years, and you can break the contract any time after giving me six months’ notice.’ He smiled. ‘The fact is, Jerry, you are too valuable to lose. In return for what I am offering, you will take a lot of strain and problems off my back. What do you say?’
I sat there, gaping. I just couldn’t believe what he was saying.
‘Of course, you will want to think about it. I won’t rush you,’ Ferguson went on. ‘First, I want you to see your office, where you will live, and your car before you make up your mind. If you agree to my proposal, then you will become a member of my staff. You might not have any work to do for a couple of weeks or so, then when I go away, you will take my place. While you are not impersonating me, you will be entirely free to do what you like in this city. If your friends want to know what you do, tell them you are my personal assistant and no member of my Corporation talks about their work. All my staff are loyal, and I would expect you to be loyal too.’
He got up, went to his desk, flicked down a switch on the intercom.
‘Miss Malcolm, would you come in, please?’ To me, he said, ‘Miss Malcolm is my assistant secretary. She will take care of you. She knows about the impersonation. Only Mr. Durant, my secretary, Miss Malcolm and Mazzo know. You can entirely rely on her.’
Sonia came in.
‘I’ll hand Mr. Stevens over to your care, Miss Malcolm,’ Ferguson said, smiling at her. ‘You know what to do.’
‘Yes, sir.’
In a daze, I got to my feet.
‘Think about it, Jerry,’ Ferguson said. He shook my hand. ‘Will you let me know your decision before six o’clock this evening?’
‘Yes, sir,’ I said, and followed Sonia out of the room.
My brain was racing. What an offer! One hundred thousand dollars a year, accommodation and a car! Little work! I would be free to explore this wonderful city!
No more Mazzo, Pedro, no more panic about being murdered.
I just couldn’t believe it!
Sonia paused outside a door and opened it.
‘We’ll share an office, Mr. Stevens,’ she said, and walked into a large sunny room with two desks, equipped with typewriters, telephones, intercom and with a view onto the distant beach.
‘Isn’t he wonderful?’ she said, smiling at me. ‘He really is like God. He just picks people and makes their lives happy. I can’t yet believe he picked me.’
‘Well, I’m lucky too.’
‘I’ve seen you on television. It must be marvelous to be a star.’
‘Don’t you believe it.’ I was looking at her, liking her. ‘I’m glad to be out of it.’
She laughed.
‘Oh, no. You must tell me about it. Let’s go. You have a wonderful home and your car . . . !’
She led me down the corridor to the elevators, then down into the garage.
‘Here it is,’ she said, pointing to a pale blue, two-seater, drop head Mercedes. ‘Isn’t she a beauty?’
I had always wanted a Mercedes. I walked around it, patted it and grinned at her.
‘Marvelous!’
She opened the offside door and slid into the seat.
‘We must hurry, Mr. Stevens. I’ve a load of work to do this afternoon.’
I got behind the driving wheel, aware two guards were watching me. I drove to the barrier that lifted.
Man! Was I driving on a cloud!
‘You turn right and keep along the boulevard,’ Sonia told me. ‘I’ll tell you when to turn off.’
I drove in a Technicolor dream: a marvelous car! A beautiful girl!
At the end of the boulevard, she told me to turn left to the beach. We drove along the crowded seafront, then she told me to turn right. That brought us to a narrow sandy road.
‘This leads to Mr. Ferguson’s private beach,’ she said.
Ahead of us were high iron gates and a guard who saluted as he swung back the gates. I drove further up the road, came to high hedges and palm trees, then I saw the beach cabin.
I pulled up.
‘Is this it?’
‘One of them. This is yours.’
‘One of them?’
‘There are four cabins on the estate, but each one is completely private. Mr. Ferguson doesn’t use them anymore.’
I got out of the car and with Sonia, approached the cabin.
A cabin?
It was constructed of pinewood with a big veranda with sun chairs, tables and a bar. It oozed opulence.
Sonia ran up the steps to the veranda, unlocked the door and waved me in.
I walked into a lush, luxuriously furnished living room. There was everything: TV stereo radiogram, bar, lounging chairs, polished pine flooring with Persian rugs, a desk, two telephones and modern art on the walls.
My new home!
I just stood there and gaped.
‘There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen,’ Sonia went on. ‘You’re lucky, Mr. Stevens! It’s paradise!’
She led me to the master bedroom: an enormous bed closets, TV at the foot of the bed. The other bedroom was smaller but equally luxurious.
‘Mrs. Swanson looks after the cabins,’ Sonia said. ‘Right now, you are the only occupant. She will get you breakfast and cook for you. You have only to dial 22 on the green telephone and tell her what you want. I hear she is a great cook. She’ll take care of your laundry.’
‘Marvelous!’
‘The refrigerator is well stocked, but ask for anything you fancy.’ Watching my face, she laughed. ‘It’s marvelous, isn’t it? What it is to work for Mr. Ferguson!’
‘You can say that again.’
As we moved back into the living room, a car horn sounded.
‘That’ll be my car, Mr. Stevens. I must run. You’ll be all right, won’t you?’
‘Just one thing. Call me Jerry.’
She gave me a flashing smile.
‘Okay, Jerry. ‘Bye,’ and she ran down to the waiting car. At the wheel sat Pedro, probing his teeth with a matchstick.
The sight of him made me uneasy. He looked such a murderous thug. I went out onto the veranda and Sonia waved as Pedro drove away.
I sat down in one of the sun chairs and stared across the silver sand to the sea.
I had to adjust. This seemed a fantasy. Only last night, I was scared I was going to be murdered, and now this!
Thinking about what Ferguson had said, I decided it made sense. Ferguson, watched by rivals, hampered to make important business moves, had found a perfect standin who not only looked like him, but spoke like him and could forge his signature. For this, he was prepared to give me a seven year contract and pay me one hundred thousand dollars a year! At first thought, this seemed a grossly exaggerated figure, but thinking of Ferguson’s empire, his vast wealth, it would be peanuts to him.
I would need to have my head examined not to accept such a proposal!
Having made my decision, I realized it was past lunchtime and I was hungry. I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. As Sonia had said, there was plenty of cold food. Heaping a plate with cold chicken, ham and salad, I carried the plate to the veranda and sat down at one of the tables.
