The Prodigal Daughter (28 page)

Four hours
before the trial was due to begin, Henry Osborne was found hanging in his cell
by a guard bringing in his breakfast. He had used a Harvard tie.

“Why did Henry
commit suicide?”
Florentyna.
asked
her mother on the phone later that morning.

“Oh, that’s easy
to explain,” replied Zaphia. “Henry thought the private investigator who
cleared his debts wanted the file for the sole purpose of blackmailing your
father.”

“And what was
the Teal reason?” asked Florentyna.

“The file had
been purchased anonymously in Chicago on behalf of Wil
)iam
Kane, who then passed it on to the FBI.”

Florentyna felt
such hatred whenever she thought about William
Kane,
she couldn’t stop herself from taking it out on Richard. But it was obvious
that Richard was every bit as angry about his father’s behavior, which
Florentyna discovered when she overheard a phone conversation between him and
his mother.

“That was pretty
tough,” said Florentyna when he finally put the phone down.

“Yes, it was. My
poor mother’s getting it from both sides.”

“We haven’t
reached the last act of this tragedy,” said Florentyna. “Papa has wanted to
return to Warsaw for as long as I can remember. Now he will never forgive your
father.”

Once the trial
began, Florentyna followed the proceedings each day by phoning her mother in
the evening after Zaphia had returned from the courtroom. When she listened to
her mother’s view on the day’s happenings she wasn’t always convinced they both
wanted the same outcome.

“The trial is
beginning to go in your father’s favor,” she said in the middle of the second
week.

“How can you be
so sure?” asked Florentyna.

“Since the FBI
has lost its star witness, their case hasn’t stood up to much
cross-examination. H. Trafford Jilks is making Henry Osborne sound like
Pinocchio with a nose that was four feet long.”

“Does that mean
Papa will be proved innocent?”

“I wouldn’t
think so. But the courtroom officials are predicting that the FBI will have to
make a deal.”

“What sort of
deal?”

“Well, if your
father pleads guilty to some minor offenses, they will drop the main charges.”

“Will he get
away with a fine?” asked Florentyna anxiously.

“If
he’s lucky.
But Judge Prescott is tough, so he may still end up in jail.”

“Let’s hope it’s
just a fine.”

Zaphia made no
comment.

“Six-month
suspended sentence for the Chicago Baron, Florentyna heard the newscaster say
on her car radio as she was driving to pick up Richard from the bank. She
nearly collided with the Buick in front of her and pulled over into a “No
Parking” zone so that she could concentrate on what the newscaster had to say.

“The FBI has
dropped all the main indictments of bribery against Abel Rosnovski-known as the
Chicago Baron-and the defendant pleaded guilty to misdemeanors on two minor 175
counts of attempting to influence a public official improperly. The jury was
dismissed. In his summing up Judge Prescott said: ‘The right to do business
does not include the right to suborn public officials. Bribery is a crime and a
worse crime when condoned by an intelligent and competent man, who should not
need to stoop to such levels.

“‘In other
countries,’ the judge added, ‘bribery might be an accepted way of life, but
that is not the case in the United States.’ Judge Prescott gave Rosnovski a
six-month suspended sentence and a twenty-five-thousand-dollar fine.

“In other news,
President Kennedy...”

Florentyna
turned olf the radio and heard someone tapping on the side Aindow. She wound it
down.

“Do you know
you’re in a restricted area, ma’am?” Yes,” replied Florentyna.

-I’m afraid it’s
going to cost you ten dollars.”

“Twenty-five
thousand dollars and a six-month suspended sentence.
It could have
been worse,” said George in the car on the way back to the Baron.

“Don’t foiget
that I lost Poland,” said Abel, “but that’s all history now.

Purchase those
two percent of Lester’s shares we need from Parfitt even if it costs a million.
That will make up the eight percent of Lester’s that I need to invoke Article
Seven of their bylaws and then I can slaughter William Kane in his own
boardroom.”

George nodded
sadly.

A few da~s later
the State Department announced that the next American ambassador to Warsaw
would be John Moors Cabot.

T
HE MORNING AFFER
Judge Prescott had given his verdict on Florentyna’s father, the second event
occurred. The extension of the apartment phone rang in the shop and because
Nancy was removing the summer clothes from the window, replacing them with the
new autumn collection, Florentyna answered it.

“Oh, I wondered
if Mr. Kane was in,” said a lady’s voice. She sounded a long way off.

“No, I’m
sorry,
he has already left for work. Would you like to leave
a message? It’s Florentyna Kane speaking.”

There was no
immediate reply and then the voice said: “It’s Katherine Kane.

Please don’t
hang up.”

“Why should I do
that, Mrs. Kane?” said Florentyna, her knees feeling so weak that she sank into
a chair beside the phone.

“Because you
must hate me, my dear, and I can’t blame you,” Richard’s mother said quickly.

“No, of course I
don’t hate you. Would you like Richard to call you back when he comes home?”

“Oh,
no.
My husband doesn’t realize that I’m in touch with him. He would be very angry
if he ever found out. No, what I was really hoping for will finally depend on
you.”

“On
me?”

“Yes. I
desperately want to visit you and Richard and see my grandson-if you’ll allow
me.”

“I’d like that very
much, Mrs. Kane.” said Florentyna, not sure how she could sound more welcoming.

“Oh,
how considerate of you.
My husband is going to a conference in Mexico in
three weeks’ time, and I could fly out on a Friday Only I would have to be back
first thing on Monday morning.”

When Richard
heard the news he went straight to the refrigerator. Florentyna followed,
bewildered. She smiled as he slipped the gold foil from Claude’s bottle of Krug
and began pouring.

Three weeks
later Florentyna accompanied Richard to the airport to welcome his mother.

“But you’re
beautiful!” were Florentyna’s first wQrds as she greeted the elegant, slender
lady who showed not the slightest sign of having spent the last six hours on a
plane. “And you make me feel terribly pregnant.”

“What were you
expecting, my dear?
An ogre with red horns and a long black
tail?”

Florentyna
laughed as Katherine Kane put an arm through hers and they walked off together,
temporarily forgetting her son.

Richard was
relieved to see how quickly the two of them became friends.

When they
arrived back at the apartment, Katherine reacted in the time-honored way when
she set eyes on her first grandchild.

1
do
wish your father could see his grandson,” she said. “But
I fear it’s now reached a stage where he won’t even allow the subject to be
discussed.”

“Do you km
)w
any more than we do about what is happening between the
two men?” asked Richard.

“I wouldn’t have
thought so. Your father refused to let the bank support Davis Leroy when his
hotel group collapsed and Florentyna’s father therefore blames my husband for
the subsequent suicidu of Mr. Leroy. The whole unfortunate episode might have
ended there if Henry Osborne hadn’t come on to the scene.” She sighed. “I pray
to God the problem will be soiled out in my lifetime.”

“I fear one of
them will have to die before the other comes to his senses,” said Richard.
“They are both so confoundedly obstinate.”

The four of them
had a wonderful weekend together even if Kate’s grandson did spend most of his
time throwing his toys onto the floor. When they drove Katherine back to the
airport on Sunday night, she agreed to come and see them the next time her
husband was away on business. Katherine’s last words to Florentyna were “If
only you and my husband could meet, he would realize immediately why Richard
fell in love with YOU.”

As she tumcd to
wave goodbye, her grandson repeated his one-word vocabulary: “Dada.” Katherine
Kane laughed. “What chauvinistk men
are.
That was also
Richard’s first word. Has anyone ever told you what yours was, Florentyna?”

Annabel came
screaming into this world a few weeks later, and her parents held a double
celebration at the end of the year when Florentyna’s delivered a profit of
$19,174. Richard decided to mark the occasion by spending a small part of the
profits on a dual golf membership at the Olympic Club.

Richard was
given more responsibility in the overseas department of the bank and started
returning home an hour later. Florentyna decided the time had come to employ a
full-time nanny so that she could concentrate on her work in the stores. She
realized she would never find a Miss Tredgold, but Bella recommended a black
girl named Carol who had graduated from high school the year before and was
finding it hard to get a job. Their son threw his arms around Carol the moment
he met her. It brought home to Florentyna that prejudice was something a child
only learns from its elders.

“
I
CAN’l BELIEVE IT,” said Florentyna. “I never thought it would happen.

What wonderful
news. But what made him change his mind?”

“He’s not
getting any younger,” said Katherine Kane, her voice crackling over the phone,
“and he’s frightened that if he and Richard don’t patch up their differences
soon, he will retire from Lester’s without a son on the board. He also believes
that the man most likely to succeed him in the chair is Jake Thomas. Mr. Thomas
is only two years older than Richard and he certainly won’t want a younger
man-especially a Kane-in the boardroom. “

“I wish Richard
were at home so I could tell him the news. But since he’s been promoted to head
of the overseas department, he rarely gets back before seven. He’ll be so
pleased. I’ll try not to show how nervous I am about meeting your husband,”
said Florentyna.

“Not half as
nervous as he is about meeting you. But have no fears, my dear, he’s preparing
the fatted calf for his prodigal son. Have you heard anything from your father
since I last spoke to you?”

“No,
nothing.
I fear there’s never going to be a fatted calf for the prodigal daughter.”

“Don’t give up;
something may yet arise to make him see the light. We’ll put our heads together
when you come to New York.”

“I would love to
believe it was still possible for Papa and Mr. Kane to be reconciled, but I’ve
almost given up hope.”

“Well, let’s be thankful
that one father has at least come to his senses,” iaid Katherine. “I’ll fly out
to see you and fix up all the details.”

“How soon can
you comc9”

“I could get
away this weekend.”

When Ri(hard
came home that evening he was overjoyed by the news and once he had finished
reading the next chapter of Winnie the Pooh to his son, he settled down to
listen to the details of his mother’s news.

“We could go to
New York around November,” said Richard.

“I’m not sure I
can wait that long.”

“You’ve waited
for over six years.”

“Yes, but that’s
different.”

“You always want
everything to have happened yesterday, Jessie. That reminds
me,
I read your proposal for the new store in San Diego.”

“And?”

“Basically the
idea makes a lot of sense and I approve.”

“Good heavens.
What next? I never thought I would hear such words from you, Mr. Kane.”

“Now hold on,
Jessie. It doesn’t get my wholehearted support because the one part of your
expansion program I don’t understand is the necessity to employ your own
designer.”

“That’s easy
enough to explain,” said Florentyna.
“Although we now have
five shops, my expenditure on buying clothes remains as high as forty percent
of turnover.
If my own models were designed for me, I would have two
obvious advantages. First, I could cut down my immediate expenditure, and
second, we would be continually advertising our own product.”

“
it
also has a major disadvantage,” suggested Richard.

“What’s that?”

“There can be no
rebate on clothes returned within ninety days if we already own them.”