Page 87 of The Quarterlands (Dark Water #4)

It only took them a few minutes to drive across Ghost Eye, with Esther directing the route.

Reed pulled up outside a tall tower that Josiah knew all too well.

He jumped out of the duck and jogged inside, where a smiling doorman escorted him to the elevator and up to the top floor, as if he’d been expecting him.

The elevator door opened, and Josiah found himself in Tyler’s old penthouse suite…

only this time it was filled with brightly coloured balloons and chattering people.

There was a bustling, joyful air about the place, very different to when Tyler had lived here, and there, waiting to greet him, was Alex.

Josiah being Josiah, he couldn’t help but notice that Alex was wearing a beautifully cut navy-blue suit, with a purple shirt, silver tie, and matching pocket square.

He looked exquisite. Next to him, clad in his off-duty jeans with a polo shirt and sports jacket, Josiah felt underdressed for possibly the first time in his life.

“Alex… what the hell is going on?” he demanded.

“Did you check your bank balance?” Alex grinned. “It’s all there. Every penny you paid for me, minus the sum I paid for you. You’re a rich man, Joe.”

“Tyler left you all his money,” Josiah said slowly, finally figuring it out.

“Yup.” Alex took hold of his arm and led him to a huge window with beautiful views over the city. “And he died very much on the up, what with the success of the Destiny duck and his floating city scheme. I couldn’t believe it when I saw how much he was worth.”

“Why all the secrecy?” Josiah demanded. “How long have you known? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh, you’re a fine one to talk. You didn’t tell me you’d bought me, so I thought I’d repay the surprise.

” Alex laughed. “I found out soon after he died. His lawyers were in touch within a couple of weeks. I made plans to buy up your contract – and a few others – straight away. I held some clandestine meetings with Esther, who was sworn to secrecy.”

“Oh, she’s very good at keeping secrets.” Josiah shook his head ruefully. “I had no idea.”

“Tyler had been planning to commit suicide for months, apparently,” Alex explained.

“His lawyer said he couldn’t stand being in prison.

Once he knew there was no point in appealing his sentence, he decided to take his own life.

The only question in his mind was where to leave his empire. That’s where you came in.”

“That’s why he wanted me to show him the file about the accident?”

“Yes. He had to be absolutely sure I wasn’t the one driving. Once he was, that was it. He was all set. He waited a week before doing it for only one reason.”

“To read your book,” Josiah said quietly. “I left him a copy.”

“That’s right. He read it and then he was done. Apparently, he was in a great mood the day before he took his own life. He was happy to be checking out.”

“I’m glad he’d already decided to do it before I went to visit him. I thought maybe I’d influenced him into it.”

“No. He was always going to commit suicide. He just wanted to be sure about who should have his empire.”

“He made the right choice. The only real choice.”

“He didn’t just leave me his money; he left me everything he owned. All the houses, all the businesses… I don’t want any of them, of course. I’m only keeping the two things that are rightfully mine.”

“The Destiny duck range and Lytton AV?” Josiah guessed.

“You know me too well. I’ll sell the rest.” Alex shrugged. “I don’t want to become like Tyler. I don’t even want to become like my father. I just want to design things and be happy.”

“You deserve it. Every single penny. Hell, you earned it. Nobody deserves it more than you, after all you went through at his hands.”

Alex flushed and looked out over the submerged London Eye that had given the city its name.

“I’m going to use most of the money to set up a foundation to campaign for an end to the IS system. I was hoping…” He looked a little anxious. “I was hoping you’d help me?”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” Josiah exclaimed, drawing him into a hug. “Of course I’ll bloody well help you. I’m not leaving Inquisitus, though,” he added, pulling back.

“I’d never ask you to. I thought this could be more of a spare-time thing. I mean, you do have a bit more of that since you closed down” – Alex lowered his voice – “the Kathleen Line. I was hoping this would fill that gap.”

“I’d be honoured.”

“We’ll do it, Joe,” Alex said in an excited voice. “It might take some time, and maybe all of Tyler’s money, but we’ll do it. We’ll bring the system down.”

“The two of us working together? I wouldn’t bet against it.” Josiah grinned.

At that moment, the elevator door opened, and Reed, Esther, Sofie, and Mel appeared, accompanied by Penny.

Penny saw Alex and rushed towards him. She adored him almost as much as she did Josiah, and he didn’t think it was only because of all the treats he slipped her when he thought Josiah wasn’t looking.

“Who are all these people?” Josiah asked, looking around the crowded room. Then he realised. “Is that Barney Bates over there?” He saw the portly lorry driver, talking to… “Is that Ted?”

“Yeah. I thought I’d throw a massive party to say thank you to everyone before I get rid of this place.” Alex beamed.

“Who’s that with Barney?” Josiah gestured to a round-faced, brown-haired young man.

“That’s his son, Rob. I bought his contract and set him free. Sem’s here, too.” Alex grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s go and talk to them. ”

At that moment there was a loud squeal, and Josiah caught a flash of brown hair before a familiar person leapt into his arms.

“Joe! There you are. Alex said you’d be here soon.”

“Liz? Liz? ” He gazed at her in shock. “How are you here?”

“Alex bought my contract, so technically I’m free to return.” She grinned at him. “Isn’t it amazing, after all this time?”

“Are Carl and the kids here?”

“Yes. Alex has put us up in a hotel. I left them to go sightseeing as they’re all being far too excitable, but we’re staying for a few weeks, if you’ll be around? Little Peter is desperate to meet you. He’s the only one of our kids who hasn’t, you know, and the others tease him about it.”

“I can’t wait.” He swung her up into his arms, kissing her. “I think this might be the best day of my life,” he whispered in her ear.

“Then here’s to many more.” She grabbed a glass of champagne and raised it in the air.

The next few hours passed in a haze. Waiters handed out canapes and drinks while Josiah did the rounds talking to all the people Alex had met and felt he owed something to on his journey. Jabir was there, with his wife, Maura, and their throng of well-behaved children.

“He gifted me the hacienda,” Jabir told Josiah, clearly still reeling. “He told me today. Of course, I said that I couldn’t possibly accept, that it was too much, but he insisted.”

“You lost your job because of me, and very probably saved my life by bringing those nanodrives over. That evidence changed the course of the trial, so it was the least I could do,” Alex demurred. “Besides… I can never go back there.” A shadow passed over his face.

Luckily, at that moment, Marlon Baxter made a huge entrance, towing his tall, handsome husband along behind him.

It was overwhelming, so Josiah retreated to a quiet corner and observed the party from a distance.

Mick Reynolds was standing in the opposite corner, slowly getting drunk.

Sem and Sofie were next to him, chatting excitedly, making plans for the future.

Alex had already asked Sem if he’d like to work for his new foundation, while Sofie was hoping Esther would put her on a regular contract as she loved working at Inquisitus.

Robbie Bates was working with his father in the haulage industry; they were spending hours trucking across the country together, catching up on years apart and trying to mend some fences.

Elsie was chatting earnestly to Noah and Ted’s wife, Trudy, a bizarre trio that Josiah would never have expected to have anything in common, while Charles was busy trying to do the impossible and charm Big Jen.

Mona Byrne was feeding Penny far too many canapes from her plate while laughing with Mel.

It was strange to see Byrne laughing so heartily, but when she wasn’t being a ferocious attack dog in the courtroom, she was, apparently, the life and soul of the party.

By the fireplace was a bespectacled man who he recognised from Gideon’s memorial service, talking to a woman with a very tight ponytail and a tiny, shy-looking woman, and over by the elevator was the flamboyant Lorenzo, flirting outrageously with Andrew…

and too many others to count. And there, at the centre of everything, was a happy, smiling Alex.

“Enjoying yourself?” Alex asked, coming over.

“I’m just trying to piece together who all these people are and their place in your story.”

“Always the investigator.”

“You know me. I think I’ve figured most of them out, except them.” Josiah nodded at an odd trio of men, looking reticent and out of place – a portly, pompous-looking chap, a tall, earnest fellow, and a young redhead.

Alex smiled. “Well, I knew them as Three, Four, and Five, but it turns out they have names. You’re looking at Stanley, Rashid, and Duncan.”

“Your companions at Belvedere?”

“Yup. I asked Madeleine Selcourt for their details, tracked them down, bought their contracts, and released them from their servitude, with a lump sum to help them on their way. They were good friends to me when I needed it most.”

“They must have been very surprised.”

“They were, but it’s been great. I’ve had them all to stay at The Orchard, and we reminisced about the good old bad old days. And by the fireplace are the Belvedere contingent. That’s Dr Adams, who I knew as C, and who, of course, is now my therapist.”

“Ah. He gave the eulogy at Gideon’s fake memorial service.”