply joined in when they’d read the signs.

  As they headed down the main street, people came out of shops and cafés to applaud and call out, ‘Good on Meredith!’ Many snapped photos on phones.

  They stopped outside the council chambers, and a spontaneous cheer went up as well as a chorus of ‘Good on Meredith’.

  Ellie was surprised to see Dave in the crowd with his friend Lauren beside him. In fact, Ellie noticed there were a lot of businesspeople on the footpath as well as Tommy’s friends who had set off from his bookshop. There was a jolly feeling in the group, as if it were a picnic outing for some club.

  Finally, a faintly embarrassed but smiling Meredith appeared on the front steps.

  Tommy handed her the flowers, shouting to the crowd, ‘A small token of the town’s esteem for you, Mayor.

  We appreciate all you have done, are doing, and will do for Storm Harbour.’ Tommy smiled at Meredith then looked back at the crowd, which burst into cheers and applause.

  ‘Sometimes we take our elected officials and all who work for this town for granted, or we only seek them out when we have a problem. This is an opportunity to say thank you to everyone in council who works in the back rooms, out in the paddocks and streets and on the river – you name it. We know you’re there for us when we need you, led by our able mayor. So on behalf of the town, thank you.’

  Meredith stepped forward. ‘And I want to share this tribute with all our hardworking council staff and workers, community volunteers, and every person who loves Storm Harbour,’ she said in a loud, firm voice. ‘Thank you!’

  As the cheers died down and the crowd began to chat among themselves, the mayor turned to Tommy and said, ‘Thank you, that was a lovely gesture. Would you mind if I sent the flowers over to St Bridget’s to share with the old folk?’

  ‘Wonderful idea.’

  Cradling the flowers, Meredith gave a wave and called ‘Thank you’ once more, then headed back inside.

  Tommy looked over at Jon and raised his eyebrows. Jon gave him a thumbs-up. Ellie knew he had a stack of terrific photos.

  The crowd began to break into small groups, pausing to talk and mill about before wandering back down the street.

  ‘That went well,’ said Patrick, coming over to join

  them.

  ‘Where are the naysayers?’ Roly said.

  ‘Vanquished,’ replied Tommy. ‘It was a modest event, a nice stroll in the sunshine. But I feel it made its point.’

  ‘I think Meredith was hugely touched. It wasn’t aggressive and didn’t ruffle feathers,’ agreed Ellie.

  Tommy said his goodbyes and the others headed back to the Chronicle office.

  ‘So where to now?’ asked Jon. ‘Are we writing up the “Rally for the Mayor”? I have some great shots.’

  ‘Yes, but it has to be in the context of why there was a rally,’ said Patrick. ‘Perhaps we can include some quotes from Councillor Lowe’s radio interview, and maybe extracts from the story we published on Meredith.’

  ‘And we still have to print a story about the threat to the caravan park,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Alleged threat,’ said Patrick. ‘The problem is that we’re still low on facts, which always rings alarm bells with me. We have no corroboration of any plans or details. It’s risky to allude to things without corroboration.’

  ‘I could try ringing that architect I met, and the surveyor Jon talked to who was nosing around the site, making notes,’ said Ellie.

  ‘I did that already,’ said Jon. ‘Got completely stonewalled. May as well have questioned my back fence.’

  ‘Let’s start with what we already know, then,’ said Patrick.

  ‘Right,’ agreed Jon. ‘Ellie, didn’t your source say it all has something to do with the lease arrangement with the owners, the O’Neills?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Ellie said, and looked up at her grandfather, who was pacing the room.

  ‘Which is Seamus O’Neill, whom they can’t reach as he’s stuck in the aftermath of a hurricane somewhere in the Caribbean,’ said Patrick. ‘I’ve been trying to contact him as well but it’s terrible over there, apparently. Fallen trees on the runways have meant the airports are closed and no one can get in or out by air.’

  ‘I wonder if he’ll make it back for Kathryn’s party,’ said Ellie. ‘It’s only four days away. His homecoming might change things. For starters he can deal with the letter from the council, which might make all the difference.’

  ‘Why don’t you give your contact from the council a call and see if he has anything more?’ suggested Jon. ‘Sometimes these people know stuff without knowing it or are just too cautious to follow up.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll try him again,’ said Ellie, but she didn’t hold out much hope, and said so. ‘He was very jumpy. He’s worried about losing his job if he’s outed as a whistleblower, which is fair enough.’

  ‘Speaking of the O’Neills, Ellie’s feature on Kathryn will run before her birthday, won’t it?’ said Maggie. ‘It’s such a good profile, Ellie,’ she added. ‘As was the one on Ben.’

  ‘Of course it is,’ said Patrick. ‘The timing is perfect. We need photos of the finished portrait to go with it. Unless Susan the guard dog puts the kibosh on it,’ he added.

  ‘The portrait’s supposed to be unveiled at the birthday party,’ said Maggie. ‘Apparently it’s being kept under lock and key, metaphorically speaking at least, until then. I think no one is allowed to see it, let alone photograph it.’

  ‘Well, we’ll promise to keep the pictures confidential until the paper is printed and delivered on Friday,’ said Patrick. ‘We can only ask.’

  ‘I wouldn’t hold your breath,’ said Ellie. ‘Heather said the unveiling of the portrait was to be a highlight of the birthday party, and I can’t imagine Susan letting anything jeopardise her precious plans. But it’s up to Kathryn and Heather.’

  ‘Let’s see what we can do. Now, I’m off to the gym,’ Patrick said, flexing his biceps and laughing.

  Ellie sat down at her desk, resting her feet against Sam who had made himself comfortable at the Chronicle with a bed in Patrick’s office and another under Ellie’s desk. He had quickly learned that Maggie was a soft touch for a small treat from the kitchenette.

  Before plunging back into work, Ellie took her phone out of her bag, dialled the familiar number and leaned back in her chair, phone to her ear.

  ‘Hi,’ she said.

  ‘Hi, Ell, how are you?’ Mike’s voice was full of warmth.

  ‘Better than I’ve felt in ages. I’ve done the deed. I told Roger no thanks.’

  ‘Well done! Did he dangle bait in front of you?’

  ‘He certainly did. A piece of the action, too.’ She filled Mike in on the details.

  ‘Wow, I bet he was pissed off. Not many people in your position would knock him back. I’m proud of you.’ Mike paused. ‘And you feel good about it?’ he asked tentatively.

  ‘Yes, surprisingly. Or maybe not so surprisingly, given how my life has changed since coming to Storm Harbour. I know Julie and others will think I’m mad, but my parents will be supportive. I’ve decided to give up my flat while

  I work out what to do. I’ll stay here for now. I want to help Poppy through this mysterious drama with the caravan park.’

  ‘Oh yes, what’s the latest?’

  ‘Wish we knew. It could be something or nothing
. If it’s something, it’s the best-kept secret in town.’

  ‘And what are your long-term plans? Well, after you sort out Storm Harbour’s problems?’

  She laughed. ‘I honestly don’t know, Mike. But for the first time in a long, long time, I’m feeling okay about my future. Roger did me a favour. It felt pretty sweet knocking him back, I have to say.’

  ‘I bet,’ Mike said with a laugh.

  ‘Anyhow, that’s enough about me – what are you up to?’

  ‘Well, actually, I’m coming down your way again, to do some research. I’ve made enquiries about that row of warehouse buildings along the river there.’

  ‘The ones we looked at, the old hall and School of Arts building? Do you want to put them in your app?’

  ‘Sort of. I have a few ideas. I rang Lucy and I’ve booked to stay with her and James again. I can’t come till Saturday, but let’s get together then, if you’re free? I’d love to see Patrick and that gang of his again too.’

  ‘That’s wonderful! Of course. Poppy and I are going to Kathryn O’Neill’s ninety-fifth birthday event out at Craigmore on Friday night, but I’m free over the weekend.’

  ‘Great. Maybe we could go fishing. I’d kind of like to play tourist,’ said Mike. ‘I’m a bit over the city at the moment; too many meetings.’

  ‘I can understand that,’ said Ellie. ‘I’ll see you on Saturday, then.’

  After she’d hung up, Ellie pulled out the scrap of paper with Russ’s phone number on it. Deciding to stretch her legs while she talked to him, she nodded a goodbye to the others and stepped out the front door, hitting ‘call’ as she did so.

  ‘This is Ellie Conlan, Russ. Can you talk for a moment?’

  ‘Well, yes, for once.’ He gave a nervous laugh. ‘I’m outside on my own.’

  ‘Good to hear,’ Ellie said, wondering how best to start. ‘I assume you still haven’t heard from Seamus O’Neill?’

  ‘Not yet,’ replied Russ. ‘Though there’s still time. Just.’