Close to the Edge

by Kylie Brant

  Checking her watch, she figured she had a couple of hours before Mark Garvey would be getting off work. Although surveillance was her least favorite part of the job, she thought it would be interesting to see where he spent his free time, and with whom. According to his neighbor, he didn’t seem to spend much of it at home. She had descriptions of his cars from her database search. It would be easy enough to tail him from work, although if he headed home, it would be too risky to follow. She couldn’t take the chance of being identified by him.

  On her way across town, her cell phone rang. She took the precaution of checking the number. Jacey didn’t consider it cowardly to be avoiding her mother’s calls. It was just a matter of self-preservation.

  Seeing her office number listed on the caller ID, she answered, recognized her secretary’s voice. “Hi, Joan. What’s up?”

  “I just thought I should let you know you have a potential client who is in a real rush to get in touch with you.”

  Pleased, Jacey looked in the rearview mirror, then switched lanes. “That’s good news. Is Lucky back yet?”

  Traffic was horrific. Slowing to a crawl, she mentally re-estimated the amount of time it would take her to reach Garvey’s workplace. What used to be traffic hour years ago had extended to traffic three hours. The summer months were even worse, with the tourists pouring into the area. “You’ll have to take a number and I’ll return the call when I can.”

  “That’s just it, Jacey.” Joan lowered her voice. “She won’t be put off. She’s called twice and stopped in once. And she says she’s coming back and will just wait for your return.”

  Frowning, Jacey asked, “Did she give a name?”

  “She did when she was here. It was—” there was a pause as if Joan was checking something “—Lianna Wharton.”

  Jacey stilled. J. Walter Garvey’s daughter? What in heaven’s name would she be wanting? She knew the woman to speak to, of course, but she’d certainly never sought Jacey out before. The fact that she chose to do so now, when Jacey was investigating Lianna’s family, was a little too coincidental to be trusted.

  “I think I’ll swing by the office, speak to her myself,” she said. “If she comes back, have her wait.”

  Disconnecting, she waited impatiently for traffic to allow it, and turned a corner, heading back toward her office. She glanced at the cell phone again, half tempted to call Lucky and run the latest turn of events past him. But after a few moments she thought better of it. She’d never seen him in a blacker mood than he’d been in that day, and she had a strong suspicion that her last remark to him just might have pushed him a little closer to the edge.

  Her lips tilted. The role of seductress was new to her, but it wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as it could have been. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him speechless before. His reaction to her last statement had been memorable.

  A couple of miles later, traffic thinned a bit. It would still take half an hour to reach her office, and her mind drifted. Like metal filings to a magnet, it returned to the memory of Saturday night. She recalled the look on his face before he’d pulled away from her. Hunger. A shiver skated over her skin at the memory of the savage expression he’d worn. As if not reaching for her again had been tearing him apart. As if there had been nothing but a rapidly shredding resolve that had kept him from finishing what they’d started, in the most satisfying way possible.

  Her throat went abruptly dry. In moments like these, when she actually had time to think about it, she could almost fear the fierceness of the longing she’d seen on his face. But there was also an answering desire within her, an awareness that wasn’t going to go away, despite Lucky’s unwillingness to address it.

  The only question that remained was whether she was going to pursue the issue.

  Mingled excitement and trepidation had her stomach hollowing out. She could safely say she would never have mentioned the proposition if she hadn’t been…somewhat more relaxed than usual. Okay, tipsy, even. But she wasn’t under the influence of any alcohol now, and she wasn’t having any luck shaking the idea from her mind. And she laid the blame for that squarely at his feet.

  She’d never been particularly susceptible to his brand of charm before, had she? Oh, she’d been aware he possessed it. She was still female, Peter’s opinions to the contrary. There wasn’t a woman alive who could ignore the wicked promise in Lucky’s eyes, the element of danger underlying the charisma. But she’d considered herself somehow immune, as if by identifying it, acknowledging it, she couldn’t be touched by it on any level.

  He’d played the part of her lover so convincingly Saturday night, his pretense had surely been responsible for putting the thoughts in her head. And even now, aware of all the logic of his arguments against her proposition, the specter of the idea remained, and refused to be banished.

  A horn blared, startling her. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the light turning to green. Proceeding across the intersection, she deliberately forced her mind away from the man weighing on it. She’d do best to concentrate on her upcoming meeting. She had a feeling that it was going to prove very informative.

  Lianna Garvey Wharton was seated in the small waiting area when Jacey pushed open the door. Joan, her usually unflappable secretary, threw her a relieved look. “I had Ms. Wharton wait, as you requested, Ms. Wheeler.”

  “Lianna.” Jacey crossed to the woman with her hand extended. “It’s good to see you again. I don’t remember the last time we ran in to each other.”

  Her first thought upon seeing the woman was that life had been unkind to her recently. Her hair was still a carefully coiffed blond, her figure still petite. But she had a brittle air that had been absent the last time they’d met, and her answering smile seemed forced. Her voice was the same, however, high, with a syrupy sweetness that never failed to grate. If she remembered correctly, Lianna had a shrill laugh that could break glass.

  Jacey made a mental note to be sure not to amuse her.

  “Jacinda, you look wonderful. Just wonderful.” Lianna clasped both her hands in her own and surveyed her. “And how clever you are with your business and the new mysterious man in your life.” She wagged a finger at her. “I couldn’t make it to Peter Brummond’s engagement party, but I heard all about your appearance there.”

  Great. With effort, Jacey ignored her secretary’s quizzical look and steered the woman toward her office. “Why don’t you come in and tell me all about it?” The last thing she needed was for Joan to get wind of the pretense Lucky had engaged in for her benefit. That would make the working relationship in their office almost impossible.

  She seated Lianna at the curved-leg table near her desk and closed the door. “Can I get you some coffee?”

  “That would be wonderful. I’m afraid I’m at my wit’s end. Caffeine just might calm my nerves.”

  Keeping her expression carefully blank, Jacey poured a cup and handed it to her. Then, sitting across from her, she said, “So, how can I help you?”

  The woman sipped daintily from her cup. “I just can’t get over how grown up you’ve become.” She waved a hand when Jacey would have looked away. “Oh, you know mothers. We always think of our children as infants. Why, my Jeffrey can’t be more than a few years younger than you, and every time I notice what a fine man he’s become it’s a new shock.” Her gaze was sharp. “You haven’t met my Jeffrey, have you?”

  Adrenaline began to hum in her veins. She wasn’t certain yet just what game they were playing, but she knew they were engaged in one. “I don’t believe I have. Does he live around here?”

  “He just finished college last year with a degree in international studies.” Her voice, her face, were alight with genuine maternal pride. “His father and I had a…difficult marriage, but you’d never know it to meet Jeffrey. He’s as well-adjusted as a young man could be. He’s working with my father, you know. Learning the business from the ground up, as J. Walter likes to say.” There was just a ting
e of bitterness in the words. “But family means everything to Jeffrey, so he doesn’t mind beginning at the bottom.”

  “He sounds very…industrious.”

  “He is. Extremely so. But it wasn’t him I came to talk about. It’s my father.” Her blue eyes suddenly swam with tears. Jacey decided that it must be due to a flaw in her make up that they left her unmoved. “He’s dying.”

  Jacey’s shock wasn’t feigned, even if it stemmed from a different reason than Lianna might have expected. Had J. Walter decided to tell his family about his illness after all? “I’m sorry to hear that.” She didn’t have to manufacture the sympathy in her voice. For the first time felt a measure of empathy for the woman before her. Whatever the dynamics of their family, it was never easy to lose a loved one.

  “I found out quite by accident, but when I confronted him with the news he refused to give me any details.” She pressed her lips together. “We’ve never been on the best terms, but at a time like this, most people would want their relatives near them, for support, if nothing else. But not J. Walter.”

  “What can I do, Lianna?”

  “I want the details on his health. I’m family, I deserve to know the truth, to prepare for the worst.” There was a sparkling teardrop clinging to the edge of the woman’s lashes. Then she blinked, and it traced artfully down one smooth cheek.

  Jacey got up silently, brought a box of tissues to the table and set them in front of the woman. She wondered distantly if there was some class she’d missed at Miss Denoue’s School of Deportment on crying prettily without leaving a ravaged face. How was it that most of her acquaintances had mastered the art, while she couldn’t accomplish the feat without smeared makeup and a red nose to show for it?

  “I’m just beside myself.” The woman was dabbing at her eyes. “I’ve called the hospital, but I can’t get any information from them. They keep reciting some policy or regulation for refusing to talk to me.”

  “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act would prohibit them from discussing your father’s health with you, if he requested them not to do so.”

  “Yes, that’s what they keep telling me. But there must be some way around that. I have rights, too!” Her eyes flashed, and she set her mug on the table with a little more force than necessary. “There are arrangements to be made and I don’t even know how much time we’re working with. There must be some way around this ridiculous law.”

  “I believe there are certain exceptions to it, but I’m really not familiar with them. A lawyer could best advise you.”

  The woman hesitated, and Jacey was given the distinct impression that they still hadn’t touched on the real reason for this visit today. But the next statements revealed her purpose all too clearly. “My father…is a difficult man, as well as a private one. I need to know what he’s planning for…after he’s gone.” She gave Jacey a commiserating smile. “Financial details are so tacky, but totally necessary. I’d be willing to make it worth your while if you could uncover any of those details for me.”

  “You mean you want a copy of his will?”

  “Anything that would give me a clue about his intentions. I just need time to ensure that his wishes can be carried out.” As if on cue, her eyes filled again. “One of the comforts when losing a loved one is making sure that all is as they would wish it. But with him being so secretive, I can’t even help with that.”

  Jacey wasn’t sure whether to roll her eyes or applaud. The woman couldn’t be more transparent if she were made of glass. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the majority of my job deals with poring over public records.” She was deliberately vague. “Wills don’t fall into that category. Is there anyone else you think he might have confided his intentions to?”

  “I’m not sure.” Her blue gaze, teary just a moment ago, had gone steely. “But my father never reveals everything, only enough to get the job done. I know of no one who would be privy to all the facts of the matter.”

  Her patience at an end, Jacey rose. “Then I’m afraid I can’t help you. Perhaps there’s a clergyman your father would feel comfortable talking to? If you’re worried about him dying without notifying anyone about his wishes, I mean.”

  From the look on Lianna’s face, she recognized that Jacey was being deliberately obtuse, but wasn’t sure how to call her on it. “That’s an idea. I’ll follow up on it. We could be such a comfort to him, Jeffrey and I, if he’d just allow us. J. Walter should be spending this time readying his successor, instead of pushing his family away.” She trailed behind Jacey to the door, then paused before leaving the outer office. “But if you reconsider, Jacinda, my offer stands. I’d be willing to pay handsomely for the kind of information that would help me assist my dear father in his final days.”

  Chapter 8

  “So she was fishin’.”

  “And very frustrated when I didn’t take the bait.” Jacey leaned back in her chair, surveying Lucky from across her desk. He was slouched in a chair, one ankle hooked comfortably over his knee as he listened to the details about Lianna Wharton’s visit. “Something tipped her off, though. It had to have. Finding out about J. Walter’s health is one thing. Connecting the dots between him and me is quite another.”

  “No chance she came to you for the same reason he did. Because she didn’t know and trust anyone else in the business.”

  It wasn’t a question, but she shook her head anyway. “Too coincidental, don’t you think? I called J. Walter after she left and he said he hadn’t told her anything. Based on my experiences with her, I’d say she wasn’t above some snooping.”

  “If her son works in the business, he might be the one doin’ the snoopin’ for her.” He leaned forward and snatched the apple off her desk, the one she’d put in her bag today and had never gotten a chance to eat.

  She sent him an arch look for his high-handed action, but said only, “Garvey’s copy of the contract between us is stored in the safe in his office.”

  Lucky began to toss the apple from one hand to another. “If someone has the combination to his safe, Garvey’s got bigger problems than the one you reported.”

  “He didn’t seem to think that was the case. He was more irritated than anything.” The word was a masterful understatement. The man had been positively irate. “He thought Lianna might have found out about his condition from listening to his phone messages at his home. The doctor’s office had left one about his most recent lab results. He’s convinced that the only way someone could have seen a copy of the contract is while it was awaiting his signature on his desk.”

  “That couldn’t exactly put his mind at ease. Like livin’ in a pit of vipers.”

  She thought the man was probably used to it, but it saddened her to think that he had to guard against the same sort of espionage in both business and family. “At any rate, this isn’t a disastrous development, but it might be one that complicates things.”

  He tossed the apple up in a dizzying spiral, caught it with his other hand. “Maybe so, but after what I found out today about Amanda Garvey-Smythe-Collins-Langlois-Pritchard soon-to-be Beauchamp, I’d say Lianna could take lessons on complications from her niece.”

  Interest spiked. “You got a look at the divorce decrees.”

  “Lots of reading with four of them. My eyes nearly bled pagin’ through them all.”

  With a quick glance she discounted his claim. He didn’t look any the worse for wear despite his afternoon spent at the courthouse. He had taken her advice and changed his shirt, for which she was thankful. Shortly after he’d started work there she’d stocked up on plain black T-shirts to keep at the office. But that hadn’t seemed to discourage him from wearing his favorite ones to work. Because she suspected he did it to get a rise out of her, she tried to hide her distaste for them, but was rarely successful.

  His mood seemed dramatically improved from the dangerous one he’d sported that morning. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

  “And?” she pro
mpted.

  “Me, I’m an admirer of women with disgracefully low standards.” The long slow smile he shot toward her had her temperature notching up a few degrees. “But our Amanda seems to have bad judgment, as well.”

  “With four exes, that seems a foregone conclusion.”

  He took a healthy bite out of the apple, chewed and swallowed. “She took a hit on the first marriage. Paid through the nose on alimony. Seems none of the guys she chooses make a lot of money of their own. A few years back she sold the business she had, gave husband number one half to pay him off for good, and then started up the one she heads now.”

  “The financial report on her firm is solid. She must be a good businesswoman.” She stopped, raised her brows. “You found that in a divorce decree?”

  “Oui.” He wore a lazy, self-satisfied look. “Full financial disclosure is a wonderful detail, but not the most interestin’ one buried in the court proceedings. Apparently she had the bad luck to marry two abusers, an adulterer and a penny-pinchin’ cross-dresser. Want me to continue diggin’ or do we strike her from the list?”

  “I don’t think we should discount her yet, although I can only imagine what J. Walter thinks about her marital tag team.”

  “Any word yet on Stephen Garvey?”

  Jacey shook her head. “If my contact in the FTC clears him, he or Mark would be the logical choice to take over for J. Walter.”

  “Anythin’ pop on the NEXIS searches for either of them?”

  “I only have a preliminary on Mark done, but I’m going through it now.” She indicated the pile of paper she’d downloaded. The database was a compilation of anything that had ever been publicly printed about an individual. Given the prominence of the family name, the material was substantial. The copies would be combed for known associates, affiliations, business connections and social contacts from which they could select sources to follow up on.