The 'Cousins'

Part Forty-Five: Worries for Walt and Felix

 

Timeline: 0827, Friday 20th April :: Walt Kempster’s office, Fawley Grain and Feed.

Walt Kempster almost ran the hundred yards from Mitt Fawley’s office to his own inside the Main High Value storage barn. He hoped the exercise would drive away the anger and upset brewing inside him before he got to the general office he shared with Head Clerk and Bookkeeper,Trish Conalty. 

A fork-lift truck backed out in front of him as he entered the barn bringing him to a sudden halt. Wisely, he walked the last few yards to his office angrily ripping the tie from his collar and opening his shirt to cool himself down.

Trish knew better than to speak to him the moment he got back from a breakfast meeting with the boss.  He would need a minute or two to calm down. Once he had drunk three cups of iced water from the fountain and then kicked his waste bin across the office, then that would be the time to talk. 

She just looked up and smiled as he walked into the general office; the working nerve centre of the Fawley operation. All expense had been spared on this space that Walt shared with Trish. It consisted of one hundred square feet penned off inside the main barn to make an administration area using chest high wooden partitions affording no door, roof or privacy. Apart from the filing cabinets that filled all the available space, and the cold water fountain there was two of everything; desks, telephones, computers, fans that changed for two-bar electric heaters in Winter. That was it.

After guzzling three cups of water, Walt turned around and saw the battered, misshapen waste bin by his desk and with one hefty kick launched it to fly and bounce off the wooden partition opposite to lie still on the bare concrete floor a little less round in shape and with another dent. 

“ Morning Walt,” Trish knew it was OK to talk to him now, “ meeting didn’t go so well then?”

“Morning Trish. Do they ever? More like bear baiting than a meeting.”

“ Did you manage to talk to him about reorganising the weekend shift schedules like we talked.”

Walt sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry Trish, not this time. We mostly got talked at rather than do any talking. I’ll take it up with him later. He’s got a bee in his bonnet about Whitewater and the condo. I need to make a call.”

‘Is it private? Do you want me to go?”

“No it’s OK Trish, you can stay. Do you have Bill Courtley’s private number at the Bank to hand?’

Bill Courtley took the call on his private line and listened for three minutes while Walt Kempster discussed the problems facing them with their planned extension and their need to buy the condo.

“ You see Bill, that condo is the key to the whole thing. Unless we get that, the only alternative for us is to come off the I-80 at Lederer and incur the road widening and bridging expenses that will require. Mitt Fawley won’t contemplate that. It has to be access through Whitewater.”

“ I’m nothing to do with the planning authorities Walt, I don’t see how I can help you.”

“Don’t you see Bill, if you can sell us the condo. We know Abie Gollancz is bankrupt and it’s going up for sale ...”

“ Hold it right there Walt. I cannot discuss a customer’s business affairs with you. You know that, it’s unethical and more than my job’s worth.”

“ I didn’t mean to put you on the spot Bill, I’m sorry, but then again I s’pose I did. You’re now covering the mortgage on that condo. We all know it. Everybody knows Abie’s broke and won’t meet his deadline next Monday unless a miracle happens. You’ll foreclose and put it up for sale; selling to us now can benefit you and the bank.”