The Candidate (18 page)

Chapter 22

Despite the late night, Ginny started her Wednesday bright and early. Checking her emails eagerly, she hoped to see a reply to one of the missives she had sent off. But there was nothing.

Her final move had been to place a call to the UK’s Chartered Institute of HR Professionals. Vanessa Evans had obviously gone through the certification process, and was proud of it, judging by the fact she had included the membership acronym in her signature.

Ginny had been bounced around a few departments before landing with a harried-sounding woman. Her tone softened after hearing of Ginny’s plight. She was an HR professional after all and knew the importance of a thorough reference check.

‘I’ll see what I can do, love,’ she’d said, when Ginny asked for help tracking down Vanessa Evans, formerly of Raddle & Smyth.

But it was the week before Christmas. Everyone was slowing down, taking early leave, parking requests, emails, projects, lists … everything, until the New Year.

Ginny’s phone rang, interrupting her thoughts and she grimaced when she heard Robert’s voice.

‘I’ve just had a very interesting call from Daniel Baire. What the hell is going on?’

‘What do you mean, Robert?’

‘He tells me he’s provided references and you’ve told him they’re not good enough. His exact words were that you were “dragging the chain”. We want him on board, Ginny, and I would be very disappointed if we lost him because of this.’

Ginny talked fast, explaining the gap between what Daniel had provided and what her vetting process required. Thinking about Robert’s words, and how Daniel had admitted that Miles had spoken to him about another opportunity, Ginny asked: ‘Did he tell you he was looking at something else?’

‘Apparently Miles Hawthorne has something on the go.’

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! She rubbed her forehead.

‘Obviously there’s nothing to stop you offering him a job now, but I strongly recommend you wait until we verify all he’s told us. I’m moving as fast as I can, Robert. This has my undivided attention.’

He didn’t speak straightaway, and when he did she heard the frustration in his voice: ‘I want good news next time we speak, okay, Ginny?’

No worries, Ginny thought sarcastically, hanging up. I’ll just jump on a plane and fly to London, walk the streets wearing a sandwich board until Vanessa Evans sees me and introduces herself.

She called Daniel twice before leaving the office for the day and both times it went through to voicemail. Now she knew that Miles was talking to him about another role she had good reason to feel anxious. This bloody role was going to hell. Again. So much for thinking it was in the bag.

A Ginny cartographer was an option worth considering for his next career move, Mac thought later that night. He lay behind her, warm and drowsy, running his hand over her, not sure if he was quite done with her yet.

‘What are you up to for Christmas?’ He’d avoided asking before now as Ginny seemed most comfortable working within a two- or three-day timeframe.

‘Going down to Mum’s. I’ll leave Monday afternoon. You?’

‘I’ll be in Auckland for Christmas but afterwards Dad and Jen are taking the boat up to the Bay of Islands for a few days. I thought I’d tag along. You could come too, if you like.’

She went still. ‘Thanks, but I’d better not. It would be a bit weird.’

‘Weird?’

‘Yeah — you know. Being around your dad and Jen when we’re, well, you know.’

He laughed. ‘Having sex?’

‘Yeah. Don’t you think it would be weird?’

‘No.’

She paused and he resumed his survey of her body. Definitely not done, he thought.

‘Do they know?’ she asked.

‘Know what?’

‘Oh, for God’s sake.’ She huffed out a breath and turned to face him. ‘Has anyone ever told you that you can be annoyingly obtuse?’ He grinned at her and she continued. ‘Do they know we’re sleeping together?’

‘No — but I don’t usually get into that sort of detail with my parents.’ His father seemed to have grown accustomed to Mac arriving home in the early morning, still in yesterday’s clothes, but had never said anything. In fact, a morning ritual had developed between them over the past week or so. Mac read the sports section, his dad the business while they had a coffee.

‘Why? Would it bother you if they did?’

‘It’s just … I don’t know,’ Ginny faltered. ‘Embarrassing’ wasn’t quite the word, but something close. Some of those old doubts rushed at her: wasn’t it a bit off, a little wrong, to be sleeping with her best friend? His familiar eyes watched her patiently, and a surge of affection ran through her.

She smiled. ‘I just don’t think we need to go too public with anything, that’s all. This is okay, isn’t it?’

He thought back to the conversation they’d had the previous night. Although he’d told her more about life in NZSAS in one sitting than he’d told most people in five years, there was a lot he was holding back. In turn, he couldn’t get too worked up about her holding back on what was happening between them, regardless of how frustrating it was.

‘Sure, Ginny, whatever.’ He waited a beat or two. ‘So you haven’t said anything? To anyone? Not to Mads?’

She grinned. ‘Well, that’s different. Of course she knows.’

‘Ah-ha.’ He reached for her again. ‘So what did you tell her?’

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly say.’ Ginny laughed, and then gasped as Mac slid a hand between her legs.

‘Go on, I want to know.’

‘Well, you can’t.’

He rolled her on top of him, put a hand behind her neck and pulled her down for a kiss. ‘When do you get back? From your mum’s?’

‘New Year’s Eve. For Paul and Mads’ barbecue.’ She kissed him back, breathless. ‘You?’

‘I’ll be back by then, too.’

Conversation over, they fell into one another.

The next morning Ginny let out a yell of delight. The woman at the HR Institute believed she had tracked down the right Vanessa Evans, now Vanessa Masters, and had emailed asking her to get in touch with Ginny as soon as possible.

Ange stuck her head around the doorframe. ‘Good news?’

‘Yes. Nearly there.’

Ginny had just come back from a long swim and was looking forward to a big meal and an early night when her phone buzzed with an incoming email. Snatching it up, she breathed a huge sigh to see it was from Vanessa Masters. What a legend. Ginny smiled at the invitation to make contact at her convenience. She scrolled to the number and hit call.

It was answered after a couple of rings.

Ginny laughed when Vanessa commented on her tenacity in getting hold of her.

‘I had no choice,’ Ginny explained. ‘I had no one else to reference my candidate.’

‘So who is it you need me to talk about? The email didn’t say.’

‘Daniel Baire,’ Ginny told her. ‘From when you were at Raddle & Smythe?’

‘Of course.’ Vanessa paused. ‘But I thought he was Australian — didn’t you say you were calling from Auckland?’

Ginny smiled. She’d been mistaken for an Aussie enough times herself in the UK. ‘No, he’s definitely a Kiwi.’

‘I’ll have to take your word for it then!’ Vanessa laughed. ‘Right — Daniel Baire … well, he was a nice enough lad, and seemed to do a good job. He joined on a short-term contract, from what I remember. The firm was growing quickly at that stage and he came on board to help out on a project. I don’t recall he was ever a permanent employee; it suited him to be able to take off travelling now and then so he just invoiced us for the hours he did. It worked for Charles and Brendan — the owners — and they liked him, so that was that.’

Ginny nodded to herself. It backed up what Daniel had told her. She asked a few more questions, probing for further information. Although the reference was solid, it was apparent Vanessa wasn’t able to provide the level of detail Ginny needed, and Robert wanted. Knowing this, Ginny asked whether Vanessa had any idea about how she could make contact with the remaining director.

‘Wouldn’t have a clue, I’m afraid,’ Vanessa replied. ‘I think he’s in Italy. Or maybe France?’

‘Spain?’

‘Could be, but I really wouldn’t know. They were older gentlemen, and pretty keen to wind things up. Poor Charles died almost before the ink on the sale was dry, but Brendan, well, I got the impression he was looking forward to retirement.’

‘The new business owners didn’t want to take Daniel on?’

‘I’m not sure, to be honest. But he had made it clear he was leaving the UK so I doubt it was even up for discussion.’

‘Do you know of anyone else I could talk to about Daniel?’

‘There were only a few of us towards the end. You could try Mark Hutchinson perhaps? Although he left fairly quickly after Claire disappeared … poor thing,’ she said, almost to herself. ‘I think he had a soft spot for her and he was quite cut up about the whole thing. Not surprising though, is it?’

Mark? Claire? ‘Sorry, Vanessa — I’m afraid I haven’t a clue who you’re talking about.’

‘Didn’t Daniel say? They worked together. The three of them. I think Daniel and Claire dated for a while but I was never too sure. She disappeared into thin air about three months before the business was sold. And then she turned up again. Poor thing had been strangled, dumped in the Thames.’

‘Oh, God!’

‘Yes — it was pretty awful. They never caught anyone. One of those indiscriminate acts of violence.’

‘What a shocking thing to have happen,’ Ginny said, as several pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

She knew all about wanting to run away from a bad memory; to cut yourself off from something that had hurt you. It had been like that when she left Miles. No wonder Daniel was being so obnoxious about her talking to people from his life in London. He had obviously closed the book on the whole episode when he left and it must be horribly uncomfortable to have her pushing him to open it up again. Nevertheless, she had a job to do.

‘This Mark Hutchinson,’ she asked Vanessa. ‘Do you know where he works now?’

‘No, I’m not certain … but I’ve got a slow couple of days before Christmas. Let me make a few calls for you. I’m fairly sure I know where he went after Raddle & Smythe and if he isn’t still there I may be able to track him down.’

‘Are you sure? That’s very kind.’

‘No bother. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll let you know if I find him.’

‘Thank you so much.’ Ginny was obscenely grateful. ‘Anything would be great.’

She rang Robert first thing the following morning and since he was in a meeting, left a message with Camilla to tell him she had spoken to Daniel’s referee.

Daniel’s phone went to voicemail, but she left a message telling him the same thing. She didn’t like this recurring unavailability. Was he still on board or not?

While she waited for either man to call back, she started transcribing the conversation with Vanessa so she could send it to Robert.

Ginny arrived back from a long client lunch slightly before two. She’d only had one glass of wine, but the table had been in the sun. That, and the time of year, left her sleepy and unmotivated.

Ange was still in the office. Happy for the diversion, Ginny perched on her assistant’s desk.

‘What are you still doing here?’

‘Charming.’ Ange raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Robert called, he’s read the reference and is happy; he’ll call you later this afternoon. Do you think he’ll make an offer?’

‘I doubt he’ll take Daniel without another reference, but it would be fabulous if he did. So,’ Ginny asked again, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘I thought I’d tidy up, but I’m just about done. I’m off home tomorrow — remember?’ She looked a bit more closely at Ginny. ‘Are you drunk?’

‘Slightly.’ Ginny smiled, and then said, ‘Of course. Wellington.’

Ange nodded. ‘I’ll be back early Jan. Give you a call when I’m back?’

‘That would be great.’ Ginny studied Ange as she methodically went through the stack of papers on her desk. ‘Ange?’

‘Mmmm?’

‘Do you like working here?’

Ange looked up. ‘Yeeees. Why?’

Ginny eyeballed her. ‘I really need another consultant.’

‘What are you suggesting?’

‘Why don’t you give it a go: take your PhD down to part-time and go as close to full-time with me as you can manage for six months or so. If you hate it, then you can still go and do …’ she waved her hand, ‘whatever it is you do.’

‘What if I don’t hate it?’

Ginny beamed. ‘Then you get to stay.’

‘Can I think about it? Let you know in the New Year?’

‘Of course.’ Ginny smiled, and as she stepped toward her office, the downstairs door opened.

She shook her head to see Daniel walking up the stairs. He sure was a game-player: screening her calls but not so busy that he couldn’t pop into her office anytime he damn well liked. No worries, sunshine, she thought. I’ve had plenty of experience with players and I know all the tricks.

‘Hi, Daniel, how are you?’ He nodded, and Ginny indicated one of the interview rooms. ‘Do you want to take a seat?’

She followed him in and sat down. Hesitating only briefly, he did too.

‘Did you get my message?’ Ginny couldn’t help the ironic tone.

‘Yes. So you got hold of her? That Vanessa woman?’

‘Yes. I did.’

‘And she told you exactly what I’ve said already? Waste of time, eh?’

Not wanting to get back into a debate with him over the merits of reference checking, Ginny cut to the chase. ‘I’ve heard you’re looking at another role. You’re certainly free to do so, but I’m keen to know where you’re at. So would Robert.’

Daniel let out a surprised laugh. ‘Does anything get by you?’

‘This is important Daniel. Everyone is keen to wrap up this process, one way or another.’

‘I understand.’ He looked at her steadily. ‘Yeah, I’ve been talking to a couple of others but the RK role is still my preferred.’

She nodded and let out the breath she was holding. ‘Great. I’m expecting a call from Robert later this afternoon. He’s read the reference so I’ll see whether he’s ready to talk about an offer.’

A big grin spread across his face. ‘That is marvellous news, Ginny. Thank you.’