A Woman With Secrets. Inglath Cooper

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СКАЧАТЬ her ponytail squished against the cushioned back. There had to be something in this mausoleum of a house to prove what a lying, cheating…

      She put the brakes on that particular rant. It was old territory, after all. Trekked across one too many times.

      Looking back, she could see everything so clearly now. Not that it did her any good to have such remarkable hindsight—a worthless commodity, after all.

      With renewed determination, she got up from the chair and headed for the master bedroom, where lace and mirrors were the key decorating ingredients. She wondered where Tiffany had actually managed to get her hands on an interior design degree. The house was an aesthetic assault to the senses.

      She started with the nightstands by the bed, emptying the contents of their drawers on top of the black duvet. She shook her head. Black? Really.

      She rifled through hand lotion, Chap Stick, a few receipts, theater ticket stubs. She worked her way through each drawer in the room, ending up in an enormous walk-in closet that could easily double as a retail store. She closed the door and flipped on the light switch. She patted down every suit, looked under every sweater, opened every shoe box.

      Nothing.

      She sank onto the floor and dropped her head in her hands. Maybe it was time to accept the fact that she had been used. That she’d let herself be conned by a man who planned her fleecing down to the last dime. Maybe it was time to put it all behind her and start over again. At McDonald’s, maybe. Polyester uniforms could do a lot for a girl with natural curves. Emphasis on natural.

      She got to her feet and glanced at her watch. Time to admit defeat. She gave one of Karl’s Ferragamo loafers a kick and sent it hurtling across the floor. It landed against the baseboard of the closet with a loud whack.

      She stared at it for a moment. Was the board loose, or was her desperation making her see things?

      She got down on her knees and poked it with an index finger. The baseboard moved. She shoved the shoe aside and gave the board a tug. It loosened easily.

      Renewed hope tumbled through her like a shot of straight adrenaline. Pressing her left ear to the floor, she peered into the hole, then stuck her hand in, encountering something hard.

      She fumbled for the flashlight, and then beaming it into the hole, spotted what looked like a leather bag.

      Heart pounding, she dropped onto the carpet, planted one foot on either side of the opening, then grabbed the bottom of the exposed wall with both hands and pulled. It gave, and a small section of the wall opened up like the entrance to Aladdin’s cave.

      She sat there for a stunned second or two. Then she reached out and eased the bag forward. She popped the latches and it opened. She froze.

      Money. Stacks and stacks of it. She picked up a bundle and fanned the edges. All one hundred dollar bills. Too many to count.

      She sat for a long time, not moving, just staring at what she’d found, the taste of revenge sweet on her tongue even as she reached a whole new level of understanding about her husband’s betrayal.

      She tilted the satchel up and emptied its contents onto the floor. There had to be at least a million dollars. Maybe more.

      So what now?

      If she left this house with the money, Karl would be hot on her heels as soon as he discovered it missing.

      But what could he do? Go to the police and accuse her of stealing back what was hers to begin with? Let him try. Stupid, once, yes. Next time, he would find her a worthy opponent.

      She waited until she’d arrived back at her apartment before she called Tyler Bennett’s home number. He’d worked for her father for years and represented Kate in her divorce from Karl as well. After three rings, he answered with an indignant hello.

      “It’s Kate,” she said. “Sorry to call so late.”

      A fumbling sound was followed by, “It’s the middle of the night.”

      “I know. You’ll be happy to hear I can now be removed from your delinquent accounts list.”

      A big sigh, and then he said, “You called to tell me this?”

      “I thought you’d be pleased.”

      “You want to tell me what this is really about?”

      “You won’t approve.”

      “Kate, didn’t I tell you to stay away from Karl?”

      “You did, yes. Which I agree, under normal circumstances, is very good advice. It just so happens he separated himself from a good portion of my money long enough for me to find it.” She glanced at the pile of money on her bed and smiled.

      The ensuing stretch of silence made her wonder if he had fallen back to sleep. “I realize your fondest dream is to put Karl in jail,” he said in a careful voice. “But as your attorney, I have to tell you this kind of behavior is going to land you behind bars.”

      “For taking back what was mine to begin with?” she asked, unable to keep the indignation from her voice.

      “There are ways to handle these things, Kate. This is not one of them.”

      “Yes, I’ve had a relatively good indoctrination to the legal way.”

      “And what do you think he’s going to do when he finds the money missing?”

      “I’d love to be there to see it, but I think I’ll forego the pleasure and give him a little time to cool off. In fact, that’s why I’m calling. You and Peg are leaving for a cruise day after tomorrow, right? She mentioned a buddy of yours from law school runs the tours.”

      “Yeah,” Tyler said cautiously.

      “How much would you take for those tickets?” she asked.

      A full fifteen minutes later, she had finally convinced him to sell her the tickets. Although he made a valiant effort to convince her she might be stepping off the ledge of sanity.

      “I’ll pick them up at your office first thing in the morning,” she said and then hung up. She quickly stuffed the money back in the satchel, the thick shell of self-disgust she’d been wearing these past months melting under a wave of self-congratulation.

      In finding Karl’s stash, she had reversed the wheel of fortune. For a washed-up artist who’d been robbed of her demolished inheritance, it was a step in the right direction. Maybe Karl would be the one applying for a job at the Golden Arches.

      She closed the latches on the leather bag and got to her feet. Paybacks were hell.

      CHAPTER TWO

      It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him.

      —Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

      COLE HUNTER RESTED AN ELBOW on the side of the phone booth, the receiver tucked inside his left shoulder, his gaze fixed on the steamy pavement beneath his feet. The Miami sun burned through the back СКАЧАТЬ