She left them, satisfied she’d get a full report later — and maybe a smile or two out of each of them. Dan was very good at putting smiles on women’s faces. She’d have to remind him he was to treat this one with particular care. There would be no collateral damage on her watch.
Back in her office, she shut the door and leaned against it for a moment.
The information from Dan and Augustini was exactly what she’d hoped for: a fuller picture of the man, his business, his pressure points.
Bottom line: he had to make the MacLeod’s Cove project a success. If he didn’t, the biggest development of his career would stall. He’d lose big financially. Men like Oliver didn’t let that happen.
But women like her didn’t let men like Oliver destroy their communities.
And women like her used whatever weapons they had left. In this case, she had one: his interest in her.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
She flicked on her phone and opened his unanswered message. The photo that popped up beside it looked different to her now — same sharp jaw, same cool eyes, but overlaid with a boy alone in a Wellington mansion with staff instead of a loving family.
Sure, that would be great. See you tomorrow.
Then, she put the phone face down and went back to work.
Chapter Nine
‘Guess who this is from?’ Megan waved a leaflet at Lucy as she walked into the café.
‘Council?’
Megan blinked. ‘How did you know? Have you read it?’
‘No. They’re the only ones still communicating by leaflets.’
‘So you’ve no idea what it says?’
‘Are you going to tell me or torture me?’
‘Torture, I think. I rather like knowing something before you for a change.’
‘Fine. Rates up? Noise complaints? Sewage catastrophe?’
Megan laughed. ‘No, no and no.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake.’ Lucy plucked the leaflet from her hand.
She scanned it once, felt her stomach drop, then read more carefully. When she looked up at Megan’s smiling face, it was like they’d read two different documents.
‘This says there’s been a change to Oliver’s plans,’ she said slowly.
‘Isn’t it good?’
‘What’s good about it?’ Her voice shot up before she could stop it.
Megan’s smile faded. ‘It sounds like it’s going to be great for the community. There’s going to be a function room the community can use, free of charge —’
‘Only if it’s vacant. And they’ll make sure it isn’t.’
‘And it should bring new people into the area, which has to be good for local businesses.’
Lucy planted her hands on her hips. If Megan could be taken in by Oliver, what chance did anyone else have?
‘No, it won’t,’ she said, heat rising. ‘The development includes high-end boutique shops. These people won’t even step outside. They’ll buy their clothes inside, eat in the fancy restaurant inside, sit on the verandah overlooking the pool and sea. We’re just the backdrop. Nothing will come back to us.’
