Grandfather Robert's Will
Chapter 38's
The journey to Bogor is long. Longer still if all the way there is only gripping silence. Once in Bogor Rachel follows Jenson's lead to the lab.
“How do you know where it is?” sued him after leaving the car in the parking lot. Jenson wrapped her hands around Rachel's shoulders, while Rachel put her jacket against the wind.
“Today I searched his address in Grandpa Robert's file.” Jenson walked down the half-block without a hat, his jacket fluttering open, clamping a box of champagne under his arm and his one hand remaining on Rachel's shoulder. He was not immune to the flu, but considered it a boon after the hot temperatures on the trip. While giving Rachel a glance, she pushed the turnstile and entered the lobby of the steel and glass building.
“Grandfather owns the whole place?" Rachel observed the marble floor. The floor was slightly uphill and widened towards an area full of crowds and busyness, where men and women carried work bags.
“There are seventy-two floors.”
It made Rachel think again about how complicated Grandpa Robert's treasure was. How many companies operate in this building? How many people work here? How could Rachel wrap her life around this kind of responsibility?
“What should I do with these seventy-two floors?”
“There are many people who will help you, you only receive the report.” Jenson gives the identity cards of the two of them to the guards in the elevator. Without waiting, the attendant directly headed towards the forty floor.
“So there are many people who will work for us. Who's watching them?”
“Accountants, lawyers, managers. It's a matter of how to hire people to keep an eye on the people you hire.”
“It looks like it already explained everything.”
“If you're worried, think about Grandpa Robert. Having wealth doesn't seem to prevent him from having fun. On most occasions he considers all these affairs as a kind of hobby.”
Rachel looked at the numbers above the elevator door. “Sort of hobbies.”
“Everyone should have a hobby.”
“Tenis is his hobby,” ruknya.
“The trick is to keep the ball moving.Grandfather Robert hit it into our field, Rachel.”
The woman folded her hands. “I'm not ready to thank you for it.”
“Then look at it this way.” Jenson again placed one of her hands on Rachel's shoulder and squeezed it gently. “You don't need to know how to make a car to be the owner of that car. You just need to drive steadily and follow the signs. If Robert didn't think we were capable of following those signs, he definitely wouldn't have given us the key.”
Jenson's description was quite helpful to look at this matter. But it still feels strange to think that he is riding the elevator he will have if the six-month period is over. “Do we know who to meet?” Rachel glanced at the box Jenson was holding, which contained the champagne bottle.
“Someone named Silas Lockworth seems to be in charge here.”
As the elevator stopped rising, they stepped towards the reception area of the Laboratory. The carpet is pale red, the walls are daubed in cream color. Two large, leafy philodendrons flanked the wide-glass door that opened as soon as they came closer. A woman behind the desk gleamed cupped her fingers and smiled.
“Good morning. Can I help you?”
Jenson glanced at the computer terminal on her desk. The best in its class. “We came to see Mr. Lockworth.”
“Mr. Lockworth is in a meeting. If I can get you both names, maybe his assistant can help.”
“I Jenson Aerospace. This is Rachel Cecilion.”
Rachel saw both of the receptionist's eyebrows raised. “Betul, Robert is our grandfather.”
After first being polite and efficient, the receptionist became very friendly. “I'm sure Mr. Lockworth himself would welcome you both if he knew you were coming. Please sit. He will I call.”
The results of that call took less than five minutes to show.
The man who comes up to the waiting room does not look like Rachel's concept of a technician or a scientist. It was 190 cm tall, slender like a gymnast with blond hair neatly combed back, framing its sun-burned face. He looked more like a man who was at home in the mountains, rather than in a lab with tubes for experiments, Rachel thought.
“Ms. Rachel.” The man stepped in a calm manner, with his hands outstretched. “Mr. Jensen. I'm Silas Lockworth. Your grandfather was my best friend.”
“Thank you.” Jenson welcomed the handshake. “I'm sorry for showing up without telling first.”
“It is not necessary.” Lockworth's smile seemed to mean it. “We never know when Robert will stop by here. Let's go to my work space.”
He walked down the corridor, in front of Jenson and rachy. Lockworth's workspace was the next surprise. The room was quite luxurious, with elegant chairs and clever lithographs, to make us think of a big corporate executive. His desk is stacked with files and papers to make us think of a troubled scribe. The table carried the smell of dozens of leather-bound books from a closet that reached the ceiling. A round aquarium containing exotic fish is built on one side of its wall.
“You want to have coffee? I can order warm coffee for you.”
“No.” Rachel had already twisted the glove in her hand. “Thank you. We don't want to take up too much of your time.”
“No, I'll be thrilled,” Lockworth assures him. “Robert has talked about the two of you a lot,” continued Lockworth while allowing them to sit down. “There is no doubt that you two are her favorite.”
“And our favorite grandpa,” reply Rachel.
“But of course you guys didn't come to spend time.” Lockworth is back in his chair. “What can I do for you two?”
“We have something we want to analyze,” start Jenson. “Soon and secretly.”
“So.” Silas stopped, his eyebrows clutched. Lockworth is a man who quickly captures the impression left by others. In Rachel she sees the tension behind the layer of courtesy. In Jenson he sees violence, not too deeply buried but also not covered up. He thought that he detected a bond between them even though they had barely looked towards each other since entering the room.
Lockworth could have refused. The number of his staff shrank during the holidays, and his work piled up. So far he has no obligation to them. But he never forgot his obligation to Robert. “We will try to help you.”
In silence, Jenson opened the box and took out a bottle of champagne inside. “We need a report on the contents of this bottle. The confidential report. Today.”
Lockworth took over the bottle and checked the label. Her lips are slightly curved. “Seventy-two. A good year. Are you guys thinking of building a winery?”
“We need to know what's in that bottle besides champagne.”
Instead of showing any surprise, Lockworth leaned back in her chair. “You have reason to think so?”
Jenson returned her gaze. “If not, we won't be here.”
Lockworth just looked up. “Good. I'll check it myself in the lab.”
Whimpering at Jenson's behavior, Rachel got up and offered her a handshake. “We really appreciate your kindness Mr. Lockworth. I'm sure you still have a lot of other work to complete, but the results of that check are very important for Jenson and I.”
“No problem.” Lockworth decided that he would find out why the results were so important after analyzing the champagne. “There is a coffee shop for the staff. I'll show you the location. You can wait for me there.”