Page 168 of Deep Blue Sea

‘They work on commission essentially. You can spend months on a deal and if it falls through – nada. So if anything went wrong with the Denver Chemicals deal, that would impact on Canopus’s fee, which could run into tens of millions on a multi-billion-dollar transaction.’

‘Ballpark on the investment banking fee with a blockbuster drug still on the market?’

‘I heard they were after thirty to forty billion sale price. Commission fees around one per cent . . . You’re talking thirty million.’

‘That’s a lot of money,’ whistled Rachel. ‘Would it have an impact in other ways?’

‘It would catapult Canopus up the M and A table, that’s for sure. They’re quite a small outfit at the moment. A deal like this would push them into the elite bracket, and more business of that size and quality would undoubtedly come their way.’

It was all falling into place.

‘What’s this about, Rachel?’ said Patty, her brows creasing with intrigue.

‘I think Greg came to the party with Julian’s killer.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’

‘He came with someone who didn’t leave the party.’

Patty put down her water bottle. ‘Rachel, Julian committed suicide . . .’

‘He was killed,’ she said, shaking her head slowly. ‘As was his friend Madison Kopek. It was all about Rheladrex. Rheladrex couldn’t be pulled off the market because it would jeopardise the deal, and Greg wasn’t going to let that happen.’

‘Rachel, please. Listen to yourself. Greg Willets was as distraught as anyone when Julian died.’

She had already noticed the car keys on the blond wood countertop, recognising the Ferrari fob even from this distance. A cog in her brain began to turn.

‘Patty, who told you the Denver Chemicals sale price was around thirty to forty billion?’

She didn’t hear the woman’s reply. Her head seemed to vibrate, her vision started to swim. Vaguely she registered that she had been hit, with force, on the back of the skull, and then she fell to the floor.

63

Elizabeth Denver had been riding at Hanley Park when she had received Adam’s call and had grudgingly agreed to meet them for lunch in a pub halfway between the family seat and Somerfold.

‘What’s all this about?’ she snapped, ordering a glass of tap water from the bar and coming to sit next to Diana and Adam by the roaring fire. She was still in her jodhpurs and a slim-fitting tweed jacket and did not look as if she would be staying long.

‘Did Greg Willets have any reason to want Jules dead?’ said Diana without preamble.

Elizabeth put down her glass without it even touching her lips.

‘Simple answer, Elizabeth,’ said Diana with more steel than she had ever felt. ‘Yes or no.’

Her sister-in-law looked completely taken aback. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked quietly.

‘Just tell me,’ Diana repeated.

Elizabeth tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and fell quiet. Diana wasn’t sure if she was thinking or had been stunned into silence.

‘We think it has a connection with Rheladrex,’ said Adam, speaking up.

‘Rheladrex?’

Elizabeth was a smart woman, and Diana could tell just by looking at her that she had realised the implications.

‘Greg’s company Canopus was going to handle the sale of Denver Chemicals. I suspect we all know about Julian’s report into Rheladrex, his concerns about it. A Chinese firm had been identified for Denver and it was Rheladrex that they were most interested in. A sale price of forty billion had been mentioned. It was a big deal for the parent company to lose. A big deal for Greg to lose,’ added Elizabeth.

‘Is it still going ahead?’ asked Adam, fixing his full gaze on his sister.