The Woodcutter (49 page)

He clicked the shotgun barrel into place.

The beast’s ears pricked. It let out one last growl that had something of a promissory note in it, then turned and vanished.

Slowly, still holding the gun at the ready, he advanced round the bend.

And halted.

The dog was there, lying across the feet of a man sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree. If anything, with his scarred face and a patch over his right eye, he looked even more menacing than the dog. Alongside him, resting against the trunk, stood a long-handled axe.

The man spoke.

‘When I was a lad, I got taught never to point a gun at anything I wasn’t going to use it on.’

Nutbrown took a step closer and said, ‘Good God, is that you, Wolf?’

‘Who else? Been a long time, Johnny.’

‘Too long, Wolf,’ said Nutbrown fervently, lowering the gun. ‘It’s great to see you!’

Wolf Hadda laughed. He hadn’t been sure what reaction to expect; certainly not this one, but, now he’d heard it, nothing else seemed possible. He shifted to make room beside him on the trunk. The dog growled as Nutbrown sat down, but ceased at a warning nudge from his master’s foot.

‘Been here long?’ asked Nutbrown, resting his shotgun against the fallen tree. ‘Jesus, you must be frozen! You should have come up to the house.’

‘I don’t think so, Johnny.’

Nutbrown considered then nodded.

‘Probably right. Pippa’s got a bit of a bee in her bonnet about you, I’m afraid.’

‘Really? Now why should that be, do you think?’

‘Well, she seems to think there could be some bad blood between us, after everything that happened, don’t you know?’

‘Everything that happened,’ echoed Hadda. ‘That’s really what I came to talk to you about, Johnny. Everything that happened. I’d just like to understand it from your point of view, if you’ve got the time, that is.’

‘Of course. Gent of leisure these days. But let’s not freeze altogether. Try a nip of this.’

He produced a hip flask, opened it and passed it to Hadda. He took a long pull of the liquor, rolled it round in his mouth, then swallowed.

‘Still nothing but the best, Johnny.’

‘What else is there? Cheers!’

‘Cheers. So, from the beginning, Johnny.’

Nutbrown took another drink as if, despite his apparent ease of manner, he needed a little booster for an imminent ordeal. Or perhaps, thought Hadda, it simply is against the cold.

‘Well, it was all that money swilling around,’ he began. ‘Those were golden days, do you remember, Wolf? And you had the golden touch. It was like taking buckets of water out of a bottomless pond. An endless supply. Impossible to leave a hole!’

‘So you helped yourself, is that what you’re saying, Johnny?’

‘No. Well, yes. But not really. You always saw to it that I had plenty, Wolf. But Toby and Pippa, they felt that you weren’t making the most of your opportunities. A wise man fills his boots while he’s still got boots to fill, that was how Toby put it. And Pippa agreed. Toby took care of the legal side and Pippa’s always been a whiz with computers.’

‘And you, Johnny?’

‘They needed me to run the figures. Complex business keeping things in balance, you see. My sort of thing. I could hardly say no when Pippa and Toby asked. And they would have brought you in, Wolf, really they would. Only Toby said that, despite you marrying Imo and all, you still had this working-class thing about wealth, and it was best to keep you out for your own sake. Me, I thought it was a load of bollocks, I knew you were one of us from the start, but they insisted that it was best for us to make sure you got your share without you knowing.’

‘And you went along with them?’

‘All got a bit complicated for me, Wolf. Figures, fine. But forward planning, not my scene. Though, way back in 2006, I did get a feeling things were going pear-shaped.’

‘You foresaw the financial crisis as far back as that?’ said Hadda. ‘Didn’t you think it might be worth mentioning it to me?’

‘I did, I did,’ said Nutbrown indignantly. ‘But you were always busy busy, Wolf. And when you did listen, you just laughed and said we were in happy-ever-after land, these were the sunny uplands, no one was ever going to drive us out of here. And I thought, Good old Wolf, it’s down to him that I’m so comfortably placed, he always gets things right.’

Hadda regarded him sadly and asked, ‘Did I really say that, Johnny? Yes, I believe I did. That’s what I thought back then. Maybe you should have kept on at me. Punched me in the nose, maybe. You owed me one.’

Nutbrown laughed, a merry note, and said, ‘Yes, I did, didn’t I? Still do, I suppose.’

‘No, Johnny,’ said Hadda gently. ‘Not any more. So who else did you try to warn?’

‘Pippa, of course. Not a warning as such, just chat over the breakfast table. Ignored me at first. What’s new? But once the US housing bubble began to burst, anyone with any sense could see what was coming.’

‘Pity you weren’t Chancellor,’ said Hadda. ‘And Pippa started listening?’

‘Still told me not to be stupid. But this time she gave Toby a bell and he came round and asked me what it was all about.’

‘And what did you tell him, Johnny?’

‘I said I thought it might be a good idea to do a bit of forward planning. First thing was to make sure that our little nest eggs were tucked away safe. I made a few suggestions, but he really sat up and took notice when I told him that he ought to have a word with you because, when the markets hit the skids, it was going to be impossible to carry on hiding what we’d been doing. Like I say, a few bucketfuls from a big pond no one notices, but once the pond starts drying up . . .’

‘I’ve got the picture,’ said Hadda. ‘But Toby didn’t take your advice.’

‘About placing our money, he did,’ said Johnny. ‘But as to putting you in the picture, he said he’d need to think about it.’

‘I bet. And what was the result of his thinking?’

‘No idea,’ said Johnny cheerfully. ‘I mentioned it to Pippa, but she just said it was in hand. Toby too. When I mentioned you, he said everything was hunky-dory. Finally things began to slowly unravel, just like I’d said. I thought, Good old Wolf will be taking care of things as far as Woodcutter’s concerned. Next thing I hear is that they’re doing you for looking at mucky pictures on your computer or something.’

‘No, Johnny,’ said Hadda gently. ‘I think the next thing you heard was me on the phone asking you to meet me at The Widow.’

‘That’s right. Only I was in the office and there was this cop there and he sort of listened in. He asked me where The Widow was and I said, “Everyone knows The Widow!” And he said he didn’t, so naturally I told him. Then I got up to leave, but he said I shouldn’t bother, it was best for you if one of their chaps went there to meet you. I wasn’t all that happy about it, you understand, Wolf. But what could I do?’

Hadda took the flask from Nutbrown’s hand and took another long pull. It wasn’t against the cold.

‘And then?’ he said softly.

‘Next thing, you’re in hospital, on life support, bulletins lousy. Not long after, the banks start going bellyside up, shares drop like a donkey’s bollocks, and the Fraud Squad’s crawling all over Woodcutter like bluebottles round an open dustbin.’

‘And they found . . .?’

For the first time, Nutbrown was looking a little uneasy.

‘They found shortfalls, Wolf. I mean, they were bound to. Would have been all right if the good times had continued. We were always well ahead of the game. Would be all right now with everything back to where it was, more or less. But back then there was nowhere to hide.’

‘Yet somehow you managed it, Johnny. You hid so well no one even came looking for you. How did you manage that?’

‘Just lucky, I suppose.’

He sounded as if he really believed it, thought Hadda. Perhaps he did. And perhaps in his own terms he was lucky. Lucky to exist in an impermeable bubble where thoughts of loyalty, morality, friendship could not penetrate and in which the only reality was his own well being, comfort and survival. He felt no guilt about what had happened, just a touch of regret. While the news of his early release had clearly caused the others considerable disquiet, Johnny’s reaction was mild relief that his old friend was free again so no need to worry about that any more!

‘But you and Toby must have got your story all neatly prepared,’ he said.

Nutbrown nodded emphatically as he replied, ‘Oh yes. Toby was marvellous. Had them eating out of his hands. Don’t know what I’d have done without him beside me.’

‘What a pity I didn’t have him beside me as well,’ said Hadda. ‘When they piled all that shit on top of me, I mean.’

‘What? Look, Wolf, I can see how it must look to you. But be fair, by then you were as good as dead, no point in trying to protect your good name, impossible to do that anyway without getting Toby sent down for yonks. Pippa too, maybe. Wouldn’t have wanted to see Pippa in jail, would you? No allowances made for women these days!’

This attempt to appeal to his sense of chivalry almost brought a smile to Hadda’s lips. He noted also that Nutbrown didn’t offer as argument the certainty that he would have been sent down too. Could he really believe he was in some way invulnerable?

He said, ‘You didn’t say any of this when you came to see me, Johnny. You could see I was alive and breathing then. You had a chance to protect this good name of mine you were so worried about.’

‘Not true,’ said Nutbrown eagerly. ‘Not with that other business hanging over you, and all the papers saying they’d got you bang to rights over that. Besides, everything was signed, sealed and delivered by then. Statements on tape, in writing, even video. And the books had been gone over with a fine-tooth comb, all done and dusted. Too late to turn back the clock, Wolf. Like Toby said, you were a cooked goose. But I did come to see you, didn’t I? I really got a bollocking from Pippa when she found out. Toby wasn’t best pleased either. But I told them, I owed you a lot, couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t paid a visit.’

Just when you thought you’d reached the limits of Nutbrown’s moral vacuity, you found you were still floating in space!

He said, ‘Don’t think I’m not grateful, Johnny. So, do you see much of Imo? How’s she doing?’

‘Oh, fine, fine,’ said Johnny, relief at the change of subject manifest on his face. ‘Don’t see a lot of her, to tell the truth. Pippa and her have a girls’ lunch from time to time. She always sends her love.’

‘To you, you mean?’

‘Well, yes . . . I mean she’d hardly send it to . . . oh, you’re having a joke. Ha ha.’

‘If you can’t take a laugh, you shouldn’t have joined, eh, Johnny? As a matter of interest, how much did Imo know about your special financial arrangements at Woodcutter before the tide went out and left all the shit visible on the shore?’

He spoke as casually as he could but a more perceptive man might have noticed the tension in his voice.

‘Nothing, not at all, you’ve nothing to worry about there, Wolf,’ said Nutbrown reassuringly. ‘No, she wasn’t in on any of that. But once we started looking for a way round things, then she had to be told, of course.’

‘Why was that?’ asked Hadda.

‘Look, there was trouble coming, I could see that a long way off. Like I said, I had a hard time convincing Toby and Pippa; they’re great at managing things, but when it comes to economics . . .’

He smiled tolerantly. To survive, everyone needs a viewpoint from which they can look down on everyone else, thought Hadda. With some it’s intellect, with some it’s beauty, with some it’s religion.

What is it with me?

Vengeance
, came the uncomfortable answer.

‘I’m not quite sure I understand,’ he said. ‘Why Imo had to be told, I mean.’

‘If you’d grown up around her like the rest of us did, you’d know,’ said Johnny. ‘Any plans we made, if Imo was for them, they worked; if she wasn’t interested, they might limp along; but if she was against them, then you were in real shit.’

‘So you invited my wife to join in the plot to offload all the blame on to me, right?’

‘No, Wolf, it wasn’t as simple as that,’ said Nutbrown, eager to explain. ‘I mean, it wasn’t as if you weren’t going to be right at the front when the shit hit the fan, was it?’

‘I’m sorry?’ said Hadda, not believing what he was hearing.

‘Well, you were the man in charge, weren’t you? Woodcutter was your baby. No way was anyone going to believe you didn’t know what was going on. I remember thinking to myself, surely Wolf’s got to notice what we’re doing!’

There was a note of reproach in his voice. Don’t let yourself be provoked! thought Wolf.

Perhaps he even had a point!

‘Maybe because I trusted my friends just a little too much,’ he said.

‘Well, yes, there was that,’ said Nutbrown, sounding a little uncomfortable but not too much. ‘So look at it from our point of view, Wolf. You were going to get it in the neck anyway, you were the boss man, you were responsible. There didn’t seem to be any point in the rest of us catching it too.’

‘And Imo agreed with this?’

‘Oh yes. After Toby and Pippa explained it to her.’

‘You weren’t there?’

‘No. Didn’t seem any point in crowding her.’

‘Very considerate,’ said Hadda. ‘Did you get the impression she took a lot of persuading?’

‘Not really. Not once she understood about the money.’

‘Which money?’

‘The money we’d put aside,’ said Johnny patiently, as if explaining to a child. ‘The point was, once the dropping markets left us exposed, Woodcutter was dead in the water. You were going to be the Fraud Squad’s main man. All your assets would be seized and ultimately disposed of. The only money from the business that would survive were the funds that Toby and me had diverted.’

He said it as if expecting congratulation.

‘And if the investigation had you and Toby in their sights, they wouldn’t rest till they got a line on that,’ said Hadda slowly. ‘And even if they couldn’t, they’d make sure it was a hell of a long time before you could hope to enjoy it.’

‘That’s right. So you see, it was a no-brainer for Imo. Whatever happened, you were going down. At least if we stayed out of the frame, she wouldn’t be destitute.’