Saving the Starlight Ch. 02

The day arrived for the late morning Wainui District Council planning and building control sub-committee hearing for consideration of the objection to the demolition permit for the old cinema.

Liberty swept into the hearing room leading the executive of the Save the Starlight Cinema Campaign.

Expressionless, hiding her shock, Liberty saw sitting beside The Enemy was daddy. They were chatting and hadn't bothered to look up at the new arrivals. She fumed, thinking that disinterest must be difficult to achieve. Doubtless it was a plotted snub, planned and agreed by them.

Quickly recovering, Liberty felt extremely confident. Her father would produce a legal opinion second to none because his knowledge of law was immense. But she'd observed him in Court when losing a case or two and looking slightly unnerved in the face of sharp and emotionally-fired legal onslaught from the opposition.

She looked forward to rolling her highly respected father.

Her excitement mounted. Even so, she wondered if in sitting directly opposite her had Fenton Archer McDonald Murdoch - gawd, what a name but that was the given name on documentation - had looked at her legs yet?

Silly girl, she admonished, her father might demolished her with his legal might if she divert on to frivolity like that.

Resolving not to divert, Liberty looked across at the Opposition and turned pink with infinite ease: Fenton was staring at her legs - or what he could see of them below the simple table, which was plenty: her short skirt didn't even come close to covering her knees. How was it that the jerk was able to keep her off balance like this?

The chairman of the three-person hearing committee presented her preamble and then invited submissions from the objectors.

Liberty rose to her feet.

She knew this was what she was destined to do, to represent the so-called Little People. The downtrodden, more like it.

"Madam chairman - permission to speak."

"Mr Wentworth?"

Liberty was already aware that 'Madam chairman', usually known as Joanna Wilson and in her younger days as Juicy Lips Wilson, had gone through High School with her father and was one of three very close female 'acquaintances' of his that precipitated his divorce from her blameless mother.

She obeyed procedural rules and sat down, signifying her father had the floor. The adulterer and The Enemy - what a pair!

The news media should be here, thought Liberty: Father and daughter in a Titanic clash. Blast, she should have called the deputy editor of the morning newspaper Mary Simpson - they'd gone through school together.

"Madam chairman in order to speed proceedings my client has instructed me to accept a stay of issue of the permit until the legal grounds for this challenge have been argued in Court. We lodged an application for the Court to consider our legal argument to declare the so-called Save the Starlight Cinema Campaign organisation's challenge as being invalid and was advised 15 minutes ago that Judge Watson will hear submissions on Friday the 30th in Chambers at 4 p.m."

"Council and the campaign committee are welcome to involve legal representatives in the proceedings, which is their right. Would you please confirm that if the objection is withdrawn the permit would automatically issue?"

Liberty looked at the pair opposite; both men were studying the ceiling.

She was furious.

"The swine have pre-empted us," she hissed.

"We've lost," the campaign organiser almost whimpered.

"Not at all, Sally. This now is war!"

"Goodie let's roll the bastards," the real estate saleswoman said enthusiastically, and Liberty thought critically Sally was supercharged with female emotions that could flick like a horse's tail.

"Order!" called Madam Chairman after taking legal advice. "I can confirm the permit will issue automatically if the objection is unreservedly withdrawn."

"Thank you Madam," smiled Paul Wentworth, eyeing his daughter. "We await to hear from our learned friend."

"Miss Wentworth?"

"We await your decision Madam."

"This matter is adjourned pending legal proceedings. Thank you for your attendance everyone."

Liberty felt gutted.

What a swine of a thing to do to her and her community-minded group. Her father wouldn't have thought up a slippery tactic like that, circumventing the action group from making its views known formally to the Council. It will have to be that smart-ass client of her father's - that blasted Fenton Archer McDonald Murdoch, a name that sounded straight off the list a defendants appearing before the Criminal Court.

Liberty briefed the executive members who'd gathered around Sally and her. They were relieved to be told the fight had only begun.

As they began leaving Liberty looked across to where she last saw her father, wondering if he'd like lunch. But he'd gone; she saw him and Fenton walking from the hearing room. Quickly gathering her things she raced after them.

"Liberty?"

Fenton had spotted her; the prick must have eyes in the back of his head.

"Lunch?"

Looking at the flight of granite steps to the sidewalk she saw a woman almost run down the steps from another angle and take her father's arm. Madam Chairman was off to lunch with her father Paul. What a tight little world of intrigue they lived in, she thought.

Liberty's instinct was to snarl at Fenton, 'Go bite your bum'. But that was demeaning herself and instead said, "Providing I pay for myself."

"Sure - pay for me as well, if you wish."

"Going Dutch will do nicely," she sniffed.

Hopefully something of value would come from this unlikely coupling for lunch. She was in no mood to be wasting her time.

"Hung out to dry by your father, eh?"

The grinning ape!

Liberty had a sudden thought. "Excuse me."

He looked startled as if she were abandoning him. His unnerving blue eyes softened as she thrust her brief case and handbag at him, taking only her phone. "I'll only be a minute."

The first call was to report back to her office. No messages. She asked Cynthia to look up a number for her and punched it into her phonebook and then phoned it after advising Cynthia she was out to lunch.

The person she was calling connected through with little delay. She went to the top and informed the managing editor and co-owner of the MetroSteve Pennington about the 'Save the Cinema' campaign update, how the campaigners had been legally blocked in their initial efforts to save the cinema and that the fight would continue. She gave him Sally Tucker's contact details and suggested Sally and some of her supporters are interviewed and photographed outside the theatre.

"Note this one quote and attribute it to me Steve: 'We shall fight on the streets, in the courtroom and blockade the theatre site until we exhaust every breath to achieve victory for the cause'."

"Isn't that a little excessive sweetie?"

"Your readers will realize that, but they'll get the idea we mean business."

"All right then, I'll also ask Fletch the reporter who'll be assigned to this to investigate this Fenton fellow. The name Fenton Murdoch rings a faint bell. Does he come from here?"

"I haven't a clue, all I know that he tried it on with me the first time we met, and that's not for publication."

"If he succeeded it would have been your first, wouldn't it?"

"Up yours. How many do you and Little Wifey have?"

"Four, and she ain't little - I married Blanche Stewart."

"You didn't! You and BS must come out for a bite one evening."

"Liberty with you being a maiden you'll have no idea how just one little nipper can screw up the social life of a couple who both work," he laughed. "We rarely get out of the house together. I heard this morning you'd started with Neighbourhood Law. I'll get Blanche to phone you to invite you to dinner with kids. It's great to have you back living here again."

Fenton stood waiting using his phone and Liberty thought he looked rather yummy. She fumed stop it you wanton woman and sighed.

Fenton put away his phone and smiled ever so smoothly: "May I take you to lunch anywhere and do anything with you?"

"Providing you promise not to lay a finger on me, and neither two and certainly not entire hands."

"Agreed."

They entered a taxi.

Why bother with a taxi, wondered Liberty. There were oodles of perfectly good restaurants and snack bars nearby in the central district.

She found herself waiting in the cab alone, while the Lone Ranger stalked the waterfront looking for crumbs or whatever.

He returned triumphantly.

Gosh, she quivered. He was very well built. He slipped into his seat, holding two coffees and a tray of something that smelt divine.

"No fish in the cab buddy. Sorry."

"Drive with the windows down and I'll give you the fare plus a twenty."

"Yes sir."

Liberty though he's used to making bribes, the swine.

His knee was resting against her lower thigh. She made no attempt to remove that contact - he was balancing the food and probably had spread for stability.

"Take us to 197 Marine Parade."

"Roger."

That address sounded very familiar. But Liberty didn't pursue that - she was thinking about how nice it was having a knee against her lower thigh - a man's knee! She'd like to take that knee home with her.

The taxi stopped and she found why the address sounded so familiar - they were outside the Starlight Cinema that looked abandoned and ready to crumble.

"Is this hostile torture?"

"Isn't all torture hostile?"

She guessed he had a point. Her question remained unanswered, or so it seemed.

"There's a picnic table over here, on the grass."

"I know - we used to sit at that table after the movies licking our ice-creams."

They reached the table.

Fenton asked with a teasing smile, "Do you yearn to have those days back?"

"No they're gone forever."

"Doesn't this old cinema belong there as well?"

"Of course not, it's bricks and mortar - a living relic of our joyous past. We want it retained as a nostalgic memory hall, but remaining a functional building so that it generates sufficient income to earn its upkeep - and more."

"Liberty."

A delicious thrill coursed through her. It was the first time almost that he'd used her name, and he'd said it so beautifully.

"Yes."

"Let's agree to a complete truce for one hour."

"That's over-running my lunch break but okay agreed. The rule about not touching me stands."

"Of course. I can't think of a reason why I should want to touch you."

Liberty kept her lips closed, giving him an evil eye.

If the jerk succeeded to patch up the differences between them soon ... and she began to think where she'd like to feel his hands only to abruptly remember with hostility about what he'd held sneered earlier when asking why would he want to touch her.

She looked at his hands - they were quite large and looked powerful and her undisciplined thoughts were halted by something he was saying.

"This is a business lunch," he explained. "It's an opportunity for you to learn something of possible value."

The smell of cooked fish rose into the air as he pulled off the lid of the carry box.

Seagulls gathered.

"Ohmigod - this is a feast."

"It's an excellent selection, to be sure. But by the time the fish is removed from shell or, for you, batter, it will not appear too much. Besides, you eat more beside the seaside in good company."

"Hmmm," Liberty muttered not wishing to risk being carried away by throwing superlatives into a full response.

She waited expectedly to learn something that just possibly might excite her. This guy was obviously capable of being totally unpredictable.

"Right," Fenton said authoritatively, popping a squid ring into his mouth while picking up a cooked mussel spread in hinged half-shells.

"First, that building across the street and marked for demolition is not bricks and mortar - it is steel reinforced concrete of dubious quality. Every concrete beam spanning the amphitheatre is cracked in several places, causing them to be overstressed in this condition due to the tiled roof loading. Are you with me?"

Liberty nodded, clearing a juicy morsel from a crayfish (lobster) leg with a thoughtfully provided plastic rod.

"The perimeter walls during the life of the building have been weakened by unbelievable rape by cowboy workmen breaking through at will and without any apparent plan produced by engineers and without such work being carried out under strict supervision. Big holes were cut through load-bearing walls. Can you image the potential threat to this aged structure in high winds or an earthquake?"

"I certainly can," Liberty said, holding up a long thin piece of snapper by her finger tips and feeding it into her mouth, most unladylike.

"This is a beautiful lunch, Fenton, and an excellent lecture."

"Thank you. I'll finish now. You'll know yourself that water seepage is wrecking the walls, the roof is in serious condition, the water mains for fire-fighting need replacing and, oh, why go on, except to say public evacuation egress, considered good enough in its day, it now deemed woefully inadequate."

Liberty smacked her lips together and said sounding far more relaxed, "And that equates to a paralysing indictment of the authorities for allowing the building to continue to stand?"

Fenton looked at her sharply. Was that the start of a lawyer's counter-punch?

He decided to take the risk and said yes.

"And the alternative is?"

"There's none."

"There better be if you wish to build your high rise should demolition proceed. Concerned citizens could very well object to a high rise being built so close to the seafront but of course everything is negotiable."

Fenton's eyes had taken a steely veneer as if he smelt a notional rat. He munched fish, hooking a bone from the corner of his mouth.

Her stare mocked him until her face coloured slightly and her eyes twinkled.

"Fenton let's talk about a new subject, something we have in common: Are you particularly sexually robust?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I know you have been staring at my legs and look at me rather intently elsewhere and that leaves me to think you fancy me."

Fenton almost choked on some crabmeat.

His phone went, he excused himself but made no attempt to move away to take the call. He turned which prevented her hearing what the caller was saying.

"Yes?"

"That's correct Fletcher."

"That's all right - a family trust, my mother and I own it."

"Yes, that's correct and that price was agreed to unconditionally with settlement in six weeks from yesterday."

"I went after it because it's valuable land."

"The cost of demolishing the cinema has theoretically decreased the value of the property to any intending purchaser."

Fenton turned and smiled. Liberty was looking casual but her ears were straining to hear the call.

"Now you listen to me Fletcher, you may think you are a hot-shot investigative reporter but if that outrageous claim manufactured by you is published I'll be down to your office to yank your guts up through your mouth."

"I've never described the objectors as a bunch of interfering wankers. In fact I've ignored them totally and without comment as a group, though I do admit having come into contact either through personal business or socially with the group's organizer Mrs Taylor and their legal representative."

"I'd agree with that comment, they are both handsome women with deep community spirit."

"My understanding Mr Wentworth went off with the chairperson for lunch but be aware of writing anything insinuation about that as it could land you in deep shit. That luncheon meeting could be them engaging other urgent business discussions or it was simply a lunch between two long-time friends."

"Yes it's true Paul Wentworth cut through the posturing and possible delaying tactics by opting to take the issue to court for a judicial review."

"Did he now? Then if he says I suggested it then I must have. In my opinion Miss Wentworth is such a hot-fiery ass it will be a clash of Titans the day father and daughter meet head-on."

"Fletcher the outcome won't be difficult to predict. Her father would easily win on points of law but he'd be put to the rack with tactics and forceful argument."

"Well, if it was just those two I'd pick her because she's got balls..."

"Well if you can't publish that don't publish that particular comment at all, do you hear!"

"Of course I'm out to win and with me feeding Paul Wentworth firepower, we'll be unstoppable."

"If you wish quote me on that and I know Miss Wentworth will expect me to be aggressive. Actually I'm sitting right outside the defunct cinema with her right now."

"That's perfectly acceptable Fletcher and yes, it's true to say we're attracted to each other, but publish any of that Fletcher and I'll move further down your throat and rip your testicles through your mouth."

"Well lay a complaint of me threatening a reporter in the execution of his duty Fletcher. But consider this: Paul Wentworth and I will rip you and your complaint to shreds if it should get to Court. Just get on over here with your photographer and work like a real reporter - no fear, no favours."

"Liberty Wentworth lured me - yes Fletcher and I do mean lured me - over here to passionately plead for me to help save the cinema. I'm about to tell her I'll consider her plea made on behalf of her group."

"A very eloquent plea, I assure you Fletcher - that is once one removes the four-letter words."

"Oh, I don't recall - damn I suppose you can publish those two rather strong quotes."

"I'd never say that Fletcher. I regard her as a very modern lady who'll do much for this community as she carves out a distinguished career in law."

"Hold on - I'll ask her."

"Fletcher Graham, the property reporter on Wainui Metro, wants to know if you're willing to pose for a photograph with me for publication."

"Sorry Fletcher, she's shaking her head and doing something with two fingers."

"Yes, it is a pity. Wait - ask your bosses will they publish the picture on page one and give a decent boost to the campaign movement if she agrees to pose with me?"

Fenton told Fletcher to hold as Miss Wentworth was saying something.

Liberty looked at Fenton, shaking her head.

She hissed, "I cannot believe this - you praise me and in the next breath anger me then you babble on foolishly trying to enhance my career prospects which I rather you wouldn't, and now you are actively seeking front page publicity for your opponents. You may require medical help."

Fenton pressed the phone back to his ear.

"Yes Fletcher. Nothing big is happening, eh? So it's guarantee barring Armageddon. Fifteen minutes is fine, Fletcher. I'll do her hair for her - that's a joke man."

The newspaper reporting team arrived outside the boarded up Starlight Cinema where property developer Fenton Murdoch and an impatient-to-leave lawyer Liberty Wentworth stood waiting, a noticeable gap between them.

Fenton mused how she could be expected to stand almost touching a person who was erratically and unreasonably aggressive at times.

A series of photographs were taken with Liberty insisting that a clear gap exist between Mr Murdoch and her in the photographs.

As the photographer moved around working from different angles and elevations, the property reporter Fletcher Graham asked, "How do you find Fenton as a person Miss Wentworth?"

"Basically sound and agreeable but on the flipside tough and difficult to shift but I see nothing that's a problem really."

"What is the common ground between you?"

Liberty said almost cheerfully, "As a developer with considerable experience in commercial building construction he's willing to try to find a way to save the cinema."

"Do you regard that as a heartening response?"