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Chapter 20 – The Venerable Mr Lawrence
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"So how are you both? Long time, no see?"
"Stop pretending, Rei, and get to the point. There's more to this than meets the eye. If there wasn't, we wouldn't be sitting here, eating this lovely dinner."
"You're right," sighed Rei. "Of course you're right. I'm sorry for treating this like some kind of business deal, but habits are hard to break.'
"Why are we here?"
"I'm not really sure."
"Let me rephrase that: why does Boris want us here?"
"Boris? What does Boris Balkov have to do with anything?"
Tala blinked, confused. "He's the leader of this, isn't he? The higher power above this organisation and countless others?"
"No,' replied Rei. "He merely funds it. Boris is nothing. He wields no power, makes no decisions and has absolutely no purpose whatsoever. We just make him think he does because he pays for most of this out of his own substantial pocket. The scientists that came up with all of this manipulated him into recruiting me, and once the transfer of his funds is completed, he will be gotten rid of. This afternoon, in fact."
"Transfer of funds?"
"Yes. We have connections, and that has enabled us to enlist the help of some Mafia families in extracting the money inconspicuously. That's what Mr Lawrence is coming to discuss in an hours time. But we must pass the time between now and then somehow, and I have talked far too much. How are-"
"Mr Kon?"
Tala recognised the girl as the maid that had taken care of him earlier. She had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and looked hassled.
"Yes, Anya?"
"Sir, I have bad news. Mr Lawrence called, he's on his way and will arrive imminently."
Rei's eyes widened. "George!"
A butler appeared, again out of nowhere. "Yes, sir?"
"George, clear this away and prepare the drawing room. Alert the rest of the staff and fetch me the blue file from the study."
Rei swept away in the blink of an eye and everything turned to quiet chaos as a small army of staff cleared the plates from the table. The maid, Anya, whisked Kai and Tala out of their seats, standing them in a corner as she brushed lint off their clothes.
"Mr Lawrence is very important and very austere, so when you meet him, you must be very polite, or he will begrudge half of the country against you. You must only speak when addressed and do not fidget. When you go into the drawing room, sit on either side of Mr Kon and leave the winged velvet armchair empty – that is where Mr Lawrence will sit. When he enters, stand up and shake his hand. If he lights a cigar, do not cough. When he offers you one, politely decline."
They were steered into the drawing room just as another maid hurried in with a blue file in her hands. She laid it on the coffee table in front of Rei, who was sitting, quite relaxed, in an armchair, mostly obscured by a newspaper bearing the headline: 'Moscow cleanup halted by army intervention'. No sooner than they had both settled in armchairs on either side of him, than a distant knock was heard on the door. A moment later, another maid appeared.
"Mr Lawrence is here, sir."
"Send him in."
Rei lowered his paper nonchalantly as a tall, slightly overweight man walked in.
"Rei! So good to see you! New acquaintances, too!"
The three of them rose politely and had their hands shaken, Rei already chatting amiably.
"It's good to see you, too, Eli. And these are old friends of mine, Kai Hiwatari and Tala Ivanov."
"I think I've met Hiwatari before," rumbled Eli, sitting heavily in a chair. "Remember me?"
"Eli Lawrence?" asked Kai, slightly dumbfounded. "Head of Lawrence Industries? Yes, I remember. I talked to you last year about stock prices."
"Well done," he replied, lighting a cigar. "Intelligent boy, thought so from the start. Cigar?"
They all politely refused.
"Good, good." He puffed plumes of smoke and Kai fought the urge to cough violently. "And you, Ivanov. You have the look of an intelligent man about you. How are you involved in this?"
"We were childhood friends, sir," he replied, with a glance at Rei, who ignored him.
"Wonderful! I do so love strong familial ties. I must invite you to dinner sometime. My nephew would be very interested to meet you, Hiwatari. He's going to take over the business in a few years, you know. Only a little older than you, I think, but lots of talent. Needs a bit of direction, though…"
Whilst Kai nodded politely, he could not help wondering what was the purpose of Mr Lawrence's visit. Rei had said they were going to discuss money, something clearly to do with the blue folder on the table, but neither of them had given any indication of addressing either issue.
"My daughter has had yet another child; a son, unnamed as yet. She keeps hinting she wants to name him after you, Rei. She was so taken with you last time you met. Oh, and speaking of, my mother keeps wanting to meet you again. She is determined to marry you off to one of my nieces. Katie, you know, the horse trainer? Lovely girl…"
Katie Lawrence, trainer of seven consecutive winners, including Larkspur and Hero Worship. Kai had met her at some dinner party or other, and remembered her bright smile. She was investing something in his company – he would never have guessed she and Mr Lawrence were related.
"…and my son, Marco, is doing so well. He told me he sent you an early Christmas gift, did you get it? Yes, his designs are so popular these days, though one can never be sure. Fashion is such a whimsical mistress at best…"
Marco Lawrence, world famous designer and editor of Russka magazine. Kai had appreciated his clothes more than once.
"…you remember Penelope, don't you? My youngest daughter? She's in the papers so often these days and it's essentially the only time I see her nowadays, ever since she moved to America. I heard she has a new beau, though. A very nice boy, part of another big family over there…"
Kai was starting to see a trend. Penelope Lawrence was a hugely popular actress and was getting married to Benjamin Goldstein. Kai was betting that 'big' didn't just mean large, though the Lawrence family was clearly highly extended, but also important and well placed. Perhaps the Goldsteins were even another crime family in the states. He was beginning to see why the Mafia had so much control. They had their hands in every pot and, with so many rich offspring, were able to get whatever they wished. He definitely remembered a Lawrence in a powerful political seat, and another owning a major newspaper. They were everywhere.
"Right then! We can't sit around and chat all day. To business."
Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw Tala jerk out of a glazed stupor at these words.
"I have good news and bad news. The good news is, the Fund has received another large charitable donation. My son, Nicolas, talked to the man this morning and he said it was the least he could do. Very generous."
It took Kai a moment to realise what they were talking about, as this was like no other business he had heard discussed before. He realised that they were talking about the transfer of money from Boris' accounts, but were doing so in an inconspicuous and casual manner, understanding that the matter was of utmost secrecy.
"The bad news is that he passed away just a few hours afterwards. Heart failure, you know. Such a shame, he has no relatives either. It's the least we can do to attend his funeral. It's next Monday, I think Nicolas said, in the Church of the Magdalene. You will come, won't you? All of you? Splendid! Alas, I must be off, but first, Alexander said you had something for me?"
The blue folder changed hands.
"Ah, yes! Wonderful. Grace will be very happy, she's wanted this recipe ever since you served it at that party. Oh, and here are some photos and the customary family newsletter. Nina is so adamant that you should be included this year and Mother agrees heartily. You will come next week, won't you? There'll be a meal afterwards where you can meet everyone again, though I suggest you steer clear of Mother, or she might get Anthony to marry you off to Katie in the very restaurant! He's a Bishop now, you know. Very successful…"
Mr Lawrence departed, leaving a strange silence in his wake. True to his word, there was a family newsletter and an abnormal amount of photos in his parcel, with no mysterious sealed envelope like Kai was expecting. He was fascinated by the casual way Rei and Mr Lawrence conducted business, and how Rei seemed to have been swallowed up into the enormous family clan. The enormity was only heightened when the photos were dutifully passed around and he surmised that every member must have been married twice and have had five children to sustain such a tribe. The photos included cuttings of what must have been Penelope Lawrence at some award ceremony and holiday snaps in which it appeared that half of the family had decamped to Egypt all in one go.
Shortly after the uncomfortable silence left by Mr Lawrence, Rei disappeared. Upon consultation of a maid, she admitted that:
"Mr Kon has gone on an outing and we do not expect to see him again in the next few days or so. He has left instruction that you are to be held at the House until such time as he should return in time for the funeral."
True to these words, Kai and Tala were kept quietly against their will in the townhouse for the rest of the week. They did not see Rei again until the day before the funeral, when it became clear that he had not been on a 'leisure' outing. Dirty and tired, Rei disappeared again shortly after he arrived back, and slept until two hours before the service. Kai and Tala both agreed to watch the media for news on the latest political assassination, which would clearly coincide with Rei's mysterious absence.
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I'm sorry for the long break!!! Forgive me? I wrote such a long chapter this time? Please?
I love all my reviewers because They, The Lights At The End Of The Tunnel, Have Brought Me Though The Hell That Is Exams In A Fit Enough State To Continue Writing. I am also under the impression that They Are Beautiful, Too.