Family Business (5 page)

‘So is “it” Walter?'

Walter was a conveyancing solicitor and had been Rosetta's friend, even fiancé, over a period of four years despite his married status. The situation was accepted because Rosetta was happy. The arrangement was so fixed, so permanent, that Mama had felt able to turn her pairing attentions back to Salvatore. ‘Such sleepless nights he gives!' Mama said. For more than three years the pronoun in the familiar sentence had been masculine.

‘It must be Walter,' Gina said.

‘I suppose it has to be,' Angelo said. But neither had anything more to add.

Gina said, ‘Did you talk to everybody about Mrs Shayler?'

‘They think a bottle of washing-up liquid is the smallest problem we've ever had.'

‘They prefer people dying?' Gina asked. Then, ‘So how was Muffin?'

‘She thinks what we do is “really neat”.'

When he heard steps on the stairs Angelo guessed Mrs Shayler. Maybe a ‘per normal' time to consult her detectives had already been established. So Angelo was surprised when the person who came through the door was his sister. ‘Rose!' Angelo said.

‘I'm not welcome? I'm part of this business, too, you know.'

‘I was expecting the washing-up liquid.'

‘I suppose,' Rosetta said, ‘that Gina told you all about it.'

‘She said you didn't want to talk about it.'

‘I don't,' Rosetta said.

‘So have a cup of tea.' Angelo moved to the kettle, which was already filled with water in anticipation of a visit by Mrs Shayler.

‘No,' Rosetta said sharply. ‘What will it solve?'

Angelo turned from the table with the tea things on it. He walked to his sister and engulfed her with his arms.

At first Rosetta tried to pull free but Angelo insisted and patted her on the back. ‘I'm not your enemy,' he said.

After a moment she relaxed. ‘Oh, I know,' she said. ‘I know.' She dropped her head on to his shoulder, something she had not done for years.

They stood like that until Rosetta said, ‘It's just that Walter went on holiday.'

‘Did he?'

‘With that
woman
. Who he says he hardly even talks to.'

‘Oh.'

‘And he didn't even tell me he was going to my face, Angelo! He sent me a letter. A letter, saying he “had to”. That he “couldn't get out of it”. Oh God. That's
so
pitiful. A
letter
!'

Angelo didn't know what to say. He said, ‘How long is he away for?'

‘I don't know!' Rosetta said. ‘And I don't care!'

‘Sounds like it,' Angelo said, and then wondered if his words would cause offence.

But Rosetta laughed and stepped away. ‘You're such a comfort,' she said. But now there was no tension between them.

Angelo said, ‘Did Walter give you no hint at all that he was going away?'

‘None,' Rosetta said. ‘Why?'

‘It just doesn't quite sound like him, that's all.'

‘How does a twisted, scaly, two-headed snake usually sound?'

‘He's always seemed so, well, fussy about how things are done. Was this letter he sent handwritten or typewritten?'

At this Rosetta gave a snort. ‘What are you asking? Did he write the letter himself? Was Walter kidnapped? I think you need some rest, Angelo. I think the job's getting to you.'

‘Maybe. Maybe.'

‘Take a holiday. Why don't you go somewhere? With your wife. Make another baby.'

‘Can I afford it?' Angelo said.

‘Not if you buy all that new computer equipment,' Rosetta said with a smile.

Angelo raised his eyebrows, but the computer thing was settled, there was nothing more to say. ‘So, I can't make you tea. What did you come about?'

‘There's a man,' Rosetta began.

‘That was quick,' Angelo said quickly.

It was meant light-heartedly and Rosetta strove to take it that way, but despite her intentions she reddened.

Angelo saw, and Rosetta saw that he saw.

‘Well, well, well,' he said.

Rosetta covered her face with her hands but then, knowing how that looked, she took her hands down again. However the colour was inescapable. She turned away, then she turned back. ‘This is ridiculous,' she said. ‘It's nothing. It's business.'

‘OK,' Angelo said. ‘What business?'

‘A man is coming here to show you some equipment.'

‘He's showing
me
his equipment?'

‘Stop!' Rosetta said.

Angelo laughed.

‘This equipment,' Rosetta persisted, ‘is not computers.' She was about to explain what the equipment was when someone knocked on the office door.

‘Maybe this is him,' Angelo said. ‘Pink. It's a good colour for you.'

Rosetta moved to the door saying, ‘He sells other things it might be good for us to own. He said he'd come today or tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know, that's all. I didn't get a chance last night. OK?' Rosetta opened the door.

Standing outside was Mrs Shayler. Neither woman expected the other. Rosetta was startled, but Mrs Shayler was frightened.

When Rosetta realized the visitor's fear, she took Mrs Shayler's arm and helped her into the room and on to the settee.

‘Ta very much,' Mrs Shayler said. ‘Oh dear. How silly of me.' She fanned herself with her hand.

‘Are you all right?' Rosetta asked.

Mrs Shayler didn't answer.

Angelo said, ‘Can I make you a cup of tea?'

Rosetta said, ‘Angelo believes in teatherapy, but I'll call a doctor if you want me to.'

Mrs Shayler said, ‘I'm so sorry to intrude on your consultation. Please excuse me.'

Angelo said, ‘This is my sister, Mrs Shayler. Rosetta's also a member of the firm.'

In a faint voice, Mrs Shayler said, ‘How do you do?'

‘Are you all right?' Rose asked.

‘All right?' Mrs Shayler said. She lifted her hands to her face. ‘My whole world is collapsing.'

At one o'clock Angelo locked the street door and crossed from the Lunghis' business building into the adjoining property that completed the family complex. Together the two three-storey buildings provided ample space for the household, even with the ground floor of each let out as a shop.

Angelo went to the kitchen to make himself lunch. As he did so he noticed the bottle of washing-up liquid sitting behind the taps of the sink.

Most Lunghi dishes were washed by machine now but the plastic bottle still sat on the window sill. Delicate china and things of awkward size and shape were hand-washed.

Sitting as it did in a convenient yet unobtrusive place, the plastic bottle did not seem to have the potential for malevolence or distress. Yet Angelo realized that even he sometimes used dish-washing liquid in acts of deception. Like when he washed a plate to destroy the evidence that he'd eaten something he didn't want Gina to know about. A last profiterole late at night, for instance.

Angelo's musings were interrupted by the telephone.

‘Angelo Lunghi.'

The caller was Charlie ringing from the police station. ‘We have nothing on either a Jack or a John Shayler at the address on Walcot Street or anywhere else in the city. And I went up to ask the fraud boys and girls about Whitfield, Hare and O'Shea, but it's not one of the accountancy firms they associate with dodgy dealings. They want to know if they should add it to their list.'

‘Not as far as I know,' Angelo said. ‘The name came up, that's all.'

‘Pity,' Charlie said. ‘So, are all these blanks I've drawn good news or bad?'

‘Too early to tell,' Angelo said and then he asked Charlie about his family.

But Charlie said, ‘I can't jaw-jaw. We've got a new bloke here and he's got his beak into everything. Well, I say “new” but he used to work here and then he left. Thought we'd seen the last of him.'

‘Is there something wrong with him?' Angelo said.

‘Not if you like your CID detectives old-fashioned. But he hates computers, and he's suspicious of us who operate them. So I'm being careful for a while. If this bloke does decide to throw his very considerable weight around I want to make sure he lands on somebody else.'

‘He's overweight?'

‘I think that's fair to say.'

‘So, how's his cholesterol?' Angelo asked.

Charlie's call was the only interruption to Angelo's lunch break. He had rather expected to see Rosetta, but she did not appear. And Gina's court case had clearly not been adjourned—as they often were.

Nor did Mama and the Old Man come down from their flat. Sometimes they came down and sometimes they didn't. Angelo never knew why each decision was made and he didn't ever ask. Thinking about it now, he became aware that it was rather like Mrs Shayler saying she couldn't possibly
ask
Jack why he hadn't put the washing-up liquid away. There were unwritten, unspoken rules. Every family had them.

After putting his lunch dishes in the dishwasher, Angelo crossed back to the office and went down to unlock the street door. There was nothing on the outside to indicate fixed opening times. As well as the agency name, the plaque on the door gave the telephone number. Little of the Lunghis' business came unannounced off the street. Most work came by phone and fax and most was from regular clients. Visitors to the office were common, but almost always they came by appointment.

So when Angelo unlocked the door from the inside, he was surprised that it was immediately opened from the outside. A man stood on the pavement. ‘Mr Angelo Lunghi?'

‘Yes.'

A broad smile filled the man's face. He was large, carefully coiffed and wore an expensive suit. About thirty-five, he sported two gold rings on his right hand. Angelo noticed the rings as the man extended his hand for a shake. ‘Adrian Boiling,' the man said. ‘Pleased to meet you. I believe your sister is the lovely Rosetta. She suggested I drop in to show you some of the best surveillance equipment you'll ever have the pleasure of examining.' In his left hand Adrian Boiling carried a large black sample case.

Gina appeared in the office a few minutes past four. ‘He was fined a grand, got eighteen months suspended, and has been enjoined from coming within a mile of her or the kid or the kid's school. They all behaved so well you wouldn't believe it, which made for the most boring day I've had in weeks. How have things been here?'

Angelo began with Rosetta, intending it to lead, as it had historically, to Mrs Shayler. But the recounting of Adrian Boiling would not wait.

‘I don't know what's taken hold of Rose's senses,' Angelo said. ‘This Boiling talked as if it was a foregone conclusion that I'd have something off every page in his catalogue.'

‘So what did you do?' Gina asked.

‘I didn't buy anything,' Angelo said. ‘But he pushed and pushed for me to test things. “We're sure if you try us you'll like us,”' Angelo mimicked. ‘“So we make it a company policy to offer free trials.”'

‘Of what?' Gina asked.

‘Telephone bugs. Directional microphones. Compact tape recorders. Cameras. Concealed video recorders. Stuff kept coming out of his case. I suppose it proves just how micro the new equipment is these days. I expected him to produce a car that unfolded.'

‘Poor Angelo,' Gina said, amused.

‘I explained that we rent what we need, but Rose must already have told him that because he whipped out sheets of paper filled with numbers. Suppose this. Suppose that. He's decided we can't afford to do it the way we have since Papa began and that it's a miracle we're still in business. Gina, what do I do? How could Rosetta get me into something like this?'

‘What did she get you into?'

‘He left a catalogue and an order form and his home phone number in case we want to ask questions out of business hours. He'll ring on Friday. He'll come back in person in a week. And we have a seven-day free trial of a telephone bug,' Angelo said. ‘Because of Rose we're tapping our own telephones. And Adrian Boiling swears that once we've heard the clarity of the tapes, we'll never want to use anything else. It was excruciating.'

Gina cradled her tea and shook her head sympathetically. She kicked off her shoes and put her feet on the low table.

‘Rose is my sister,' Angelo said, pulling the plate of biscuits away from Gina's feet and taking a rich tea in the process. ‘What am I supposed to do?'

‘Be careful what you say on the telephone,' Gina said.

Angelo dunked the rich tea resignedly.

‘Tell me about Mrs Shayler,' Gina said.

‘Ah,' Angelo said. ‘Mrs Shayler.'

But before he could begin to report their new client's second visit, they both heard the street door open. Somebody ran up the stairs.

With a sigh Gina reshod her feet. Angelo stood up. The office door was thrown open. A flaxen-haired woman in her early twenties ran in. ‘Is this the Lunghi Detective Agency?' she asked Angelo angrily.

‘Yes,' Angelo said.

‘Well, just what the hell do you think you're playing at?'

CHAPTER FIVE

‘She was beautiful,' Gina said. ‘Slim, busty, a lovely tan and she looked wonderful in simple clothes, a plain white shirt and a full blue denim skirt. And she was
so
angry with your father that it gave her a kind of glow.'

Marie felt envious. David said, ‘What had Dad done?'

‘Well he
denies
everything, but he would, wouldn't he?' Gina said. ‘Could you pass the butter please, Rosetta?'

Rosetta passed the butter silently, and waited for a chance to ask if Adrian Boiling had called in to see Angelo.

‘My secret life,' Angelo said, spreading his hands. ‘You try to keep all the women happy, but sometimes …'

‘Dad!' David said.

‘Wires get crossed … The women get cross …'