Maxine (Donatelli Series)

by SUE FINEMAN

  “Ian and Jane Corinth made my life miserable. I didn’t need jailers, Mr. Holcomb. I was treated like an outcast in my own home. I would have been better off with the servants, but my guardians wouldn’t allow the servants near me.” She scanned the rapt faces around the table and stopped on Ron Holcomb. “I wasn’t a bad kid, Mr. Holcomb. I needed love and understanding, not contempt and endless criticism.”

  Ron leaned forward. “Cara, I had no idea—”

  “You didn’t want to know,” she said a little louder than she’d intended. “I tried many times to call you, but you refused to take my calls. Even after I was a grown woman and no longer needed guardians, you paid those people to live in my home.”

  Ron straightened the papers on the table in front of him, avoiding Cara’s eyes. “When you were a child, Ian said you needed a firm hand, that they’d take care of the problem.”

  “That’s all I ever was to them. And to you. A problem. I was thirteen years old.” Her voice rose and she didn’t care. She was pissed and she wanted him to know why. “I lost my grandfather one year, my stepfather the next, then my brother and my mother. My whole family was gone, and my guardians, the people you sent to take care of me, resented me from the very first.”

  “No, I can’t believe that.”

  “Believe it,” said Gerry. “I brought copies of the tape recording we made yesterday when Cara fired them. You should listen to it, Mr. Holcomb. You should all listen to it. If we find they participated in Cara’s husband’s scheme or in the theft of a three million dollar painting, we will not hesitate to ask the prosecutor to file charges against them.”

  Ron’s eyes rounded and his mouth opened in shock, but he didn’t speak. Cara wondered if he was afraid he’d be implicated himself. Maybe he should be. He was the one who hired her guardians and set things in motion. Indirectly, he caused this to happen. “You see, Mr. Holcomb, I’m finding it hard to have confidence in you, in any of you.” She glanced around the table at the shocked faces. “Maybe you’re all good people. You may be experienced and competent in business, but you’re going to have to earn my trust.”

  “Well, that’s understandable,” said Hutch.

  Ron said, “Ian told me everything was fine.”

  The room grew silent as everyone stared at Ron squirming at the head of the table. All the smug self-righteousness had disappeared from his face. “Do you want my resignation?”

  “I want you to teach me what I need to know,” said Cara. “Show me how things work, then I’ll consider a letter of resignation. From what I’ve read, you’ve done a good job managing the estate. I appreciate that, Mr. Holcomb, but I doubt I’ll ever have confidence in you on a personal level.” She glanced around the table again. “Maybe I can learn to trust the rest of you. I’ll try to keep an open mind.”

  Cara let the silence settle for a minute before she spoke again. “I’d like to spend time with each of you over the next few months. I want you to teach me, too. I don’t pretend to be an expert in business, but I’m reasonably intelligent and I can learn. This estate is my responsibility, my burden. My grandfather trusted me with it and I am determined not to let him down.”

  Hutch leaned on the table and looked into Cara’s eyes. “Is there anything specific you’d like to know today?”

  “I’d like to know the value of the estate and how much of the profits go to charity.”

  Sylvia said, “Not enough.”

  Ron held up his hand as if to end the discussion. “Now, Sylvia, we’ve had this discussion before. We all feel—”

  Cara interrupted Ron, ignoring him as he’d ignored her for years. “Mrs. Towne, which charities do we support?”

  “Marge can give you a list. In my opinion, it’s a mere token. Social responsibility has not been a priority.”

  “That’s going to change. How much money is available right now, today?”

  Bart asked, “How much do you need?”

  “What do you have in mind?” asked Hutch.

  “A new house in Washington, something my guests won’t get lost in, a construction company, and a pilot program for a new charity.”

  “A construction company?” asked Hutch.

  “I’ve put some of my personal assets into it to get it started. They’ve already done some earthquake repairs and I plan to have them build my house.”

  “In what city?” asked Ron.

  She slowly shook her head. “I’m telling no one that location until my husband is in police custody.”

  “Fair enough,” said Hutch.

  Sylvia asked, “Do you have someone working on the charity?”

  “Not yet. I’d like to establish The Monica Andrews Foundation, for my mother. Funding for that charity and others can be funneled through the Foundation.”

  “Starting with how much?” asked Bart.

  Cara opened her hands and shrugged, a gesture she’d picked up from Nick.

  “Why don’t we start the Foundation with ten million and add more as needed,” said Bill. “Bart, we can afford that, can’t we?”

  “Yes, of course.” Bart looked at Cara. “Miss Andrews, would you like to spend some time with me after this meeting? I’ll get you started with financial information, profit and loss statements, and whatever you need on the financial end.”

  Nick nodded. “That’s a good place to start, Cara.”

  Gerry gestured with his glasses. “Yes, it is.”

  “I’d like to sit in on that, too, if I may,” said Ron. “I’ll have Marge order lunch.”

  Hutch said, “I’ll stay, too, if that’s all right with Miss Andrews.”

  “Yes, of course.” They were listening now, taking her seriously. They finally seemed to understand that she owned it all, that she was, ultimately, the one in charge.

  Sylvia cancelled her lunch meeting and stayed, too.

  Before he left, Bill took Cara aside to speak with her privately. “I’m sorry to desert you like this, but I had a heart attack a few weeks ago. This is a follow-up with my cardiologist. I can’t miss it. I planned to retire this summer, but I’ll stay as long as you need me. Your grandfather would be proud of you today, Cara. Very proud.”

  By the time Cara left the building, Ron Holcomb seemed humbled. He apologized for his negligence, but apologies couldn’t change the past. Nothing would change the past.

  Cara blamed herself for allowing those people to stay in her home after she’d grown up. She should have come down to this office before she left for college and insisted that Ron Holcomb send Ian and Jane Corinth away, but by that time, those people had destroyed her self-confidence. They were still in the house when she graduated from college, and Cara had tried again to call Ron Holcomb. But he was never in when she called, and he’d never once returned her phone calls.

  Hearing Lance talking to Sally that morning had shocked Cara into taking action, and Nick had given her the confidence to do what had to be done. He hadn’t just saved her life, he’d encouraged her to take control of it.

  As they left the building, Nick grinned and pulled his tie loose. “How ’bout that Maxine! She came to the meeting after all.”

  Cara gazed into Nick’s sparkling eyes. “And so did my best friend.”

  What would she do without him?

  <>

  After lunch, Lance received a phone call from Ian. “Cara just had a meeting with the trustees. Ron said she’s taken control of the estate and he’s not happy about it.”

  So his rich bitch wife was still in California. “How long is she staying there?”

  “Until tomorrow. Ron said she’s having a barbecue tonight and inviting the staff.”

  Befriending Cara’s guardians had been a smart thing to do. The information Lance gleaned from them was always useful. “What else did Ron say, Ian?”

  “Three things of importance. Apparently Sally talked to Cara.”

  Damn! He was counting on Sally to keep her mouth shut. “Where is Sally now?”

  “I don’t know, L
ance. Jane is beside herself with worry. She’s not at the estate and we haven’t heard a word from her. Of course, she doesn’t know where we are, and Cara’s people took our cell phones.”

  Lance drummed his fingers on the desk, wondering what Cara and her friends had done with Sally. No matter. She was on her own now. He sure as hell didn’t want her back after she’d betrayed him. “What else, Ian?”

  “Cara is building a house in Washington state.”

  Lance sat up straighter. “Where?”

  “She wouldn’t say, but I did get the last name of her friend. It’s Donatelli. Nick Donatelli. And her attorney’s name is Gerry Merlino.” Ian paused before dropping the last bit of news. “Lance, there’s a warrant out for your arrest.”

  “Oh, shit!” It no longer mattered if the power company turned off his service or the landlord kicked him out. It was time to go. He turned to his computer first. Surely there was a listing for Gerry Merlino somewhere in the Puget Sound area.

  Chapter Ten

  Cara sat in the back of the limo beside Nick. She’d dreaded that meeting, and it started out worse than her nightmares. But once she spoke out, once they understood where she was coming from, the level of understanding and cooperation surprised her. Except for Ron Holcomb. She couldn’t picture him cooperating with anyone.

  “Good job, Cara.” Gerry pulled a cold drink from the refrigerator and handed it to Nick. He took another and offered it to Cara. She shook her head, so he drank it himself.

  Nick popped open the can. “I don’t much like your head trustee, or whatever you call that Holcomb jerk.”

  She didn’t like Ron Holcomb either, and she knew she’d never be able to trust him. “I wonder if my guardians told him I was too stupid to understand the business and investment side of the estate.”

  Nick gulped from the can. “Probably. I’ll bet they also said you were crazy and needed somebody to take care of you, so they’d have to mooch off you forever.”

  Gerry said, “The sooner you get rid of that guy, the better.”

  Cara leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The soft buzz of conversation between Nick and Gerry nearly put her to sleep, and she wasn’t prepared for the upheaval she found when they arrived at the estate.

  Mr. Pettibone met them at the door. “Your guests have arrived, Miss Andrews.”

  “Good. Where are they?”

  “One of the... gentlemen... is upstairs with one of the maids. The other two are in the sun room.” He took a deep breath. “And Mrs. Donatelli is in the kitchen.”

  “Oh, no.” Cara was already on her way to the kitchen. Nick could handle Tony and the maid. Cara had a more pressing problem. Aunt Sophia had invaded Cassie’s kitchen.

  As soon as Cara walked in the kitchen door and saw the look on Cassie’s face, she knew there was trouble brewing. Aunt Sophia had her sleeves rolled up and an apron tied around her ample waist. She was supervising, tasting everything, and ordering people around. Cara rushed to her side. “Aunt Sophia, I’m so glad you could come.”

  Aunt Sophia hugged Cara and fussed over her.

  “Have you had a tour of the house?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Then hang up your apron and come with me. Cassie’s in charge in this kitchen. You’re a guest here and you’re taking a day off from cooking.”

  Cassie gave an audible sigh of relief as Cara left the kitchen with Aunt Sophia in tow. It was all Cara could do to hold in her laughter. She should have anticipated problems like this, but she was too busy worrying about the meeting.

  “Who came with you?”

  “Al and Tony and Angelo. Gina wanted to come, but the doctor said it was too close to her due date to fly.”

  Cara showed Aunt Sophia to the sun room, where Nick stood talking with his cousins. Aunt Sophia gave Nick a big hug. Nick looked over his aunt’s shoulder and raised his eyebrows. “Cara, everything all right?”

  “It is now.”

  His eyes sparkled with amusement. “I see.”

  “I told Aunt Sophia I’d take her on a quick tour of the house, then we need to change clothes. You don’t want to get barbecue sauce on your suit.”

  Cara escorted Nick’s family through the main floor of the house. The main rooms were spacious, with high ceilings and wood and marble floors polished to a shine. Thick area rugs and comfortable, understated furnishings formed a subtle background for the beautiful paintings Cara’s grandfather had collected over the years.

  They walked up the grand staircase to the bedroom floor. The four family suites were designed with comfort in mind, each decorated in a different color scheme. Cara’s mother’s suite was pale pink, her favorite color. Johnny’s had been taken over by Mr. and Mrs. Corinth. They had decorated in blues and tans. Her grandfather’s suite, the largest in the house, was done in deep burgundy and rich tapestry, with massive, masculine furnishings.

  She described the extra precautions her grandfather had used when building the house. “Security was his primary concern. With wealth comes danger, threats of kidnapping, people trying to steal things. My grandfather was a hard worker and an excellent businessman. He didn’t inherit this estate like I did. He earned it.”

  Nick glanced at his watch. “It’s four-thirty. We’d better get changed.”

  “Did you all get settled in okay?” asked Cara.

  Al nodded. “Mr. Pettibone gave us each a separate room. How many bedrooms do you have in this house?”

  “Aside from the four family suites, we have six guest bedrooms. There are more bedrooms on the attic floor, but we seldom use that floor. The servants have a wing with I don’t know how many rooms. Some of them live here.”

  “Amazing,” said Al. “Is this the kind of house you want me to design?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want another big house like this.”

  “What about security?”

  “I suppose I’ll need security. What about a house that steps down the hill toward the beach, with room for a security guard on the top level?”

  Al nodded. “I’ll start on the plan as soon as I get home.”

  <>

  At five, Nick walked outside to find the grounds covered with people. Little children of all colors and sizes ran and played. Several people carried out folding tables and red checkered tablecloths. A badminton net had been strung in one spot and a volleyball net in another, and everyone looked happy. Ribs and chicken cooked on huge barbecue grills, filling the air with the sweet, smoky smell of barbecue. Aunt Sophia was ‘helping’ again, but Cassie didn’t look upset about it. They weren’t cooking now. They were carrying food out to the buffet tables.

  It wasn’t quite what Nick had in mind when he suggested they barbecue, but it was nice. Cara’s staff seemed more relaxed and friendly without their uniforms.

  Nick and his cousins helped set up the tables and chairs, then Cara came outside dressed in navy Bermuda shorts and a white tank top, with a pale blue, short-sleeved shirt hanging loose over the top. Her baseball cap matched her shirt. She looked good enough to eat. And she looked happy. When all that black washed out of her hair, she’d be even prettier. Several people stared at the ugly red scar on her leg, but no one said anything.

  “Where’s the volleyball?” she called. Someone tossed her the ball. “Who wants to help me cream the Donatelli men?”

  Several young women rushed to Cara’s side of the net. They played for a few minutes, then Cara reached back and winced in pain. The ball dropped and rolled away.

  Nick yelled and made the sign. “Time out.”

  Cara held her right arm with her left hand. “Oh, I really shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Game’s over,” said Nick.

  “What did you do?” Teresa seemed concerned, and so did the others.

  “I hurt my shoulder in the earthquake. It’s still a little sore, but I’ll be all right.”

  “Is that what happened to your leg?” asked Tamara.

  “Yes. Pretty, isn’t it?”

>   Several of the young women on Cara’s staff stood around her, looking very concerned. Cara explained, “When I left my husband, I rented a little beach house, and a week later it collapsed in the earthquake.”

  “With you in it?” someone asked.

  “Yes, but Nick pulled me out. I was a mess.” She smiled. “I’m still a mess, but I’m better. Don’t worry about me. Nick took very good care of me.”

  Teresa glanced at Nick and back at Cara. “Is that how you met?”

  “Yes. Now let me warn you about something. Watch out for these Donatelli men, especially Tony.”

  Teresa pointed to Angelo, who was playing with a little boy. “I like that one.”

  “Angelo is a sweetheart. The tall one is Al. He’s a little shy. They both are, but not Tony.”

  “We noticed,” said Tamara, as the others laughed.

  “Hey, what about me?” asked Nick.

  Cara grinned. “You don’t have a shy bone in your body. I’m hungry. Let’s check out the buffet table.”

  Nick glanced at Cara as they walked toward the table. She held her right arm across her waist. “Volleyball with a sore shoulder. Real smart, Cara.”

  “Shut up and help me get through this.”

  He glanced at the stiff way she held herself. “How bad is it?”

  “Bad enough. I’ll have to eat with my left hand.”

  He motioned toward the house. “And I was going to go check out that cute blonde.”

  “Help me with my plate, then go to it.”

  He stopped walking. “Cara, look at me.”

  She turned to face him. Pain clouded her eyes. Nick shook his head. “Did you bring your pain pills?”

  “I didn’t think I’d need them.”

  “We’ll eat, then we’re finding a doctor or hospital.”

  She smiled and waved to someone with her left hand. “Not until the party is over. They went to a lot of trouble to do this for me, Nick. I can’t let them down. Help me with my plate, then go flirt with that blonde. Enjoy yourself. I’ll be all right.”