Police Superintendent's Daughter

"Wow, Mrs Bell. Those chauvinistic pigs ought to be jailed."

She replied that unfortunately that was not going to happen due to something called freedom of choice and of course, an inhibition called confidentiality.

"Um, does dad need to know that I ratted on him and his bunch of pigs?"

"He doesn't and won't know, unless you tell someone and it ends up with me having to appear in Court as part of proceeding should the granary not approve Ada's claim for payment of heavy damages in the proposed settlement.

"Well, let's get back to the dying party," Jessica said, standing.

She kissed Adam, noticing he didn't flinch, and praised him for finding a way to get this horrible news to Ada so that she could prepare herself for any eventuality.

"Mrs Bell, do you think the board will side with the objectors?"

"I think that's a reasonable expectation."

Later Jessica watched her daughter and Adam kissing goodnight at the door, and noticed Ada run fingers along the line of Adam's zip and the young man immediately step back a little while completing the kiss. She sighed thinking her over-sexed lustful daughter had intensified the poor chap's confusion about himself.

Jessica decided to ask Basil in the morning to take Bingo for a long walk for exercise while she and Ada finished cleaning up. Emma liked to sleep in on weekend mornings, thus mother and older daughter would have quality time to discuss the bombshell that was about to land in Ada's lap.

Musing, Jessica thought that progress was continuing in gaining general equality between males and females in employment, but many more bridge crossings were left to deal with.

However, a few minutes later she decided Basil as a parent had every right to be at the disclosure.

Several times during her presentation 90 minutes later, Jessica had to demand that Basil settle down and she'd watched Ada supress her anger silently on occasions.

Jessica wound up her presentation by saying, "The three of us must keep this entire matter to ourselves and simply allow proceedings to unfold."

"I feel like running to the newspaper with this horrible outcome if it's confirmed that immediate suspension pending the cancellation of my contract is in progress," Ada said.

"I'll feel like going in and tearing their boardroom and those in it to shreds," growled Basil.

"No, no to both of you," Jessica said sternly. "Such impulsive action could mean Ada losing thousands, perhaps tens of thousand of dollars in settlement payout if the lid comes of this and the directors of the granary and staff are publicly ridiculed for being anti-women in their thinking and actions. The tighter the lid is kept on this, the more likely the board and its legal advisers will have to accept they face having to pay big for Ada's silence."

"Mum, it is I who shall decide what my next moves will be?"

"Ada, did you not hear what I just said, as an experienced lawyer in litigation and dispute mediation and arbitration. I've said what you need to do, and the reasons I gave for your to sit on your arse and play it cool until the time comes for your demands are laid on the negotiating table?"

"I should march in with a team at tomorrow's board hearing and arrest the entire board and have them charged for conspiracy and unethical business practice," Basil snarled.

"Shut up Basi; you know enough about law to know what you just said is complete rubbish and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on if you were taken to Court for even threatening a board of directors with arrest for even considering firing your daughter from a job that she has not yet commenced. Your aggression is also upsetting for Ada who must approach this situation calmly even if she were to appoint me as her chief legal adviser to oppose the law firm which represents them in all legal matters and is the firm in which I'm a senior partner."

"Christ," said her frustrated husband, thumping the dining table.

"This is so-disappointing for me and such a shock, mum."

"Yes dear, and I feel deeply for you. Fortunately, you really have only three things to focus on at this stage."

"Wait to receive any information about my suspension and probable legal cancellation of my contract."

"And?"

"Oh, in the meantime, to keep my mouth shut about the proceedings I may face."

"Excellent, dear. And if you receive a short statement to approve about your decision to not take up your job offer at the granary for distribution to the news media, consider signing your approval and then think that full and final settlement could make you one of the highest independent wealthy females in our entire city and district."

"Mum, this is not about money. Principles are involved."

"Oh, yes? And you have to keep firmly in mind your right to work amid those chauvinistic pigs who'll forever resent your presence at the granary, or alternatively, to agree not to take up your contract in return for heavy incentive payment plus substantial payment for personal damages including have your fledging commercial career taking an enormous hit."

"But those bastards will call that submission about big hit on my career as complete fantasy."

"Darling, relax. My team working on your case will arm me with an armful of court case precedents where Courts and also approved publications of privately negotiation settlements of employment disputes have recognised submissions on loss of some level of a plaintiff's employability in the industry or profession in which he or she has specialised in, or provided evidence of a clear intent to specialise in."

Ada bit her lip and wiped a couple of tears away, remaining tight-lipped.

"Christ, Jessica," Basil said in awe. There are plenty of people around here think that I'm ruthless, but I could be regarded as a pussy compared to you with the bit between your teeth."

"Thanks dear, now pour us all a drink. And discussion on Ada's crisis is frozen in the meantime."

"Oh hi, everyone," said younger daughter Emma, walking in half-dressed with her top in a hand and rubbing her eyes. "What's you crisis, Sis? Missed a period, I suspect."

"Throttle her, dad," Ada sniffed.

Ada took Bingo for his second walk of the morning to ease her fury at the granary planning to dump her, although knowing her pain would ease if she received a big compensation payout but her pride would still take a big hit and moves to stabilise her employment prospects could suffer from her failure to take up an employment contract for reasons unavailable during to a confidentiality agreement.

Her mother was right; as the victim, she must keep her mouth shut until the pay-out occurred and even then, she would be curbed by the agreed conditions of the pay-out.

"Bloody men acting like headless chooks,' she spat aloud, watching Bingo turn to look at her concerned. At lease she interpreted the glance as being a worried look. Ada wondered what the only woman in top management at the granary - the human resource manager - would say at the board meeting when senior executives were asked individually for their opinion about the pressure to quash the decision to tear up her contract and accept the consequences

Ideally, she wanted her plight to be shouted from the roof-tops and thus have public anger and pressure forced the board and its staff and shareholders to admit being responsible for the withdrawal of the employment contract that Ada had negotiated and accepted totally in good faith.

Bloody men!

Tears began to flow.

Ada knew that even with a big payout, any chance of her establishing a successful career in the city would be over, at least in the meantime, because she would be labelled 'spoilt goods'.

She'd applied for the position at the granary as it was the most attractive job available for her in the city at that time. She'd wanted to launch her working career close to her family, and the granary cooperative was offering good money and other employment benefits and best of all, a promising path for promotion was on offer. It hadn't occurred to her that it would be considered by anyone as a job in male-only territory.

For heaven's sake, the recruitment panel appeared delighted that she was a keen applicant.

"Even before this is over, I'll have to begin applying for employment away from this district," she wept.

Drying her eyes, Ada recalled her mother advising that she should engage legal counsel as soon as she was official advised of any adverse decision by the granary's board of directors.

No way, Ada decided. Her mother had spent about twenty years specialising as a senior counsel in business law, mediation and arbitration and many large law firms often had instances where their personnel represented clients on both sides of disputes and other legal matters. She definitely wanted her mother representing her in this dispute presumably about to erupt.

"I need coffee," she sighed and walked to a local coffee shop that obligingly produced bowls of fresh water to place outside the premises for the dogs of arriving clients. One regular often brought a cockatoo with her, riding on her front bar of the frame of the elder women's wheeled 'walker'.

The CEO of the granary called Ada early afternoon and asked her if he could call on her at home to discuss an urgent matter relating to her employment.

She said yes, and 2.30 would be fine.

Bill Rogers arrived punctually and said he had the company's lawyer and HR manager in the car and asked would Ada approved of them joining the discussion.

"Yes, providing you approve of my mother sitting in on the discussion.

Mr Rogers looked uncertain and said, "Your mother is a lawyer, right?"

"Yes, is that a problem? After all, you sought my approval for you to have your company lawyer attend."

The CEO's face darkened and he nodded and said very well.

The visitors were seated under the canvas cover of the patio and tension was apparent when Jessica arrived with coffee for everyone and was introduced by her daughter.

"Isn't this nice having this visit by a team from Ada's new employers," Jessica said brightly, and that went down like a lead balloon.

After coffee was poured and served, with Ada assisting and appearing a little tense, Mr Rogers cleared his throat and dropped a mini bombshell.

"Ada, I regret to say that I have been instructed by the board of the cooperative granary that as from noon today you have been suspended from taking up your position with the cooperative granary company and that I have been instructed to seek the legal cancellation of your employment company forthwith. All of that is formally set out in this letter from me that I now hand over to you. This matter is now open for discussion."

Jessica was astonished to see the transformation in Ada. Gone were the forehead wrinkles that had appeared whenever they had previous discussed the possibility of her job termination.

Instead, her daughter looked incredible calm and she wore a faint light-lipped smile and she eased back in her chair in only what could be described as lounging. Obviously, this was Ada in her business mode.

"Mother, will you represent me in this matter?"

"First dear, I must advise you that I'm a senior partner in the law firm that acts as the outside legal consultants to the cooperative granary company board and its management."

"I have no problem with that, mother."

"Then I accept your request as my daughter, Ada," Jessica said, accepting the letter that Ada handed her but no opening it.

"Ada, say nothing relating to this matter of employment now and after this without speaking to me first. This embargo applies until further notice from me."

"Lady and gentlemen, will you now leave this property and thank you for your courtesy."

The team went down to the footpath below the impressive house to the driveway and drove off showing no sign of hostility or for that matter, jubilation.

"Excellent," Jessica said.

"Awesome, mum. Even I was impressed by the coldness of your delivery."

Jessica smiled and said that she feared she might be the babe in the woods compared to Ada in terms of people management.

"I watched you from the moment the CEO began to speak until they departed, cups of coffee unfinished. Your face was unreadable, you appeared calm throughout and your green eyes were fixed icy cold. Using unladylike language, I say, the unspoken message from you to those bastards is to expect a rocket up their respective asses and doubtless that message will be relayed to the chairman and his board. Impressive, and keep it up through to the finish."

"Any idea of the amount we will seek including damages?"

Jessica said she needed to do the research including looking at legal precedents and ferrying out reliable contacts she knew who were privy to undisclosed private settlements in similar circumstances to those her client now faced."

"How much in the hand do you think would satisfy you, with your career launch now heavily blighted?"

"I've thought about it and my figure is $600,000."

Jessica nodded and said in the final assessment that might not be unrealistic for someone yet to prove herself in the workforce.

"I'll want 10% gross of the settlement as my fee less 50 percent discount because you are family."

"What is the normal percentage?"

"It varies according to the complexities, estimated time involved, expenses and so on. Usually 15% upwards towards 50%."

"Then set your fee at 12% and your office will understand the 2.5% discount is because I'm family."

"I really don't..."

"Mother, you know that decision of mine was non-negotiable."

They hugged and Jessica said, "You are my most loveable client ever as well as the prettiest."

"And I'm probably the proudest of your clients to have you representing me. Go get 'em, mum."

Chapter 3

Just as predicted, negotiation talks were completed within two days and the board met on the 3rd day and agreed to the terms of settlement that were that were signed off by both parties that afternoon together with Ada signing off the agreed short release to the news and business media under the name of the company CEO. It briefly stated that Miss Ada Bell had decided not to commence employment with the company as it's incoming deputy general manager and the company had agreed to release her from her contract.

"Wow," Ada exclaimed when first reading the proposed news release handed to her at home by her mother. "What a piece of no-blame bullshit to smooth over the horrible truth."

"Accept it or allow negotiations to drag on," Jessica said.

Ada had not attending any of the negotiation meetings at her mother's suggestion. All she was required to do was to stay within phone contact to answer queries. That suited Ada fine.

"Mother, I accept the media release totally as worded in this copy but because the company is avoiding publicly taking blame or publishing the reasons for moving to cancel my contract, I wish to increase my total termination payout by $200,000, raising the payout including compensation for seriously damaging my business career prospects to $800,000."

"Good girl, hit those nasty men, the shareholders, who initiated this vile attack on you," her mother said, nostrils flaring slightly.

Jessica went off to phone the CEO to advise Ada's amended amount to her tabled claim awaiting finalisation.

Meanwhile, Ada had taken a call from a guy saying he was Phil Evans and claiming she knew his sister, Babs (Barbara).

Ada was pleased that a guy at last had called her and speak so charmingly.

"Do you mean Babs Hutchins who was here with her husband Cliff at my coming home party on Friday night?"

"Indeed, and Babs told me I should give you a call because you looked, quote, 'ravishing., I have just returned to the city to work for my father in his civil engineering business and I've yet if catch up with many of my former friends here."

"You mean Mayor Hutchins and that you are Babs' older brother who has been working several hundred miles from here?"

"Correct, dad is the current Mayor of the city and district and yes, I've spent four years on the Kew Dam as one of the recently graduated civil engineers supervising excavation and construction gangs."

"On, my, big responsibility and that dam project is scheduled to begin having its 21-mile-long storage lake filled with water sometime from next month to test the integrity of the dam and its storage lake edges where excavation work was carried out and then the spillways and the emergency overflow channel."

"Wow, you are extraordinarily well informed for a city-based business woman."

"Cliff, are you attempting to say that all women not engineers are boneheads without the slightest interest in big engineering projects in their home city and/or projects further afield of national significance, because..."

"Whoops, sorry, I'm engaged in emergency mouth-braking Ada."

"I apologise. My sister did warn me to watch my mouth when talking to you, should you bother to converse with me, because you, um, are highly intelligent and um don't suffer fools who blithely attempt to down-trod females."

"Okay, point taken and even so, just be your true self with me if you are intending to invited me on a date."

"Wow, err awesome. I would like to invite you to be at my side at my new workplace's bi-monthly dinner for executives and senior managers and partners. Babs refused outright to accompany me, and that's when your name came up."

"Please consider Ada that I only arrived back here on Monday to start work and haven't had time catching up with female friends as I've been unpacking, inspecting our company's three biggest projects and repainting the walls of the kitchen of my near-new apartment that were so-called trendy black"

"I also spent time, with management consent, on installing temporary suspended scaffolding to work from in cutting out two already rusting unpainted bracing supports under the 5th-floor balcony outside my dining room and main bedroom and welding in replacement support sections and suitably applying long-term all-weather protection coating of the entire exposed balcony support system on my side of the building at the 5th floor."

"Ah, Phil. And management has contracted your father's company to inspect and remedy any defects under balconies in the entire building?"

"A subsidiary company of ours has the contract, yes."

"Well, back to Friday night's dinner. Yes, I accept your kind offer Phil as you and I could become friends, I believe, since you are Babs' brother. Please give me details and say what I should wear."

"Clothes. That's humour, Ada. Please don't hit me."

"Phil, I regard humour as a gift, and so you are spared. Besides, it's difficult to hit anyone when involved with them on a telephone conversation."

They laughed and he said dinner would be semi-formal and suggested she dress for a cocktail party dress. Most likely, he'd wear a light blue suit and a slightly open white shirt without a tie.

"Omigod, if you are anywhere near as good looking as your sister, you'll look dashing,"

"So-be-it," Phil said serenely. "I'll text you with full details shortly including mum's suggestion about dresswear. Dad and mum host the event."

"I'm interested in meeting, quote, 'ravishing' you, Ada."

"And I'm sure I won't be disappointed in you, Phil. Bye.

That evening, Phil called Ada.

"Hi, mom has confirmed that the females generally dress as for a cocktail in nothing pretentious. She is so excited that I am taking you to the event because you are well-known to her because of you long friendship with my sister during schooling years. And Babs raved about you to her after attending your homecoming party."

"I suggest you don't read anything into this as it is just mum in one of her let it rip moods. She went out late this afternoon and came home with a new suit for me to wear on Friday night. I was blown away by such a spontaneous generous gift and you'll see it when we meet on Friday. I would be dishonest if I didn't tell you this bit, although it embarrasses me to relate it..."