Chapter 13: Hero and Villains

The excitement that we all shared seemed to radiate around us. Smiles, laughter, and jokes about Emily on all 4s, which her grandmother smiled at but didn’t see as funny.

Mia took us up to the top floor. “This is going to be the most adventurous part of the project,” she told us.

She pointed to a row of missing ceiling tiles, something that was so out of place in the old building but we agreed to do in the 1970s apparently.

“First of all these ceiling tiles are all going, we are stripping it back to the old ceiling. You should see the old cornices and ceiling roses, whoever put these ceiling tiles up needs to be shot.” She told us. Cynthia looked at me with a wry grin. I looked away feigning innocence.

“Then from this point on,” pointing to where the ceiling tiles were missing, “we are going to remove the old ceiling as well, and take off the roof iron. So we are open to the elements. We are going to make this an outdoor dining, casual area. Some sun lounges, and pot plants with some large umbrellas.” I nodded but Cynthia was enthralled, hanging on every word.

Mia was a natural at this I thought. Mia went on to point out various places and what they will become. I smiled at them. Emily came over to me and hung on my arm. “It seems Mia has another convert.” She told me.

“Yes, she is in her element I think.” I looked down at Em, she seemed tired and worn out. “How are you two getting on, hope you are leaving work issues here and don’t take them home with you.”

“We have our moments. But it is easier when I am working with Erica when I’m not underfoot here with Mia, then she misses me. Today it will be all work talk and nothing else. It would be nice to have a little bit of both.

I looked at her. “I did warn you both it wasn’t going to be easy. Tell me, why do you think your granddad doesn’t spend more time in the family business?”

“He isn’t that interested, isn’t he?” She looked up at me.

“Your grandfather and I were close, very close, like this,” showing her my crossed fingers, “but we fight like cat and dog when we spend too much time together. Which is why my dad, your GREAT grandfather kept us apart. He was sick and tired of us screaming at each other. Sent me to a boarding school in Melbourne tried to teach your grand-dad the business.”

She looked at me and said “I didn’t know that. I thought you went to Wilderness like mum and me.”

I tossed my head to one side. “Oh no, I was sent away. Which is how my dad dealt with our fighting and me being caught naked in bed with another girl. Not the done thing in the 1950s.” I told her with a smile.

“So Melbourne it was. Luckily for me, your granddad didn’t have the ‘knack’ for the business and I just happen to excel in it. But when he and I were left to our own devices concerning the business, we would almost come to blows, literally. So as long as I was discreet with who I was seen with and what we were doing, my dad taught me the business, and your granddad, well he did other things.”

“So when are you going to teach me the business?” She asked.

I patted her hand, “not yet. But don’t think your granddad isn’t interested, he is, and he knows what’s going on.”

She asked me again, “So when?”

“When what?”

“When are you going to teach me the business?” I immediately regretted bringing up the subject.

I looked down at her once again and smiled. “When you are ready. And before you say it. NO, you’re not.” I looked over at Mia and I knew she was the future of the family business if they ever got married that is.

Mia and Cynthia joined us as Cynthia was gushing with excitement. “Have you seen what Mia is planning for us up here?”

I laughed, “Yes we meet every week and I get an update. You should join us, mind you it is 7 am on a Wednesday here. And a lot of the business is just the numbers at this stage, plus any major changes to the original plans. But you and Terry are always welcome.”

She laughed, “Terry, up at 7 am, he is up for two reasons at that time, golf is one and well the other is none of your business.” We all blushed with her.

She surprised all of us with her last statement. The thought of them ... well ... way too much information I thought. But then again by the time I get home normally on a Wednesday I join Michelle back in bed. But that’s different I said to myself.

“Let’s show her the mysterious red brick wall and where we found everything,” I instructed

We all started walking down the stairs towards the ground floor and into the cellar. Mia’s phone went off and we listened to a one-sided conversation.

“Hello, Mia Di Lombardo speaking, ... Yes oh yes I remember...” as she looked across at me. “I see ... OK ... that would be great. Do they have my direct email address here? ... Yes, that’s the one ... Yes I will tell her, she is right here, would you like a word? ... OK, I will tell her. And thank you for that. Yes, we will, goodbye”

And she hung up or pressed the closed button.

Mia looked at me smiled and told me, “That was Anita Reynolds, she said to tell you that the Premier’s Office will be emailing their approval by the end of the week.”

I smiled back at her. “One can never have too many friends.”

Mia explained to me that she wanted to replace the stairways with something grandeur. So when you enter the front door you are captivated by these beautiful ornate staircases, you can travel, either up or down, or go into the ‘library’.

“You’re in charge Mia, you decide, work it into the budget and get it ticked off by Erica and it would make sense, don’t you agree Cindy?” I asked as I turned to her.

“It would make a statement that is for sure. I know these stairs have been in since day one, but they are just stairs. Not a statement!” She replied

And in one sweeping moment, Cynthia became involved with the OWLS Club.

I looked at Mia, she at me, and we both raised our eyebrows. The other two Ambrose girls were completely oblivious to what had just happened.

We entered the cellar, and the noise and dust was everywhere. An onsite foreman’s desk was set up in front of the newly completed doorway into the ‘storeroom’. The double doors were still, well covered to protect the timber and glass. And a full padlock and chain, housed in a plastic tube held the doors shut and locked.

“Shit Mia,” I said. “Aren’t you worried they’ll get damaged?”

“No, not really.” She replied. “I want you to meet these guys talking to Michael Ritter the Foreman.” She repeated his name so I could sound more informed than I was.

As we approached them, the two big guys turned to face us. Tough looking and mean were words that came to mind. “Hello, again Michael,” I said.

He nodded and replied with a smile, “Ms Ambrose.”

Mia then explained that the other two ‘gentlemen’ were the supervisors and ‘storemen’. She then brought everyone around the table and said in a direct tone, “When we started this job there were 75 bottles of wine in the storeroom, yesterday there were 75 bottles in the store room and when we finished there will be 75 bottles of wine in the storeroom, am I right gentlemen?”

They nodded and said, “yes boss.”

“Can we have a look behind the wall please I asked?” I asked.

I got a grunt and a nod from one of the ‘minders’. He found a key on his key ring. “One of two keys,” tapping her pocket to indicate where the other one was. Mia told me in no uncertain terms, that she had this covered.

He unlocked the padlock carefully took the protective chain from the doors and open them for us, He went in and turned on some bright temporary flood lights. He turned smiled, nodded and stood to one side as we entered.

We entered and he closed the doors behind us. I turned to Cynthia, “so this is what all the fuss is about,” walking over towards the 3 vents in the wall. “Small aren’t they,” Cynthia said.

“Yes but the real mystery is why are they there in the first place and where do they go?” Emily said.

“No, the real mystery is what are they hiding? Why in a cellar, so close to what was one of Australia’s busiest trading ports, is there THIS? Whatever this is.”

“Any guesses anyone?” I put to them.

Emily, came back, “Dead bodies?” Mia smiled and hugged her. Her grandmother didn’t bat an eyelid at either the reply or their PSA.

“Cynthia,” I asked. “Well if it was used for transporting contraband, then it could be anything. But I doubt there will be anything of value”

“Mia, what do you think it might be hiding?” She shook her head, “No idea.” She replied.

“Shall I tell you what I think? I think the tunnels have nothing to do with what we found here, the timing doesn’t add up to me. I think the Ambrose family wanted to hide what young Mary had been getting up to with the older woman from Saxony. They stored everything down here, then bricked it up. Either not knowing the tunnels were there or just plain forgetting. The tunnels were obviously filled in by the time the wall was built. When we open the tunnels I think as Cynthia said, there will be nothing to find, they were just plain ordinary tunnels used to hide and transport goods from the tax man.”

“AAAWWW” said Emily “But wouldn’t it be fun if there were stuff hidden down there?”

“Maybe, depends what the stuff is. I have had my fill of fun thank you very much.” I told them all.

“OK, what time is it?” Cynthia looked at her watch, “just gone 4” she said to me.

Time for a glass of wine next door and turning to Cynthia I said, I’ll introduce her to Ash and Ellie, two wonderful friends of mine.” She nodded and replied “great.”

Mia knocked on the door and heard no answer. Shouted through the door “Hello, anyone out there?”

She picked up her mobile phone and dialled a number. Got an answer and said in no uncertain terms, “You guys forgot something?” I heard some laughter.