The Cold Wife

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Of course. Is that a surprise?”

  “Well, I’m not exactly surprised. I am pleased that you took note of something I wanted.”

  That was the first time she seemed to be happy with him. He smiled. “What you want is important to me.” He thanked Constance who set their meals in front of them.

  “What kind of pizza is this?” Carrie asked.

  “It’s a bacon, ham and egg pizza,” Jim answered as he came out of the kitchen. “It’s a daring recipe. I don’t believe anyone in town has attempted it, but I’ll let you two be the judge of it.”

  They tasted it.

  “This is good,” Justin admitted. “It won’t be long before you have your own restaurant. If your other pizzas are like this, you’ll be able to keep a good supply of customers coming your way.”

  “Justin’s right. You’ve found your calling,” Carrie said.

  Jim beamed from their words.

  “Are you going to let the other staff try it?” Constance asked. “I want to know what all the fuss is about.”

  “I have more in the kitchen. Come on in.” Jim waved her in.

  Justin turned to Carrie and smiled. “You certainly have won my staff over.” He paused. “I meant, our staff.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “So, what are you doing today?” he inquired.

  “Well, I’m going to take the three dozen cookies Jim and Constance helped me make yesterday and take them to the orphanage. Did you hear that Tom and Ian Conner got adopted?”

  “Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Evans are excited to have them for their sons. They’re good people. I imagine that Tom and Ian will be happy with them as parents, though it won’t be the same as when they had their father raising them. But it will be just as good in a different way.”

  “I don’t really know Mr. and Mrs. Evans but I knew Tom and Ian’s father. He was a nice man. He and my father were good friends.”

  “You must miss your father.”

  “Yes, I do. I wish he had taken me with him. I wouldn’t have been in his way.”

  “That’s not why he insisted on this marriage. You were never in his way. He loved having you nearby.”

  “Then he should have let me go with him.”

  “Would that really have made you happy?”

  She shook her head at his question. “I can’t believe you asked me such a thing. Of course, it would have made me happy.”

  “Don’t you have a desire for a husband and children? I know the day came when I needed to be more than my uncle’s nephew. I assume that you longed for something more than to be your father’s daughter.”

  She sighed. “I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work.”

  “What am I trying to do?”

  “You’re trying to convince me that I want to be married to you. Just because you kiss me and have Jim make breakfast, it doesn’t mean that I’m willing to be with you to impress your clients.”

  “Are you still harping on that silly notion?”

  “It’s not a silly notion. I suppose the fact that I’m going to the orphanage today and baked cookies are things that make me charming.”

  “Yes, they are. I won’t lie. You do a lot of good for others without expecting anything in return.”

  She gave him a ‘I knew it’ look.

  He leaned forward. “I also know you have a tempting body and can kiss me to the point where I forget about everything but how much I want to make love to you.”

  Her eyes grew wide and her cheeks flushed. “Really, Mr. Monroe. We are in the dining room.”

  “So?”

  She looked disturbed by his response. “Such conversation isn’t appropriate here.”

  “Why not? If I let the staff off for a night, we could have fun on the table.” He gave her a suggestive smile.

  Whether she was embarrassed or horrified at the thought, he couldn’t tell. But he knew he rattled her cage, and that alone was worth saying it. She quickly finished the rest of her pizza and drank the milk. “I’m late. I promised Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Tobias I would be there a little before eight.”

  Though he wasn’t done eating, he put his napkin on his plate and followed her to the front door. “I like the way you walk,” he told her. “Your hips sway gently from side to side.”

  She gasped and spun around so she walked backwards.

  “Of course, your breasts fill the top part of that dress nicely too,” he continued.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t appreciate feeling naked in my own home.”

  “Ah ha!”

  “‘Ah ha!’ what?”

  “You just admitted that this is your house.”

  Her face flushed and she backed up until she was against the wall.

  He chuckled. “You really need to watch where you’re going. The staff will laugh at you if insist on bumping into things.”

  She turned to the hat rack.

  But he intercepted her. Before she could protest, he took her hand and kissed it.

  “I am going to be late,” she protested, though she didn’t move away from him.

  “No, you won’t be late.” He pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek. “Franklin will take you wherever you need to go. And if you’re so inclined to do any shopping while you’re out, you’ll find some spending money in your purse.” He kissed her neck. Though she sighed in aggravation, he noted that her hands rested on his arms. He pulled away from her and gave her the hat and purse. Then his smile widened. “Didn’t you forget your cookies?”

  “Oh! The cookies!” She ran past him.

  He watched in amusement as she raced to the kitchen. When she returned with the boxes of cookies, he opened the door for her. “Here, let me carry those boxes for you.”

  “Oh, I get it. Now that we’re out in public, you want to look devoted to me. I noticed you didn’t get these for me. I had to get them myself.” She refused to let him take any of the boxes.

  He wouldn’t let her words annoy him. “I let you get the cookies because parts of you jiggle when you run. It was nice to watch.”

  She glared at him before walking up to Franklin’s stagecoach. “Is this what you plan to do for the next four weeks?”

  “No. I fully intend to consummate the marriage. Ideally, it won’t take the whole month to happen. But that’s up to you.”

  “Then it will never happen.”

  “We’ll see.” He waited for her to get into the stagecoach before he tipped his hat to her. “Have a good day, Mrs. Justin Monroe.”

  She grunted her reply.

  He waved to her as Franklin drove her to the orphanage.

  Chapter Eleven

  When Justin arrived at work, his uncle looked upset. Jonathan motioned for him to come into his office. After he put his hat up, he joined his uncle and sat in front of the desk while the older man closed the door.

  “What’s wrong?” Justin asked as his uncle sat down across from him.

  “I just got word that Hugh Rivers’ accounting firm went bankrupt, and the funny thing is that the Grants just opened an accounting division in their company. So they are not only doing investments and loans, they are also doing accounting.”

  “This is more than a coincidence.”

  “It’s obvious to everyone what is going on but people are turning a blind eye to it. I originally thought we were dealing with rattlesnakes, but I was wrong. We are dealing with boa constrictors. They don’t kill automatically. They squeeze the money out of the businesses they are trying to run out of town. Their ultimate goal is to be a monopoly. Just how many businesses they plan to take over is anyone’s guess, but it’s apparent, we are on that list.” His uncle tapped the desk with his fingers. “That’s why they went after Mr. Allen. Accounting and tax preparation go hand in hand. Mr. Allen was the best tax preparer in this town and they knew it. It’s too bad we can’t prove they sabotaged his and Mr. Rivers’ businesses.”

  “We know for sure what happened with Mr. Alle
n, but are you sure they are responsible for Mr. Rivers’ bankruptcy?”

  “No but I have a strong suspicion.”

  “So what is our game plan?”

  “The Grants will be going to the Bi-Monthly Businessmen’s Convention at the Edward’s Hotel.”

  “We go there as well.”

  “Which won’t make them suspicious when we show up. I need you to follow good old Jr. for me while I follow his father. We need to keep a safe distance but stay close enough to overhear their conversations to see who they’re going to target next.”

  “That sounds easy enough. Is there anything else?”

  “We have that meeting in fifteen minutes with Conrad Leroy at his bank. Then we’ll take an early lunch so we can be at the convention. I don’t want to worry about eating there this time.”

  Justin nodded and followed his uncle out of his office so they could go to the bank. Conrad wanted to offer his customers a place to invest money, and he was considering contracting that service out to the Monroes or the Grants.

  By the time they reached the convention, the Grants were already there.

  “Time to get to work,” Jonathan whispered before they separated and went to their respective Harrison.

  Justin kept a comfortable distance from Harrison Jr. who was talking to Jefferson Maxwell, one of the wealthiest men in town. Mr. Maxwell was also a prominent client at the Monroe Investing Firm.

  “I heard that telephones are becoming more prominent,” Harrison Jr. told Mr. Maxwell.

  “Yes, I think they will become popular enough so that every household will have one by the end of the next century,” Mr. Maxwell agreed.

  Justin pretended to be interested in a pamphlet that was on the table in front of him. He was focused on the conversation so he didn’t even know what the pamphlet was about.

  Mr. Maxwell stood at the table next to him, and Harrison was smiling as he talked to the older man.

  “My company offers an investment in a telephone utility stock that you might be interested in,” Harrison stated.

  “Mr. Monroe offers that type of stock as well,” Mr. Maxwell replied. “I’ve had good returns on my investments with him.”

  “Perhaps you would be interested in combining the utilities. There is also water and electricity. These are other conveniences that are quickly becoming popular. I offer a good percentage on your returns if you invest in the entire package.”

  “Mr. Monroe offers a similar package.”

  Harrison didn’t look too happy, though his smile never wavered. “I’m sure he offers you a fine deal, and I hope your investments continue to make you lots of money. However, if you ever find an interest in checking out other options, I would like for you to take my business card and this pamphlet that will show you what I offer at Grant Financial Services. My father and I recently added accounting to the list of services we provide our clients. I think it’s more convenient to take care of several services at the same place instead of having to run all over town.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Thank you for your time.” Harrison shook his hand and walked across the room.

  “Will you be taking a vacation to Maine?” the man in front of Justin asked.

  Justin looked up at the eighteen year old travel agent. “I haven’t been there before,” he slowly replied. He took a good look at the pamphlet in front of him. The blue paper highlighted the attractions in Maine.

  “Maine is a beautiful state,” the man eagerly said. “It’s worth checking out at least once in your life, especially in the fall when the leaves change color. If you’d like, I could arrange for your transportation and lodging. If you pay for both, I can save you 10% off the total price.”

  Justin had no inclination to go to Maine so he politely declined.

  “Well, you can keep the pamphlet in case you change your mind,” the man offered.

  Justin thanked him and casually walked around some tables before he came to another table that was next to the one Mr. Walker was checking out. Mr. Walker owned the other accounting firm in town. Since Hugh Rivers’ accounting firm went out of business, Mr. Walker was the Grants’ remaining competitor in the accounting business.

  Harrison Jr. was talking to Mr. Walker who was looking through a brochure for office furniture. “My father and I would be interested in merging our accounting firms together,” Harrison said.

  Mr. Walker closed the brochure, crossed his arms and looked Harrison in the eye. “Yes. I heard that Hugh Rivers went bankrupt. You wouldn’t happen to know how that happened, would you?”

  Harrison shrugged. “I suppose he didn’t manage his money very well.”

  “Or someone manipulated the situation to make it look that way.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  “I have more important things to do than to play cat and mouse with you. I know you have every intention of making me go out of business just like Mr. Rivers and Mr. Allen did. Your game won’t work with me. I am keeping a careful eye on all of my transactions and records. I have a backup copy of everything, so you better not think you’ll be sabotaging my work. I don’t mind competition that’s honest but your father has a reputation, and looking at you, it appears he’s handing down that unethical reputation to the next generation.”

  “You’re wrong about us. We are honorable men just doing our jobs.”

  Mr. Walker laughed. “You have no idea what I’ve gone through in my past. I can figure out the truth behind your smooth words. I’ve dealt with people like you before.”

  “Then it seems you are opposed to a merger.”

  “At least you said one thing that’s honest in our conversation today.” Mr. Walker strode passed Harrison who looked angry.

  Harrison glanced over at Justin who pretended to be interested in office supplies. He went over to him. “Mr. Monroe, this is the second time you’ve been near me today,” he commented. “Are you eavesdropping on me?”

  Justin shrugged. “Can I help it if you happen to be at the same place I’m at?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You’re following me.”

  “I’m gathering information.”

  “You’re spying.”

  “I know what you and your father did to Mr. Allen. You arranged it so he had to go bankrupt. The only question is how did you get into his office?”

  “You’re wrong. Mr. Allen went bankrupt on his own.”

  Justin considered the fact that Harrison looked like he actually believed that. “You’re a good liar.”

  “I’m not lying.”

  “And I’m not stupid.”

  “Alright. Then prove it. Show me that we forced Mr. Allen out of business.”

  “That’s just it, isn’t it? Proof. You managed to avoid detection so far, but if you keep it up, sooner or later you’ll get caught. You can’t hide behind your charm forever. Mr. Walker has you figured out. I am assuming a couple of others are beginning to catch onto what’s going on as well.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it’s obvious that you’re paranoid. No one is running around trying to bankrupt other people’s businesses. If Mr. Rivers and Mr. Allen weren’t incompetent, they’d still be in business today.”

  “Supposing for a moment you’re telling me the truth, which I seriously doubt, then you’re not aware of what your father is doing.”

  Harrison’s frown deepened. “I won’t have you talking about my father as if he were a criminal. You are utterly pathetic. Now go find someone else to harass.” Harrison shook his head and left.

  Justin took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He wasn’t sure what to make of Harrison, but he didn’t care for him.

  Nathan walked up to him. “Have an unpleasant conversation with Junior?”

  Justin felt the tension in his shoulders ease. “Junior is a remarkable liar.”

  “His father reminds me of nails scraping across a chalkboard.”

  “I know I can’t l
et him get to me if I am to keep my focus. I just can’t get it out of my mind that he’s laughing at me, and his laughter has nothing to do with business or money. It’s personal.”

  “Whatever it is, you can’t let him get to you.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “I don’t know. But I suspect Mr. Mitchell over at that table can train you on that.” He motioned to the thirty-year-old man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard who stood by the bank table. “His first name is Jake. His ex-fiancée recently moved back to town after her divorce with Devon Hammond. She’s living with her parents again. She went by the bank and he had to do the paperwork to set up her account. He remained cool the entire time. You couldn’t tell that she broke his heart.”

  “I heard about her wanting to only marry him for his money.”

  Nathan grinned. “That’s why some of us call her ‘Johanna the leech Clark.’ Of course, she officially goes by Johanna Hammond these days.” He shrugged. “At least, he found out before it was too late. Anyway, he just got promoted from Mortgage Manager to Vice President.”

  Justin frowned. “Aren’t you the vice president?”

  “I was. As of tomorrow, he’ll be the vice president. Today, I’m training him. This is a good place to find out what services other businessmen are interested in.”

  “Why did you quit?”

  “Because my boss’ son, George Leroy, just got a job at the bank.”

  Justin didn’t answer. He understood that Nathan wouldn’t be able to face George day after day, knowing that George was sleeping with Linda. “Where will you work now?”

  “I’m leaving town.”

  He didn’t hide his shock.

  Nathan sighed. “I need a fresh start. I’ll be heading out to Rhode Island. I already got a job there at another bank.”

  “When do you leave?”

  “This Saturday.”

  “Would you like to come to my house for a farewell dinner party with a few close friends?”

  “No. You need to spend time with your wife. You know, the divorce wasn’t completely Linda’s fault. I know she’s the one who committed adultery, but there were a lot of times when I put business before her. She spent a lot of time feeling lonely. George just happened to show up and give her someone to be with. If you love Carrie, then the best thing you can do is put her first. Business can always wait. No amount of money can take the place of someone important in your life.” He turned back to the Leroy Bank table. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to Jake.”