Malta has been visited by sinners, saints and scoundrels. Some made the island their home, others simply visited, while a few a found it a haven to hide from their past and make a new life away from the eyes of the world. In a related article I highlighted four who did just this; Caravaggio escaping allegations of murder; Lord Byron, a man who created scandal with his behaviour in England; William Coleridge attempting to cure his addiction to opium; and the family of the Romanovs, including Rasputin’s assassin, who fled Russia at the start of the Russian revolution.
Another person who fled to Malta was Brian Williams, an Australian banking executive in my novel The Maltese Web. A fictional scoundrel, who needed to flee from Australia to escape an inglorious past and was helped to hide by his former employers, but who finds old habits die hard. Williams puts himself in between a relentless financial intelligence officer, Marica Debono, and a malicious Russian criminal, Yuri.
Williams had a central role in a scheme to manipulate interest rates charged between various banks, including the bank he worked for, operating in Australia. This was an opportunity to enrich himself and others, and bring substantial profits to his bank. When his scheme was discovered and he was outed as the central figure, he had to leave Australia.
Malta was not his choice but he was placed on the island by his former employer on the understanding he would keep his secrets to himself. He left behind a family and an ex-wife but not his reputation.
In my earlier drafts of the novel Brian was the main character who was searching to escape his past and in doing so find a pathway to redemption for the sake of his children. However, working with my editor she found that Marica was a significantly more interesting character and through her the themes of redemption and personal struggles could be better brought to life.
Despite Brian’s past, he is someone whom Marica has decided to trust, in her attempt to tear down the web of secrets. It is a decision Marica tortures herself to make, as she nudges against her personal and professional boundaries.
Scene: Where Marica and Brian Williams secretly meet. Photo: Fishermans’ Huts, Valletta Grand Harbour, Maria Stella Micallef
To experience how I wove a scoundrel into my novel, here is an excerpt where Marica has agreed to a meeting in secret with Williams.
Williams shakes his head. He swallows, his Adam’s apple jumps.
‘I want to know who approved this deal. Or there will be no easy exit for you, only a trip to prison.’
‘I lost my Australian life, branded a white collar criminal, no one wanted to know me. We all need a shot at redemption, to learn from our mistakes. Here I am redeeming myself.’ He grips the neck of the bottle perched on his knee. ‘Do you have children?’
They find they have a common motivation, though from distinctly different perspectives, the importance of family.
‘I have two young girls, the only good things to come from a tortured marriage.’ He takes another sip of the alcohol. ‘Any good moments are poisoned by the ex-wife. I need to walk out of this place with money and some dignity, so that one day I can face them again, but not as a failure.’
‘I love it here. I have made a nice home, found a good woman here but it is clear I can’t stay. Either you or the bank will get me. I need to leave at the right time.’
‘I don’t want you or your type on my island.’
He breaks into a low chuckle, ‘My type? Have a closer look; you are fighting a losing battle here.’
‘We could burn together. These are dangerous people.’ He swallows down the last of his drink.
This is a secret meeting, at night outside Valletta, but have they avoided prying eyes, and are they now on a shared destiny in their search for redemption?
Read The Maltese Web to find out.
A thriller set amidst the stunning architecture and rich culture of Malta, The Maltese Web will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Find The Maltese Web on Amazon in kindle and paperback
