different spin on things. Perhaps concealment and inside information during the divorce settlement should be considered.”
“You had as much inside information as I did. You were just too stupid, or egotistical, to use it.”
“I see your sharp tongue hasn’t lost its edge. That may get you in trouble one of these days.”
“Oh, woe is me.” She put a hand to her throat. “However will I live with myself, knowing my sharp tongue may have wounded you.”
He ignored the mock melodrama, although the cocky grin had disappeared. His head tilted thoughtfully. “At the very least, you have to admit that what you did was unethical.”
“Being smart is unethical?” She laughed suddenly, no humor attached. “ You are lecturing me about ethics?”
“I have ethics.” He managed to sound offended.
“Oh, really? Is that what you and the redheaded bombshell were doing in her apartment all the time, discussing ethics? I hired a private investigator, in case you didn’t know.”
“You and I were divorced by the time Rhonda and I—”
“What you did after the divorce is not now and never has been of any interest to me. I don’t know anything about a Rhonda. I’m talking about a Wendy, and we were very much married then.” She studied him with an open sneer. “What do you have, a Redheads-R-Us to provide a steady supply?”
He ignored the taunt. “In any case, our personal differences didn’t give you the right to sabotage the company.”
“I didn’t sabotage the company! I simply got out when the getting was good. If the rest of you wanted to ride CyberPowerAds off into some cyberspace sunset or wherever it is dead dot-com companies go, that was your business.”
“You took the other partners in the company, including me, for almost two million bucks!” he yelped. “We all went up to our ears in debt to buy you out.”
“As I recall, all of you jumped at the chance to buy my share of the company. I think, in fact, there was some glee about putting something over on me. Perhaps taking advantage of the situation of my not wanting to be in partnership with you anymore.”
“A belief you fostered.”
“A smart investor knows when to get in and when to get out. I’m a smart investor. You’re not. Now get off my property before I call the police. There are No Trespassing signs all over the place. Which you ignored.”
He hesitated, his fists clenched, and for a moment I thought something more than words was going to explode between them. Then he lifted the baseball cap, ran his fingers through the curly blond hair, and replaced the cap. The cocky, daredevil grin returned. “Expect to hear from my lawyer.”
“Expect to hear back from mine.”
He looked at her warily. Her confidence probably told him, as it did me, that she had her legal bases covered. “There’s more than one way to settle the score,” he said finally, with a stare as frigid as the inside of Leslie’s enormous freezer. “No lawyers involved.”
“Are you threatening me?” She hesitated, as if for the first time wondering if it was possible that she didn’t hold the winning hand here. “I remember you used to have a gun—”
“Sweetheart, I’d have to stand in line to take a shot at you.” He blew Leslie a kiss and sauntered off, taking his time before disappearing around the corner of the house.
I expected Leslie to snap something at me standing there practically open-mouthed, watching and listening to everything, but she brushed past me as if I didn’t exist. She disappeared into her office and didn’t come out again before it was time for me to leave.
I went home feeling both curious and unsettled. And when I got there I received a surprise of my own. Apparently this was a day for unexpected visitors.
11
I recognized the vehicle immediately, and my visitors were a more pleasant surprise to me than Leslie’s ex-husband had been to her. Who else owns a behemoth with an enormous mural of a bumblebee hovering
“You had as much inside information as I did. You were just too stupid, or egotistical, to use it.”
“I see your sharp tongue hasn’t lost its edge. That may get you in trouble one of these days.”
“Oh, woe is me.” She put a hand to her throat. “However will I live with myself, knowing my sharp tongue may have wounded you.”
He ignored the mock melodrama, although the cocky grin had disappeared. His head tilted thoughtfully. “At the very least, you have to admit that what you did was unethical.”
“Being smart is unethical?” She laughed suddenly, no humor attached. “ You are lecturing me about ethics?”
“I have ethics.” He managed to sound offended.
“Oh, really? Is that what you and the redheaded bombshell were doing in her apartment all the time, discussing ethics? I hired a private investigator, in case you didn’t know.”
“You and I were divorced by the time Rhonda and I—”
“What you did after the divorce is not now and never has been of any interest to me. I don’t know anything about a Rhonda. I’m talking about a Wendy, and we were very much married then.” She studied him with an open sneer. “What do you have, a Redheads-R-Us to provide a steady supply?”
He ignored the taunt. “In any case, our personal differences didn’t give you the right to sabotage the company.”
“I didn’t sabotage the company! I simply got out when the getting was good. If the rest of you wanted to ride CyberPowerAds off into some cyberspace sunset or wherever it is dead dot-com companies go, that was your business.”
“You took the other partners in the company, including me, for almost two million bucks!” he yelped. “We all went up to our ears in debt to buy you out.”
“As I recall, all of you jumped at the chance to buy my share of the company. I think, in fact, there was some glee about putting something over on me. Perhaps taking advantage of the situation of my not wanting to be in partnership with you anymore.”
“A belief you fostered.”
“A smart investor knows when to get in and when to get out. I’m a smart investor. You’re not. Now get off my property before I call the police. There are No Trespassing signs all over the place. Which you ignored.”
He hesitated, his fists clenched, and for a moment I thought something more than words was going to explode between them. Then he lifted the baseball cap, ran his fingers through the curly blond hair, and replaced the cap. The cocky, daredevil grin returned. “Expect to hear from my lawyer.”
“Expect to hear back from mine.”
He looked at her warily. Her confidence probably told him, as it did me, that she had her legal bases covered. “There’s more than one way to settle the score,” he said finally, with a stare as frigid as the inside of Leslie’s enormous freezer. “No lawyers involved.”
“Are you threatening me?” She hesitated, as if for the first time wondering if it was possible that she didn’t hold the winning hand here. “I remember you used to have a gun—”
“Sweetheart, I’d have to stand in line to take a shot at you.” He blew Leslie a kiss and sauntered off, taking his time before disappearing around the corner of the house.
I expected Leslie to snap something at me standing there practically open-mouthed, watching and listening to everything, but she brushed past me as if I didn’t exist. She disappeared into her office and didn’t come out again before it was time for me to leave.
I went home feeling both curious and unsettled. And when I got there I received a surprise of my own. Apparently this was a day for unexpected visitors.
11
I recognized the vehicle immediately, and my visitors were a more pleasant surprise to me than Leslie’s ex-husband had been to her. Who else owns a behemoth with an enormous mural of a bumblebee hovering
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