Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Forty-Three Years Ago “Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr Haswell.”

“No problem, Mr Kimberley. I’m always happy to talk with someone who’s had a new idea. Please….”

The tall man gestures to a chair. “Do sit down. And it’s Edward. May I call you Albert? Or is it Al?”

“It’s Al. And yes, of course.” He takes the seat offered, placing a file and a document tube on the desk.

Edward clears his throat. “Would you mind if I bring in someone else to the meeting?”

Al hesitates, looking nervous. “Er…. Who…?”

“No-one to worry about. Just my son. He’s following me into the business and it will be good training for him to see how these things are done.”

“Of course. I’d like to meet him.”

Edward shouts through the door again. “Linda, can you ask Richie to join us.”

A minute or so later a boy appears at the door; maybe fifteen or sixteen, tall like his father, although with the usual teenage lankiness. He is dark-haired, is going to be handsome and has eyes unusually sharp in so young a face.

“Dad? Linda said you wanted to see me.”

“Yes, let me introduce you to our potential new business partner. Richie, this is Mr Albert Kimberley….”

“Nice to meet you, Richie.” Al stands, offering his hand.

“Nice to meet you too, Mr Kimberley.”

“Take a seat, Richie,” says his father. “I’d like you to listen in on this.”

Al flashes a surprised look at that, but Edward chuckles. “My son has a head for business. Everything he helps me with turns to gold.”

“He brings you good luck then,” smiles Al.

Edward sniffs, half smiling. “You could say that, I suppose. But in my experience, the harder you work, the luckier you are.” His manner turns business-like. “Now, what do you have to show me?”

Al takes the cardboard tube, opening it and then banging on the end until a roll of papers drops out. He riffles through then spreads one out, Richie pinning the corners with mugs and ashtrays.

Another search through and Al extracts a second sheet, this time on tracing paper. With some care, he aligns and overlays it to the first. Then he gestures, inviting examination.

Edward pushes spectacles up his nose, looking closely. “This is the area to the edge of my own development, near the new highway.”

“That’s right. I own the plot marked out in red.”

Edward looks at him over the top of his spectacles, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Is that right?”

“I bought it several years ago, when…. when the first um, rumours of your own development in that area started circulating.”

“Very astute of you. And now…. what? You’re offering to sell it to me at some appropriate price?”

“No…. I’d like to work with you, hand in hand with your on-going project there.” Edward remains silent.

Richie seems about to speak, but his father holds up a finger then simply offers a go-on gesture of the hand.

Al swallows again, a tremble to his hand as he indicates an area on the plan. “It seems to me that if you had access to this area here, your links to the new highway going in could be shortened considerably.

So, if you were to follow this route…. then all along here you could build the hotel accommodation I believe you’re planning, and your original area could then become residential housing.”

He riffles between the bottom sheet and the overlay. “Take a look. Tell me what you think. The base layer is the City plan as it is now, with the derelict area just off the centre. The overlay is my proposed development.”

He sits back, nursing his glass as Edward leans in and over, scrutinising the detail. Brows beetled, he traces the outline of some detail on the upper sheet with a finger, then lifts it to compare with the base plan.

After some minutes, Al speaks up. “So…. What do you think?”

Edward straightens up, removing his glasses and pensively polishing the lenses. “I think it has a lot of potential. How much of the backup work do you have in place for this? Permissions? Costings?

Finance? Or is it just some pretty sketches and castles in the air?”

“I’ve spoken with the City planners. They have suggested that they would look favourably on the development. Especially if moves were made to tie in with the main road network and the rail-lines. And I have some finance myself.”

“But not all of it? And that’s where I come in? For the remaining finance?”

“Yes. And to work the development as a joint project. With your connections and the work you have already started, I think it would be much better for both you and me if what you’re already doing and what I would like to do were integrated.” He licks dry lips. “So…. are you interested?”

Edward straightens up, plucking at his chin, musing, then he taps at the sheet. “You hold the title to this land?”

“That’s right.”

“May I see it?”

“Of course. I have a copy here.”

Edward examines the document, comparing it with the plan. “And do you own it outright?”

“No, I do have a loan on the land.”

“A large loan? Secured on the plot?”

“Yes, but I have it covered. Are you interested?”

“Yes, in principle at least, I’m interested. May I keep these?”

“Of course, I brought these as your copies. And I took the liberty of producing this.” Al offers across a thin folder. “It’s a summary of my suggested ideas and Heads of Terms on what we might do.”

“Good. In that case, I suggest that you let me study these, think about what you say and make a few enquiries of my own. We can meet up again say, next week?”

“That’s fine. I’ll be here.”

“I’ll give you a call in a few days and we’ll arrange the details.”

After he leaves, Edward turns to his son. “What do you think?”

“He’s spot on, Dad. If you had access to that land, it would cut your road-building costs in half and you’d be able to build the hotel complex much closer to the highway. If there were shops and stuff around it, it would pull all kinds of business into the City.”

“Yes, that’s just what I was thinking, Son. Just what I was thinking.” He turns, calling over his shoulder.

“Linda, can you call Abe Goldman for me, please. I’d like you to set up a lunch meeting at his earliest convenience.”

“Yes, Mr Haswell.”

*****

“So, Edward,” says Abe Goldman, slicing into his minted lamb. “What can City Security Bank do for you today? Are you looking to raise finance on that development project of yours?”

“Not exactly, Abe. In fact, I was hoping I could pick your brain about something related to it.”

“Oh yes, and what’s that?”

“I have been approached by someone, one Albert Kimberley, with a view to working a joint project with me….”

“Al? Ah, he finally came to you, did he?”

Edward pauses, his fork hovering half-way to his mouth. “You know him? Personally?”

“Yes, I assume we’re talking about his hoped-for plan that you collaborate with him on that plot he has out towards the new highway?”

“That’s right. How do you come to know him? The City’s a big place.”

“Loans of the size he has with the bank were bound to come across my desk. The bank has significant sums secured on that land and on his home. Although of course, with the increase in the land value, the loan to value ratio is very low now. When he first wanted to raise the funds to buy the site, I spoke with him about his plans, his personal finances and so forth. The usual checks that he’s….”

“Good for the money?

“Exactly. And I’m guessing that’s what you’re going to ask of me?”

“That’s right. If I take the plunge on this, I’ll be investing a lot of time, effort and money into Al Kimberley and his plan.”

“You like his plan?”

“It’s brilliant. He bought the site when it was just wasteland. Now it’s worth millions, or it will be if this goes ahead. What I need to know is, is he stable, financially speaking? How large are his loans? Does he make his repayments reliably?”

Abe takes on a pained expression. “Edward, you know I can’t divulge that kind of information about a client.”

“No, of course you can’t. But let me put it another way. If I put forward a proposal to the bank, to raise finance for a joint project between my own company and Al Kimberley, how would City Security view that?”

Abe dabs at his mouth with a napkin, then, “I think I can say that we would view it favourably. Are you likely to approach the bank with such a proposal?”

“I’d say so, yes.”