He still had a few calls to make, but not quite yet. Timing would be important.

The board lunch on the last Friday of the month was not a lunch.

It was the Company’s religious service. The most important meeting of the month, attended by board members only, no one else, where matters were discussed without minutes being taken.

The phones were left with Alma, and the doors were closed at 12:10 and opened again at 1:50. One hour and forty minutes.

Tony Tolomei did not really like this custom, but he had never thought about it before. He had simply done it because that was how things were done. But precisely because it was how things were done, today, on his last day, it mattered more than ever.

He knew Donald Ellis would be busy around noon today and that the call would go to voicemail. Donald liked him, despite his reputation as a bastard of a journalist. He had done both of Tony Tolomei’s major interviews, the first when Tony turned sixty and the second ten years later. Tony Tolomei had read them both during his final week, and when he looked at them properly, they were kind interviews with a boring man.

Then Charly.

He knew Charly only superficially and knew that he was a feared man, but they got along because Tony was not afraid of him. Charles Clermont was leaving today for his daughter’s wedding, so he was unlikely to call back either. But both calls still had to be timed correctly.

Tony Tolomei sat in his chair for the last time, a large, comfortable, grey leather high-backed chair that had been made for him near Monza. Finally, after a moment’s hesitation, he pressed the button.

“Oh, Donald, I had something very important I wanted to talk to you about. I’m in a difficult situation, and I thought that since you must have heard all sorts of things in the course of your career, perhaps you might be able to… or maybe it’s better if you forget I called. Perhaps it’s nothing after all. But if you do call when you have a moment, sometime after two? We could arrange lunch then. If you can’t reach me, leave word with my secretary, but don’t say that I asked you to call.”

Tony Tolomei thought the call had gone well. He had sounded just nervous enough to make sure Donald would call.

Then he pressed another button and waited for Charly’s secretary to answer.

“Tony Tolomei here. I was hoping to speak to Charles Clermont…”

“Mr Clermont is away today and won’t be available until Monday. Perhaps Mr Thornton could help you? He is Mr Clermont’s assistant.”

“Well, I only wanted to ask a couple of questions about some trades the CEO has made in a competitor’s shares, but I’d rather speak to Charly, since we know each other anyway.”

“As you wish. He is free from ten o’clock on Monday.”

“I’ll call him then. Goodbye.”

The calls had been made.

He had fifteen minutes before lunch.