'There wasn't much for me to do except bring you a few papers, and presumably you won't want that. Without meaning to be rude, I'm sure your businesses will run well enough if you go away on a week or a fortnight's holiday.'

'I'm thinking of taking quite a long break. I've relatives in New Zealand on my mother's side. There was a cousin - elderly now of course - who I saw quite a lot of when I was a child. She has heart trouble, has been quite ill. It would be nice for me to see her again, while there is still time. You can get airline tickets that allow you to make intermediate stops, and I may as well use it as an opportunity to see a bit more of the world.'

'So how long are we talking about, a month or more?'

'Hard for me to say at the moment. I've never even met some of the younger family members, they were born out there. Depends how we all get on. You might need to give, say, one day a week on average to my affairs. You won't have to do any of the day-to-day management, there are competent people doing all of that. What I need is someone to keep a check on everything, make sure the takings are going into the bank and the stock is not going missing, that sort of thing. We can come to a similar financial arrangement to the one we agreed for Darren. You can charge me for the cost of any staff you have to bring in because my interests are keeping you from the hotel, and I expect to pay you something for your services, of course.'

His intention to be away at the same time as Tom worried me much more than the financial arrangements. He was my main source of advice about all kinds of things connected with the hotel and my personal life. This was the first time, as far as I could remember, that he had ever mentioned any family, and definitely never relatives in New Zealand.

'If it will do you good, of course you should go. Not a good time from my viewpoint, but nobody could argue that you don't deserve a really good break. I'm honoured you've asked me to look after things while you're away. Of course I will help out. Delighted to.'

'Sleep on it. Let me know if you feel it's too much to take on.'

'How have you been lately? You've been looking okay.'

'Not bad. My blood pressure's still high, but nothing that can't be managed if I'm sensible - by which they seem to mean eating dull food and accepting retirement. I can't sit around doing nothing. Maybe this trip will be the answer, for a while.' My guess was that he was holding something back, and if he was seriously ill to whine to him about Tom's planned absence would be inconsiderate.




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