He wandered onto the balcony, felt the cool morning air jerk him awake and breathed in the city spread beneath him. It didn’t matter if Mac said they must not move against the judge. Mac was wrong. He, Alex Cameron, knew he was right.
He reached for his mobile and called Marion and Jerry.
* It was a fine evening, no wind, and the city was crowded with people spilling out of pubs and restaurants onto the streets. Marion and Jerry were sitting at a table at a waterfront cafe, each holding a beer. Alex was drinking mineral water, gazing at the scene in front of him. Two thousand yachts rocking at their marina berths. A steady stream of people arriving after work, happy that summer had made an appearance, their city suits replaced with jeans and T-shirts as they worked on their boats. Throwing open hatches, letting the heat dry out the winter damp. He could hear laughter, music.
‘We need to talk,’ Alex said. ‘I can’t take it anymore, just waiting.’
Jerry didn’t speak. Neither did Marion. They didn’t know how to comfort Alex. How to help him.
‘We have to move. We have to.’
‘How?’ said Jerry. ‘We’ve got nothing.’
‘True. But we’ve got to show our hand. Just a little bit.’
Jerry took a swig of beer from the stubbie. ‘What have you got in mind, Boss?’
‘I’ve decided we have to somehow signal to the judge that we know, but with the most delicate touch, one the judge could never complain about. We are going to make our first move into the open.’
‘How?’ Jerry said. ‘How is that going to be possible?’
‘First off, I’m going to start running at Pierce’s Park. At six, every morning.’
Jerry frowned. ‘Crazy or what?’
‘It’s a public park, Jerry. I’m a runner, always have been. After a few days, I’ll introduce myself to the judge. He’s there with his dog every day.’
Jerry whistled.
‘And then we’re going to use Jessica, and your friend. The one who’s a barrister. The front row forward.’
Jerry looked confused. ‘Jessica? Who do you mean? Not Jessica Chan?’
Alex nodded.
‘How? Jesus. Jessica Chan.’ Jerry whistled. ‘Wow, she is so hot. Oh, sorry, Mar.’ He patted her hand, seeing her pained expression.
‘How are you going to use Jessica and Jerry’s barrister mate?’ Marion said ignoring Jerry.
‘This Saturday, Jessica is going to take her new best friend Ms Rose Jones, accompanied by Rose’s friends—that’s me, you Marion and you Jerry, along with your barrister friend—to check out the house Jessica would love to buy. The house the judge is renovating. What do you think?’
‘God. Out in the open, then,’ said Jerry.
‘Out in the open and firing on all cylinders. Think it will work?’
‘I love it, Alex,’ said Marion. ‘Fabulous idea. Straight into the lion’s den. Crowd him a little. Throw him off course.’
‘Well,’ said Jerry, ‘going to be interesting. But there’s no way the judge will sell it to Jessica.’
‘What does it matter?’ He gazed at Jerry and Marion. ‘Let’s face it. It’s all we can do.’
* ‘I think you’re right, Alex,’ Mr Chan said. He was sitting on the couch, with Dog by his side. For once neither of them was eating. ‘There comes a time when you have to show your hand. Just a glimpse. Let your opponent know he’s not heading towards a runaway goal. Make him swerve. Make the judge change
direction. If, as you think, Rose is in his sights, then you must do this.’
‘It involves Jessica, though, Mr Chan. Which is why I’ve come to you.’
‘Yes, it does,’ mused the old man. ‘And I must take Jessica’s wellbeing into consideration. But even if she wasn’t there, say you and your friends met this man on the beach by accident, he would very soon figure it out. Our judge is more than capable of putting two and two together.’ He stopped talking, smiled and played with the dog’s ear.
‘Look how much pleasure this animal has given us, Alex. Who would have thought?’ He sighed. ‘I have made my decision. It is a good plan. Now it is time I showed my hand as well.’
Alex straightened in his chair, his eyes fixed on the old man. He could be anyone’s grandfather—thinning hair, a tiny beard, small frame bent from years of hard work. However, Alex had always suspected there was more to him. More than the restaurants and the real estate holdings. He watched and waited.
‘Your plan will go ahead. With one additional person. Jessica will have a guard. I have already in my mind chosen the person. You will approve of him, I’m sure. He has degrees from Auckland and Yale, quite a modern young man.’
Alex listened, fascinated.
‘He also has other attributes I think your judge will pick up on. Yes, I feel confident he will understand.’
Alex nodded, adding a small smile. There was a lot he wanted to say to Mr Chan, so much he wanted to ask, but he didn’t. ‘It’s a go, then.’ He rubbed his hands together. ‘As Jerry would say, let’s kick this bastard into touch.’
* Rose could sense a change in Alex. He had rung several times during the week, planning their Friday night meal—a special something he wanted to cook at her place. An Italian recipe. One of his mother’s favourites. There was something new in his voice, something which hadn’t been there before. A hint of openness, a hint of more to come. And on Saturday morning, he was bringing Mr Chan’s granddaughter over to meet her. Jessica Chan. The perfect Jessica Chan with her shining hair, sparkling eyes and flawless skin. She was thinking of buying a house nearby and he wanted them to meet. He’d sounded mysterious over the phone and for a moment Rose wondered if he and Jessica were an item. It made her realise what an idiot she’d been. It jolted her out of her lethargy.
In a flurry of activity she had cleaned the house from top to bottom, attacked her wardrobe with vigour, spent an afternoon buying some
