Page 52 of Indecent Secrets

“You really were wasted as a secretary,” I insisted.

“That’s kind of you to say.” Rebecca continued to stare at the coffee maker. “But I’m a bit grateful for it. Mr. Lawton’s secretaries never stayed long. He gave Mr. Weston huge headaches whenever one was let go, they were always a hair’s breadth away from getting sued over wrongful termination.”

“Mr. Weston doesn’t seem to like Mr. Lawton at all,” I said, curious to see how much I could glean from Rebecca. “I’m shocked to know they were once good friends.”

“Oh, yes, old Mr. Weston. They were good friends when the company started out, yes. But they have very different ideas of how the company should go and it was bitter by the end. But I meant his son. David Weston.” Rebecca retrieved a mug for herself and graciously got one for me too. “David Weston works in the legal department. He would have had to be the one to deal with a lawsuit if it hit us.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But now I’ve been promoted. So perhaps patience really is a virtue.”

“I hope it is for Mr. Weston, too, seeing as he had to handle Mr. Lawton all these years,” I said with a subtle laugh. “And with the two men feuding… that can’t have been easy.”

Rebecca seemed relieved to have someone she could gossip to. Another woman, for sure. “Well. David’s always going to remain a bit more loyal to his father, but I’m sure he was relieved when Mr. Lawton passed. He was over at the man’s house all the time trying to bring about a reconciliation between the two. I think he feels a bit bad he didn’t manage it before Mr. Lawton’s death. Now Mr. Weston has to live with knowing he and his former friend never made up.”

“Mr. Weston…” Rebecca lowered her voice. “Look, you didn’t hear this from me, because it’s a bit ungenerous.”

“Rebecca, if anyone deserves to be ungenerous about these bigwigs it’s you.” I casually crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ve been trying to tell Jack that we need new blood in here. The men in the boardroom have been doing absolutely nothing, and frankly I think they’ve just been blaming Mr. Lawton for it when they could’ve gotten creative and found ways to make this company work all these years anyway, even if he did throw a fit about it. They’re just lazy.”

Rebecca snorted. “Yes, you could say that.”

Of course, it was more complicated than that, legally. But Rebecca in this moment didn’t care about what was legally possible. She just liked that I was on her side and appreciated her.

“In my opinion,” Rebecca continued, “Mr. Weston was glad to see his ‘friend’ die. He was anxious for it. We all knew that the man’s health wasn’t great at the end there. He tried to hide it but eventually someone sees you taking pills and then well it’s all over. The gossip mill in this place runs at a hundred miles an hour. So it wasn’t exactly a shock when he died. But I’m sure Mr. Weston was counting down the damn minutes until it happened. He wants to wrestle the company from Jack, I’m sure of it. Of course I’m glad he promoted me because I can help move this company into the twenty-first century but I’m also worried that now I’m away, and he’s got that wet behind the ears kid as his secretary, that he’ll have a harder time keeping the wolves at bay.”

“I’ll do my best to make sure he’s aware,” I promised her. “But Jack needs to find his own way as a leader. He has to decide to stand up to these men and keep them in line and if they think it’s just him listening to other people instead, and that he can’t make his own decisions, that’ll spell doom for him too.”

Rebecca nodded as she finished fixing up her coffee. “Well. I’ll see you around, Leigh.”

“Of course.” I smiled as she left and sipped my own coffee.

Something about what she’d said stirred at the back of my mind.

Everyone knew that Lawton’s health was failing. Mr. Weston and Lawton had fought all the time and had opposing ideas on how to run the company. David Weston was over at Lawton’s house all the time, trying to mend the bridge. David Weston knew all about Lawton’s dating habits. Bryce had asked me if I thought David Weston was really, genuinely, interested in sleeping with me.

Was it possible? Bryce had explained that if it was murder that had taken out Lawton, it was an elegant one. Simple and subtle. But if it was murder, who could have more to win than David Weston? He knew that none of the boyfriends were actually going to get anything from Lawton. He knew his father would be in the perfect position to take over the company. He would know Lawton’s health and habits, where the medicine was… it wouldn’t be suspicious for him to be in the house…

Because that was the thing that tripped me up. Any number of people wanted to kill Byron Lawton. But who had the opportunity? His house staff. Possibly an old boyfriend—but sneaking into the house with a spare key would be risky.

David Weston, trusted lawyer, always popping over to plead his father’s case…?

As if my thoughts had summoned him as I made my way back to the office with my coffee, David appeared at my side.

“Leigh.” He smiled. “Good to see you again. I was hoping you had a minute?”

“Sure thing!” I smiled brightly at him and followed him into another office. “What’s up?”

“I was hoping…” David shrugged affably. “You might be free sometime this weekend.”

Oh for fuck’s sake. Did I have a sign on my back that said, ‘Date Me’?

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I haven’t given any thought to this weekend. I might just need to stay home and recuperate.”

“It’s been quite the week,” David agreed. “But I was hoping I could steal you away from Jack for a short bit. He shouldn’t get to monopolize all of your time.”

“That’s literally what he pays me to be allowed to do.”

David chuckled. “True. But I’d like to consult with you myself.”

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