AC05 - Death Mask by Kathryn Fox Page A

money and they need to do something radical to save the club. If news gets out that some of the players have been accused of rape, it could send the club into financial ruin.’
    Anya didn’t know how her role would prevent that if the evidence did suggest the players were guilty, but she didn’t say anything.
    They waited to cross a busy road.
    ‘What’s Buffet’s story?’ She had read that he was the mastermind behind the team’s success, but judging by his physique he had probably never been a player.
    ‘I’ve known him a long time. He comes across as cantankerous and isn’t afraid to bully people, but he’s got the best of intentions. He’s passionate about the game and knows more about it than just about anyone alive. Hey, we’ve got some time. I want to show you something.’
    He hailed a taxi, and they climbed in.
    ‘The Rockefeller Center, thanks,’ Ethan instructed.
    He bought two tickets at the booth out front while Anya admired the Metropolitan Museum of Art shop on a corner of the square that resembled the United Nations with all of its flags. ‘Let’s go,’ he said and led the way inside.
    ‘What are we here for?’ Anya asked. ‘What’s this got to do with Buffet?’
    ‘I’m glad you asked,’ Ethan said with a cheeky expression. ‘First, have a look around.’ Large black and white photos adorned the walls, with blue, pink and mauve hues highlighting historical anecdotes and facts. Anya read as they wound their way along. A picture of one of her favourite actors, Gregory Peck, caught her attention. So did two quotes, which were particularly touching.
    Unto he who much is given, much shall be required.
It was attributed to John D Rockefeller Jr, the man responsible for the whole centre and its artwork collection.
    ‘OK, Rockefeller modified a biblical verse, but the sentiment is what Buffet believes,’ Ethan explained. ‘He is a descendant of John Jr, and has amassed his own fortune through property development and savvy investments. He may be pretty tight-fisted at times, but he demands no more from his people than he expects from himself.’
    Ethan really did respect the old man.
    They moved along to see images of the building in construction, and an iconic image of eleven workers with their feet dangling, eating lunch on a girder suspended hundreds of metres above street level. All Anya could think was how the lack of safety equipment compromised their lives. Even so, a letter from the Sheet-Metal Workers’ Union was cited:
In this bitter workaday world, especially now, your action stands out as a beacon light to those who earn their livelihood by the sweat of their brow.
    ‘You would have thought that in the Depression people would have resented Rockefeller with all his wealth. But they worshipped him because he saved the lives of who knows how many by giving them work so they could feed their families. My grandfather was one of those workers, and had nothing butpraise for people who used their wealth for good. I think Buffet’s a lot like John Jr. When I was struggling, Buffet employed me as part of his dream to help make football a game that provided hope to kids who struggled in early life, through poverty, drug addiction and child abuse or neglect. I don’t just do background checks. I help players out where possible and help solve problems they can’t manage alone.’
    Anya had to admit that the cause was noble, and understood that Buffet was responsible for a large number of jobs, in fact an entire industry, built around his team.
    Ethan’s history with Buffet also explained his willingness to arrange the hastily convened meeting that had just taken place. She wondered if he would have been so quick if it had been another team within the league. In fact, she wondered whether Ethan’s obvious fondness for Buffet and subsequently the Bombers would ever present a conflict of interest.
    She wandered along a glass beam, designed to mimic the height of the famous girder, and