A special thanks to Barney R for his wonderful editing. This is the final chapter.<>
*****
Brad immersed himself in his work to overcome his loneliness. Work had been his saviour before and he turned to it for solace once again. But something had changed these last few weeks. Things were no longer the same.
Many a times he would look up from his work and stare at the chair Alice had occupied. Memories of her dimpled smile, her confident look and carefree laughter would time and again make him stop what he was doing.
Then he would remember how frail and weak she had looked in her hospital bed, eyes closed, breathing softly with an assortment of tubes running in and around her.
He wanted to be there with her, to help her recuperate, to bring back that dimpled smile on her cheerful face.
The incessant ringing of his cell broke his trance like posture. It was Big Mac.
"Yeah," he grunted out. He really didn't feel like talking to anybody, least of all Big Mac or Ralph and Nick for that matter.
"It was a nice bonfire wasn't it," he said over the line.
"What bonfire?"
"Aww man, don't you read the papers?"
"You mean you do?" replied Brad sarcastically.
"Hey hey, just relax okay?"
"Sorry Mac, just one of those days," replied Brad wearily.
"Yeah, I understand. Now cheer up man 'cause we just played out the final part in the Witherspoon Saga."
"What do you mean?"
"There was a fire at the construction site that severely damaged their equipment."
"Any loss of life?"
"I'm a businessman Brad," replied Big Mac in a serious tone.
"Okay. Now what?"
"Harold will need new equipment fast but he hasn't time to go in for a purchase. So he'll try the lease rent route. But the vendor is gonna ask him to come with a safety deposit of not less than seventy five percent of the equipment cost. That's when he'll come to you. This time you refuse. In due course his project will fold up and your front companies thru which you have been funding him can move in and call back their loans. From there on we just let the legal machinery do its stuff."
"So after a certain period of time my companies would have added the Witherspoon Estate in their list of acquired investments. Then what?"
"Our respected Councillor has already met some of our "esteemed" real estate developers. By the time the Law completes its due process; our guys will be ready to offer you a hefty price thru their front companies for buying out the estate from your hands."
They talked shop for some more time before Brad put down his cell. He stretched out in his chair and placed his head back on the head rest. His revenge was at its culmination point.
He should have been euphoric. But he felt nothing, just nothing. He just wanted to finish it all and move on and once again continue living the life of a living dead.
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The phone call came the next morning. He had barely settled down when his secretary rang up to inform him that Harold Witherspoon wanted to meet him urgently and was waiting outside.
"Send him in." Might as well finish it off and be done with it.
No sooner had he put his intercom down, than the door flung open and Harold walked in. There were beads of perspiration on his face and the red eyes indicated he hadn't slept much these past few days.
"I hope you haven't come in for more money 'cause I haven't got anymore to give you," said Brad in a cold pre-emptory tone.
"Hey Brad I thought we were in this project together," rasped out Harold as he sat down and leaned on his table with his elbows.
"Corrections required Harold. You were already into that construction project when you approached me for funds. And that's what you've been doing ever since."
"Oh I see. So that's what I've been doing ever since have I?" Harold leaned closer across the table before continuing, spittle dribbling down the side of his mouth.
"The Witherspoons have been in business for decades and decades. We have a name, a standing in society. Business houses look up to us and want to be associated with us so that they can boast that they are business partners of the Witherspoons. And you ... you have the gall to tell me that I'm not credit worthy!"
"I don't need your name tag to do business," replied Brad, totally fed up with the guy sitting across him who seemed to be perpetually sitting on a high horse.
"Try it, just try it once. You'll go places."
"I'm happy where I am."
"And just where are you? What are you? A yarn spinner? What kind of a profession is that? Who knows you? Look at me. Everybody knows who I am!"
"At least I don't have to beg and borrow."