Page 49 of Hush Money

“Of course. I was on the line with them first thing this morning.”

“With abject apologies for not finding her for you back when she first disappeared, I hope. Actually, why not fire the whole outfit and start fresh with people who are competent?”

We exchange a look of grim and perfect understanding. “Let’s just say that I had words with them and let them know what I expect this time if they don’t want us to take our business elsewhere. They’re now highly motivated to keep us happy.”

“Let’s hope.”

“I’m not sure I blame them for anything, though.” I catch myself absently drumming my fingers on my blotter and force myself to stop. “Ravenna is devious. I’ve never been able to catch her outright. Why should they?”

“Because they’re professionals?”

I shake my head. “They think she must’ve had a fake ID, for a start. I agree. And we know she had cash from me. Maybe some offshore accounts from her mother’s estate. That would’ve been enough to keep her going in style for a couple of years at least. Certainly enough for her to pay hush money to whoever helped her. We just need to figure out who that was.”

He looks aghast. “You don’t see any scenario where she, I don’t know, really did have a serious boating accident and was rescued by someone? Maybe taken in by a nice family and nursed back to health or…?”

The absurdity of the suggestion makes me laugh, but of course he doesn’t know Ravenna like I do. “No,” I say flatly.

“It’s quite a scheme,” he says, eyebrows up. “Are the police looking at charging her with fraud?”

The idea thrills me. I can only hope. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’m just glad the press hasn’t got wind of this yet. I’m grateful for the time to get my ducks in a row. And now that she’s got a phone, I wouldn’t put it past Ravenna to call the press with a tip about being alive and injured and her cruel husband trying to get rid of her.”

His expression turns grave. “I hate to tell you this, but your luck just ran out. I saw a satellite truck pulling up to the gate when I came in.”

That’s just what I need to hear. “Fuck. Well, I already put in a call to the PR team for damage control. Guess they’ll have to work a little faster.”

“Guess so. Good thing our closing got pushed off, eh?”

The two of us have been working on closing the Vanderbilt deal for the past month or so. I spent a lot of time on it while on the cruise with Tamsyn. While I’m generally not in favor of deals falling apart because of the other side’s financing issues, the idea of trying to work on that with everything else going on at the moment makes me nauseated. “Absolutely.”

Roman eyes me speculatively. “So…you’re divorcing her? How’s that going?”

“I’ve made a generous offer. I’ll give her a couple of days to think it over before I have my lawyer reach out and follow up.”

“Good,” he says, but he’s now wearing the shifty look I’ve come to know and dread over the years. “I need to tell you something.”

“Okay…?” I say, my hackles already up.

“It’s about Ravenna.”

Now I’m gritting my teeth. “Yeah…?”

He hesitates, which only makes it worse. “She came on to me.”

I stiffen. Of course she did. It’s not even a surprise. “When?”

“At the New Year’s Eve party the year before she disappeared.” He stares off in the distance, his gaze sliding out of focus as he remembers. “I’d been getting a weird vibe from her all night. And then she cornered me in the library at the end of the evening when I went to grab my coat.”

I glare at him. Unfair, I know, especially given how not surprised I am. But my wounded ego and pride still want me to smash something. “Thanks for this incredibly tardy information.”

“Don’t look at me like that. Nothing happened.”

“I don’t consider your keeping a secret like that from me for years to be nothing. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Incredulous snort from Roman. “Because I didn’t want you to rip my face off.”

“You’re my brother,” I bark. “I expect more from you.”

“Maybe, but you wouldn’t have believed me, and we both know it.”

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