by Penny Henry
"But at least we have a motive now." Temple looked for the positive. And we know that Trinity Ford is gonna benefit from the deal with Pegasus. They both had something to gain. Doesn’t that mean anything?"
Tim smiled indulgently. "I know it's hard to accept, Temple. But all we have is circumstantial evidence to back up a wild theory. Without the original document and laboratory testing we are bound to accept that Ben's signature is genuine. We have nowhere to go."
"And there's no way you can request Campbell Properties’ lawyers to hand over the original?" asked Temple in desperation.
"No way without casting doubts over the company’s business activities and damaging their reputation. They would sue the City and likely ruin me personally."
"There's really no way?" Temple almost pleaded.
"No way," stated Tim in a dreadful finality. "Except…"
“Go on, Tim.”
"Except... Maybe if you were to ask Travis Campbell to obtain it for you."
Temple could have cried. Tim wasn't aware of the details of her relationship with Travis. How could Tim know that until a few hours ago she had possibly been in the very position to ask? She had blown it big time. Travis would doubtless never speak to her again.
Tim lifted from his seat. "Don't give up hope, Temple." He found a few words he hoped to comfort her with. "I still have someone sniffing around. You never know, he might come up with something we can use. Keep your chin up."
Temple smiled goodbye. She knew that if she tried to speak she would break down in tears. It looked as if she had lost everything. First Ben had left her. Now the leisure complex looked beyond saving. And finally she had driven Travis away. There had been obstacles between them from the beginning - Hart Leisure and Travis' disturbing memories of Melanie. But she had secretly hoped that they would survive their conflicts and come together on equal terms. Now that dream, too, was gone. They were fighting like cat and dog once more. Temple was down. And this time she didn't think she had the energy to get up again.
Temple had never known the days to pass so quickly. Nor had she believed the nights could last so long. She got into the habit of staying late at the leisure complex. That way she got to spend less time at home. That meant less time being conscious of the questions that Angus and Molly avoided asking. It also meant that she spent fewer unsleeping hours thinking about Travis.
Time was running out. Elliot had telephoned several times and in the end she felt obliged to take his call. She had been brusque and downright rude, but finally she had been forced to agree to the siting of a temporary office on the property. The presence of the surveyors and planners disturbed the equilibrium of the whole complex. There seemed no point in denying the inevitable any longer. Temple and Jill undertook a series of personal interviews with the entire staff. They began with the key personnel and worked their way through to the guy that maintained the water filters. Not one person took the option to quit. Temple was touched by their loyalty and at the same time dismayed at the approaching break-up of the friendly and devoted team. There was no word or contact from Travis. He was a proud man. She hadn’t expected anything less.
Grace was the one that first suggested Temple should look for another venue for Hart Leisure. Jill was enthusiastic in supporting the idea. She had cut her ties with Elliot and abandoned plans to pursue a career with the Pegasus Hotel group. The three women met up in Jill's office.
"It makes a lot of sense," said Jill. She agreed with Grace but knew that Temple would take some convincing. "Hart Leisure is a powerful brand name. We have the staff and we have the identity. And I assume you will be able to arrange for the financial backing, Temple?"
"Attracting the finance shouldn't be a problem with the right package," said Temple bleakly. "The downside is finding a location that is anywhere near what we have now. It has to be one that our clients will approve of. We need good access and adequate parking. We also need to be located in a part of town where we can create our own environment with plenty of landscaping. Let's be honest, a lot of our clients are here for the hype. It might sound cynical but it's all about having the right image. I don’t know where we’re gonna find anything to touch what we’ve got now"
"I know you're right, Temple," said Jill. "That could be a major problem. With the Hart on Heart video selling well and your own high profile, Hart Leisure is the place to be. The site we have is perfect. But it would be madness not to try."
Temple might have been feeling low but she could see where Jill and Grace were going with it. She sighed before spelling it out to them, "We've got a 'state of the art' complex and great access from the I-4. They're both very important to the volume of business we do right now. Especially to the celebrity membership we're attracting and the tourists that have us on their places to visit. If we lose that image then we lose half of our clientele."
"I agree, it's a big problem," admitted Jill. "This is a brilliant location. It' such a shame we can't—” She stopped herself right there. Becoming emotional would serve no purpose at all. Clear thinking was what was needed now.
"I’ve been thinking,” said Grace slowly. “What about taking the opposite approach?" She waited for Jill and Temple to get interested. "I mean getting away from the high-tech image and maybe going for character."
Jill hmmed a little. "Do you mean like Mickey Mouse has done for Disney?" she asked with a doubtful look behind her emerald eyes, not fully comprehending what Grace was getting at.
"Nothing like that.” Grace laughed. "I’m talking about a building with character like in old."
"What did you have in mind, Gracie?" asked Temple.
Gill decided to sit and listen. She didn’t understand what Temple seemed to have picked up on.
"There's a big, old disused church not far from here," said Grace. "It’s a couple of blocks to the north. You must have seen it. The location isn't as good as what we have now, but it isn't too far away. The area has access to I-4 and it's surrounded by a huge chunk of real estate. It's been empty a couple of years so it could probably be got for a good price."
"I know where you mean," said Jill abruptly. "I took a wrong turn and drove by it once. I wondered then why it was standing empty. There must be a reason it hasn't been developed. It’s a lovely old building
"That's probably got to do with the use of the land," said Temple. "As far as I know the area isn’t zoned for housing or retail. Maybe the church elders are particular about who they let on their property.” Temple was starting to feel a positive buzz. “You could be on to something, Gracie. It's got to be worth a look."
"Surely they couldn't object to a leisure complex," started Jill, "especially if we intended to landscape the property. I mean, we do for the body what the Church does for the mind. I think it's a fabulous idea, Grace."
"There’s only the one problem I can think of," said Grace. "If you come down on the church from the north side you stand a chance of losing your wheels if you stop for more than two minutes. That's one area that’s still waiting for the bulldozers. But hey, once it's redeveloped we could find ourselves in the middle of a prime location,"
"I think that's gonna be some way off with all the development going on in Orlando," said Temple. "But we could bring people in from the south I suppose. With good directions from the I-4 and subtle on-sight security it could be made to work. Orlando is hardly Chicago, is it?"
"You’re right, Temple," said Grace. "We could do it. But it's still something we need to be aware of. We can’t afford to take risks with our clients."
Jill looked at the problem from a different angle. "Community projects!" she said suddenly. "What a wonderful phrase that is. We could do ourselves a lot of good by becoming involved in the area. They must be crying out for jobs too. It wouldn’t do us any harm with the church elders either." Jill sat back looking pleased with herself.
"You are so cynical, Jill," Temple scolded the red-headed business manager that she now looked on as a friend. "But... I have to admit it. I
t’s an excellent idea."
"We need to go and take a look at the area,” said Jill brightly. “It has to be a viable proposition before we start thinking seriously about it. Who’s up for taking a drive?”
"You two go,” said Grace. “You’re the business brains. If you think we’ve got a chance I’ll drive down later and take a look.”
“Well there's no time like the present," said Temple. "You sure you can take care of things while we’re gone, Gracie?"
"Sure I can. Take your time. Have a good look round and see what you think. If you like what you see we can take it further and make enquiries. Don't expect too much though. Okay, honey?"
"Thanks, Gracie," said Temple. "I surely need something to occupy my mind at the moment."
"I know. Now get out of here," ordered Grace.
Temple and Jill left while the going was good. "We'll take your car, Jill. You drive. I'll navigate.”
"Fine," said Jill happily as they headed towards her car. "I don't know the area at all."
Temple wasn't in the least surprised. She was barely familiar with that part of town herself. Jill reversed the Lexus from its parking space and shifted into 'drive'. She headed for the exit and Temple couldn’t help but notice Elliot's car parked near the contractors' portable office. She stared directly ahead, ignoring its presence. Temple had no masochistic urge to confront Elliot or endure his gloating at her misfortune. She was willing to give dignity in defeat a try. And if that didn't work out, she might resort to the baseball bat.
The drive took less time than they thought it would. The derelict church was to the right of the leisure complex and they wanted to come down on the church from the north side. Jill followed the roads that ran parallel to the I-4 for a couple of miles before turning the Lexus into the rundown area that ran back behind the empty church.
The area was a good distance from the route their clients would be taking but it was worth taking a look to see what they might have to deal with. The dirty streets took on a distinctly threatening atmosphere. The oppressive buildings leaned in on them as they drove through the littered streets. Or was it simply the product of their over-active imaginations? The children that hung around the doorways looked ill-disciplined and less well fed. Jill instinctively flicked the switch to lock the doors. She looked straight ahead as Temple gave directions in a whisper. They barely glanced at the dilapidated buildings and broken vehicles that spotted on the streets. A police car drove slowly down the opposite side of the street; almost stopping as two hard-eyed officers surveyed the occupants of the shiny Lexus before returning their attention to the shadowy doorways. Groups of two or three men stood on each corner eyeballing the women as they passed. Occasionally lone men would meet and brush past each other, and sometimes Temple thought she saw a package or a few dollars exchanged in a fumbling transaction. Their desire to see the area for themselves no longer seemed such an inspired impulse.
They turned another corner into a street where a high-spirited group of men were stumbling on and off the sidewalk displaying the effects of drink or drugs and shouting abusively at each other. One of the men spotted the approaching Lexus and strutted into the middle of the street waving his arms for them to stop.
"Keep driving, Jill," urged Temple.
Jill stared steadfastly in front of her and kept the vehicle bearing down on the lone figure in their path.
The other men became interested as the Lexus slowed its approach to the unmoving man that stood flapping his arms in their way. The noisy group spotted the two women and quickly saw the opportunity to have some fun, spilling onto the street and intent on forcing the car to stop.
"I can't just drive into them," Jill almost cried. "I'm going to have to stop." She brought the Lexus to a crawl as the boisterous men held their ground.
"Just relax, Jill. Try to keep the car moving slowly. We can edge them out of the way." Both of the women looked directly ahead as the nose of the Lexus bumped against the legs of the men.
The man that had been waving his arms leaned on the hood and leered at the two apprehensive women. The other men crowded round the slowly moving car, drumming their hands on the roof and drinking in the sight of the two nervous females women trapped in the car. They were brash young men, used to the streets and accustomed to getting what they wanted. Faces that were high on drugs or alcohol pressed against the glass. Jill was terrified that one of them would fall under the turning wheels of the powerful vehicle. She was going to have to halt the car. Then suddenly a slim figure in a faded hoodie intervened. He began pulling the men away from the car and herding them back to the sidewalk. He appeared to have some authority in the strange world of the street and with a few well-chosen words and gestures cleared the way for Jill to accelerate away from the rowdy scene.
"Drive, Jill," ordered Temple.
Jill obeyed without a second’s hesitation and sent the Lexus surging forward. Temple twisted in her seat to look back at the crowd of men gathered on the sidewalk. They seemed to have fallen into conversation with the slim man and entirely forgotten the side-play in the street. Jill powered the Lexus round a corner just as the face of their rescuer turned in their direction. Temple sucked in her breath as she recognized the thin features of Sean Richards staring back at her. Their eyes locked for an instant before the shadowy member of Grace's Tang Soo Do class quickly turned away.
Temple jerked her head round and stared sightlessly into the grimy streets through which Jill was blindly driving.
"Which direction, Temple?" asked Jill anxiously. "Temple! Which direction?" she snapped.
"Sorry, Jill. Take a left."
They drove for another five minutes with only Temple's instructions breaking the silence before the disused church came into view. The area had taken a big upturn. The streets were clean and the buildings looked well maintained. Even the air smelled fresher. Temple realized they would have to make damn sure their clients were well advised of the fast access route from the I-4. Jill pulled the car to a halt in front of the old church. They sat quietly for a couple of minutes letting the tension drain from their bodies.
"Are you okay, Jill?"
"I think so, Temple. Thank goodness for our mystery hero. Really, I'm feeling fine now." Jill smiled broadly, apparently fully recovered from their recent ordeal.
Jill Harrison was proving to be extremely resilient, thought Temple in admiration. The reserved red-head was a woman of surprising qualities. And now that they were here they might as well see what they had come for. Temple's speculation on the clandestine activities of Sean Richards was pushed to the back of her thoughts. For the moment she had other things on her mind.
"Let's do it," said Temple, pushing open her door.
"Wait for me," cried Jill, as she scrambled from her own door. "I'm not that okay."
The two women walked round the disused building and peered in where they could. The condition was worse than they had anticipated. The interior of the church had been virtually wiped out. They guessed it would be due to regular visits from the opportunist citizens of the nearby community. Security was moved up another notch on Temple's mental list of things to do.
On the credit side, the parking area was at least as large as that of Hart Leisure and all the main services were in place. The main concern was the totally inadequate size of the structure. Even if they managed to preserve the impressive façade of the church the remainder of the building would have to be demolished. They would be able to take advantage of Orlando's fast-track redevelopment initiative but they were still looking at months of work and a several million-dollar investment. A number of feasibility studies would be needed before they made a move. The demographics of the area would make for interesting reading.
Temple had been feeling positive before they had arrived but she was fast getting lower. "I think I've seen enough for now, Jill. How about you?"
"Yup," responded Jill surprisingly upbeat. "There is a lot of potential, but not before a lot of thought. It would b
e a major step."
"And we’ll need a good deal of professional advice," added Temple. "But maybe if there’s a way to preserve the façade and build back from there we could have something interesting. We’re going to have to talk to City Hall first. Then there's the problem of storage for the Hart Leisure equipment." Temple was fighting to remain positive.
"I'm already obtaining quotes for storage," said Jill. "And the accountants are going ahead with the redundancy packages. We have to look at the worst scenario at the moment. But everyone is confident you’re going to come up with something, Temple. We're with you to the very end. You know that."
"Thanks, Jill," said Temple, hating the thought that in the end she was going to have to let them all down. "Let's go home. We'll get together with Grace tomorrow and discuss it. We've had enough for one day."
"I couldn't agree more," said Jill with some relief. "Next time you can take Grace's car."
Temple laughed and caught herself off-guard, surprised by the fact that she could still find humor in her present predicament. Perhaps it was a sign there was life after the Hart Leisure complex. It was also a glimmer of hope that there was life after her heart-rending split from Travis.
They drove the direct route back to the leisure complex and were thankfully there in minutes. They had experienced enough traumas for one day. The contractors had also had enough and Elliot's car was nowhere in sight. Jill dropped Temple off outside the building and left for home. Reception was quiet and Grace was taking a class. Temple wandered through to Ben's old office, stopping at the door and running a finger over the brass plate that carried his name. There didn't seem much point in changing the nameplate at this stage. She closed the door behind her, wondering what Ben would have made of it all. A call had come through to Ben's office sometime during the day and the answer machine was flashing.
"Hi, Temple." Travis' voice struck her chest like a mule kick. Her body shook and her pulse went into overdrive. She held her breath so as not to miss a word. "It's my birthday," drawled Travis. "I thought maybe you'd like to come over for dinner. Nothing fancy, just a meal at the house. Around eight o'clock." There was a pause but he didn't hang up. "I'd really like to see you, Temple. Oh, it’s tonight." The line went dead.
