Part 17 (1/2)
”Penny, I care about you. This is serious.”
”Yes. This is serious. Its going to come down on my f.u.c.king head not yours.”
I was getting more and more defensive and angry.
”Dont be like that. Im trying to help. I dont want to lose your friends.h.i.+p, but this could come between us if Mike asks me to testify.”
”Why on earth would he do that? This is nothing to do with you.”
”Penny, this is my field. I act as an expert witness at tribunals.”
”How? Why? You know nothing about this case, really, you are just telling one side of the story.”
”I try not to take sides, just give a professional opinion.”
”You what? Youre saying you might testify against me?”
”Penny! Hes been a friend all my life. Hes been like a father to me. h.e.l.l ask for my help and I will give it to him.”
”You are going to testify against me, arent you?”
”Not if we can find another way.”
”Another way? Is there another way? You said h.e.l.l have a solicitor with him this afternoon.....”
”There is a way out. Youll have to grab it with both hands this afternoon.”
”Well, Im fresh out of ideas. Amuse me.”
I wished that I could stop myself being sarcastic and argumentative but I was shaking from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I felt like I was being driven by something outside myself. At the moment I was not in control, just existing from second to second, hoping somehow I would disappear down a hole in the ground and this would all go away.
”You must listen this afternoon. Dont say anything, just listen. Listen to the story the way it is told by the other parties. Make notes, lots of notes. Do whatever you have to do to get the company to offer mediation to all the parties involved. Help him with his domestic situation until the mediation is complete. Dont admit liability, but acknowledge the points of view of the other parties.”
”I dont know if I can do that,” I said weakly.
”If you dont, this is going to end up in a court of law.”
”Ill have to involve the company lawyers.....”
”No! You mustnt do that,” he shouted. ”The moment you talk to them, theyll call your insurers and the insurers will instruct you to have no further contact. If you contact Mike after talking to your insurers, the insurers will not cover your employer for any losses. You and the company will be completely exposed. You have to mediate. Once you talk to your legal team it will be out of your hands and will go to court.”
”I cant handle this, John. This is too big for me. Anyway, why should I take your advice? I hardly know you.”
He looked hurt at my words but composed himself.
”Penny,” he said firmly. ”Once a formal process starts its almost impossible to stop.”
I wanted to talk to Dave. For all I knew, John was doing this to save Mike, to protect him. My responsibility was to the company. Not John. Not Mike. I had to protect the companys interests. John was not put off and continued his attempts to persuade me.
”Penny, please listen. Please. You are personally at risk from prosecution.”
”I b.l.o.o.d.y know that. Do you think you get to my position and not know stuff like that?”
I resented him treating me like an idiot.
”And if I dont tell the legal team, then I could lose my job as well. Do you appreciate that, John?”
My fiery response took him back a bit and he regrouped.
”There are risks. But do you think theyll protect you? They might get you through the court case, but what then? What of your future career?”
”Oh G.o.d! I dont know!”
Privately, I did. There was little chance I would survive after such a misjudgement.
”What if you can mediate?” he insisted. ”What if you can get Mike and his wife back together?”
The pretence that we were talking about hypothetical characters had completely vanished. This was as real as it gets.
”I cant authorise that on my own. At the very least, Id need Daves support.”
”Would he help?”
”I couldnt do this without him. Were close. I cant keep this from him.”
”Would he help?”
”I see him later tonight. I can run it past him. I dont think h.e.l.l like this.”
The waitress brought our food and asked if wed like any more drinks. I looked at the meal in front of me. In any other circ.u.mstances it would have looked beautiful and tasted delicious, but I picked at it intermittently. I felt sick.
”Im sorry for getting angry,” I said.
”Its okay. How could you know?”
Indeed, how could I know? There was so much that Id not been told. John continued.
”We can only see what we look for. Its a kind of blindness,” he said.
It sounded like he was criticising my judgement.
”What do you mean?” I asked sharply.
”What?” he reacted, sensing immediately he had irked me. ”I mean that you were looking at the situation the way the vast majority of people look at such situations. We a.s.sume men pursue women, and that women spend most of their time resisting men.”