The Fourth Estate (39 page)

“But if You own
the company-” Townsend hesitated “-along with your wife, you have it in your
power to sell me the station.”

“Sure do,” said
Ben. “But I’m not going to. If you want the station, you’re just going to have
to buy everything else that goes with it,”

After several
more Resch’s and another hour of haggling, Townsend came to realize that Ben’s
niece had failed to inherit any genes from his side of the family.

When Townsend
finally emerged from Ben’s office it was pitch dark, and the receptionist had
left. He fell into the car, and told Sam to take him back to the Ampthilis’
house. “And by the way,” he said, as the car swung round yet again, “you were
right about the coalmines. I’m now the proud owner of two of them, as well as
the local paper and a hotel, but most important of all, a radio station. But
the deal can’t be finally ratified until I’ve had dinnei~ with the other
shareholder, just to be sure she approves of me.”

When Keith crept
into the house at one o’clock the following morning, he wasn’t surprised to
find Susan was fast asleep. He quietly closed the bedroom door and went down to
his study on the ground floor, where he sat at his desk and began writing some
notes. It wasn’t long before he started wondering what was the earliest moment
that he could possibly call his lawyer. He settled on six thirtyfive, and
filled in the time by having a shower, putting on a fresh set of clothes,
packing a suitcase, making himself some breakfast and reading the first
editions of the Sydney papers, which were always delivered to him by five every
morning.

At twenty-five
to seven he left the kitchen, returned to his study and dialed his lawyer’s
home number. A sleepy voice answered the phone.

“Good morning,
Clive. I thought I ought to let you know I’ve just bought a coalmine. Two, in fact.”

“And why in
heaven’s name did you do that, Keith?” a more awake voice asked. It took
another forty minutes for Townsend to explain how he had spent the previous
afternoon, and the price agreed on. Clive’s pen never stopped moving across the
pad by the side of his bed, which was always there just in case Townsend
phoned.

“My first
reaction is that Mr. Ampthill looks as if he’s got himself a good deal,” said
Clive when his client finally stopped talking.

“He sure did,”
said Townsend. “And had he wanted to prove it, he could also have drunk me
under the table.”

“Well, I’ll call
you later this morning to fix an appointment so we can flesh this deal out.”

“Can’t do that,”
said Townsend. “I have to catch the first flight to New York if I’m going to
make this deal worthwhile. You’ll need to sort out the details with Ben
Ampthill. He’s not the sort of man who’ll go back on his word.”

“But I’m still
going to need your input.”

“You’ve just had
it,” said Townsend. “So be sure You have the contract ready for signing the
moment I get back.”

“How long will
YOU be away?” asked Clive.

“Four days, five
at the most.”

“Can you pick up
what you need in five days?”

“if I can’t,
I’ll have to take up coalmining.”

Once he had put
the phone down, Townsend returned to the bedroom and picked up his suitcase. He
decided not to wake Susan: flying off to New York at such short notice would
take a lot of explaining. He scribbled her a note and left it on the hall table.

When he saw Sam
standing at the end of the drive, Townsend couldn’t help thinking that he
looked as if he hadn’t had much sleep either, At the airport, he told him that
he’d be back some time on Friday.

“Don’t forget
you’re getting married on Saturday, boss.”

“Fven I couldn’t
forget that,” said Townsend. “No need to worry, I’ll be back with at least
twenty-four hours to spare.

In the plane, he
fell asleep moments after he had fastened his seatbelt.

When he woke
several hours later, he couldn’t remember where he was going or why. Then it
all came back to him. He and his radio team had spent several days in New York
during their preparations for the earlier network bid, and he had made three
subsequent visits to the city that year, setting up deals with American
networks and agencies that Would have been immediately turned into a program
schedule had he been awarded the new franchise. Now he intended to take
advantage of all that hard work.

A Yellow Cab
drove him from the airport to the Pierre. Despite all four windows being down,
Townsend had removed his tie and undone his shirt collar long before he was
dropped outside the hotel.

The concierge
welcomed him as if he had made fifty trips to New York that year, and
instructed a bellboy to show Mr. Townsend up to “his usual room.” Another
shower, a further change of clothes, a late breakfast and several more phone
calls were made before Townsend began shuttling round the city from agent to
agent, network to network, studio to studio, in an attempt to close deals at
breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes in the small hours of the morning.

Four days later
he had purchased the Australian rights for most of the top American radio
programs for the coming season, with options on them for a further four years.
He signed the final agreement only a couple of hours before his flight was due
to leave for Sydney. He packed a suitcase full of dirty clothes-he disapproved
of paying unnecessary bills-and took a cab to the airport.

Once the plane
had taken off he started drafting a 500word article, revising paragraphs and
changing phrases, until he was satisfied it was good enough for the front page.
When they landed in Los Angeles, Townsend went in search of the nearest pay
phone and called Bruce Kelly’s office.

He was surprised
that the editor wasn’t at his desk. Kelly’s deputy assured him that he still
had enough time to make the final edition, and quickly transferred him to a ~~
copy typist. As Townsend dictated the article, he wondered how long it would be
before Hacker and Kenwright were on the phone, begging him to make a deal now
that he had broken their cozy cartel wide open.

He heard his
name being called out over the loudspeaker, and had to run all the way back to
the aircraft. They closed the door as soon as he had stepped on board. Once he
had settled into his seat, his eyes didn’t open again until the plane touched
down at Sydney the following morning.

When he reached
the baggage collection area, he called Clive Jervis as he waited for his
suitcases to come down the chute. He glanced at his watch when he heard Clive’s
voice on the other end of the line. “I hope I didn’t get you out of bed,” he
said.

“Not at all. I
wasjust putting on my morning dress,” the lawyer replied.

Townsend would
have asked whose wedding Clive was attending, but he was only interested in
finding out if Ampthill had signed the contract.

“Let me tell you
before you ask,” Clive began. “You are now the proud owner of the Wollongong
Times, the Wollongong Grand Hotel, two coalmines and a radio station known as
2WW, which can be picked up as far south as Nowra and as far north as the
southern outskirts of Sydney. I only hope you know what you’re up to, Keith,
because I’m damned if I do.”

“Read the front
page of this morning’s Cbronicle,” said Townsend. “it might give you a clue.”

“I never read
the papers on a Saturday morning,” said Clive. “I think I’m entitled to one day
off a week.”

“But today’s
Friday,” said Townsend.

“It may be
Friday in New York,” replied Clive, “but I can assure you it’s Saturday here in
Sydney. I’ll took forward to seeing you at the church in about an hour’s time.”

“Oh my God,”
cried Townsend. He dropped the phone, ran out of the customs hall without his
luggage and emerged onto the pavement to find Sam standing by the car, looking
slightly agitated. Townsend leapt into the front seat.

1 thought it was
Friday,” he said.

“No, sir, I’m
afraid it’s Saturday,” said Sam, “And you’re meant to be getting married in
fifty-six minutes’ time.”

“But that
doesn’t even leave me enough time to go home and change.”

“Don’t worry,”
said Sam. “Heather’s put everything you’ll need on the back seat.”

Keith turned
round to find a pile of clothes, a pair of gold cufflinks and a red carnation
all neatly laid out for him. He quickly removed his coat, and began undoing the
buttons of his shirt.

“Will we get
there on time?” he asked.

“We should make
it to St. Peter’s with about five minutes to spare,” said Sam as Keith threw
yesterday’s shirt onto the floor in the back of the car.

He paused. “As
long as the traffic keeps moving and the lights are all green.

“What else
should I be worrying about?” Keith asked as he forced his right arm into the
left sleeve of a starched shirt.

“I think you’ll
find that Heather and Bruce have thought of everything between them,” said Sam.

Keith finally
succeeded in putting his arm in the correct sleeve, then asked if Susan
realized that he’d only just returned.

“I don’t think
so,” said Sam. “She’s spent the last few days at her sister’s place in Kogarah,
and she’s being driven direct to the church from there. She did ring a couple
of times this morning, but I told her you were in the shower.”

“I could do with
a shower.”

“I would have
had to phone her if you hadn’t been on that flight.”

“Fhat’s for sure,
Sam. I suppose we’d better hope the bride will be the traditional few minutes
late.” Keith leaned back and grabbed a pair of gray striped trousers with
braces already attached, neither of which he had ever seen before.

Sam tried to
disguise a yawn.

Keith turned to
him. “Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting outside that airport for the past
twenty-four hours)”

“17hirty-six,
sir. After all, you did say some time on Friday.”

“I’m sorry,”
said Keith. “Your wife must be livid with me.”

“She won’t give
a damn, sir.”

“Why not?” asked
Keith as the car careered round a sharp bend at fifty miles an hour and he
tried to do up his fly buttons.

“Because she
left me last month, and has started divorce proceedings.”

“I’m sorry to
hear that,” said Keith quietly.

“Don’t worry
about it, sir. She never really came to terms with the sort of lifestyle a
driver has to lead.”

“So it was my
fault?”

“Certainly not,”
said Sam. “She was even worse when I was driving the taxi. No, the truth is I
enjoy this sort of work, but she just couldn’t cope with the hours.”

“And it took you
eleven years to discover that,” said Keith, leaning forward so that he could
pull on his gray tailcoat.

I think we’ve
both realized it for some time,” said Sam. “But in the end I couldn’t take any
more of her grumbling about never being sure when I was going to be home.”

“Never being
sure when you were going to be home?” repeated Keith as they careered round
another corner.

“Yes. She
couldn’t understand why I didn’t finish work by five every night, like any
normal husband.”

I understand the
problem only too well,” said Keith. “You’re not the only one who has to live
with it.” Neither spoke for the rest of the journey, Sam concentrating on choosing
the least congested lane, which would save him a few seconds, while Keith
thought about Susan as he retied his tie for a third time.

Keith was
pinning the carnation to his lapel as the car swung into the road which led up
to St. Peter’s Church. He could hear the bells pealing, and the first person he
saw, standing in the middle of the road and peering in their direction, was an
anxious-looking Bruce Kelly. A took of relief came over his face when he
recognized the car.

“Just as I
promised, sir,” said Sam, as he changed down into third gear.

“We’ve made it
with five minutes to spare.”

“Or with eleven
years to regret,” said Keith quietly.

I beg your
pardon, sir?” said Sam as he touched the brake put the gear lever into second
and began to slow down.

“Nothing, Sam.
It’s just that you’ve made me realize that this is one gamble I’m not willing
to take.” He paused for a moment, and just before the car came to a halt, said
firmly, “Don’t stop, Sam. just keep on driving.”

THE TIMES

24 MARCH 1948

W
estern Powers Boycott Berlin Meetings
After Russian Withdrawal “IT WAS FXTREMELY kind of you to come and see me at
such short notice, Captain Armstrong.”

“Not at all,
Julius. In times of trouble weJews must stick together.”

Armstrong
slapped the publisher on the shoulder. “Tell me, how can I help?”

Julius Hahn rose
from behind his desk, and paced round the room as he took Armstrong through the
catalog of disasters that had befallen his company during the past two months.
Armstrong listened attentively. Hahn returned to his seat and asked, “Do you
think there is anything you can do?”