Throwing Snowballs at the Moon

Between mouthfuls, Vernia spilled-out her life story, and the information that she was engaged to be married, or at least she'd been courted by the same bloke for a considerable length of time. I'll admit that I really wasn't paying as much attention to what Vernia was saying, but I was enjoying the scenery, or her presence, if you understand what I mean.

The information about a regular beau she'd spouted, kinda put the kybosh on any nefarious thoughts that had entered my mind. It was quickly apparent that Vernia's interest in me, had just been that she thought we were going to be working together. Or rather she had thought that I was about to become her boss.

Having exhausted her life story, Vernia enquired about mine. Showing much interest in my relationship with Canella, and even more in the disastrous story of my marriage and complicated divorce.

It was odd really, I rarely discuss my private life with strangers, and I certainly have no idea why I opened up to Vernia so quickly.

Anyway, I just about got to the end of my tale and was explaining the difficulties of a wronged husband procuring full custody of the fruit of the union, when Vernia's attention suddenly moved to something behind me. I was sitting with my back to the main area of the bar.

"Oh my, Jerry's just walked in. He's up at the bar!"

"Jerry?" I asked. As I remember, wondering whether Jerry was her fiancé and if we had managed to get ourselves into a compromising situation; or a position that could be mistaken for one.

I began to turn to have as look at the size of the bloke who - for all I knew -- could-well be in the mood to punch me on the nose.

"No, don't look; he might not have seen us." Vernia cautioned me and then went on, "Jerry Hartwell, the Human Resources Manager, he's buying a drink at the bar." -- "Bugger, he's coming this way."

"Shit, I'm sorry if us eating together is going to put you in an awkward position, Vernia." I managed to whisper before Hartwell's shadow fell over the table.

"Vernia. Mr Sharp. It's good to see that you're getting to know each other. May I join you?" Hartwell asked.

Then without waiting for a reply, he dropped onto the seat beside Vernia and placed an envelope on the table before her.

"Your official invitation to join the company's staff, Vernia. In the position as discussed earlier." He grinned at her.

Then he turned his attention to me.

"Mr Sharp... May I call you Graham?"

I assume I must have nodded in reply.

"Graham, meeting you in here is quite fortuitous. I have an apology to pass on to you from Mr Goldberg. Let me explain, Jack never mixes home life with the business. Well, he doesn't anymore, but your presence took him by surprise earlier and that put him off his guard a little. Jack's extremely sorry if he inadvertently suggested that you might have had any connection with... well, what some people consider, an illegal... er, group of people. Mr Goldberg had no idea that you'd be so... er, delicate on the subject. But you probably know more about them than he does."

To be honest, I had little idea what the hell Hartwell was going on about. But then the penny suddenly dropped. They'd thought I'd stormed out of the interview because Goldberg had suggested that I'd been a member of the Hells Angels.

"However, ignoring the unfortunate consequences of Jack's mistake, which William Gillard assures us is completely out of character for you, we would still like to offer you the post of department manager. With Vernia here as your number two, of course."

He then placed another envelop on the table before me. Vernia, chose this opportunity to snatch hers up and began to open it. But Jerry Hartwell placed his hand over hers before she could pull the letter out.

"Look, I think it's only fair to explain why these two positions have become vacant at the same time. Should you accept the offer, I'm sure that you are going to find that big brother is looking over both of your shoulder's, for a while at least.

"I wanted to tell all of the candidates this up front, but I was overruled. Sometime in the near future you will understand why, but please don't press me on the subject at the moment? Anyway, the previous occupants of these two posts cooked the books together. They were both married and we've since discovered that they'd been having an illicit affair for several years. Eventually they ran off with a rather large proportion of the company's turnover for last year. Jack Goldberg has had to pump a lot of money into the organisation to prevent it from going under."

"Surely the company accountant noticed that something odd was going on?" I asked.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? After all, the overdrafts on company's bank accounts rose considerably. But I'm afraid that the director with responsibility of our accounting at the time was ill for most of last year, and the chap you will be taking over from Graham, was sort of standing-in for him. That gave him what you might call a golden opportunity. He bled the company dry for seven months and then vanished before the bank became too jittery."

"Taking his girlfriend with him, I assume?" Vernia asked.

"Yes, they have both disappeared into thin air. They were last seen getting on a ferry for Denmark, at Harwich. The police have no idea where they went after that. Everything was hushed up because... Well, not only Goldberg and Sons was at risk, but so were all the other ventures that Jack is involved with. Jack had to borrow heavily from most of them, to keep the company solvent.

"I wanted to tell you up front because for sometime at least your day-to-day work will be scrutinised thoroughly. All the candidates were vetted of course, and I believe that was why Jack was so surprised to learn who you were, Graham. Oh, by the way, Jack Goldberg has stayed completely out of the hiring process up to until this point, for reasons that will become apparent, eventually. Unfortunately his naive assumption that anybody who rode a motorcycle had to be a Hells Angel made him react as he did!"

"Are you sure? I'd have thought it was because I dated Ellie."

"No, I think Jack Goldberg has learnt his lesson there. He stays right out of Canella's relationships nowadays. Mind you, Mrs Goldberg is a different kettle of fish. I suspect that she's still interfering. Not that Canella takes that much notice; I think she blames her parents for everything; she's a law unto herself nowadays."

"Why what happened?" I asked.

"Sorry Graham, I don't think it's my place to discuss Canella's problems. Especially under the circumstances."

Whether Hartwell had intended to intrigue me or not; he'd managed too. He was hinting at something and I wanted to know what.

"And what circumstances are these?" I asked.

For a second or two Hartwell looked flustered, or maybe embarrassed that he'd said a little too much, but it didn't take him long to recover.

"Well, if you once courted Canella, Graham; I assume Jack and Mrs Goldberg, disapproved!" Hartwell grinned.

"You bet they disapproved." I grinned back. "But how do you know?"

"Graham, something sent you out of that interview in a hurry and if it wasn't Jack's Hells Angels comment; then what-else could it have been? Whatever, shall we say that Jack Goldberg at least, has learnt not to interfere in Canella's love-life in the future. And, I suspect, never to mix family and business again, as well."

"You're confusing me Mr Hartwell."

"Graham, should you accept the offer, then I'm sure that you will come to understand the situation very quickly. It's not really my place to bandy such personal information about. Now I'll leave you and Vernia to peruse your offers. I'd appreciate it if you could let us know whether you are going to accept them, first thing tomorrow morning."

"Mr Hartwell, if Graham turns down the position, who would I be working with?" Vernia asked.

"John Trent, the third candidate we saw today, just before you, Vernia."

"Oh shit!"

"Well, I'm sure that you will be working with Graham here. You don't get offers like that one everyday Graham, of that I can assure you. Enjoy your lunch."

Suddenly Hartwell was gone, and Vernia was sitting there staring at me.

"Well, open the bloody thing. Look Graham, if you don't take the job, then neither will I. I'm not working with that pompous ass, no mater how much I need the cash."

I opened the letter and quickly browsed through it until I came to financial bit. The numbers there shocked me so much that I must have sitting there staring at the line with my mouth open.

"Earth to Major Tom. Come-in please?" Vernia brought my mind back to earth.

"Jesus Christ!" I replied.

"Oh yeah, but remember it's only a three month contract to begin with."

"Pardon?"

"The salary, that's what you're looking at, isn't it!" Vernia went on, "Well our contracts are only for three months to start with. I suspect their hedging their bets after.... Well you know what I mean!"

You know, I must have unconsciously noticed at the time, but it never registered until I was talking to Bill Gillard later in the day, that although Vernia had opened her offer, she wasn't actually reading it. I'm not sure but from my recollection I'd say, she was sitting there holding the letter up in front of her as if perusing it. But her eyes were quite definitely on my face as I read mine.

The detail had only registered when Bill Gillard informed me that the director in charge of accounts at Goldberg's, was kind-of on loan from Thakes, a local accounting company. Quite suddenly I remembered that Vernia had mentioned that she was currently working for a local firm of accountants.

Although there was nothing unusual about that, I just found myself struggling to remember whether Vernia had mentioned the name of the company she was currently employed by.

Bill was still wittering on about how good an opportunity I was being offered by Goldberg's, -- and assuring me that, should things not work out there, there'd always be a place for me in the department -- when I asked him if he'd ever heard of Vernia Pool.

Bill always seemed to know every accountant -- worth their salt -- within a fifty-mile radius. He certainly had heard of John Trent the bloke Vernia disliked so much. I believe Bill's golf club must have "being an accountant" as a requirement of membership.

"Vernia Pool, yeah sure. I do believe that that must be Reggie Pool's daughter. There can't be many Vernia's about can there? Reggie Pool's one of the partners at Thakes." Bill grinned back at me. "Hey is she the girl they've got lined-up for your assistant? If she is, you've fallen on your feet boy, Reggie says she really knows her unions."

"Yeah, that must be her. Looks like I'm being spied-on from the beginning." I replied, probably a little angrily.

"Hey hold up Graham? Don't go getting out of your pram. I know that Reggie thinks Vernia is going places, but for obvious reasons he can't... well, you know, give her a leg-up at Thakes. That would leave things wide open for the other partners to do the same, and some of their off-spring... Well, let's just say that some of them wouldn't last long working here, for me.

"No, what you got to remember Graham, is that after their last little debacle, Goldberg and Sons are looking for absolute honesty. When they asked my advice, I put you forward. They probably did the same with Thakes and someone there must have suggested Vernia. I'd say you and Vernia have been chosen because you've never met each other before. Alright, and maybe to look over each others shoulders, as well."

----------TWT----------

I hadn't been in the house for more than a couple of minutes that evening, when Ingrid and Agda bounced through the front door. Ingrid had never returned her key to the house and for some inexplicable reason, I'd hadn't thought to ask her for it.

Mind you, that might have had something to do with the fact that Ingrid (and I assume Agda) had been sneaking into the house during the day, cleaning up and doing my washing etcetera. And, yeah alright, when her social life allowed, Ingrid was one hell of a cook. I never dared stop for a drink on the way home from office, just in case the girls were creating wonderful smells in the kitchen. Hey look I'm no cook, never have been. Perhaps that was why Ingrid and Agda tried to ensure that I got a "good" home cooked meal several evenings every week and both days over the weekend. Of course we have to add the fact that neither girl appeared particularly enamoured with the host families they were au pairing for at the time, into the equation.

The pair of them would also regularly appear at the house with perspective boyfriends in tow. I think my vote dictated whether the blokes would get the chance to take them out on a second date or not.

Where was I, I got lost in stupid details again, didn't I? Oh yeah, Ingrid enthused over the job offer, obviously she understood my situation -- as per the custody battle over the children -- and at that stage it was she, more than anyone else, who encouraged me to keep up the fight.

Having decided to accept Goldberg and Sons offer, I took both girls out for a slap-up meal to celibate.

Unfortunately this brought down the wrath of their host families -- because I got them home well after curfew -- who complained to the au-pair agency. Who in turn tore both girls off a strip and informed their parents.

Oddly it might seem, that action didn't achieve what it was supposed to, because I'd met Ingrid's father a couple of times whilst she been au-pairing for us and he seemed to think I was a trustworthy bloke. Apparently he knew Agda's parents very well and in consequence, the agency was virtually told to mind its own bloody business, or so Ingrid informed me.

Eventually both Ingrid and Agda left the agency completely, but I'll come to that later.

----------TWT----------

Taking the job really hadn't been a hard decision to make, because I'd needed the extra cash. So the following morning I'd called Jerry Hartwell to formally accept the position. Well, the unbelievable rise in salary was just what I needed to carry-on the fight to try to get custody of my children.

Somewhat oddly, I should add, Jerry Hartwell had shown great interest in my legal battle during an early interview I'd had with him. On reflection, I have never been sure if I should have attached some significance to his interest in my private problems. Although it had been reassuring when he informed me that -- should I find myself on the company's books -- they would offer me as much moral support and backing as they could.

He'd gone into great detail about the company's flexi-time working arrangements that had been brought in to help single mothers, and explained -- with a smile -- that the same flexibility was extended to single parent fathers.

----------TWT----------

My first few days at Goldberg's were hell. Vernia and myself had to find our way around the complex itself, as well as understand how the company did things in the accounts department.

We also found ourselves discussing together whether any of the staff had been in on our predecessors fiddle. Apparently Thakes' people who'd stepped into the breach and put things right, had found no evidence that any had. But Vernia and I, found ourselves ruminating on the possibility very often.

I'm afraid there are always some people in any department that you are never completely comfortable with. Considering the department's history... Well, let's say that there were a couple of employees who Vernia and I were never happy with. Most left of their own accord during the following six months or so.

----------TWT----------

Jack Goldberg collared Vernia and me one lunchtime just after we started and insisted on taking us out for a meal, along with Jerry Hartwell and a couple of other board members. No mention was made of Ellie or the unfortunate scene I'd made at the interview; Goldberg just enquired how we were settling in.

The rest of the conversation during the meal was inconsequential; except for the fact that Jerry Hartwell quietly asked me how my legal battles were progressing as we walked back to the office.

----------TWT----------

After a couple of weeks things became pretty much routine at the office. Everybody seemed to know what they were doing and once Vernia and I had got to know them all and got our heads around our own jobs, things became rather humdrum really.

But then one day, after we'd been there about five or six weeks, Vernia dashed into my office carrying two cups of coffee. Vernia's usual way of telling me she wanted to talk about something, or that she'd picked up some innocuous (and sometimes not so innocuous) office gossip. Vernia did like her office tittle-tattle.

"Graham, this Roger Serge, the bloke you took over from, do you know who he was?" She asked, after passing me my coffee and settling herself into her usual a chair.

"No, I'd never heard of the man." I replied.

Which was a fact. I'd never heard of the bloke until Bill Gillard had told about him cooking the books at Goldberg's and running off with a considerable some of cash.

"Oh boy, everybody's been keeping this one close to their chests..."

"You'd find that uncomfortable, Vern!" I jokingly interrupted.

Luckily Vernia and I got on extremely well together, and a good rapport had quickly built up between us. She'd been the first to complain that her rather... extravagant Bristol's got in the way sometimes. Maybe, there was little more sexual innuendo than there should have been sometimes, but we were both well aware that it was all in good fun, and only when the office door was firmly closed.

"No, stop messing around Graham, this is serious! It's not fair, I really think they should have told you before they offered you the position here."

Her expression and tone of voice, told me that whatever piece of gossip she'd picked up, Vernia did think it was serious. Mind you, anything concerning Roger Serge and Goldberg's, had to be pretty serious. He'd nearly brought the company to its knees.

"Okay girl spill the beans. What deep dark secret have you unearthed?" I grinned back at her.

"All right, you've asked for it. From the hip! Your old girlfriend, Canella Goldberg. Well, for the last six or seven years her name has been Mrs Canella Serge!"

"You're kidding me?"

"No straight-up! Roger Serge was old man Goldberg's son-in-law and therefore it stands to reason your old girlfriend's husband."

"Holly cow!"

"Yeah, you can say that again. And, that's probably why they never had anyone looking over his shoulder after that finance director had his heart attack. They thought, because he was in the family, and by the way, in-line to take over from the bloke when he retired, that there was no need to keep an eye on the bastard."

"Oh my Christ. Poor Ellie!"

"Oh, but it gets better Graham. The word is, that Canella only married the git in the first place, because mummy and daddy considered him suitable. Kind-of explains why Goldberg tried to keep out of our, or maybe more specifically, your employment, doesn't it? Roger Serge was Jack Goldberg's golden boy."

"That don't make much sense. Why quire his wicket by running off with a load of cash, if in the long term he'd be able to get his hands on all the Goldberg millions. Ellie is an only child!"

"Perhaps it had something to do with Canella figuring-out that he was banging his assistant on the quiet?"

"Ellie knew about their affair?"

"I don't know about knew exactly whom. But some of the girls are pretty sure Canella suspected that something was going on.

"Canella suddenly developed the habit of turning up at the office, all unexpected like. She'd always bring the children along as well. The consensus is, in an attempt to prick the bugger's conscience. Canella would make a point of asking the Mary woman about her own children!"