I asked my colleagues for some advice, including Umberto and Giorgio, who turned out to be incredibly helpful, and I managed to put together six banks willing to finance the operation. They are not real loans: no bank has accepted Banano as a guarantee and not even taken into consideration that the construction company could act as a valid unsecured creditor, so any type of mortgage has been ruled out. We therefore had to resort to six lines of credit: pure madness.
Each institution requested a restricted current account with a deposit equal to the amount of the granted credit limit, thus forcing the brothers to open joint accounts with the six banks, for a total of ten million: I am not aware about what percentage of these amounts is taken from their personal assets; however, what the chairperson said made me think that the restricted amounts can be almost all of the savings set aside during a good part of their working life.
My success in finding the necessary funds for the operation, which I describe as self-destructive attitude, turned Amedeos face into a smirk which reminded of a smile. He then turned the instinctual expression on his face into a short sentence: «It wasnt that difficult after all».
Try and raise ten million at the blink of an eye then, instead of staying in bed until ten in the morning... that is what I am thinking while I am staring at the desk. I also remember that the sale agreement of the property will take place in the afternoon and that someone from Ciapper, following yesterdays agreements, will pop over around 15:30 to collect the checks.
So now I have to go and collect the cashiers checks from the various banks and then I will leave everything with Serena before leaving the office. I put the pc on standby and take a nice folder with a hard cover from the drawer to collect all the bank securities. I leave the bag in the drawer, thinking that it can only weigh me down, since I dont need either the office keys or the car keys. I quickly take out my identity card from my bag, struck by the idea that some meticulous bank employee might want to check my identification, and then I close the chest of drawers.
I get up, a little doubtful. Although I have just remembered that two banks are a little more far away than the others, I discard the idea of taking the car and look for an alternative solution.
«Lavinia, why are you standing still in front of your desk?» Maddalena asks.
«I was rearranging the route in my mind in order to collect some checks: Ill get going now» I reply quietly, thinking that today she wants to piss me off. I bend down, I open the drawer again, then take out the prepaid card for public transport from my bag, and I then push the handle back to close it.
«Okay: I was just wondering why you are in front of the ray of sunshine that is filtering through the window and the rays of the sun this season and at this time are good for my poor health.»
«Sure, Maddalena, sorry, Ill move right away» I reply, taking two steps back and slipping the card into my jeans pocket. «Sorry again, I am off, see you later.»
I reach the front office and smile at Serena, busy with what appears to be a complicated telephone conversation. She looks at me a bit puzzled, while I point to the wardrobe with one hand and then shake my arms, pretending to put on an invisible jacket.
She smiles and then nods.
Borrowing Serenas fur coat, which can be recognized by its slightly eccentric synthetic fur, allows me to avoid a stop at the garage and save a few minutes.
When I get to the lift, I look at myself in the mirror: it is black and reaches down to mid-thighs; the synthetic fur is about ten centimetres long and is all ruffled. I feel the lining that touches the bare skin of my forearms: I get a sensation of synthetic heat all over me, while my nostrils are filled with a pleasant scent of cyclamen, which I recognize to be the same one that I often get off my colleague.
This fur coat is really nice.
«Hello, Im Lavinia from Sbandofin, I need to collect some cashiers checks for Ciapper ltd.»
«So, you are Lavinia» replies the employee. «Hi, Im Maria. Ill go get them and Ill be right back» she adds, getting up. After two minutes the girl comes back holding an envelope in her hands.
«Here they are. Can you sign here, please?» she says, sitting back down. I sign, grab the envelope, open the folder, put the envelope inside and close it.
«Im off, then» I say looking at her. «Thanks, Maria, have a nice day.»
«Bye, good day to you too.»
I turn around, pass the mantrap, walk on the pedestrian crossing and continue following the road that goes down to the supermarket. I immediately notice my second stop in the distance, a bank I go to quite often for other transactions for Sbandofin which also has its own current account at this branch.
«Good morning, running errands?» I suddenly hear a voice echoing on my right.
The concierge of our building stands in front of me, going down the stairs of the building I am walking past, with a stack of boxes in his arms.
«Good morning Mauro. Yes, Im going around a few banks.»
«Im recovering the packages that the courier left in the wrong building» he mutters.
«How nice» I reply. «Does it often happen that they mix up the buildings?»
«Every now and then, yes: in their haste they leave everything to one concierge instead of the other» he replies and then continues: «That fur coat is beautiful, it looks like Serenas».
Surprised by the statement, I look at him a little puzzled and answer: «Yes, I like it a lot too: we bought the same one, actually».
He seems to be inspecting me and I add quickly: «What perceptiveness, Mauro!»
«Thats what my job is about: to watch. Have fun in the bank» he replies, walking away.
«Goodbye» I reply, still hesitant. I start walking in the opposite direction and I think that, more than a keen observer, he seems to like minding other peoples business.
I go to the bank, take another envelope from the familiar employee of the first counter and put it back in the folder. I leave the girl, after an interesting conversation about todays weather conditions that has taken away at least three minutes off my tight schedule, to get to the last branch of the first block of banks.
The rude cashier hands me a transparent envelope with two checks put in at random. He then informs me that he must proceed with my identification: I hand over the document and he scans it, while I put these checks in my folder. I take my ID from the fat hand stretched out towards me, I greet without any particular pleasantries and, as I go out, I realize how the subway stop is located in the square nearby. I decide to use that, to reach the two furthest banks. For sure, its faster than the 10 bus.
While I am waiting for the train, the folder in my hands begins to bother me. I open a button on my fur coat and place it inside, supporting it with my right hip and putting my hands in the pockets, which I think can benefit from a bit of comfortable synthetic warmth. When I reach the bottom of the lining, my index finger touches a cylindrical object. I inspect it with curiosity: it is a simple lip balm stick. I also rummage in my left pocket to make sure Im not carrying items that I can lose. After realizing that there is nothing like that, I decide to put the stick in the safest inside pocket, which already has my smartphone, and in which I also place my rechargeable card and ID.
I hear a whistling sound coming from my left and I turn to look at it: the subway is on its way and it is slowing down, getting ready to stop. I take the folder out of my fur and I go in the half-empty carriage. I sit on the outer seat, placing the folder on my legs, while the electric vehicle takes off again and I think that in three or four minutes I should arrive at my destination.
I hear a whistling sound coming from my left and I turn to look at it: the subway is on its way and it is slowing down, getting ready to stop. I take the folder out of my fur and I go in the half-empty carriage. I sit on the outer seat, placing the folder on my legs, while the electric vehicle takes off again and I think that in three or four minutes I should arrive at my destination.
I look around and, after making sure that the two people sitting on the far side are looking harmlessly at their smartphones, I open the folder: the two checks in the transparent envelope show, next to the letter to, the details of the recipient: Ciapper Real Estate ltd. in liquidation. Beside the word euro, printed in small letters, I read the inscription six hundred twenty-five thousand/00.
I open the other two envelopes, moving the tab aside and I see that the same details are there on all of them. Considering there are ten checks in the folder, I have with me over six million. Perhaps my state of mind would not be so nonchalant if I were the recipient of all the checks.
«Next stop, the train station» announces the automatic speaker of the subway.
Once I am out again, I am taken back by the crisp air: the sky is blue now and the fog has completely vanished. I huddle in my fur coat and walk towards the post office. In about five hundred meters, going around the building, I will already be near via Solferino. Up until yesterday I did not even know that there was a branch here. It is actually the only branch that can issue cashiers check in the Brescia area.
Classic mantrap: I go in and notice three individuals queuing at the only open counter. I patiently wait for the account holders to carry out their business and, after about ten minutes, I introduce myself to the clerk behind the glass.
«The girl from Sbandofin is here to collect the checks» she whispers into the phone. She stays on the phone for a few more seconds, then she turns to me: «If you can take a seat, my colleague will come over in five minutes».
«Okay, thanks, Ill wait there» she replies, bringing my right thumb over my shoulder.
I turn and head to three brown armchairs placed against the wall, next to the mantrap at the entrance, taking a seat on the one on the far side. I place the folder on the glass table placed in front of the armchairs, cross my legs and unbutton the synthetic garment that is wrapped around me.
Surely Serenas fur coat is really warm. Almost as warm as her hug, when she has one of her sudden outbursts of affection and she hugs or kisses me for no reason. She is just like that: always carefree and joyful. I smile and think about her legs. Yes, maybe its true, before I was staring at them, but I cant help it: I do the same with everyone. Besides, hers are so sensual. I look at the bare portion of my calf, which comes out of my jeans, a little crumpled due my sitting posture. I bend towards the lower part of my leg and touch the uncovered portion of my calf with my almost frozen fingers of my right hand: a shiver runs through me and ends up down my back.
«Hello Lavinia, Im Marco, nice to meet you.»
The words that come to my left take me by surprise. I get up and shake the mans hand. «Good morning Marco.»
«Here are the checks, everything else is taken care of. However, at some stage, the gentlemen will have to come over here to sign for privacy and money laundering» he tells me, handing me a grey envelope.
«Perfect. Yes, Ive already mentioned that to them.»
«Good» he replies, staring at me.
He is an attractive man: tall, a little sturdy, streaked with grey, presumably around fifty-five.
«Can I get you a cup of coffee?»
«Thank you Marco, but by midday I have to be in another...» I reply and then I stop a little abruptly. «In an office in Corso Garibaldi: so, Im forced to refuse.»
«Okay, next time: please come and see us when you want, I was pleased to see you» he replies, stopping for a moment as if he wanted to specify, «to meet her, I am pleased to meet her.»
«My pleasure, Marco: I will definitely come back for other customers» I reply walking slowly to the exit.
I get to the mantrap, leaving Marco behind me and I press the button to open it, while I have a clear feeling that he is still watching me.
I take a look at my smartphone: it is 11:40 am; the last two branches should close at 1 pm, so I can take my time now.
2.2 LIFE - FIVE
I am back at the entrance of the building now: it is 12:45 and Mauro is back in his usual glass workplace.
«Hi Lavinia, have you done all your running around?»
«Hi Mauro: yes, Im back.» And I am still wearing Serenas fur coat: today he doesnt really want to mind his own business.
I turn to the right and from a distance I see a person who is about to cross the threshold of the first lift following another man, of whom I can only see his back for a few minutes: he is Tom Sellek, Im sure. I slow down a bit, and I wonder if he is coming back to us for some strange reason.
While I wait for the lift, I watch the numbers above the steel doors. Magnum P.I. stops on the eleventh floor.
While on my way, I wonder whats there. A notarys office, I think, and perhaps a psychologists office. Being with a partner, unless it is an improvised couple therapy, I go for the first option. After all, he is setting up a company: he must contact a notary.
When I get to the office, I am still speculating with my neurons dazzled by the memory of the phosphorescent green. He was going there too this morning. Anyway, as curious as I am to know where he was going, I dont think the issue should be of interest to me. So, I focus on Serena, busy with another telephone conversation.
I leave her fur coat in the closet, after replacing the lip balm in the pocket and after taking my cards. I then go to my workstation.
Maddalena is no longer there: she usually leaves the office at 12:30 sharp, even when she arrives late due to her usual morning disasters.
The last task of my day is to scan the sixteen checks. Given that each A4-size scan can keep up to four bank checks, I take the maximum amount of checks to be scanned from the stack and place them on the glass. I repeat the whole process three more times. When I turn to go back to my desk, I see Teresa walking past the glass wall with a smile.
«Good morning Lavinia, have you collected them all?»
«Sure Teresa, look how beautiful they are» I answer showing her the checks.
She takes them off my hand and inspects them one by one and remains silent for a few seconds. «Really beautiful» she then says with a pleased expression. «Well done, Lavinia. Im off for lunch, see you tomorrow.»
«Excuse me Teresa» I interrupt her, as she is about to leave. «Just one thing: I found a leasing company you can register with as an intermediary to manage customer contracts. Can we register? I need to ask for a lease for a strange client who doesnt want his wife...» I am trying to explain, while she interrupts me by replying: «Yes, sure, Lavinia, go ahead with that: sorry, but I have to dash because Im late for lunch».
«Okay, then Ill go ahead with that. See you tomorrow.»
I go back to my desk, while Teresa quickly disappears behind the glass wall, and I attach the pdf files of the scans to a new e-mail, addressed to the Ciapper administration department. After doing that, I take Marcos plain grey envelope, which appears to me to be by far the one in the best condition, and I place all the cashiers desk inside it.