第 64 页

As the months passed by, he felt things were becoming quite routine again. Routine disappeared from his mind when Virginia, just out of Sweetbriar, announced she was going to marry a student from the University of Virginia Law School. The news shook William.

'She's not old enough,' he said.

'Virginia's twenty-two,' said Kate. 'She's not a child any longer, William. How do you feel about becoming a grandfather?' she added, regretting the sequence of her words immediately she had spoken them.

'What do you mean?' said William, horrified. 'Virginia isn't pregnant, is she?'

'Good gracious, no,' said Kate, and then she spoke more softly as if she had been found out. 'Richard and Florentyna, have had a baby.'

'How do you know?'

'Richard wrote to tell me the good news,' replied Kate. 'Hasn't the time come for you to forgive him, William?'

'Never,' said William and marched out of the room in anger.

Kate sighed wearily: he had not even asked if his grandchild was a boy or a girl.

Virginia's wedding took place in Trinity Church, Boston, on a beautiful spring afternoon in late March of the following year. William thoroughly approved of David Telford, the young lawyer with whom Virginia had chosen to spend the rest of her life.

Virginia had wanted Richard to be an usher and Kate had begged William to invite him to the wedding, but he had steadfastly refused. He had wanted to say yes, but he knew that Richard would never agree to coming without the Rosnovski girl. On the day of the wedding Richard sent a present and a telegram to his sister. William would not allow the telegram to be read at the reception afterwards.

Book Six

36

Abel was sitting alone in his office on the forty-second floor of the New York Baron waiting to see a fund raiser from the Kennedy campaign. The man was already twenty minutes late. Abel was tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk when his secretary came in.

'Mr. Vincent Hogan to see you, sir.'

Abel sprang out of his chair. 'Come in, Mr. Hogan,' he said, slapping the good-looking young man on the back. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine, Mr. Rosnovski. I'm sorry I'm a little late,' said the unmistakably Bostonian voice.

'I didn't notice,' said AbeL 'Would you care for a drink, Mr. Hogan?'

'No, thank you, Mr. Rosnovski. I try not to drink when I have to see so many people in one day.'

'Absolutely right. I hope you won't mind if I have one,' said Abel. 'I'm not planning on seeing many people today!

Hogan laughed like a man who knew he was in for a day of other people's jokes. Abel poured a whisky.

'Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Hogan?'

'Well, Mr. Rosnovski, we were hoping the party could once again count on your support!

'I've always been a Democrat, as you know, Mr. Hogan. I supported Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Adlai Stevenson, although I couldn't understand what Adlai was talking about half the time!

Both men laughed falsely.

'I also helped my old friend, Dick Daley, in Chicago and I've been backing young Ed Muskie - the son of a Polish immigrant, you know - since his campaign for governor of Maine back in '54.'

'You've been a loyal supporter of the party in the past, there's no denying that, Mr. Rosnovski,' said Vincent Hogan, in a tone that indicated that the statutory time for small talk had run out. 'We also know the Democrats, not least of all former Congressman Osborne, have done the odd favour for you in return. I don't think it's necessary for me to go into any details of that unpleasant little incident!

'That's long since past,' said Abel, 'and well behind me.'

'I agree,' said Mr. Hogan, 'and although most self-made multi-millionaires couldn't face having their affairs looked into too closely, you will be the first to appreciate that we have to be especially careful. The candidate, as you will understand, cannot afford to take any personal risks so near the election. Nixon would love a scandal at this stage of the race!

'We understand each other clearly, Mr. Hogan. Now that's out of the way, how much were you expecting from me for the election campaign?'

'I need every penny I can lay my hands on.' Hogan's words came across clipped and slow. 'Nixon is gathering a lot of support across the country, and he's going to be a very close thing getting our man into the White House!

'Well, I'll support Kennedy,' said Abel, 'if he supports me. It's as simple as that.'

'He's delighted to support you, Mr. Rosnovski. We all realise that you're now a pillar of the Polish community, and Senator Kennedy is personally aware of the brave stand you took on behalf of your countrymen who are still in slave labour camps behind the Iron Curtain, not to mention the service you gave in the war. I have been authorised to let you know that the candidate has already agreed to open your new hotel in Los Angeles during his campaign trip.'

'That's good news,' said Abel.

'The candidate is also fully aware of your desire to grant Poland most favoured nation status in foreign trade with the United States!

'No more than we deserve after our service in the last, war,' said Abel, and paused briefly. 'What about the other little matter?' he asked.

'Senator Kennedy is canvassing Polish-American opinion at the moment, and we haven't met with any objections. He nahn-Aly cannot come to a final decision until after he is elected.'

'Naturally. Would two hundred and fifty thousand dollars help him make that decision?' asked Abel.

Vincent Hogan didn't speak.

'Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars it is then,' said Abel. 'The money will be in your campaign fund headquarters by the end of the week, Mr. Hogan. You have my word on it.'

The business was over, the bargain struck. Abel rose. 'Pease give Senator Kennedy my best wishes, and add that of course I hope he'll be the next President of the United States. I always loathed Richard Nixon after his despicable treatment of Helen Gahagan Douglas, and in any case, there are personal reasons why I don't want Henry Cabot Lodge as Vice-President!

'I shall be delighted to pass on your message,' said Mr. Hogan, 'and thank you for your continued support of the Democratic party, and in particular, of the candidate.' The Bostonian thrust out his hand. Abel grasped it.

'Keep in touch, Mr. Hogan. I don't part with that sort of money without expecting a return on my investment!

'I fully understand,' replied Vincent Hogan.

Abel showed his guest to the lift and returned smiling to his office. His fingers started to tap on the desk again. His secretary reappeared.

'Ask Mr. Novak to come in,'said Abel.

George came through from his office a few moments later.

'I think I've pulled it off, George!

'Congratulations, Abel, I'm delighted. If Kennedy becomes the next President, then one of your biggest dreams will be fulfilled. How proud Florentyna will be of you.'

Abel smiled when he heard her name. 'Do you know what that little minx has been up to?' he said, laughing. 'Did you see the Los Angeles Times last week, George?'

George shook his head, and Abel passed him a copy of the paper. One of the items was circled in red ink. George read the article aloud: 'Florentyna Kane opens her third shop in Los Angeles. She already owns two in San Francisco and is hoping to open another in San Diego before the end of the year. "Florentyna's", as they are known, are fast becoming to California what Balenciaga is to Paris!

George laughed as he put the paper down.

'She must have written the piece herself,' said Abel. 'I can't wait for her to open a Florentyna's in New York. I'll bet she achieves that within five years, ten at the most. Do you want to take another bet on that, George?'

'I didn't take the first one, if you remember, Abel, otherwise I would already have been out ten dollars!

Abel looked up, his voice quieter. 'Do you think she'd come and see Senator Kennedy open the new Baron in Los Angeles, George? Do you think she might?'

'Not unless the Kane boy is invited along as wen.'

'Never,' said Abel. 'That Kane boy is nothing. I read all the facts in your last report, George. He's left the Bank of America to work with Florentyna; couldn't even hold down a good job, had to fall back on her success!

'You're becoming a selective reader, Abel. You know very well that's not the way it was. I made the circumstances very clear. The Kane boy is in charge of the finances while Florentyna runs the shops, and it's proving to be an ideal partnership. Don't ever forget that a major bank offered Kane the chance to head up its European department but Florentyna begged him to join her when she no longer found it possible to control the finances herself. Abel, you'll have to face the fact that their marriage is a success. I know it's hard for you to stomach, but why don't you climb down off your high horse and meet the boy?'

'You're my closest friend, George. No one else in the world would dare to speak to me like that. So no one knows better than you why I can't climb down, not until that bastard Kane shows he is willing to meet me half way, but until then, I won't crawl again while he's still alive to watch me.'

'What if you were to die first, Abel? You're exactly the same age.'

'Then Id lose and Florentyna, inherits everything!

'You told me she wouldn't get a thing. You were going to change your will in favour of your grandson!

'I couldn't do it, George. When the time came to sign the documents, I just couldn't do it. What the hell, that damned grandson is going to end up with both our fortunes in the end.'

Abel removed a wallet from his inside pocket, shuffled through several old pictures of Florentyna and took out a new one of his grandson, which he proffered to George.

'Good-looking little boy.' said George.

'Sure is,' said Abel. 'The spitting image of his mother!

George laughed. 'You never give up, do you, Abel?'

'What do you think they call him?'

'What do you mean?' said George. 'You know very well what his name is.'

'I mean what do you think they actually call him?'

'How should I know?' said George.

'Find out,' said Abel. 'I care.'

'How am I meant to do that?' said George. 'Have someone follow them while they're pushing the pram around Golden Gate Park? You left clear instructions that Florentyna must never find out that you're still taking an interest in her or the Kane boy.'

'That reminds me, I still have a little matter to settle with his father,' said Abel.

'What are you going to do about the Lester shares?' asked George. 'Because Peter Parfitt has been showing more interest in selling his two per cent lately, and I wouldn't trust Henry with the negotiations. With those two working on the sale, everybody will be in on the deal except you.'

'I'm doing nothing. Much as I hate Kane, I don't want any trouble with him until we know if Kennedy has won the election. So I'm leaving the whole situation dormant for the moment. If Kennedy fails, I'll buy Parfitt's two per cent and go ahead with the plan that we've already discussed. And don't worry your-self about Henry; I've already taken him off the Kane file. From now on I'm handling that myself.'

'I do worry, Abel. I know he's in debt again to half the bookmakers in Chicago, and I wouldn't be surprised if he arrived in New York on the scrounge any minute now.'

'Henry won't be coming here. I made the situation very clear last time I saw him that he wouldn't get another dime out of me. If he does come begging, he'll only lose his seat on the board and with it his only source of income!

'That worries me even more,' said George. Tees aay he took it on himself to go to Kane direct for the money.'

'Not possible, George. Henry is the one man alive who hates Kane even more than I do, and not without reason.'

'How can you be so sure of that?'

'William Kanes mother was Henrys second wife,' said Abel, 'and young William, aged only sixteen, threw him out of his own home.'

'Good God, how did you come across that piece of information?'

'There's nothing I don't know about William Kane.' said Abel. 'Or Henry for that matter. Absolutely nothing - from the fact that we started life on the same day, and I'd be willing to bet my good leg there's nothing he doesn't know about me so we have to be circumspect for the time being, but you need have no fear of Henry turning stool pigeon. He'd die before he had to adn-At his real name was Vittorio Tosna and he once served a jail sentence!

'Good God - does Henry realise you know all this?'

'No, he doesn't. I've kept it to myself for years always believing, George, that if you think a man might threaten you at some time then you should keep a little more up your sleeve than your arm. I've never trusted Henry since the days he suggested swindling Great Western Casualty while he was still actually working for them, although I'd be the first to admit he's been very useful to me in the past and I am confident he isn't going to cause me any trouble in the future, because without his director's salary, he becomes penniless overnight. So forget Henry and let's be a little more positive. What's the latest date for the completion of the Los Angeles Baron?'

'Middle of September,'replied George.

'Perfect. That will be six weeks before the election. When Kennedy opens that hotel, the news will hit every front page in America.'

37

When William returned to New York, after a bankers' conference in Washington, he found a message awaiting him, requesting that he contact Thaddeus Cohen immediately. He hadn't spoken to Cohen for a considerable time, as Abel Rosnovski had caused no direct trouble since the abortive telephone conversation on the eve of Richard and Florentyna's marriage, nearly three years before. The successive quarterly reports had merely confirmed that Rosnovski was neither trying to buy or sell any of the bank's shares. Nevertheless, William called Thaddeus Cohen immediately and somewhat apprehensively. The lawyer told William that he had stumbled across some information which he did not wish to divulge over the phone. William asked him to come over to the bank as soon as it was convenient.