Johann opened a drawer and pulled out several large drawings, placing them on the meeting room table in the middle of the room.Still between her and the door.
Her head pounded with pain and the dizziness was still there.Carefully she wandered over and traced the road on the image.“That’s the road which winds around Lilydale?”
“Yes.We’d have one entrance into the community to ensure security and a hundred and fifty units.”Suddenly he was smiling at her and in full pleasant salesman mode.
It filled her with unease, but she could play along.At least he wasn’t threatening her with the knife.
Residents would live on postage stamp blocks with no garden.Some people might appreciate it, but it would reduce Aunt Maggie’s work to nothing, the lush coolness of the garden to brick and concrete, which would raise the ambient temperature.It was already hot in the summer with the sea breeze not cooling this far inland.
Chelsea hated the idea, but she kept her distaste from her face.“Will there be a range of unit sizes?”
“A couple of three bedrooms, but mostly one or two.The oldies don’t need the space.”
His condescending tone irritated her but she didn’t react.A faint familiar whirring noise reached her ears.She’d heard it on the shoots with Aria.They hadn’t had any generators and their technology had consisted of cameras and… drones.
Hope filled her.
“Could you turn on the air-conditioning?”she asked.“It’s hot and I’m dizzy.”She cleared her throat and waved a hand at her face, trying to make enough noise so he didn’t hear the whirring.
“Of course.”Johann moved to the remote next to the door and in moments the hum of the air-conditioner blocked out any sound of the drone.
Outside a drone flew from above the units to over the demountable and out of sight.
Was that Ethan?
She hadn’t noticed any farmhouses nearby and there was nothing to attract drone enthusiasts unless they wanted an empty space to fly.
“What are you looking at?”
She glanced at Johann.“The units.Are they the same as you’ve designed for Lilydale?”She moved away from the window.
“Yes.They’re very popular.”
“Have you got the floor plans?”
“Of course.”
He went to another drawer, but was still between her and the door.She sat at a desk across the other side of the room.The window next to her was fixed in place, with no way of opening it.
She took the sheets Johann handed her and slowly perused each one.What other questions could she ask?
“Would you be willing to sacrifice a couple of units to create a village green?”
Johann frowned.“The design has already been approved.”
“Oh.It seems so sad for all of Aunt Maggie’s garden to disappear,” she said.“It was such an important part of my childhood.”
He puffed out his chest.“This is not a negotiation, Miss McGinnis.”He stormed back to the cabinets, drew out another document, and picked up the knife.“You don’t understand.If you don’t sign this, I’m dead.They’ll kill me and my family.”He waved around the knife.
Fear skittered through her and she held up a hand of placation.“Who will?”
Johann hesitated.
This was his vulnerability.“Johann, I don’t want to put your family in danger, but I need you to explain what’s going on.”
Johann thrust the document at her and then stepped back.“I fucked up.”
Chelsea glanced down at the paperwork.A contract of sale for Lilydale.She shifted in the seat, ready to defend herself with the wireless keyboard on the desk if necessary.“How?”
