Executive Affair (25 page)

‘I wasn't feeling well. I should never have come to work in the first place,' Claire replied, her tone deliberately abrupt to discourage further questions.

‘Why didn't you tell me? I didn't know what had happened to you.'

‘You were on the phone when I was leaving. I told Robert – I thought he would pass it on. And I'm feeling much better today, thank you!'

‘Sorry, I'm glad to hear that you're better … it's just that you've been acting very strangely the last few days.'

Claire mustered up a grin. ‘I've always been strange. Didn't you know that?'

‘Yes, now that you mention it … Well, better get back to work.'

Emma returned to her desk and Claire was left alone. She wondered if Robert was in the office. Had David spoken to him yet? Would he be angry with her? She picked up the phone and called his secretary.

‘Hi, Samantha – it's Claire – is Robert in today?'

‘No, he's gone back to the States. I had to book an emergency flight for him yesterday afternoon.'

‘Oh … do you know how long he'll be away for?'

‘Not really. It was all such a rush, I didn't have time to ask him. I'm expecting him to call me some time today. Do you want me to pass on a message?'

‘No, it was only something small. Thanks anyway,' Claire said and quickly hung up the phone.

He's gone. What does that mean? Has he been fired? At least I don't have to worry about bumping into him …

She jumped when her phone rang.

‘Claire, David here. Can you come around to my office, please?'

His voice was unquestionably strained and she suddenly didn't want to hear what he had to tell her. She passed Robert's office on her way to David's. The door was shut. Through the glass window she saw his chair pushed neatly into his desk. The files he kept on the desk were tidied away. There was an undeniable aura of finality.

There was a man with David whom she didn't recognise.

‘Sit down, please,' David said briskly, indicating the only vacant seat with an impatient gesture.

‘I don't believe I've met you before,' she said to the sombre stranger as she sat next to him. He had a moustache that matched his grey-black hair. His suit and tie were quite old-fashioned.

‘Claire Quinlan, this is Lee Murray. Lee regularly represents Amtech Australia in local legal matters and will be witnessing our conversation on behalf of our legal department in the US,' David said.

He wasn't meeting her eyes and Claire started to feel uneasy. His hands shuffled the papers in front of him unnecessarily, betraying an anxiety.

What the hell is going on? What needs to be witnessed?
she wondered in confusion and she moved her chair back from the table so she could see both men clearly.

‘Claire, I am sorry but the company has made the decision to let you go,' David began.

‘What do you mean “let me go”?' she asked shrilly, looking at both of them for clarification.

‘Your employment with Amtech is being terminated.'

‘Why?' Shock was strangulating her voice. ‘What have I done?'

‘To be quite honest, I don't know the reasons. I'm just acting on instructions. Now, moving on … I have here two cheques for your termination payment. One gives you your statutory entitlements, which isn't a lot of money as you've been with the Australian subsidiary less than a year.' He finally looked at her, his face expressionless, before continuing, ‘The other cheque is for $100,000. A non-disclosure document comes with it. By signing you are agreeing not to disclose to any other party the payments to DC Solutions or the circumstances surrounding your termination of employment with Amtech. If you accept this cheque and, at a later stage, we find out that you have not abided by the conditions, Amtech will sue you for breach of contract. Lee will be able to vouch in court that the conditions of the payment were explained to you in full.'

Claire glanced at Lee, who still hadn't opened his mouth to speak. There were a few moments of loaded silence as she desperately tried to organise her chaotic thoughts into concise sentences.

‘David, I don't feel I can accept either cheque as I don't understand what's going on … I don't want to leave Amtech …'

‘This isn't negotiable. You're leaving Amtech today, regardless of how much we pay you. At the moment I'm treating your termination as a retrenchment, but if you persist in making this difficult I will handle it as dismissal due to negligence.'

His threat wasn't lost on her; she had thought about that possibility herself. She squirmed in her seat, a light film of perspiration all over her body. She badly needed some fresh air.

‘What has happened to Robert? Has he been fired?'

‘Robert has gone back to his position in California. His wife is having some problems so he had to leave urgently,' he explained, ignoring her sceptical expression.

Claire felt a surge of anger. ‘So he keeps his job and I lose mine?'

‘As I said previously, I am not privy to the reasons behind your termination. But, you must admit, $100,000 is a very generous pay-out and I think you are doing quite well,' he said, a smug smile playing on his face as he leaned back in his seat. She had never seen this side of David.

It is a lot of money
…
and I don't think I want to work for this screwed-up company any longer,
she thought bitterly.
I'm going to need this money while I look for another job
…
that's if I can manage to get another job after all this.

‘Will I get a reference?' she asked him.

‘I have a written one here and if you ever need a verbal, direct the person to me and I will be happy to oblige.' He smiled again, obviously sensing victory.

‘What are you going to tell my staff when I leave out of the blue without even saying goodbye?' she asked, not concealing her bitterness.

‘That you were offered a job you couldn't resist with a competitor and we were unable to allow you to work out your notice.' His answer was immediate, perfectly rehearsed and infuriatingly reasonable.

‘Can I have a few minutes to read the legal document and the reference?'

‘Of course,' he confirmed.

Her innate sense of caution would not allow her to sign something she had not read. It was the last thing she wanted to do, with two hostile pairs of eyes scrutinising her as she tried to concentrate on the blurred words. She signed her name and David escorted her as far as the lifts. They miraculously didn't meet anybody on the way. As she handed over
her access card, she wondered what Emma and the others would think. When she got outside, she took the cheque out of her bag. Soft drops of spring rain freckled it in seconds. It was signed by David and Steve Ryan. From her knowledge of company policy, the cheque would have to have been approved by the head of Corporate Treasury; discretionary payments on termination were outside the authority limits of local management. She wasn't sure if she had been fired and felt foolish for not knowing this basic fact. The cheque confused their motives.

The girl at the bank gave her a curious look when she saw the amount of the cheque. Claire half expected it to bounce but she was given her lodgement advice as normal.

The train station was almost deserted and the next train wasn't due for fifteen minutes. She waited in a daze. The train came along and she robotically got on and chose a seat. Tears gathered in her eyes as she gazed blindly out the window. All her previous doubts were gone. Robert was guilty.

Why else would he have me terminated? I would have believed anything I was told, I didn't need to be kicked out. He must be a lot more powerful in the company than I gave him credit for. Not only did he manage to keep his position but he got permission from Corporate Treasury to pay out the informant. What a bastard!

The train stopped and started and stopped and started but she was hardly aware. She saw her face reflected in the window; pale and indistinct, it felt like it belonged to someone else. This hadn't happened.
Couldn't
have happened. Because after Michael, she'd vowed she would never again get involved with someone she worked with.

‘Ma'am, this is the end of the train line – you have to get off here.'

The gruff voice of the guard brought her back to reality. It
was
her face in the window. She
hadn't
learned her lesson the first time. She'd had a relationship with her boss and now she'd lost her job. And she had only herself to blame.

Robert tried Claire's extension from his mobile as the taxi sped away from the terminal. It was ringing through to voicemail. He hung up without leaving a message. He needed to talk to her – leaving a message would be futile. The taxi driver turned in his seat to ask for an address. Robert didn't want to go to the house. He didn't want to stay there even with Julia away. He checked into a hotel close to the office, the mirror in the foyer confirming that he looked terrible. His eyes were an angry bloodshot, his face grey from the stress of trying to figure out how he was implicated in this debacle. The room was expensive and predictably bland. He dropped his bags at the door. The phone was by the window.

‘David, it's Robert,' he said with a sense of relief at being able to talk to someone. It had been twenty-odd hours since he last spoke to David, and he was even more confused now that he had the time to think.

‘Robert. You've got there okay? Seen Donald yet?' David's voice sounded weary but friendly.

‘No … I'm literally just off the plane. I've been trying to call Claire since I landed – where is she?'

‘She's gone, Robert,' David said solemnly. ‘Donald's orders.'

‘What? Are you saying Donald
fired
her?
What the hell did he do that for?
' Robert heard himself yelling. He rarely raised his voice. It must have been the utter shock.

‘I don't know. I'm just the messenger here. I was the one who had to tell her.'

David's tone was sympathetic; it went some way to defusing Robert's anger.

‘Christ, she must be devastated … what must she think?' Robert sat on the bed, resting the tightness of his forehead against his palm.

What a mess! What a goddamned mess!

‘Yeah, she was stunned, then angry. She probably hates me now. I was as tough with her as possible. Donald's instructions were to get her out without answering any questions. She had a lot of questions.' David's laugh was ironic.

‘Yes, Claire would … Damn, why didn't she just come to talk to me in the first place and then none of this would have happened?' Robert muttered, more to himself than David.

‘She did the right thing to come to me. And I did the right thing to bring it to Donald. I knew there must be a reasonable explanation but I was duty-bound to escalate it.'

There was a silence as Robert absorbed and assimilated the facts. He had jumped on the plane only knowing the barest detail, acting on another of Donald's instructions: to get back to San Jose immediately. He regretted doing it now. He should have stayed in Sydney – he had a better chance of finding out what had happened from there.

‘And Donald went off the deep end … too scared about the
press to get the real facts,' he said eventually, with an audible sigh of frustration.

‘Yes, it was a drastic reaction from him. Claire is the last person he should have fired,' David agreed.

David's right. She didn't deserve that.

‘I agree. If it was anyone, it should have been me.'

David was quick to set the record straight. ‘I'm not saying that. I trust you, Robert. I've worked with you for long enough, and I'm looking forward to working with you again when this is all cleared up.'

‘Thanks, David, for your support … and I do understand that you needed to escalate.' Robert was about to hang up when he remembered. ‘David, one more thing. I don't have Claire's home number. Can you get it for me?'

David was happy to oblige. ‘Sure … hold on a minute.'

Robert decided to search the house before going to the office. He had only one theory to follow up after twenty hours of thought. It had come to him on the plane. He didn't doubt that Frank was involved. He had signed off the invoices and he had the motive – a nasty gambling habit. The question was, who had helped him?

At some point I must have signed some documents to make me a director of this company, ARS. I know I didn't sign anything in Australia, I'm certain of that. Whatever I signed, I signed in San Jose.

In his role as a vice-president, Robert was director of numerous Amtech companies around the world. His recollection of the full list was hazy. It was another hazy memory that had led him to his theory. It was the memory of agreeing to be a director of a small company Julia had set up last year.

The house had a stale, unoccupied smell. He opened the windows to let in some air before starting with the files in the study downstairs. He flicked through them, not yet knowing what he was looking for. Julia had her own bank account. After discovering on their honeymoon that she was an alcoholic, Robert did not open a joint account. Her statements were neatly filed, the last one a month old. There were no unusual lodgements.

Finishing with the study, he went upstairs. There was a light film of dust on the banister. The bedroom looked alien; it was hard to imagine he had slept here with Julia only a few months ago. He found the paperwork for Julia's small company with her personal documents. The company was a year old. The paperwork looked as if it hadn't been touched since it was filed.

What I need is a current status on this company. See if it owns shares in any other company. I'll ask Tom to check it out for me.

He shut the windows downstairs before leaving. When he was less tired, he would come back and pack his things.

Robert had never seen Donald so angry. If he hadn't known him for as long as he had, he might have been intimidated as Donald simmered from behind his desk.

‘You'd better have a damned good explanation for this, Robert!'

Robert sat down before answering. ‘I'm sorry to say I don't. I know as little as you, maybe less.'

Donald's face darkened. ‘That's not good enough. You're a director of the company – you must know something about it. Don't take me for a fool!'

Robert met his glowering stare straight on. His tone was level as he replied, ‘I'd never take you for a fool. However, you of all people should know that being a director is not conclusive.
You and I are joint directors of over thirty Amtech subsidiaries across the world. I can't remember all their names. Can you?'

Robert could see his point had hit home but Donald wasn't going to admit it.

‘You've put me in a diabolical position. I'm worried about Cathair. You were so close to the deal that they'll lose confidence at even a whisper of a slur on your name. Yet this is a matter that must be investigated by the police.' Donald's voice was appropriately sombre.

Robert nodded in agreement. ‘I appreciate that. I will fully cooperate with any police investigation. I have my reputation, and my position, to protect.'

There was a brief silence, Robert knew something serious was coming.

‘Speaking of your position, and considering the delicate situation with Cathair, I've decided to allow you to continue as vice-president while we investigate the fraud … However, I feel compelled to make it clear that under more normal circumstances I would suspend you immediately.'

Robert could understand Donald's position. The president had a crisis on his hands. If the fraud scandal leaked to the shareholders, their confidence in the company would plummet. As would the share price and Donald's share options, his nest-egg for his retirement. Then there was Cathair to consider. They were both painfully aware that they only had a letter of intent, not a signed contract. For these reasons, Donald needed Robert to continue in his role, and for the shareholders and Cathair to know nothing of the investigation taking place behind the scenes.

‘I understand.' Robert stood to leave.

There was a lot he wanted to discuss with Donald but now
wasn't the time. Donald needed to let off steam, show that he was in charge. With that now established, Robert would be able to have a more productive discussion with him next time around.

It had been a long afternoon and Claire went to some considerable effort with dinner in an attempt to take her mind off Robert. She laid the table out on the balcony and opened a bottle of wine. It was six when the phone rang. She did some quick calculations on the time difference: it was the middle of the night in San Jose. She only picked up the phone when she concluded it was unlikely to be Robert.

‘Fiona's not home yet,' she said when she recognised Den's voice.

‘I guess I'll call back later.' He sounded disappointed.

‘Hold on. Can I ask you a work question?'

‘Only if you promise never to mock me again for being a lawyer.'

‘Okay, I'll try,' she smiled before launching into a summarised version of what had happened that morning, ‘Amtech have retrenched me … at least I think they have. They offered me a very generous termination cheque in return for my signature on a non-disclosure statement.' She paused to get his reaction.

‘I'm listening.'

‘I feel that the whole process was very unfair. I didn't want to take the cheque but they said I was being let go regardless and, if I didn't sign the non-disclosure, I would only get the minimum statutory payment.'

Den's response was slow and considered. ‘When you transferred from Ireland, did your contract say that your period of service would be continued in Australia?'

‘No, I was terminated in Ireland and rehired here.'

‘That means your statutory payment would only be your notice period and a couple of weeks.'

‘That's what they said. Can I sue for unfair dismissal?'

‘You could. However, the most you would get is six months' pay. It sounds as if you've got more than that already with this cheque they gave you.'

She could hear some sympathy in his voice.

‘Yes, you're right.'

‘Do you want me to have a look at the non-disclosure statement?' he offered as an afterthought.

‘No, it's okay,' she sighed. ‘It's probably best that I walk away and try to put it behind me.'

‘Ring me if you change your mind.'

‘Thanks. I'll tell Fiona you called.'

Fiona didn't come in until after seven and it was dark when they sat down to eat. The balcony light was blown and Claire put a small candle on the table. It was a romantic setting and she thought of Robert despite herself.

‘So, I'm unemployed, a new experience for me,' she declared with a cynical smile.

‘At least you're rich,' Fiona commented, the glow from the candle flickering across her face.

‘I'm not sure that I did the right thing, taking the money … I feel as if I let them buy me out.'

‘Don't be stupid – it could take you a while to find another job,' Fiona said practically.

‘Yeah … you're right …'

‘Did you call any of the employment agencies this afternoon?' Fiona asked, sipping from her wineglass.

‘No. I have to come up with a story that explains my sudden
departure from Amtech.' Claire shrugged and looked at Fiona for ideas.

‘Didn't David offer to give you a verbal reference?'

‘Yeah, but I look on that as a last resort … I don't trust David any more … I can't believe he was so callous to me.'

They sat companionably for a while as they finished the meal and the bottle of wine. Then the phone started to ring inside the apartment.

‘I'll get it,' Fiona offered.

Claire watched Fiona through the balcony doors as she picked up the phone. Her lips moved as she spoke, and she hung up within seconds.

‘Was it Den? I forgot to tell you he called earlier,' Claire said when she came back outside.

‘No, it was Robert. I told him you were out.'

Claire's heart raced.

He phoned. He wants to talk to me.

‘What did he say?'

‘Only that he would call back another time … I resisted the temptation to tell him to go to hell.'

She didn't know whether to be angry or relieved that Fiona had taken matters into her own hands by saying she was out.

‘You know, I just can't believe that Robert walked away from this without losing his job,' Fiona said, shaking her head.

‘Welcome to the world of corporate politics. If you know the right people, you can get away with anything,' Claire replied, her tone absent, still thinking of his phone call.

‘It seems so unfair. Don't you want to get back at him in some way?'

Claire didn't know what she wanted. She still couldn't believe Robert had done this. They were silent as they listened
to the sounds of suburban life drifting up from the street below. A woman was having a fight with her partner. Her voice was shrill and ugly, his answers low-toned and menacing. Another neighbour was trying to start his dead car, the engine coughing irritably until he finally gave up. At that moment, it all seemed very mundane and depressing to Claire. Her thoughts settled on what Susan had said about her mother being lonely – it had been niggling at the back of her mind for a few weeks.

‘Maybe I should go home …' she said, her voice quiet as she looked at Fiona for her reaction.

‘Now you're being ridiculous. You'll still have the same problems in Ireland, just with the extra misery of the weather.'

Her bluntness made Claire smile. Fiona might not be very reassuring but she was unquestionably honest. It started to rain again, the soft drops sprinkling Claire's bare arms. They quickly cleared the table and went inside.

There was a gentle knock on her door. Julia was in bed but awake. She sat up as Amy opened the door and popped her head inside.

‘Sorry to disturb you but there's a call holding for you downstairs,' she said with her usual annoying smile.

‘Okay, give me a minute,' Julia replied tersely, making a point of waiting until Amy closed the door before getting out of bed.

Sudden panic struck as she put on her silk dressing-gown and went downstairs.

Please don't let it be Robert
…
He couldn't have found out I'm staying here, could he?