Louisa sighed, and gave her colleague a weary look.
“So the lawsuit is dropped, I take it,” Sam presumed, waiting for confirmation from the Australians. “You know this is not the doing of a global scale scientific business, my friends, so stop wasting time — yours and ours.”
“Well, with this new problem surfacing,” Eddie admitted, “we cannot pursue this accusation anymore. Let’s not bullshit ourselves, Louisa.”
“I agree,” she assured him. “I fully agree, but to apply for the trip to New Zealand, we will have to put in an expense request to Management in Adelaide and that will take a week or more. Plus, we will have to present them with concrete substantiation that this new case is relevant to our culling problem.”
“That sounds like a lot of trouble to go through,” Sam remarked in his wise guy way, “especially for chasing a minor report from a vet in another country. That is a bit daft. I don’t think you have the resources that could help you nip this problem in the bud.”
Eddie was not stupid, but he was reserved in these things. It was Louisa that voiced what they both thought. “Okay, Mr. Cleave, what do you suggest and what do you want in return?”
“Easy on the caking, Lou,” Eddie warned her, thinking her flirting a bit too harsh.
“I’m not caking him, for Christ’s sake, Eddie!” she barked at him and turned back to regard Sam. “With the research you did on our claim against Mr. Purdue and his company, surely you will have found out that we do not have the necessary authority to pursue this new case. What are you driving at? And what is in it for you?”
Sam was ready to make them an offer they could not turn down. “Get warm. We are going to see a man about a dingo.”
26 Heike’s Heart
Sam arrived at Wrichtishousis with his two guests. Having explained most of the meeting, including the recently rescinded lawsuit, to Purdue on the car phone, Sam was ready to call a meeting that would be mutually beneficial to all.
“You were right, Purdue,” Sam cooed happily as they walked up the stairs to meet the master of Wrichtishousis, his two guests gawking shamelessly at the breathtaking architecture of the ancient castle house they were about to enter.
“About?” the tall genius asked, his white hair forming a flapping halo around his face in the gusts of the afternoon threat of rain.
“Things do have a way of falling into place when you use the relative codes,” Sam answered.
“Mr. Purdue. Good to see you again,” Eddie Olden said, reaching out to shake Purdue’s hand. Purdue obliged, but looked at Sam in astonishment, wondering how he had managed to undo the looming legal battle so easily. The attractive, rugged journalist only winked and ushered the two Australians into the lobby.
“My God,” Purdue murmured as he closed the front door. “He slept with her. That has to be it. He slept with her.”
Nina came down the stairs, the wet ends of her hair forming crystal tears that bled onto her shirt. Purdue introduced everyone, while Sam wondered why Nina took a shower in the middle of the afternoon. A small ball of anxiety whirled in the pit of his stomach. It was the same sour pain that used to eat him from the inside, long ago, when Nina dated Purdue and he had to witness those small hints that crushed his heart.
“Hey, Sam,” Nina smiled as she walked past him to pour some tea.
“H-hey,” he stammered. “You are going to catch your death in this cold with wet hair.”
“Aw, don’t worry,” she said. “It is warm enough in here. So, how did you do it? Did you take the dashing Miss Palumbo for a quickie in the car?”
Sam could not believe what Nina insinuated, and all while she was probably guilty of the act herself. “Funny that you would take it in that direction, love,” he told her softly. “Looks like you beat me to it.”
“What the fuck are you saying?” she gasped, scowling like an attack dog. Sam shrugged and walked away, leaving her hurt and angry. It reminded her of the times they were involved before, always so passionate that both were terrified of losing the other to small indiscretions. Nina sneered at Sam as he sat down with the others to discuss the deal he had in mind.
“Look, our Australian friends here need a shortcut to stifle the current spate of livestock poisoning that had suddenly reared its head in New Zealand. This very blight categorically absolved Purdue’s company of involvement, though the toxin found in New Zealand’s animals is the same composition as your company’s PLA2, Purdue,” Sam informed Purdue.
“And this is why you will contact your attorney to retract the claim?” Purdue asked.
“Yes,” Eddie Olden affirmed. “As Mr. Cleave pointed out to us, the New Zealand killings shows in all probability, that someone else is responsible for the so-called poison culling’s. Still, it is beyond baffling, so we need to personally investigate.”
“Alright, so what does that have to do with me?” Purdue asked Sam.
The journalist explained. “Our new friends here need to find a way to get to New Zealand to follow their leads and I was thinking you might want to fund their trip.”
“I beg your pardon?” Purdue yelped. “You want me to cover their travel costs after they effectively ruined what little integrity I had left in the business world?”
“Wait, Purdue, listen,” Sam eased him. “There is more to it. If you agree to do this, I would like to impose on our friends here, to allow us to join them in their venture.”
This time it was Eddie and Louisa that gasped. “What?” Eddie asked. “Why?”
“First of all, Mr. Olden, we have to keep an eye on the expenses you incur,” Sam elucidated. “Secondly,” he continued, looking at Purdue, “the poisoned livestock and farm dogs was reported by the son of the owner of the farm, one Dr. Harding.”
Purdue looked blankly at his friend. Sam tried again. “The farm belongs to a farmer, Mr. Harding, who went missing soon after taking possession of the farm he inherited.”
“Holy shit!” Nina exclaimed suddenly, starting Purdue back against his seat. “Dr. Williams’ nephew or whatever? That farm?”
Sam winked at her. “I love a sharp girl.”
“Oh my God, Sam! Oh my God! Can it be?” Purdue panted, his eyes stretched in amazement.
“Wait, what is going on now?” Louisa inquired, looking as befuddled as her colleague.
Sam cleared his throat and addressed their guests, ready to feed them a slightly misguided line to justify their hunt for Feldwebel Dieter Manns’ precious ‘lost city’. “I would like your permission to use this excursion as an opportunity to do a story on the mysterious attacks on the animals while we are there. Full coverage and in return, we will help you get the exposure you need,” he glanced briskly at Purdue, “as long as you do not interfere with our own investigation.”
Purdue understood. A smirk on Nina’s lips confirmed that she did too.
“What say you, my friends? I will provide the necessary transport and in turn, you write off the threats until both our parties unearth the true culprit here,” Purdue beseeched them. Not that he had to. It was a solid deal Palumbo and Olden knew they would get nowhere else.
Miss Palumbo could not deny that she thought it a stellar idea. Her passion for protecting the wildlife was not a cheap endeavor and as it was, she could hardly afford running an extended investigation on the meager funds of the Department of Nature Conservation. Sam Cleave’s contact was a godsend, and Purdue’s offer was airtight to anyone with an iota of common sense.
“I’m in,” she confirmed. “When can we go, then?”