BOOK 3: DISCLOSURE / CH. 10:CONSEQUENCES.

11PM. TUESDAY 24TH OCTOBER

James Woodson was angry. Very angry. “I'm a company director, I have connections! I have rights! I demand to know why I'm being held prisoner, I demand to know by what authority you've brought us here, and I demand to see my lawyer!”

“I'm sorry sir, most of your demands cannot be met. I can tell you that you're being held on suspicion of organising an attack on the United Nations designated secure facility. This comes under anti-terrorism legislation which prohibits any direct contact with established contacts. You may not contact your lawyer. A legal representative will be assigned to you once we have identified someone with whom you have had no prior contact. As a company director this might take a while.”

“I was just visiting a building site!”

“Yes sir. We know sir. That was the origin of the attack.”

“Is this some kind of joke? You can't just hold me here incommunicado! My wife will think I've been kidnapped.”

“Your wife has been contacted. She has been told that you were a present at the scene of a crime and are presently helping with enquiries. Now sir, once again. If you could answer my questions, please. I would very much like to finish this initial assessment tonight.”

“Then I demand to see my lawyer! I will not talk until I have my lawyer present!”

“Interview terminated at prisoners request. Recording off. Goodnight sir. Perhaps a lawyer will be appointed to you by tomorrow lunchtime.”

“You cannot do this to me! I have places to be, important business meetings!”

“Recording on! Then, sir, you need to cooperate. This is an investigation under anti-terrorism laws, as I've said. We not only can but will detain you as long as you do not answer our questions. Will you answer questions without your lawyer present?”

“Oh, all right! I did nothing to deserve this treatment!”

“Then tell me what you did do, sir? Why was one of the company directors on a building site, after hours, supervising a skeleton crew pouring concrete?”

“I acted to save my company's investment and to protect shareholders value.”

“That probably sounds excellent in a board meeting, but it sounds like you're saying that everything was at risk and you were taking charge of a cover-up to me.”

“It's all because of those ridiculous lease conditions! I had no choice.”

“I expect you did sir, but would you like to explain that to me. How did you have no choice but to attack the protected site?”

“I didn't attack the site! It's very simple. Building regulations say that rain water must be used for flushing toilets, unless there's been a month without any rain. Annual rainfall on the whole site should give us enough water for three hundred people. We'd planned for that, but now we can only have three floors we're only expanding to two hundred and fifty seats. So we've plenty of rainfall, a surplus, even. But we need to store a lot of water, and the lease conditions stop us from doing it. A third of a flush per customer per hour, because we're an up-market chain and people don't use us as a public lavatory. Four hours of peak trade, four litres per flush. That means each day, one point three cubic metres of water. I'd planned on digging tanks eight metres deep, Six day's supply each square metre, a month's supply in five square metres. Peak season rush means I need double, and what is the chances that the tanks are full before a month of no rain? So double it again. Twenty square metres of tanks, eight meters deep. Of course the tanks need to be a safe distance from the building, but I can do that, it's in the plans. But the lease conditions say I can't dig deeper than three metres for my storage tanks. I loose a metre of that for drainage and concrete, so I now need eighty square metres of tanks, away from the building. Can't be done, the building would need to move, and it's almost built already. I can fit twenty-five on site. It really hurts but the inspectors let me do it. I've got enough for a month, if the tanks are full, and they tell me that's OK, but that if they run dry then the restaurant closes. So, I need a fallback, a secret little borehole that can top up the tanks if they get really low. How was I to know they'd put their stupid tunnel right where I started to drill?”

“So, you're admitting that you broke the conditions on the site-lease, commissioned an illegal borehole, when you were aware that the protected site had a tunnel under the plot you were leasing, but you deny that this was an attack on the site?”

“Yes! I didn't want to damage the tunnel! I told them, if it hits anything, then stop and we'll try somewhere else. But the stupid operator claims he didn't know he was hitting concrete until he saw chunks of it coming up.”

“Thank you, sir, that helps me understand what was happening.” The anonymous agent said, always respectful. “I don't have any more questions for the moment.”

“So, I can go home now?” James asked, thinking about taking a long holiday somewhere that the shareholders' lawyers couldn't get at his money.

“I wouldn't think so, sir. We need to confirm your account, and then if everything checks out then we'll probably call in the regular police to arrest you for criminal damage, endangering public safety, attempted theft of a scarce natural resource, depriving your employer of property and probably a few more things too. We will of course be freezing your assets.”

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10AM, WEDNESDAY 25TH OCTOBER

“Kate, have you read Tony's piece in the news?” Sarah asked.

“No? Anything interesting in it?”

“A little detail you probably don't know. Sit down before you read it.”

“Oh?”

“A familiar name for you.”

“Businessman charged over tunnel damage.” Kate read. “Is that the one?”

“Yes. Second paragraph.” Sarah prompted her.

“James Woodson! It was James that broke our tunnel?”

“It sounds like he wasn't much interested in listening to others.”

“He never was. Well, that's an interesting connection isn't it?”

“But how is it that Tony was able to report about the tunnel?”

“It had to come out in the court case that they'd dug into it, and that it was usable.”

“OK, and he did say that he was there as part of an overdue check. I suppose that could be yearly or weekly, couldn't it?”

“Or once every fifty years, it seems, yes.”

“It's a shame that we didn't get to the end.”

“Well, Ivan and Janet had asked to be on the second trip, it was only fair they went on it.”

“Oh, I thought that was just the engineer.”

“No, Teresa, Tony, Ivan, Janet and the engineer. He took a look, measured a few things and declared the tunnel well designed. He's making plans as to how to fill the hole, but he said there was no reason they shouldn't carry on exploring.”

“Oooh, do tell! What did they find?”

“A bit of an anticlimax really. They found a big heavy locked door. No key in sight. I need to ask you to ask the computer about it.”

“That's embarrassing.”

“What is?”

“We told you there was a battery operated light in a bucket of water by the way in?”

“Yes. Was there a key there too, by any chance?”

“Yes. Very corroded. I'm not sure it'll be usable. Here it is, I picked it up and have been meaning to give it to you.”

“I see what you mean by corroded.”

“Interesting challenge for a locksmith I guess.”

“From their description of the door, it sounded like the one to the roof from the owners lounge. I wonder if the key's the same. It looks similar.”

“That would be very handy.”

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11.30AM

“Pete, love.”

“Yes Kate?”

“Are you free for a lunchtime discussion?”

“Of course, love. You sound troubled.”

“Two things going round my mind, one reminded me of the other.”

“OK, where shall we meet?”

“Home, I want privacy.”

“Oh. OK, love.”

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Kate greeted her husband with a long embrace. “Did you read or watch any news today, Pete?”

“No. Why?”

“The report about our tunnel breaker names the perpetrator in charge.”

“Someone you know?”

“We know. It was James.”

“What on earth? I knew he was a bit focussed, but what's he doing digging thought your roof?”

“I checked up on some things, sure enough, he's the director of expansion and mergers for the restaurant chain. So I guessed the chain's acquisition of the site was his decision. Sure enough, his signature is on the paperwork where the company bought the lease for the land as though it was a freehold. But not as buyer. He sold it to his employer. Before that, he was one of two stakeholders in the company which had the tenancy. Genuine reason for sale was that the other partner, who was owner-manager, died. His widow inherited and was the other signatory.”

“So, James might or might not have known that the land was leasehold, not freehold. Then he's in charge of the expansion plans, and gets told he can't build as big as he wants to, so he digs through your tunnel, what, out of spite?”

“I think it might be what the sermon was about on Sunday. One sin leads to another.”

“You mean he's hiding things?”

“Well, he sold restaurant without even trying to renegotiate the lease. That was about four years ago if I remember right. Very nice profit for him and widow, compared to what Teresa says it should have sold for. Widow is quite pretty by the way. Either the company's legal advisor was lazy or corrupt and so doesn't flag up the fact that there's a lease. Then the letter comes, and the legal advisor takes early retirement. The following year's financial statement still lists the site as an asset.”

“So, James seems to be covering up one thing after another, withholding stuff from shareholders, charming everyone as ever.” Pete summarised.

“Yes. Exactly.”

“So, this is probably more of the same. Where's the problem, apart from finding out that he really wasn't a nice person? I thought we'd worked that out already.”

“Half of me wants to forward what I've found to the prosecutor's office. Half of me says you can't do that just to stick the knife in further. Half of me says I shouldn't do it because he used to be a friend, and if he gets convicted of this lot too its going to ruin his employment prospects and maybe his marriage. Half says justice must be done.”

“That's a lot of halves there Kate.”

“That's why I'm bringing it to my other half, to see what he thinks.”

“And this is only one of the reasons you want to talk?”

“The other one's easier, I think.”

“Go on.”

“I'd like to support James' daughter. Your letter said she was a missionary? I wanted to first thing I heard but I totally forgot.”

Pete kissed her. “You know the regular payment that leaves our account which says 'support for Mrs K Robinson'?”

“Yes. That's her? What does the K stand for?”

“Katherine”

“He named her after me?” Kate was shocked.

“I don't know. I really really don't know. I could hardly ask him with her and his wife standing there.”

“But he did always call me Katherine, didn't he?”

“And me Peter, despite me telling him that I'd been named Pete.”

“But he knew better.” Kate said.

“Or didn't listen.”

“Both, I think.”

“Kate, I don't think it's your job to tell the prosecutors. I think it's Teresa's. She's been helping you find this stuff, I presume.”

“Some of it. I looked up the financial statements and something else, I can't remember what.”

“Then forward them to Teresa with a note saying something like 'Curious, aren't they? Since I knew him at university as a manipulative friend, don't ask if you think you should forward them.'”

“She will though, won't she?”

“Probably. But if she does then she'll do it from duty to the law, not because she wants to stick the knife in deeper.”

“And my motive for telling her about this?”

“Inability to decide why you're doing it? Lets face it Kate, all but one of your questions were about your motives for alerting the authorities to what looks like criminal activities, not about whether you should do it or not. So, what do we do about the the one which said don't do it because he was your friend?”

“If I don't tell, then I share his guilt. So I tell.”

“OK, so do you want Teresa to do it for you, or me, or to do it yourself.?”

“I wouldn't know who it should go to.”

“Me neither.”

“Then it's easy, isn't it? I love you, Pete.”

“I love you too, Kate. So, You said you wanted to support Katherine. Shall we pray for her? For them?”

“Yes. Are they still in this country?”

“Yes. Lots to learn, according to her last prayer letter. Language learning techniques, and so on.”

“So you've got an address?”

“And a number.”

“That's great. I wanted to talk to her before. I do doubly now. But lets pray first.”

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“Hello, Katherine Robinson?”

“Yes?”

“Hi, my husband Pete West, gets your newsletter.”

“Oh yes, the edible portraits man”

“Yes, that's him. He always wanted to be an artist, this is the closest he's got while making money at the same time.”

“I didn't know he was married.”

“Ah well, he wasn't when you met him. We hadn't seen each other for decades then the day I came to Christ we met again. We got married last month.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you. Oh, my name's Kate by the way. Urm, odd question coming, have you heard from your parents recently?”

“No, we err, don't talk much.”

“OK, well, I suggest you call your mother very soon. Right now, actually. It's not an accident or anything, but she's got some news for you.”

“Do you know her?”

“No. But I knew your Dad at university, even went out with him for a while, so unless he's changed I can imagine it's not easy being under the same roof as him as a Christian.”

“Oh... And you know something's happened?”

“Yes dear, rather more than the news is reporting actually. I think you should talk to your mother, unless you really never talk.”

“I can talk to Mum, as long as Dad's not there, that is.”

“I can imagine. Call her then. Has your phone got my number?”

“Um... Yes.”

“OK, well if you'd like to talk, give me a call. That's my job, by the way — psych-counsellor — so if you need that sort of talk, rather than just want to learn what I know, then just say, OK.”

“I thought..sorry.” Kate could here the embarrassment.

“You thought that was all computerized now? Almost everyone does, because almost all of it is. Not many places like were I work. But being a small field it pays quite well, which reminds me: once you've talked to you Mum, I'd like to ask how your support levels are. Don't let me forget unless you're really doing fine.”

“Oh, thank you, Kate. We're doing O.K. at the moment, but long term...”

“Call your mother, Katherine. Everything else can wait.”

“O.K.”

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“Mum, I've just had a call from one of our supporters telling me to phone you. What's going on?”

“Katherine, I'm sorry, I was looking for you number, but your Dad's did another reset of the computer. I wish for the life of me I knew why.”

“What's happened? They said it wasn't an accident or anything like that. He's not been fired has he?”

“Not yet, but he's been arrested dear.”

“What for? Something at work?”

“I don't know. It was really scary to start with. Someone from internal security rang and told me he wouldn't be home because there'd been a crime committed where he was and he was helping with their enquiries. Then the police told me that internal security weren't going to hold him on national security charges, but that he was being charged with various other offences. I'm so glad that I've got a separate account, because all his assets have been frozen.”

“National security charges? What on earth has Dad been doing, Mum?”

“Quite a lot of things, I think. I've heard him shouting at the phone, you know how he does that. I think that I'm going to need to sell the house by the end of it, its too big anyway. Maybe even try and get a job. I don't think anyone will be giving him one if everything I've heard comes out.”

“Mum! Really?”

“Kath, he always knew best, always found loopholes, thought rules were for him to make for others, not keep. You should recognise that. I think he's about to find that you can't do that forever.”

“You're sounding pretty calm about this Mum.”

“Yes, Kath. I still love your Dad, but I've known for a while that he's not been very honest with me or his employers. I think the law's finally caught up with him.”

“Mum. Different subject. I heard him shouting at you once...”

“Only once? You're ears need checking.”

“No, just once when he said something about naming me after someone.”

“Oh. Yes. An old girlfriend of his. He said that to annoy me I think. I came up with your name dear, not him. He did say at the time that he'd known someone called that who'd been reasonably intelligent, so it would be a good name. I took that as a pretty high compliment to whoever she was, since I've never heard him say anyone is more than 'reasonably intelligent'.”

“I think I've just talked to her. The supporter I mentioned, actually, she's the wife of the portrait cake guy we met at the wedding fair, and said her name was Kate. She said she'd known him at the same time as her now-husband.”

“It must be her then. Urm, Kath, don't mention either of them to Dad, OK? He said some very uncomplimentary things about him and her after we'd met him.”

“She's a psych-counsellor, Mum. Offered her services to me, if I needed them, I guess she meant from coping with Dad.”

“A human psych-counsellor who knows what your Dad's like? Oh how I envy you! I don't suppose you could ask her if I could come for a chat too?”

“I can ask. I don't think it'll be cheap, Mum, she said something about it paying very well.”

“I expect it's worth it. And I could always sell some of the junk, sorry 'important works of Art', that your Dad's collected over the years.”

“He'll be furious!”

“Not for long dear, I'll tell him I needed to do it with his bank accounts frozen. I wonder if they know about all of them. I must pass on a list to the police.”

“Mum, why?”

“Because I'm not the trophy-wife I used to be Kath. I'm not going to stop loving him, but I know him. He's not going to think about me if he gets a chance to flee the country. I'm also not going to be important for his career if he doesn't have one. So, if the police know about all his offshore accounts then he can't abandon me quite so soon.”

“Oh Mum, that's a terrible outlook on life!”

“That's survival Kath. Planning ahead. Now, you go chat to Kate and ask her to contact me if she's got time.”

“OK Mum, I will. You realise she's a Christian, don't you?”

“I'd guessed, Kath. Maybe she can tell me about her God. I think James doesn't qualify for that position, no matter what he thinks.”

“Mum, you're not reacting to this the way I'd have expected at all.”

“Oh Kath! You changed when you became a Christian. I could see it. It was almost enough to convince me, then since I learnt about his dodgy deals, three years ago I think it was, then whenever I've been really upset by Dad I've been challenging God that if he's he's real he should then pull your Dad of his high horse good and proper. It's early days yet, but I think I see that happening. So, if you want me to turn to your God, you pray for your Dad to be in jail for a long time. Because if he's here then he'll be able to convince me that it's all a myth yet again.”

“OK, Mum. I'll call again sometime, and we'll be praying for you.”

“Thank-you Kath.”

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“Kate, Mum says that I should jump at the chance of talking to you professionally, she also asks if you've got time in your schedule to talk to her too.”

“I don't really do much front-line counselling any more Katherine, but yes, I'll talk to her. She told you what's happened?”

“Yes. She also said that she's been challenging God for the past four years to make Dad fall off his perch good and proper if He wants her to believe He exists.”

“Maybe she should have set a time-limit.”

“Pardon?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking aloud. I came to faith after challenging God to get us laughing within five minutes about something that was scaring some of us quite badly. He did it in four and a half.”

“I'm glad, but I thought we weren't supposed to put God to the test?”

“We're not. But sometimes He makes exceptions for unbelievers, to get them to where they're ready to take that last step.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Oh, yes I see.”

“But your mother's coping then?” Kate asked.

“Yes. And she's compiling a list of his bank accounts, just in case the police have missed any.”

“That's very... unexpected of her.”

“She loves Dad, but she knows him, Kate.”

“She's making sure he can't abandon her?” Kate guessed.

“Yes.”

“He demanded loyalty but didn't give much when I knew him. I'd hoped that with his wife that might be different.”

“It doesn't sound like it. I don't know how she can live like that Kate.”

“People are pretty good at coping.”

“What do you think he'll do if she does become a Christian?”

“Let's pray that he'll learn faith while inside. Stranger things have happened.”

“You said you knew more about his arrest?”

“More about the circumstances. He was arrested for drilling a great fat a hole through our tunnel. Which seriously broke various laws and the lease conditions.”

“Your tunnel? Lease? I'm lost, sorry.”

“Sorry, I'm jumping too much. Your Dad was in charge of extending a restaurant on a plot of land which his company bought from him as though it was freehold. But actually it's leased from the institute where I work.”

“Institute? And you're a psycho-counsellor. Not where Bob McDaniel's been reporting from?”

“The very same.”

“Mum said he'd almost been charged with breaking national security laws.”

“I'm not sure it was right not to charge him with them, but it wasn't my call. Anyway, one of the institute's founders bankrupted himself digging some tunnels and left us as landlords for the two hundred year leases to go with the property above them. That's a really long time, so some people conveniently forgot the land was leased and sold it as though it wasn't. Your Dad was one such, but there was only four years of lease left when he sold.”

“That's not long.”

“Certainly not if you then decide to knock down the building you've just bought and rebuild something bigger. At the end of the lease, the land and any buildings on it revert to us, so that's a really poor time to build.”

“So he didn't know?”

“He should have. He certainly did before they demolished the building. Best guess is he was hoping to buy off the lease, or get it extended.”

“Isn't that normal?”

“If you've been a good tenant, it's normal, yes. But the rent hadn't been paid for a long time. Maybe he was going to claim that us not chasing them over paying rent meant we'd given up on our rights. We'd have fought that very hard, and claimed quite rightly that it wasn't worth our layers time to chase over a dozen bedding plants per year, but that we had reminded them to pay up.”

“So Dad built on the plot and broke your tunnel?”

“No, he got a warning phone-call that we would terminate the lease immediately if they dug too deep, or built too high. For some reason a few days later he sunk a borehole through our tunnel.”

“Ouch. Lease cancelled?”

“Very much so. Criminal damages claim against your Dad and company, also other charges pending. Our lawyer pressing for charges under the UN protected site laws, since it the tunnel has the status of a secret exit route.”

“So why did Dad's company build. I don't get it.”

“Last year's financial statement listed the site as a freehold possession.”

“They didn't know?”

“The shareholders didn't. The rest of the board, I don't know.”

“So Dad's going to be chased by the shareholders for the loss of their investment?”

“I expect so. Not to mention the false accounting charges, and the fact that he mis-sold the land in the first place.”

“Mum said something about him not working again.”

“Yes. Assuming these charges stick, he's not going to be any kind of manager or director again.”

“Kate, why are you telling me all this? I mean, it'll all come out in court, won't it.”

“Yes, except... Your dad runs. Your mum's seen it in him, I've seen him do it. He didn't have perfect control over me, so he dumped me and ran. Switched university, changed his net I.D. Abandoned his friends, position, everything. That's not just an extreme reaction to a lack of loyalty, it's a rejection of any reality which contains situations he cannot control.”

“So either this breaks his pride, like mum is hoping...” Katherine started, but couldn't continue.

“Or he might run from life. I don't think he's going to escape into drugs or alcohol Katherine. He was always very anti those, saw them as acknowledgement of weakness. He'd be more likely to do the dramatic exit in what he thinks is the only way he's got left. I'm sorry. I thought you should be prepared. I'll forward the warning to the police, of course, so they can put him on their suicide risk list.”

“Kate, I know it's invading his mental privacy, but could a gifted person check on him, like an internal suicide watch?”

“Yes and no Katherine. Yes, they could watch his top level thoughts all day, if they did nothing else. But someone sitting in the same room would be far better placed to actually stop him. Or they could look at what he's thinking in detail for a second or two, but I don't know if the sort of rejection that we've talked about is something that builds up over time or is more like a snap decision.”

“Thank you. So the answer's not really.”

“Not really for the suicide watch. But, there maybe other things. It would be good if we could persuade him to reject suicide as an option.”

“Would a gifted person be able to do that?”

“I don't know, but after your Dad vanished I spent thirty years wishing he'd come back, because he'd been such good emotional manipulator. In his case I'm prepared to do some emotional manipulation myself. I think I'm going to visit your Dad and convince him that running away is weakness too. It's worth a try.”

“You'd do think you can?”

“Well, in our little trio your Dad was the charismatic leader, the grand orator, the manipulator. But in a debate, I could always run circles round both of the boys.”

“He might have changed, Kate, got better at arguing.”

“I'm sure of it. But I'm better at not being manipulated too. And I'm certainly not going to give in on the reality of God or the fact that your Dad's been running from God all his life.”

“Well, I'd rather he was alive than dead, so please, do try and convince him.”

“Don't worry. I will.” Kate said, and grinned a feral grin at Pete, who'd been listening — Kate had switched to speaker phone when she was making her analysis of James's character. After they'd said their goodbyes, Pete asked “You don't think he'll refuse to see you?”

“No. I don't think so. I want to try, even if he's a slime-ball, his wife and daughter love him.”

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The prison governor was confused. “You're not seen him in thirty years, you think he's a suicide risk, you know he's guilty as hell, and consider him a manipulative slime-ball, but you want to visit him. I don't understand your reasons Mrs West, but you're free to visit him. Visits are recorded, of course, but it's an automated system. Court order needed to access without permission from both of you.”

“Good. I'm a professional psych-counsellor sir, and will consider this to be under professional confidentiality rules. I hope I can convince him that suicide isn't a good option for him.”

“I wish you every success then. It sounds like he's going to be with us quite a long time.”

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James was waiting in the interview room when Kate was brought in. He was confused at her entrance, he'd not known who to expect, but who was this woman? Why did she look familiar?

“James you miserable excuse for a manipulative slime-ball, I've finally found out where you are! Good to see you after thirty years. What did you think you were doing, running away from me like that?”

“Katherine? Is it that really you?” He was shocked, and he didn't have much fight left in him Kate could see. Fair enough.

“No, Katherine is your daughter, who's off to convert the heathen masses having given up on the pig-headed one at home. I'm Kate, as I rarely failed to correct you.”

“Kate then. You've really been looking for me for thirty years?” Shock had faded toward incredulity. “No, just for most of them I was hoping that I'd bump into you and you'd congratulate me on keeping the faith of atheism alive.” Kate had decided it wasn't the time to bring her other emotions into the open yet. She'd keep things simple while his brain woke up. Would he catch that carrot and show some of his old life?

“Atheism isn't a faith Kate! It's a clearly observable fact.”

Bingo! That was more like it. Time to invert an old argument, and turn the conversation to some places she knew he'd be on weak ground. “No James, if it were something clearly observable then there'd be lights in the night sky saying 'God's not here'. Of course the religious would point at the same evidence and say that it proves the existence of a God with a sense of irony or that our language had changed or something. Everything is faith James. You had faith in other people's stupidity, that no one would find you out for selling the restaurant to the company as freehold when you knew it was leased. You were wrong. You had faith after you ran away from university that if you changed your network I.D. then I'd never be able to tell you what a coward you are for refusing to face the reality that sometimes rules that you've made need breaking. You were wrong about that too. Though I do admit that its taken me a while.”

“That's not how it was, Kate!”

“No? You decided that we wouldn't talk to Pete except on official or committee business, we all agreed after some objections. Then you find me talking to him. It wasn't quite committee business, but it was official: there was something I needed to know for a paper I had to write during the vacation. I had to ask him about how it all started, had he gone to talk to her because he was interested in her, because he was interested in God, or because he was trying to convince her the error of her ways and he hadn't foreseen how well she could argue. And what do you do? You accuse me of treachery among other things, dump me and then run away. You actually ran, I saw you. And you'd be doing it again if you could, wouldn't you? I see that wild look in your eyes.”

“That's not how it was Kate! I didn't run from you, I was fed up with my course and transferred away.”

She was amazed how weakly that came from him.. He'd obviously lost his edge, or was mentally exhausted. “Yes, I'm sure. And you reached that decision how long after you sprinted away from me? How did I become so scary James? By having a will and thoughts of my own? You don't cope well when things don't follow your plans do you? So rather than face them, you run. That's a weakness, you know, just like you used to say drunkenness was. But that was years ago. Do you ever turn to drink now James?”

“No! I'm not weak Kate!”

“But sometimes you run away. What's that if not weakness?” Kate could see the barbs sticking. No need to use her gift on him. Just his face was giving it away. It had used to be such a challenge to debate with him, now she was so obviously in charge it was almost a shame. “Oh come on Kate, faced with an untenable situation, where's the point in staying? Better to withdraw and redeploy.”

“Withdraw and redeploy? That's a good euphemism. Is that what you did? Ran so quickly that you left your prize leather jacket at my flat? Some 'redeployment', James. I tried to explain but you weren't interested. I tried to contact you, but you changed your net I.D. Were you so scared of me?”

“No Kate! I was furious with you, but not scared of you.”

“Then what was it James?” Kate saw God's hand in it, now, but she was still curious. “Were you scared of God; scared that if I was talking to Pete that maybe I'd be convinced and then you'd have two people trying to save your soul?”

“I wasn't happy in my course. When I broke off with you there was no point staying.”

“So why did you change your net I.D.?”

“Because I was fed up with Pete writing to me about how unfair I was being to you. And You tried writing to me too, but I didn't want to change my mind. It would have been too humiliating.” Kate was amazed. Was this why he ran?

“Oh! You were happy to slander me in front of I don't know how many people, but not to ask forgiveness?”

“Exactly” he sounded depressed about it, even. A known problem then. But somehow he was admitting problems. Not like him. She needed to press him further though.

“So, rather than ask forgiveness, you ran. And rather than face the consequences of your crimes you'd love to run again, wouldn't you?”

“Of course I would, Kate. Wouldn't you?”

“Well, I don't know, I've never been such a self-serving slime-ball as you can be, James. I mean, selling your share in the restaurant was fine, but selling it as freehold? What were you thinking? And then keeping it a secret from your employer even after you'd had letters? How did you manage?”

James looked in horror at Kate. “How did you know that?”

“Oh come on, James! The annual finances still list the site as an asset! Out of thirty restaurants, that site is getting thirty percent of the company's investment expenditure, with less than a year to run before ownership could revert. That's really really stupid, they wouldn't have done that if there'd been any awareness of the lease. By the way, the lease has been revoked, and the building site is still marked as a crime scene. The company's share value value has dropped by something like fifty percent. I guess you couldn't admit a mistake again. Is that it? James, that's probably as big a weakness as booze, just so you know.”

“I'd have been out on my ear!” he protested, knowing how weak it was. What had he been thinking? And why had Kate turned up to be his conscience?

“Ah! Another rationalisation. Imagine James: what would have happened if you'd called an emergency shareholders meeting three years ago, and had said 'Dear shareholders I've discovered that I mis-sold the land as freehold, but I've re-negotiated the lease and it's now ours for the next fifty years. We do need to pay rent but it's nothing compared to the profit we'll make from such a prime location. Oh, and here's the difference between the value of the site as freehold and with a fifty year lease as a token of my good will.' Would you be in prison today?”

“Probably not, Kate.” he was seriously low now, she could tell. She didn't like doing this to him, she'd been expecting more fight from him, but she knew it was still necessary.

“And would you have lost your job?”

“Probably not, Kate.”

“So by refusing to apologise you've got yourself a jail term. Your accounts are frozen, and you're probably not going to get bail anyway as your wife says you'll probably try to flee the country. Is she right?”

“Yes! Kate, how do you know all this?”

“I've been talking to your daughter. I ran into Pete soon after you met him, and he's been supporting her. She and I agreed that even without bail you'd probably still try and run away from the trouble you're in.”

“What, me? Try and climb over the prison wall?”

“I was thinking you might think you didn't need to hang around for the trial, and that you'd maybe seek oblivion instead.” She said this tenderly. She knew it was true, but she needed to get him to admit it. “Well, wouldn't you? My life is in ruins, my wife is probably planning to divorce me, my daughter's wasting her life in serving a delusion, I'll probably never work again. What's there to live for?”

Kate needed to give him hope now, but she wanted to get him to think where this rubbish was coming from too. “James, you really are one of the most self-centred men I've ever met. For the record, I talked to your wife as well as Katherine. Amazingly enough, she recognised you as the self-centred slime-ball you are some years ago, and yet still loves you. She's even making plans for when you're out of jail. So she's going to be very disappointed if you ruin her plans by being too week to cope with the prison term you've earned yourself. Secondly, your daughter is not serving a delusion, she's following a very noble calling. You, on the other hand have been serving a delusion that no one would find out the truth. You've been running from apologising to people, you desperately need forgiveness, but you don't seek it. That's just so wrong-headed I hardly know where to start.”

“What do you mean, Katherine isn't serving a delusion, Kate. You're not going to tell me you've been duped too?”

“Duped? Oh yes I was duped. I was duped into believing that you were my Mr Right and it was only when I realised how terrible you'd be to live with that I remembered that all that Mr Right rubbish was your assessment, not mine. Thirty years I carried a flame for you, you self-worshipping manipulator, and now you tell me that you knew you should apologise thirty years ago and yet you still haven't! It was only when I stopped worshipping you that I realised that there is someone who deserves my worship far more than you do. Oh, and James, do learn to apologise. Not only is it rude not to, but you're not just sitting waiting for something as temporary as a jail term from God's perspective. Don't think that suicide is going to end your troubles. It's just going to make it too late to do anything to resolve them.”

“I can't cope with humiliation, Kate. I can't!”

“And, therefore, you can't even apologise for what you called me thirty years ago? Not even if I tell you that, in my joy in my reliable, loving, self-giving husband, I'm glad you dumped me, that I'm glad I never married until a month ago because of the way you'd messed my brain up?”

“I'm... I'm sorry Kate. I shouldn't have called you those things.”

“Well done! Now, keep practising saying sorry. It gets you out of trouble, keeps people talking to you, less inclined to call you a slime-ball. The other phrase I want you to practice is 'guilty as charged, milord.' It saves a lot of time, effort, money and public humiliation. It would also be good if you practised saying 'My psychoanalyst tells me I'm a slime-ball.' no, sorry, you did finally apologise. A better way of saying it is 'My psychoanalyst tells me that my almost total inability to publicly or privately admit errors is what lead me to this situation, I acknowledge this and I realise that I should not be trusted to make my own decisions until I am cured.'”

“You're a psychoanalyst?”

“Of course, James, really, pay attention to people! It was what I studied, after all. Of course, I don't practice much, being the institute's director now. You see, I know that if you'd come to your landlord four years ago then you'd have got that extension. I'd have given you one in an instant.”

“You're the institute's director?”

“Yes, James. And I'm very happily married to Pete too, thank you for asking.”

“I didn't.”

“I know. You should have, though, it's one of these things called a social convention. James, you genuinely are mentally unwell. I hope you realise this. Running away rather than apologising is not normal adult behaviour. It's a sign of weakness. Don't do it. Be strong enough to admit you've been wrong, and don't make matters worse by killing yourself. Your daughter and wife would like to see you healed.”

“But I can't face this Kate, I honestly can't cape with any situation where there's humiliation involved. I can fight, or I can run, but I can't 'stand there and face it.' I just can't.”

“James, what if I told you that I knew a way you could face that? If I told you how to be strong enough to face humiliation, public insults and even torture. Would you be interested?”

“Some kind of self-help? I've tried lots Kate. They don't work.”

“Then make your daughter very happy by seeking the same help she's got. She faces you humiliating her quite a lot, doesn't she?”

“Yes, Kate. I'm not a tolerant man.”

“But she can handle it, without running away. Because God is real, James, He's not a mental construct. He's not some kind of self-induced delusion. He's as real as you or me, in many ways more real. He can help you if you'll let him. It might take a while, but it could be instant too. I don't know.”

“That would be really humiliating Kate! President of Atheist society turns to God?”

“James, who'd make fun of you? I wouldn't, your wife and daughter wouldn't. Pete wouldn't. Who'd humiliate you? God? Who else knows you were president of the atheist society for a year? Are you really refusing the help you know you need, sticking your head in the sand because you'd make fun of yourself?”

“My parents know.” he was clutching at straws, she knew it.

“I remember you saying they're Christians. I'm sure they'd be very very happy if you turned to God, James and I don't think they'd make fun of you.”

“OK, so maybe no one would make fun of me. But how do you know your God is real, can you offer me proof, or is it just arguments like we used to pick apart at university?”

“Have you been following Bob McDaniel's reports?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I know God's real because I challenged Him to prove himself by solving a very worrying situation in five minutes. He did it within four and a half. And then he gave me the gift of hearing thoughts, James, and He spoke to me. And then about three hours ate that, I met Pete after all these years. I know God is real.”

James looked at her in a mixture of fear and hope. Was she really claiming to be one of these fifty-six super mind-readers? “You can prove that I presume, this gift? You mean what he calls the spiritual one?”

“Yes, I can. If you'll allow me to look, I could tell you every thought in your skull at the moment I look. I'm able to do it without permission, of course, but that's not very ethical, normally. You want proof?”

“All right, you tell me what I'm thinking.”

“All the way down, or just top levels? I can do both. The deep levels include subconscious and repressed memories.”

“Then tell me why I'm can't cope with humiliation, Kate, if you can.”

Kate looked deeply, just briefly and analysed what she'd seen. He didn't think he knew why, but his subconscious did, it was sitting there in his thoughts: a school performance when he'd got his lines all wrong, and tried to apologise. Everyone had laughed, even his parents. Deeper, what he'd said. It was very funny; it would have been a credit to him if he'd improvised it as a comic interlude. But his apology had come out as the punchline. Kate was too focussed to laugh, fortunately. Another memory, also deep, but probably not too deep for him to recall if she told him: his rejection of his parents explanation, that they'd thought it was a clever joke. They'd laughed at the memory, and he felt they were laughing again at him, more humiliation. Other related thoughts; that early distrust had led to him distrusting other things his parents said. Eventually rejecting their God. Kate looked at her ex-boyfriend with a better understanding than she'd had. No wonder apologies were hard. They'd brought humiliation, laughter, shame.

“James, let me tell you everything I saw.” and as she told him his eyes widened in surprise, hearing what he'd said with the ears of an adult, of a parent, realising the truthfulness of his parents explanation, and recognising the web of misinterpretation and mistrust that he'd built around it. “I don't know how you did that, Kate. But, thank you. I... I wish things had been different.”

“Some things hurt at the time and are for the best in the long run, James. I pray that you'll think about what I've told you. You do have a future after all this is over, remember that.”

“You might be right. But I don't know what as.”

“You could try crossing atheist off your CV and see where that takes you.”

“I'm not going to break down that easily Kate. I might admit that I have emotional hang-ups but that doesn't mean I'm going to run into the arms of your god on the basis of one, admittedly amazing, revelation about my past.”

“James, I'm not going to suggest you should. Talk to your wife and daughter. Practice apologising to them, I'm sure you can think of a long list of things you can apologise for. Talk to your parents too, and listen to what all of them say about God. Don't just take my word for it. Read the Bible too, one of the gospels, Luke, perhaps, or John, then maybe Acts. The early chapters of Romans for some reflection on where you are now, and what Christ has done. Hebrews would be good too, if you remember anything from Sunday school. Don't turn off when God is mentioned, listen up instead. I think you're going to have time, use it well.”

“And that's it? You're going to turn my life upside down and walk out of it again?”

“I hope I've given you enough of a kick that you can turn your life the right way up now, James. I'm going to be in contact with Katherine for the foreseeable future, and she knows how to contact me. Please don't tell anyone about my working at the institute — that'd be another crime to add to the list, and one that Security would press charges on. I'd rather you don't tell about my gift either. It might put my life in danger.”

“But now you're vanishing?”

“Not entirely, James. You can contact me if you need to. You just need to talk to your daughter. I think you can do that without too much humiliation.”

“I think so.... Kate?”

“Yes, James?”

“You're not a bad manipulator yourself, you know.”

“But there's a difference isn't there, James?”

“You manipulated me out of imminent suicide you mean?”

“How close were you?”

“Working on finding an opportunity.”

“I'm glad I came today then.”

“I think I am too, Kate. That's quite a trick you can pull there. You could be famous.”

“It's not for fame, James. It's for helping the desperate, the lost, the needy, not to mention helping weak arguments against God to crumble. Any time you want a no-limits debate as to his existence, let me know.”

“By no limits you mean you get to read my mind? That's hardly fair!”

“It's perfectly fair, James! All it really does is keep you honest.”

“But I wouldn't get to know what you're being honest about, Kate.”

“Ah, but I'd be arguing with a view to convince you to trust in the Author of Truth, the Light in whom there is no Darkness. Not good to try to do that based on a lie.”

“I presume those are quotes.” James said, to buy himself some thinking time.

There was something important there.

“Second one is, from near the beginning of John. I'm not actually sure about where the first one comes from. It might be Biblical or just Christian phraseology.”

“But you're telling me that you wouldn't lie about your belief to win?”

“Of course not, James, not deliberately. I'm pretty sure it would really offend God.”

“What would you lie to do Kate?”

“Urm, what could I legitimately tell lies for with a clean conscience? I'm not sure. I don't want to say nothing: I'm sure there are some motives. Is it important? I can ask a more mature Christian.”

“I'm not sure if it's important. Your answer so far is pretty staggering, you know. Christians don't lie?”

“Oh yes, we do, but we shouldn't. We're supposed to let our yes be yes and our no no. But to lie without offending God? That's a tricky one.”

[John, I'm mid-conversation here... What is it legitimate to lie about or for?]

[Easiest one is protecting people, Kate, not yourself, but others. And not from justice, that doesn't count.]

[Thanks! Oh, and pray for James. He's letting thoughts about God enter his mind.]

“What about to protect someone?”

“Ha, just what I was just told. But not ourselves, and not from justice.”

“Then if you'd lie to protect someone, why not to convince them about God, if that's so important?”

“I'd lie to say I didn't know where someone was, if an aggressor was after them. I'd maybe lie about a gift I was giving if the truth would stop it being accepted, I'd never knowingly lie about God. I don't know about other Christians. Maybe they'd be tempted to exaggerate about their experiences from some sort of sense of inferiority.”

“But you don't feel inferior?”

“Well, I know I'm not good starting material, but as for evidence of him in my life, I'm in the privileged few, I'm sure.”

“What about my daughter?”

“What about her?”

“Is she in the privileged few, or the great unwashed masses?”

“Oh, I'm sure she's been washed in the spiritual sense, James.”

“I mean, she once told me that God had told her that she didn't need to convince me of anything, or even ask my permission before she obeyed him.”

“I imagine you left her in tears after that.”

“To be honest, Kate, I tried, and failed.”

“Chalk one up for her side, then.”

“I did. But do you think that was real?”

“I think the evidence speaks for itself, James. But I'm going to talk to her about it, and then I'm not going to breach client confidently.”

“Aren't I your client, too?”

“No, James. This is just a friendly chat. I'd never take you on as a long term client. Too much history, not a good idea. But if you like I'll pretend I didn't know that you'd tried to reduce her to a tearful wreck every time she talked of her faith, just suspect it.”

“I didn't say I tried every time!”

“Can you name one time you didn't?”

James thought for a while. Then offered “At her wedding; I didn't try at her wedding.”

“And was that because of the occasion, because she didn't come near you or because she was so surrounded by her Christian friends that you didn't want to risk it?”

“A bit of all three. Plus my wife threatened me if I dared.”

“Good for her. So, can I tell Katherine of your confession?”

“Yes. I wasn't a good father to her was I?”

“James, I personally consider the fact that she's still talking to you at all to be a major miracle.”

“She doesn't, much.”

“I said at all. Will she accept the call if you ring her?”

“Sometimes she does.”

“See! A miracle.”

“Kate, I want to tell her I'm sorry. Will you ring her for me? ”

“I don't know. I'm not just going to ring her and then hand you my wrist unit. If I tell her that I'm here with you and you want to apologise, would that work? Leave it up to her if she wants to talk now? She could be in a lecture for all I know.”

“I guess so. Ask her to ring me sometime if she can't talk now.”

“OK.” She rang Katherine, who admitted to be writing an essay. “What's the subject?”

“Christian Forgiveness.”

“Ooh, you've got some experience there then.”

“Yes. Were you able to talk to Dad this morning?”

“Yes. It went pretty well I think.”

“Oh, so he's not suicidal?”

“Claims he isn't now. He also says that he wants to apologise to you.”

“WHAT! Dad never apologises! What did you do to him?”

“We explored why he fights or runs away. I'll give you a slightly less edited version in person, OK?”

“Fine, but you mean that he doesn't turn into a cloud of dust rather than apologise now?”

“I extracted an apology from him, and just now he said he'd like to apologise to you. Can I pass you over, or would you like to call him sometime more convenient? James, you wouldn't prefer to talk in private?”

“No, Kate. You hang around as a witness, if Katherine doesn't mind talking now.”

“I don't mind. I'm in shock, but I don't mind. What did you dose him on, Kate? Is it obtainable legally?”

“Katherine!” Kate laughed “What a suggestion! All I did was talk a bit about some old memories, point out how much trouble he'd got into by being such an unrepentant manipulative slime-ball, that sort of thing.”

“Urm, I don't think I'd call him that Kate.”

“Of course not, Katherine, you're his daughter, you've got a duty to respect him. I'm just an ex-girlfriend who he publicly insulted and dumped thirty years ago, I'm allowed to show him suitable disrespect and point out his flaws. It's a cultural thing.”

“Kate, do you forgive him?”

“Of course I forgive him, Katherine, I didn't say he was still a slime-ball did I? And you're at least a bit repentant too, aren't you, James?” With that she put her wrist unit on the table, so James could talk.

“Katherine, Kate's being generous. I'm sure I don't deserve her being so mild in her name-calling, or so forgiving. I've got a lot of thinking to do, but I want to say I'm sorry. I knew your faith was real to you and I didn't try to do anything but mock you for it. That's... that was far more about my failings and weaknesses than yours. Kate's pointed out that never apologising is a weakness, an illness, not strength, and it's got me here. I'd like to be well. I can't say 'well again' because it goes back a long time.”

“Th-Thanks, Dad. I'll pray for you.” Kate could hear Katherine fighting to control her emotions and took the wrist-unit back. “I'll break the connection now Katherine, so you can pour it out to God. Talk to you in a bit.”

“Thanks, Kate”

Kate disconnected. “James, I'm going to leave you with your thoughts now. No giving up on life please.”

“She didn't say she forgave me.”

“She said she'd pray for you, James. You didn't actually ask her if she'd forgive you, you know.”

“I guess I was expecting her to say she did.”

“You've given her a big surprise and quite a lot to pray about James. Give her some time. You know, it wouldn't hurt you to talk to her about prayer, you might learn something.”

“That there's more than the ceiling listening?”

“Are you prepared to admit that much?”

“I don't know.”

“That's progress, at least. There was no way I could peer into your memories or hear your thoughts before I became a Christian, James.”

“I know Kate. I can't explain it. Well, I don't want to explain it the way you do, but there doesn't seem to be another rational explanation.”

“James, this gift of mine isn't something to talk about over the phone. But I'm due to meet Katherine today, and I'll tell her about it. You reorganise your thoughts a bit, let ideas percolate where they need to, and come up with some good sensible questions for her. Don't let old habits come back. Do notice the lack of humiliation.”

“She was on the verge of tears. Why does an apology bring her to tears when attacks don't?”

“James, its because ...” she stopped mid-sentence for thought and decided not to go there. It was time she left. They'd told her to give a short press on the buzzer just before she wanted to be let out. She did so, and finished her sentence.

“It's because people are complicated. Now, I'm going to say goodbye and get back to work. Good-bye James. I expect it won't be another thirty years before we meet again.”

“Goodbye Kate. The company's shareholders didn't know anything, nor did the board. Please don't hold them to blame.”

She thought about that request as she left the prison. A mostly unselfish plea.... she decided to count that as a positive sign.

----------------------------------------

9AM, WEDNESDAY 25TH OCTOBER

“Teresa, what is the institute going to do with that building site we now own?”

“You've always owned it, Kate. But, yes, I see what you mean. Property development isn't exactly your core activity is it?”

“Not exactly.” Kate said with a laugh.

“You could obviously find someone to take it on, but... OK, I'm prepared to fight it, but the restaurant are launching an appeal against the eviction, saying that whoever it was digging that borehole, it wasn't in any of their plans, and so on. With you saying that it was just the one director claiming responsibility and that he'd been suffering a mental illness, well, I'm wondering if we should settle out of court and give them a new lease.”

“I agree. It doesn't seem right to me to punish all the shareholders and staff for his actions. But... There should have been checks, controls, I can't imagine they he could really deceive everyone on his own.”

“Nor can I. I presume the fraud investigation is going to find that out, I think he must have had help. There's an emergency shareholder's meeting tomorrow afternoon, and their board is meeting in the morning. Would you like me to persuade them to invite me?”

“I think that would be a very good idea. Or failing anything else, I guess at least a letter to the shareholders.”

“So what do I tell them?”

“That we understand the company has invested a lot of their money in the property, and we understand that the attack on our tunnel was not planned by them or envisaged by the published plans. Then something about not pre-judging the ongoing police investigation, but subject to it finding the company as an entity innocent of the damage to our property we're willing to offer a fifty year lease on the site, at commercial land rates. Same engineering limits as before, of course. How does that sound?”

“Very reasonable. The rental amount would be re-assessed every five years, like the other commercial rate ones?”

“Yes. How long do we give them to decide?”

“Do you charge them for legal fees and tunnel repairs? You obviously can, it's peanuts compared to them writing off the cost of the building, and it'd be far easier to make it part of the lease offer than to chase them through the courts for it.”

“Very good idea. Yes. Now, about the timing of when you ask to talk to the board....”

“You want them to sweat a bit first?”

“I think the board have been lax. They've let things happen which look like corruption to me. And also, this conversation should have been triggered by them — they should be approaching us, begging for a renegotiated lease, shouldn't they?”

“Yes. Shall I skip the board meeting then?”

“I think so. Is the shareholder's meeting closed?”

“Tony has managed to get himself a press invitation. I think I could sneak in as his assistant or use him as leverage to get in on my own credentials.”

“I think try the latter. A reporter's assistant shouldn't be dressed as a lawyer or addressing the meeting. Unless of course you want to go there as just his girlfriend and happen to notice something wrong?”

“Ooh, sneaky. Yes, I'll see if I can do that. It gives them the opportunity to call me up during or after their board meeting, too.”

“But if they happen to say that they've tried to begin negotiations....”

“I can stand up and say no you haven't and offer them the deal, yes.” Teresa was grinning widely. “Thanks Kate, this sounds like fun.”