Charmingly Ruthless

"Actually we didn't get much skiing done."

Cole said coldly, "What else did you do besides ski and couple of times and fuck like rabbits?"

"He took me to his sheep station to see his 18,000 sheep, six horses and three children under the age of ten. His wife died last year of cancer and his mother has been looking after the children. I met him on the Internet six months ago and we developed a relationship but this is the first time I'd met him. He and those children need me Cole."

"Well you best go to him," Cole snapped, throwing down his fork and leaving the table. "Leave in the morning with what you wish to take and email me what you want done with your other things and how you wish our property divided. You made the application to dissolve our marriage. Thank god you can't get your hands on my construction company. I'm off to get drunk with Cole and will stay the night with him. Lock your keys tomorrow in the boot of your car and I'll pick the vehicle up and sell it. Phone me from the airport."

"Aren't you going to hit me?"

"No, I wouldn't think of it. You've been good for me. In fact a real darling until now. I'm sorry it has come to this."

"It's really the pull of those children Cole. You know I always wanted children of my own -- well, you know the story."

Cole walked over and kissed Leah. "You'll be a great mother. God I'll get really pissed tonight."

Standing at the door, looking back at Leah who was wiping her eyes, Cole said, "Send me emails as if you were my sister. I'd like to know how you are getting on."

This time Leah really burst into tears. Cole grinned and said chin up and left.

He called Pearson and Chase answered.

"Oh hi, I'm out at the farm with Pearson. It's an arrangement we made -- he stays with me weekdays and I'm out here at the weekends. He's in the shower. We are going to the village to have a meal and some drinks. Is Leah home yet?"

"Yeah."

"Then why don't you both meet us at the Italian restaurant in the village?"

"Okay, but it will be just me."

"Oh."

"Yes oh. I'll tell you about it over dinner."

Pearson and Chase treated Cole very sympathetically over the news of his marital break-up and he responded well, being made to feel in the company of friends. The three of them were drunk when they left the restaurant and Cole followed them home, being invited to stay the night.

Cole watched in horror as he saw Pearsons's vehicle he called 'The Old Girl' lurch as he took 'Mick Carson's Corner' too fast but although drunk Pearson had the sense -- or the bravado -- to know not to break and the two wheels closest to the centre of the road dropped back on to the gravel surface and gained traction... crises over. Cole had slowed, fearful of witnessing a crash, and so also negotiated the corner to drive on.

The three of them were staggering as they walked into the house and after a couple of drinks Chase showed Cole to the guest room. They kissed rather passionately and she whispered, "We are too far gone to do it" and waving walked off, banging against the walls in the passage.

* * *

On Monday Helen Younger went to her usual afternoon meeting of the book club only to find the books for discussion had not arrived so the meeting was postponed until Wednesday afternoon. She phoned Harold to see if he wanted to take her for coffee but he was out of his office and his PA didn't know where he was. Helen sniffed, thinking that's not at all like Harold and decided to go shopping but when making her first purchase found she had not transferred her wallet to the handbag she had. The store owner said Helen could pay later but she insisted she'd go home and get her wallet because she could be making other purchases.

At home she found Harold's car in the driveway and hurried inside, thinking he must have been poorly. She investigated noises in their bedroom and was shocked. Harold's bar arse was rising and falling and Helen realized there was a bitch beneath him urging him to go faster and fill her ass.

Disgusted and enraged, Helen ran to the kitchen and picked up her red Le Creuset enamelled cast iron fry pan and rushed back to deal with the foul bitch. She rushed in at the angle to get a clear shot of the woman's head. But just as she struck Harry leant forward and saw Helen and turned and was hit on the temple. Blood spurted on to the bitch who turned and Helen, almost fainting, realized it was young Fran Hogan. Helen fell, knocking her head on the bedside table, heard Fran scream, and she lost consciousness.

Helen awoke to look into the grey eyes of a medic.

"Keep still for a few moments ma'am."

"What is it? Where am I?"

"You are in your bedroom ma'am."

It all came racing back to Helen. "My husband, I struck him accidentally... where is he?"

"Being put into an ambulance ma'am."

"I-I must go with him."

"There is nothing you can do ma'am. Stay here. The police will want to talk to you."

"Police? Why are the police here?"

"That is for them to say ma'am. The young woman who was with you two is being questioned right now."

* * *

Helen was arrested on a charge of assault and released on police bail with the conditions she surrender her passport, make no attempt to see her husband and undertook to appear in court on Monday at 10 am where it was likely she'd face the more serious charging of injuring with reckless disregard (which carries a maximum term of up to five years in jail). Helen's mother's lawyer represented her and told Helen that Harold was being kept medically in a coma, He was suffering cranial bleeding and bruising of the brain and his condition was described as critical. Paul the lawyer drove Helen to her parent's home that he'd nominated as her domestic address under the terms of bail.

"When may I see Harold?"

"When that bail term prohibiting you from seeing Harold is lifted."

Meanwhile Judith was comforting the distraught Fran. She called Freddie on Fran's request to report what had happened. Freddie asked to speak to Fran and he asked her to resign immediately to avoid the company being linked directly to the scandal.

"I'm not that was inclined Freddie."

"Fax your resignation within the next hour Fran and you will be paid an extra $20,000 on top of your termination payments. I must defend our company's good name."

"Okay, I have your home fax number. Bye Freddie."

"Oh you poor darling," Judith soothed.

Minutes later Chase arrived. She held out her arms and Fran ran to her sobbing, "Oh don't you hate me. Harold is your friend."

"Harold's a big boy and knew what he was doing, although I'm surprise it was you, being so much younger, but there we go. It happens and has always happened. The villain in this is poor Helen, clubbing Harold excessively and that means she faces a criminal charge."

"But what if Helen had been aiming for my head?"

"Hush darling, forget you ever said that. Let the Police enquiry establish the facts and remember, the offence was an offence whoever was Helen's target."

"You are being so kind to me. How did you find out about it?"

"Our crime reporter called me because the victim was chairman of our board. I rushed in and was briefed. I've seen Helen who understandably is in a terrible state but she has family around her. Helen's lawyer told me there was a good chance Helen would avoid jail if Harold survives and it can be proved her intent was to reprimand rather than maim and the fry pan was out on the stove and raged then gripped her.

Judith said, "Such submissions sound rather flimsy."

Chase smiled bleakly and said, "Would you think of the weight of respective fry pans when in a rage and reach under the bench for an aluminium fry pan?"

"Well, put that way, perhaps not. Yes, I can see a jury being persuaded she just needed something in her hand to hit with, rather than actively seeking something with deadly intent."

"Oh hush, it's all my fault," Fran wailed and that cry from the heart upset Judith.

"Listen Fran," Chase said. "Answer this: who initiated the liaison?"

"Harold did. He wanted to pick up where we left off in Wellington. We talked about it and he said to meet him as his home because Helen would be away all afternoon at a book club meeting."

"Did he call you on your mobile phone."

"Yes."

"Thank god for that as it will establish Harold had your mobile number and why would he have that? Good question. And the phone record will establish that he had a long conversation with you. All this is evidence in your favour Fran and the reason why Helen came home early may also be in your favour as that would establish if she had a genuine reason for coming home early, rather than the police thinking up some fanciful theory that you and Helen were in cahoots to lure Harold to a liaison where his outraged wife would have cause to kill him."

"What? A theory that Helen wanted to murder him so used me as an entrapment?"

"Such a theory will fail dear and you'll probably never hear about it but police look for evidence and will try to fill in gaps with logical and even highly fictitious theory to attempt to arrive at an open and shut case. So why did Helen arrive home early."

"I'll be seeing Helen in the morning Chase so I'll ask her and then give the result of that conversation to her lawyer but not to you because you could pass it on to your reporters."

"Judith, that is close to heresy. You are now acting chairman of the company that owns my newspaper."

"That's true darling but personal beliefs and standards also come into it and remember Helen is one of my close friends."

* * *

Cole, who'd driven Chase to the city from the farmhouse after Chase had received the startling news from one of her reporters, drove to the airport and located Leah's eighteen-month old BMW. She'd not bothered to call him but her understood; when women became upset their logic and discipline switched off. He opened the glove box and said, 'Good girl'. At least Leah had remembered to take the registration [ownership] document from their home safe and put it in the glove box. The BMW agency agreed on a selling price and the salesman who drove Cole back to his SUV at the airport said they had two clients on the waiting list for a low mileage model similar to Leah's.

"Do your best Sylvia. Leah will need a vehicle, probably an SUV down in Wanaka so I'll send her the full proceeds. In fact I'd like your cheque made out to Leah Susan Brighouse when it's given to me."

"Well since your ex is winging her way to the South Island Cole this little girl could stand a date or two with you Cole, when my husband is out of town."

"That's a heart-warming offer Sylvia but right now I'm thinking keep me sex life simple. If I change my mind I'll give you a call. How many kids do you have?"

"Kids? Oh, do I look like a mother."

"Yes."

"Oh the answer is two little ones."

"My advice Sylvia is don't play around while they depend on you. With your looks and personality you'll find not difficulty catching up on those lost years."

"Just you be one of them Cole," she laughed, making Cole feel good about himself.

Cole picked up Chase and said it was great she and Pearson were hosting him for the weekend. "Well stop in the village and I'll get a top line bottle of scotch."

"No, not whisky Cole. Pearson loses control when he hits hard liquor. He's back to beer and wine and I want to keep him that way."

"Okay, top line beer and wine."

"Yes and I'll pick up some food extras while you are doing that."

Half an hour later as they approached Mick Carson's Corner Chase called, "There are cops up ahead, a vehicle must have rolled. No, look, there's a fire and here comes a fire engine behind us, pull over."

The fire engine passed them and they followed until stopped by a policeman.

"There's been an accident. An old jeep failed to take the corner, went through the fence and hit a tree, exploding.

"An old jeep. Pearson!" Chase screamed.

As she left the vehicle the cop caught and held it. "Stay away lady, the driver is terminal."

"If you know the driver ma'am you best come with me. Sergeant Budd here will want the guy identified."

"Oh hello Miss Lewis. It's bad news I'm afraid. Mr Carson has just identified the driver who was the sole occupant as Pearson Richards. I know he was a friend of yours and can see you are upset. I suggest you go back to the city."

"No, take me too him."

"I really don't think..."

"You have no chance of stopping me Sergeant Budd. May we do this peacefully?"

"Yes of course," she said, putting her arm around Chase. "Brace yourself, this isn't going to be pretty."

Cole arrived on the other side of Chase and also put her arm around her.

"Hi Cole."

"Hi Diana. Chase and I have been staying with Pearson. This is so sad."

Chase cautioned, "Stop such talk Chase. I don't want to cry -- at least not now."

As they were coming away they met old Mick who hugged Chase.

"This was third time through that fence for Pearson. Third time unlucky, very unlucky, eh?"

Chase burst into tears and she turned to fall into Cole's arms.

During this stressful time Aimee McCullough called her to advise Baxter had left her and left the country, licking his wounds as they say after receiving a terrible beating from her husband.

"My marriage is holding, but only just," she tittered. "Jackson is getting so much sex he can't believe he's apparently married to a near-nymphomaniac. He's began calling me darling a couple of nights ago and I feel that's promising."

"Well yes that could be Aimee. If you can find it within you display some loyalty and kindness beyond the bedroom and he may well surprise you."

"Do you think so? Well that's something to think about. Aren't you going to ask me about Baxter's condition?"

"Who's Baxter?"

Aimee giggled and said Chase was so funny. "Your husband you have abandoned and are divorcing has taken off to England where his older brother has a business and Baxter could work for his brother if he can't find a top job in banking."

"Really?"

"Is that extent of your interest?"

"Yes."

"God you are a ruthless cow. I saw him off at the airport and he was still in a mess with a new scar across one cheek, still suffering impaired vision in one eye and his fractured arm still in a sling."

"Oh really? How delightful. Listen Aimee why don't you bring Jackson up here and we'll have a reunion weekend."

"With Jackson? Oh yes, we'll do that. He's not letting me out of his sight at the moment but his respect for you remains enormous. He regards you as a good behavioural model for me."

"But I with you when you were having it off with my husband."

"Well you know how it is with men darling, unable to think beyond one dimension. I'll call you about that weekend after speaking to Jackson. I guess you have a guy."

"No, I've just lost him," Chase said, having attended the funeral that day.

Chase had visited Harold with Judith. He'd regained conscience but the prognosis was not good and this hit them when he asked, "Do I know you young lady and you ma'am. Before they left he'd recalled some trivial things about his friendship with Judith but he looked at her blankly when she attempted to talk to him about the board of the newspaper and publishing company.

They left the hospital with Judith holding Chase for support and acting rather distraught. Chase hugged her and asked, "Was Harold more than a friend to you?"

"Yes, until almost five years ago were had been occasional lovers over many years."

"He could improve Judith."

"The specialist consultant tells Helen he is cautiously optimistic."

Chase said well that was something and Judith took her hand as they trekked to the car park and said talking about it made her feel. Back in the car she took out two small boxes from her handbag and showed an engagement ring and wedding ring to Judith. Pearson's lawyer called in to his office yesterday and said they were mine to keep. The farm will be sold and other assets liquidated and I'm named as a beneficiary in his recently amended will with a quarter share in his estate. The remainder is shared between his sister and family in America and to other close relatives. According to Mr Aitken it was Pearson's intention to marry me as soon as my divorce came through. He purchased the rings when in Sydney recently which must have been the time when he bought me this bracelet."

"Oh darling, my heart bleeds for you," Judith said. "Here cry in my arms."

"No, it's okay Judith. "I've shed my last tears over Pearson. He may have been great for me but then again that might not have been because he was such a maverick. Now I'm just going to bury myself in my work. Oh by the way, part of my bequest is the $1 million dollars Pearson had undertaken to invest in the Highland Property Investment Company you are forming to develop your property. The only change will be that investor will be me."

"Oh darling, thank you. That was a loose end I was about to consider. I hope it proves a bountiful investment."

"I've spoken to Cole. He assures me it's the right thing to do."

"Ah Cole. He does seem to have taken rather an interest in you."

"Yes, with us both being alone we do seem to have gravitated together. Nothing has been said between us. I suppose it could happen."

"Suppose? Oh come on Chase. You are one of the most forward and decisive women I know."

"For obvious reasons my mind is not going down that track at the moment Judith. Until I knew Pearson was dead I hadn't realized I loved him despite his wacky ways."

Judith patted her arm. "Well darling just remember not to leave Cole hanging."

Fran came out to meet them. Struggling to smile. Her smile disappeared when Judith reported on how 'away with the birds' as she described it Harold was."

"Oh god, I was hoping for good news."

While Fran and Judith were talking Chase looked as Fran and began thinking about what she knew about Fran... a masters in business administration, an eye for fashion, a very experienced coordinator, knowledgeable about film and theatre and favourite pastime was reading widely.

"Fran, go comb your hair and put on lipstick. I'm going to the office and want to explain a possible role in our editorial department for you."

"Me... you'd consider employing me after what I've done?"

"Fran, how many times do you wish me to repeat my view -- Helen did it, not you. Yes she felt provoked but still chose to commit a criminal act."

Fran stood trembling, facing Chase who said, "Go on Fran -- hair and lipstick."

As Fran darted off Chase looked at Judith and the expression was a shock to Chase.

"Yes Chase, my respect and admiration for you grows almost daily. You are the calibre of daughter I hoped Pru would be."

"That's very naughty Judith and you know it. Envy is a dreadful thing. Pru is lovely looking with an all-embracing manner and so what if she'd a bit scatty? When she has children they'll love her and so will her husband if she chooses carefully. Why don't you buy her a real estate agency, put a licensee in on a salary and encourage Pru to run the business as sales manager in tandem with the licensee who could be semi-retired. Administered carefully that would comply with the real estate agent's licensing act. I bet under the responsibility you'd see her fly as with her personality she'd attract top salespeople."

"Oh god, there you go again. Even I hadn't thought of that. Will you join us when I talk to Pru if I decide to proceed with that amazing suggestion?"

"Of course Judith. Pru and you are my oldest friends in Walton."

CHAPTER 11

Chase took Fran on a quick tour of the newspaper editorial department, introducing her to people who appeared interested but not explaining who she was. She returned Fran to her office and instructed her PA to use the layout of the office and brief Fran in detail what the various editors and did and how everyone interfaced.