“Sorry, Paul. That was delicious, thank you.”
“Pleasure. I ordered more coffee while you were worshipping your breakfast.”
Ellie laughed.
“Good. Better than looking so distraught all the time.” Paul put his hand over one of Ellie’s. “We’re going to find Jack, okay?”
With a nod, Ellie withdrew her hand. “We were talking about Dennis.”
“Oh. Him. He moved out of your apartment about three weeks ago. Into a hotel. Then the day Jack disappeared, Meredith had a melt-down and begged him to move into the guest house. Something about being afraid on her own.”
“Rubbish. She has staff. And she could have asked you to provide security.”
“She could have.”
“What has she done to find Dad?”
“Stared at her reflection at the bottom of a glass a lot.” Paul piled their plates on top of each other. “Sorry. That was insensitive. I don’t know, Ellie.”
“I’m going to visit her later. I’ll ask her then.”
“Good luck. What else are you doing today?”
“I need to meet with Campbell and Dennis and formulate a plan to manage things until Dad returns.”
And see what they both really know.
She continued. “Once that’s done, I want to sit down with you and go over everything from that last day Dad was around.” Ellie knew Paul would say what he thought. He mightn’t get on with Dennis, but he was close to her father and along with Campbell could be relied on to tell her if something wasn’t right.
11
Campbell’s Choices
Campbell Boyd had attended the same school as Jack. They moved in different circles, Campbell coming from a wealthy family who’d already lined him up for a future in finance and business management. While Jack excelled at football and cricket, Campbell retired hurt in the lower grades. He wanted to be athletic and be liked as Jack was. Perhaps he’d idolized him.
In their last year of high school, their paths crossed more, with Jack aiming for the same university as Campbell, his sights on a business degree. After a nasty incident when another student tried to bully Campbell into helping him cheat, Jack stepped in and from then, they were friends.
Jack’s rise to wealth was meteoric and unexpected to everyone, except those who knew him personally. He was born fighting for what he wanted, the youngest of a large family living in poverty. A keen intellect and sense of justice drove him from a young age and he worked multiple jobs, giving some of his money to help his mum out after his dad went to prison yet again. Scholarships got him part of the way, and he did the rest.
What was not to admire and even love about Jack Bannerman? Campbell came out of university and straight into one of the big banks. Ten years later, Jack came calling. “I need someone I can trust, Cam. You’ve always been rock solid.”
Bannerman Wealth Group was a fledgling company with five staff, housed in a rundown shop in West Melbourne. Against his better judgement, and protests of his family, Campbell left a lucrative position and dived in. Thirty years later, he could look back without any professional regret.
He stared at the computer screen, pulled from his thoughts by a new email. It wasn’t one he wanted to see. This was Jack’s project, so without him, how was it to go ahead?
“Campbell? May I come in?”
“Ellie, my dear. Of course.” He pushed himself onto his feet, grimacing at pain in his knees. Arms open, he met her on the other side of his desk.
“I don’t want to interrupt if you’re busy.”
“Actually, I’m not. Please, let’s sit.” Campbell gestured for her to go first.
Ellie sank onto one of the two seat sofas and he took the other. She was pale and her eyes were ringed with redness. He poured water into two glasses from a jug on the coffee table.
“Are you sleeping at all?”
She took the glass with a smile. “Yes. Not enough. But everyone needs to stop worrying about me.”
“Everyone?”
“Paul, for one. Have you heard anything yet?”
“You know I’d call you first if I do. And Paul has always had a soft spot for you. He’ll watch your back.” Campbell hoped that reassured her.
“If I tell you something, will you keep it confidential for now?” Ellie asked.
“You know I will.”
Ellie put her glass down, untouched. “Dad left me a message. Well, two.”
“What? When, Ellie?”
She glanced at the door then spoke in a quieter tone. “There was a voicemail on the home phone. I only found it last night.”
Campbell’s fingers drummed against his leg and he curled them into his palm. “Whatever did he say?”
“He was sorry I was on a plane. He said I’d understand once I read his letter.”
“Letter?”
“Told me to look in our usual place—we’ve always had a secret way of communicating going back to my childhood.”
He was holding his breath. Bit by bit, he let it out.
“The problem is, I’ve looked, and the letter isn’t where it should be. Not even the…well the place we leave notes and stuff is missing.” Ellie picked up her glass and drank.
“Jack told you he’d left a letter in your secret hiding place, but nothing was there? And he phoned while you were in transit. Then he must be alive!” At last some good news.
“You can’t say anything. Ben is verifying the time of the phone call but without this letter, I’m no closer to finding out what happened. For all we know he might have hidden a letter to say he was going on a week’s holiday to somewhere with no means of contact.” Ellie’s voice pitched higher as the words tumbled out. “He might waltz back here in a couple of days all suntanned and with presents from some island.”
“You look like you’re going to cry, Ellie. Please, have some more water.”
“I’m not going to cry, but I want to find Dad.” She leaned back and whispered. “I just need to find him.”
“We will. The police will.”
“Until there is some sort of evidence of foul play, or whatever you want to call it, they won’t do anything. Not yet.”
Jack’s disappearance surely wasn’t the result of him deciding to take a break on some deserted island. A lifetime knowing the man ruled this out. Besides, he’d have left instructions, delegated Dennis or Ellie to oversee things. And then there was the project.
“My dear child, I don’t believe for a minute Jack would vanish to some island and somehow, we need to persuade the police to take it seriously. There’s a large venture underway and his presence is quite critical.”
Ellie sat bolt upright. “How critical? Campbell, who would benefit from his absence?”
12
Change Of Guard
The sub-penthouse floor was almost deserted. With the sudden decision to run an executive meeting downstairs, all staff had followed Joni to set things up. Only Mark stayed, finishing a paper Dennis wanted on Campbell’s desk in a hurry. Nobody messed with what Mr Connor demanded, and by the time quiet descended, he’d completed the task.