Sounds Like Radio Episode 15
Kevin had forgotten to order a light bulb recently; that should have been a warning of approaching illness.
He never let that sort of thing go normally.
Later that day Kevin stopped Cesca in the corridor.
“That man from next door said he can take a look at the air-con, if we like.”
“Bill? That would save a servicing fee,” Cesca said. “Every little helps.”
Kevin’s attention was wandering already. He was uninterested in money and completely interested in audio.
“I could take the air-con apart myself,” Kevin said, “after the play. I’ve got a manual for it –”
“No!” Cesca said, more loudly than she intended.
“I bet Bill will be great, and it’d be churlish of us to say no when he’s offered.”
The very last thing Cesca wanted was Kevin investigating every moving part of the air-con.
He might leave the whole place without oxygen for months!
Bill put in a good three hours clearing the filters and testing the system.
“I took a course once,” he said airily. “Air-con’s interesting, actually, and I have to fit one next door.
“Any more odd jobs need doing?”
Bill had been popping in and out.
Sometimes he said his next-door client was too full-on and he needed to chill out; another time he asked to use their loo.
“I had to switch the water off,” he explained.
Cesca’s heart would skip every time he appeared, and then she would inhale and calm herself down.
There was no reason to suppose that Bill came to Sounds Like to see her.
And if he had the slightest interest in her, he’d surely have given some sign by now.
Her own racing pulse was presumably obvious to him.
Gerry commented on how often he appeared. Even Miriam – distracted, flaky Miriam – mentioned it.
He was so hard to read!
Miriam said he was so laid-back she was amazed he didn’t topple over.
To Bill, life was a blast and nothing was serious.
On the other hand, a lot of things were serious for Cesca, in particular money.
The phone-in had paid a few studio bills and the place was relatively busy, but with Gerry’s wage to find and other commitments, the income wasn’t matching the spend.
She wondered whether to apply to the owner, Mr Chopra, for help.
They hadn’t spoken since Christmas; talking to him and getting his mood might at least give her a hint about his attitude to Sounds Like Radio, which was the smallest item in his portfolio.
He was in a terrible mood, which was unusual because he was a jovial sort of person.
He had told her the year before that now that all his children were in gainful employment and producing kids of their own (whom Mrs Chopra adored), he could really enjoy his sunny retirement.
“I can’t talk now, Francesca,” he said down the phone. “Sorry.”
“Shall I try later?” Never try to get money, Cesca thought, out of a person who has got out of bed on the wrong side.
“I’ll ring you.”
Cesca heard what she thought was Mrs Chopra in the background, talking apparently to herself and banging drawers.
Mrs Chopra usually had Neil Diamond playing, or Bollywood hits, while she made drinks to enjoy by the pool.
It must be raining in paradise.
When Cesca put the phone down her thoughts began to run away.
What if Mr Chopra didn’t want to talk because he had already decided it was bad news for Sounds Like Radio?
He loved Spain – the climate, the golf, the social life – and had developed a nice line in remote working so he could stay there.
He could easily liquidate a business from fifteen hundred miles away!
Gerry noticed Cesca’s low mood, and Cesca shared just enough so as not to worry her colleague.
There was no need for a junior employee to know everything, and Mr Chopra had practically given Gerry her job by signing up for the apprentice scheme.
“You could go at this from another angle,” Gerry said.
“Try to make him love us, make us his favourites. What is Mr Chopra’s soft spot?”
Cesca considered.
“Mrs Chopra.”
“A wonderful and lifelong romance?”
“A wonderful but terrifying woman.”
Gerry laughed.
“And what do we know about the lady?”
“Um, I know she drives him nuts by sending her kids airline tickets so they come and visit.”
“So it’s all about family.”
“I suppose so.”
“Then appeal to the Chopras through their soft underbelly,” Gerry said.
And that was how Cesca ended up passing the home of Sanjay and Arya Gadhavi “by chance”, and being invited in for tea.