Money To Burn by Katy Munger Page B

cleaner life than my own.
    “Not really,” I said to stave off more questions. “I just want to check a few things with you. I understand you know Franklin Cosgrove.” I wanted her take on King Buffalo’s remaining partner.
    There was silence.
    “Lydia?”
    Her tone was cool. “Yes, I know him. In fact, I’ve known him since I was about ten years old.”
    “I gather you don’t like him.”
    “I don’t.”
    “Can you tell me why?”
    “Is he involved in Tom’s death?” she asked.
    “I have no indication he is,” I answered carefully. “I just want to get your take on him. He told me some interesting things and I don’t heand I dknow whether to believe him or not.”
    She was silent as she chose her words. “I think he’s truthful,” she finally said. “And certainly he’s a talented marketer. A lot of Tom’s success in King Buffalo was due to Frank. He came up with a great marketing strategy, selling expensive handrolled-looking cigarettes to yuppies. But I don’t think Frank is a very nice person when you get down to it.”
    “Why’s that?” I asked, thinking of his sad-sack secretary and her dreams of a future with him.
    “He uses people and has no clue that he’s doing it. He thinks of himself first, second and last. I doubt it even occurs to him to consider other people’s feelings and emotions.” She paused. “His mother worshipped him. It didn’t do Franklin a lot of good, either. He’s only thirty-eight and he’s already been married and divorced twice. He likes to marry up and he’s always shopping around for a new rich wife.”
    “How far up does he have to go?” I asked. “He seems to be on speaking terms with the good life.”
    “He has a fair amount of money, but he spends it fast. Everyone in our circle knows that when Frank’s father died, he left behind a trust fund for his wife and instructions to distribute the rest of his estate among all his children— which included three daughters—even though it cost him a lot of money in taxes. I guess he figured that if it were left up to his wife, Frank would get it all. So the family money has been diluted and there’s no way Frank can get more than his share. He has to work. Unless he marries rich, of course.”
    Good God, she knew everything but his bank account number. I had no doubt she knew his balance. Talk about money recognizing money. These people treated each other like balance sheets. “But he has married rich twice?” I asked.
    “Yes,” she admitted. “Both times to women I know. But he made the same mistake twice. He married pampered southern belles whose fathers were still alive and looking out for their little girls. When he proved to be a lousy husband, the divorce proceedings were like surgical strikes. Frank walked away with nothing in each case. My guess is that now he’s holding out for an orphaned hare-lipped heiress whose trustee is asleep at his desk.”
    Her opinion made me glad that Franklin Cosgrove had not been the only person holding out the day before. “Cosgrove makes it sound like there was once something between the two of you,” I told her. “It’s in his tone of voice.”
    “It’s in his dreams,” she assured me. “Did he say anything that might help?”
    “Maybe,” I said. “Look, I know you aren’t going to like this, but I have to talk to your father. I’ll tell him I’m working on my own in this case, repaying a debt to Thomas. But I have to talk to him, okay?” n>
    She was silent for a moment. “Do you want me to set it up?” she asked, her voice tight with tension.
    “No, then he’ll know you have something to do with it. Leave it to me. I’ll get in somehow. You sleeping okay?”
    “Sort of,” she answered. “It gets easier every day. I almost hate that the big hole in my soul seems to be filling in. I feel like Thomas is really leaving me now, that one day soon I’ll wake up and have completely forgotten him. It makes me sad.” She sighed. “It just