‘I’d like to find out who Adam talked to, when he reported the stalking? I’m a little perturbed by how it was handled. Maybe Angel could do one of her liaison visits. Do you think you could follow that up?’
It had been disappointing that there were still such attitudes in the police force. No matter how convincing she was, they shouldn’t have arbitrarily dismissed Adam.
Jethro nodded. ‘I had the same thought. Must admit to being somewhat disappointed. I’ll follow it up and talk to Angel.’
That out of the way, we returned to the subject in hand. Jethro got up and walked around his desk, sitting once more in front of his computer.
‘I managed to get some more information,’ he said. ‘Eliza Roberts was secretary to the managing director of Westmead. John Dawson. She left abruptly and took up the position at Davis & Co.’ Jethro looked up from his screen. ‘Arthur Benham, CEO for Davis & Co, seems to have taken her on as a favour to his mate. My nose says there was something more to it.’
There’s definitely more to it,’ I responded sharply. ‘Adam mentioned Benham telling him she was Dawson’s niece and implied that she’d had an unfortunate affair in her previous job, so that doesn’t mesh.’
Jethro pulled up a number. ‘Might as well call and arrange a meet with him,’ he grinned. ‘No time like the present.’
He put the phone on speaker and dialled the number. I got up and closed the door.
‘Westmead. How may I direct your call?’ a pleasant voice answered.
‘Jethro McGregor from Shamash for John Dawson, please.’
‘May I tell him what it’s in relation to?’
‘It’s a private matter, rather urgent.’
‘I’ll check if he’s available, sir.’
There was a pause, then, ‘John Dawson.’ Clearly, he recognised the name and was willing to take the call.
‘Mr Dawson, my name is Jethro McGregor. I’m here with my colleague, JB Wilcox. We need to talk with you about Eliza Roberts.’
‘I’m sorry, Ms Roberts no longer works here, and I have nothing to say about her.’ His voice became cold.
‘Mr Dawson. She’s at it again and this time, she’s threatened a man’s wife,’ Jethro interjected quickly before the call could be terminated. ‘We need your help. I can understand you may not wish to talk on the phone or in your office. If you prefer, you could come here to Shamash, or I can meet you somewhere else.’ Jethro took a breath and lowered his voice. ‘But it is vital that we talk!’
‘Nothing I say will get back to her? I have your assurance on that?’
‘You have our word.’
‘I can meet you in the Midtown Park in twenty minutes.’
I’ll be there. Thank you.’
Dawson terminated the call.
Jethro stood and reached for his coat. ‘I’ll see Dawson, you talk to the Sullivans. We’ll compare notes when I get back.’
He headed for the door.
Chapter Six
I went to the bathroom, freshened up then headed back to the lounge.
I tapped on the door and entered. Adam and Lucy were sitting close together on the sofa, holding hands. Clearly both had been crying, but they appeared to have made peace now. They were calm and presenting a united front. This augured well for the upcoming battle.
They both looked up as I entered but didn’t move apart.
Adam spoke first. ‘Kim was right, I do feel better now. No longer so alone.’ He looked at Lucy. ‘I’m sorry for what I’ve put us through.’
Lucy gave him a gentle smile. ‘It’s okay, now I know what’s going on.’ She nudged him, only partly in fun.
‘I thought you were seriously ill and keeping it from me. Now that I know, we can deal with it together.’ She gave him a serious look. ‘No more secrets, though!’
Adam nodded and hugged her close again.
‘First, Adam, I wanted to ask you again how Eliza Roberts came to be working for you. From what you told us, my understanding is she was recommended by John Dawson, so she was working for him?’
Adam shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think she was working at Westmead.’ He appeared to consider. ‘No, Arthur definitely said she was Dawson’s niece. He gave the impression that she’d been working elsewhere, but I guess, thinking back, he never actually said. He told me she’d run into trouble at her last job and the situation was untenable. Her uncle asked Arthur to take her on as a favour.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘Why does that matter?’
‘Because it appears she was John Dawson’s secretary, and that she left there abruptly and joined Davis & Co. Jethro’s gone to meet Dawson now.’
Adam looked at me blankly. One more thing to take in and try and make sense of. Had she targeted Davis & Co or Adam? And if so, why?
I pulled a seat closer to the sofa, and sat down, looking from one to the other, waiting till I had their full attention.
‘I have an idea as to how to proceed, but it will depend on your acting ability, and—’ I looked at Lucy, giving her a half smile, ‘you may not like it!’
Neither said a word, waiting for me to continue.
‘I want, first, to take you,’ I looked at Lucy, ‘and Gabe out of the equation.’
‘How do you plan to do that?’ Lucy asked ‘I want to help, but I’m not going to hide somewhere, while Adam goes through it all by himself again. That didn’t work so well up to now.’
I acknowledged her comment. ‘I agree! What I have in mind is a little more direct.’ I smiled. ‘Let me explain, but first I need a cup of coffee. Anyone else?’
They both wanted coffees.
Once we were all settled, I started.
‘Eliza’s decided that Lucy is what stands between her and her man. She’s told you that, Adam?’ Half question, half statement. Adam nodded.
‘Getting Lucy out of the way could mean anything, really. Something simple, such as telling Lucy that you and she are involved, hoping this will make Lucy leave.
‘She could try to scare Lucy off. That’s a possibility but I don’t think a likely one.
‘Or, and given her comments, I think this the most likely, she intends to do Lucy harm or worse.
‘With her comments about making sure you have Gabe, we don’t think he’s in any danger at present. But that could change. Quite frankly, it’s not worth the risk.’
Both nodded their agreement with this.
‘What I propose is to introduce another love.’
Lucy’s hand went to her mouth.
‘A woman who can take the heat! One who will be more of a threat than Lucy and therefore replace Lucy as the threat. We want to refocus Eliza on another target.’
I looked closely from one to the other as I continued.
‘It would have to be believable, though! That means, everyone around you will also have to believe it!’ Adam cringed, but shook his head.
‘No one will believe I would cheat on Lucy,’ he stated with confidence.
‘Actually, they will! They’ll be delighted.’ I gave an apologetic smile. I knew people well and had seen firsthand how quickly they would believe the worst of others.
‘Most people actually want those perfect couples to fail! It shows the rest of us it’s there’s no such thing as a truly happy union. Makes us feel superior because, despite the imperfect nature of our relationships, they are normal. People like to feel superior, especially to those they have previously held in high esteem or been envious of!’
I looked at Lucy. ‘You’ll have to catch Adam in a compromising position in his office.’
Adam started to protest, but I kept going, changing my focus to him.
‘It has to be that way. I’m sorry! Word needs to get to Eliza quickly. It’s the most believable way for her to find out.’
Lucy paled. ‘Will this scenario require me to go into hiding?’
‘Not necessarily. Look I’ll be honest, that would be the safest option, but I understand why you want to keep things as normal as possible. If we can refoc
us Eliza, then you’ll most likely be perfectly safe. We’ll discuss options once we decide our course of action. Do you think you two can make this plan work?’ I asked.
Lucy took a deep breath. ‘Just tell me what I need to do. I’ll do anything to end this nightmare.’
She turned to Adam and put her hand to his face. ‘I know you love me! And you know I love you! Together we can do anything we need to.’ She turned back to me. ‘Do I get to meet and approve the mistress?’ she half laughed
‘You’ve already met her!’ I laughed.
At their confused looks, I explained. ‘Kate is a persona I use, in situations where we need someone experienced. She’s a bit more vamped up and will give Eliza a run for her money.
‘I may look harmless, which is an asset as I am always underestimated. But believe me when I say I could easily put Adam on his butt.’
Lucy laughed with me, but Adam just sat looking stunned.
‘We have a midtown apartment that we use for these situations. Once Lucy “kicks you out” you’ll move in there,’ I said to Adam. ‘You’ll have to stay there, ostensibly with Kate, until we solve this.’
I looked at Lucy. ‘You should stay at home. Try to keep your routine as normal as possible. But you’ll need to have the look of a woman devastated by the betrayal!’
I paused, giving Lucy a chance to catch up. I knew it was a lot to take in. At this point it was more important Lucy understood, because if she couldn’t carry it through the whole thing would fail. I’d be with Adam to guide him.
‘You already know, and seem to get on well with Kim?’ I raised my eyebrow in question, to which Lucy responded with a nod.
‘We thought Kim might be best placed to come stay with you, as a supportive friend, for the duration. She knows our methods and has some self-defence training if needed.
‘Of course, there’s the added bonus that if Kim’s with you, it gives Jethro reason to come and go. As Kim’s friend, no one will question him being there. That gives you added protection and they can help you maintain the right appearance.’
I paused for effect, my gaze focussed on Lucy.
‘I can’t express how important it is that you get this right. Nothing else we do will work, if you can’t make people believe you’ve been betrayed! Do you think you can pull it off? Think carefully, you need to be sure.’
I stopped talking and let Lucy think through what had been said. Adam, too, had the sense to stay quiet. This decision had to be Lucy’s.
Lucy looked from me to Adam and back again. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but ringing with intent.
‘I can just imagine how I’d feel if it really happened.’ She looked at Adam and smiled tremulously.
‘Does that mean Gabe and I won’t be able to see Adam until it’s over? That’d be very hard.’ She turned back to me in question.
‘You’ll hopefully be able to see each other. Of course, we’ll have to be very careful, but where we can we’ll make that happen.’
I knew they would need to have some contact, for them to keep each other strong.
‘Neither of you will be left alone, at any time. You’ll be able to talk when you want, but not on your own phones. They may be already monitored. We’ll need to check them.
‘We’ll give you both prepaid phones you can use to talk to each other, or to call one of us. Use your own phone normally otherwise, but remember to be careful what you say.’
I got up and walked to the window, needing to break the tension. Looking out, I continued.
‘I know this is a lot for you both to take in, and it may seem extreme, but this is the safest, and quickest, way to force a reaction. ‘We want to force her hand but control the fallout, so we can manage it.’
I turned back and looked steadily at them both.
‘I’ll need to know we have your full co-operation! That you are prepared to do EXACTLY what Jethro, or I say!’ I paused watching them.
‘If you can’t assure me of that, or don’t feel you trust us enough to be able to assure me of that, then this plan won’t work. I’ll need to know up front as we’ll need to try a different approach.’
I walked back and stood behind my chair.
‘I’m going to leave you now for a while. You need to discuss this. You need to be sure you can carry it off.’ I kept my gaze moving from one to the other. I hoped I had impressed on them the importance of fully committing to the plan, for it to work.
‘When I come back, I’ll need an answer.’ I smiled at them both and left the lounge.
I had much to do to get ready. I was sure they would agree to this plan. They both wanted to get this out of their lives as quickly as possible and doing something is always better than doing nothing.
Chapter Seven
Two days later, as Kate, I sauntered into Davis & Co. I knew I stood out, dressed in a very short skirt, a tiny top and very high shoes. Kate’s hair, a deep auburn, fell in large waves down her back.
I stopped at reception and asked for Adam. The receptionist looked me up and down. ‘Do you have an appointment?’ she queried frostily.
I returned the favour, looking her up and down then replied haughtily, ‘No, but he’ll see me.’ I gave her a sweet smile. ‘Just tell him it’s Kate,’ I purred.
I turned my back on her, done with the conversation. I heard her pick up the phone and announce, ‘There’s a Kate here to see you, Mr Sullivan.’ She listened then hung up. ‘He’ll be right out,’ she announced.
‘I know!’ I purred again, without giving her a glance.
Adam appeared from the side entrance. He made a beeline for me and grabbed my arm. ‘I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come here,’ he growled.
‘But, darling, it’s been soooooo long and I’ve missed you.’ I placed my hands on both sides of his face and pulled him down to kiss me. After a thorough kiss I let him go and grinned at him.
‘Don’t tell me you haven’t missed me too, I can feel it.’ I let my eyes drop. Adam “adjusted” himself and turned his head towards reception, as if remembering where we were.
Of course, the receptionist was watching us with open mouth.
‘Come with me,’ he growled and pulled me back through the door from which he had just come.
I pulled him to a stop in his outer office and glared at his secretary. She was in her fifties, very well put together, very chic.
‘Is this your secretary?’ I smiled at him. He nodded, and I turned back to her, looking her up and down.
‘Aren’t you going to introduce us?’
Adam glared at me, I let out a gay ringing laugh and let him pull me into his office.
Once we were in his office, and he closed the door, he let go my arm and looked at me, silently questioning. How did that go?
We had already established there was a listening device in his office, so he said nothing.
I stood in front of his desk and he stood in front of me. I grinned at him. You did great, my eyes said, as I indicated for him to continue.
‘What the hell did you come here for? Do you want Lucy to find out?’ he spluttered, giving a good impression of a man not wanting to be caught. ‘I told you we need to wait a while. I can’t lose my son and I don’t want to hurt Lucy. You agreed to do this my way.’
‘But, darling, I’m hearing rumours about your secretary. I wanted to see for myself. My god, don’t tell me there is something going on with that old crone?’ I laughed in disbelief. ‘They said she was gorgeous and you would eventually give in to the inevitable.’
‘Who is they?’
‘Never mind that. Now obviously it’s not that one, so did you have another secretary? One you perhaps didn’t tell me about?’ I said in a sultry voice. I rubbed my hand on his arm: the listening device would pick it up and it would sound like I was rubbing myself against him.
‘I suppose they’re taking about Ms Roberts. She was my secretary for a little while, but I asked to have her moved.’ He gave a hollow laugh. ‘I never told yo
u about her because there was nothing to tell.’ He gave a put-upon sigh. I bit my lip to stop a laugh escaping.
‘She had this thing for me, and it was getting embarrassing. I tried to set her straight, but she wouldn’t listen. Perhaps she sensed something amiss in my marriage, saw something no one else did? People do see what they want to see.’ He paused and made a sound like he was kissing me.
‘I was worried she might let something slip to Lucy and while there was nothing between her and me, it seemed better not to put Lucy on alert. She might have become suspicious before I had everything in place. You know I only have eyes for you, Minx!’ he murmured, nuzzling his arm to muffle his voice. I was having difficulty keeping a straight face. His performance was superb.
‘You best keep it that way.’ I made my voice rough. ‘I was willing to wait, till you could extricate yourself from your marriage, but I WILL NOT play second fiddle to another woman! So, keep it in your pants.’
Adam chuckled, then sobered as my phone beeped softly, our signal Lucy was on her way in. She was going to brush past reception, and his secretary, without giving them a chance to stop her.
Adam went pale but managed to keep going. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. ‘Aw, honey, you know there’s no one else for me. It won’t be long, I promise.’
He kissed me with apparent passion. The door opened, we seemed to be too wrapped in each other to notice until there was a gasp behind us.
‘You bastard! You swore there was nothing between you and this woman.’ Lucy’s tone was full of revulsion. Perfect!
Adam’s head snapped up and he looked at his wife, his expression guilty.
‘It’s not what you think,’ he stammered. He let me go and attempted to push me behind him. I refused to go. His secretary was standing behind Lucy and the receptionist was there too. Good, an audience!
‘I’m sorry, Mr Sullivan, I couldn’t stop her,’ his secretary pleaded.
Adam shot her a furious glance, then looked back at Lucy. He opened his mouth to speak.
I stepped forward and put my hand to his chest, rubbing softly. ‘Honey, it’s out now, don’t try to put it back in the bag.’ I turned to Lucy.
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