so.”
“There’s quite a lot of things in the basement. Mostly old toys and school papers.”
He shook his head. “I won’t have room for that. My condo’s too small.”
“I’ll keep it all here for you.”
Greg swallowed hard. “I—I suppose it’s time that I moved into a place of my own.”
Smiling as gently as she could, Joanna said, “Greg, dearest, you’ve had a place of your own in New York for quite a while now.”
“I mean … moving out of this house.” His voice almost broke. “My home.”
She held her arms out to him and he dropped to his knees and let her embrace him.
“Oh, Greg, I’m so sorry that things have worked out this way. I didn’t want it to happen like this.”
“I know,” he said, his head on her lap. “It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not anyone’s fault.”
“It’s his!” Greg snarled, looking up from his mother’s lap, his eyes red and burning. “He’s done this to us!”
“If you mean Paul—”
“He murdered my father!”
Joanna stroked his midnight hair, trying to soothe him. “Greg, I told you … I was with Paul all that afternoon. I really was.”
Shaking his head stubbornly, Greg insisted, “He didn’t have to do it himself. He could have hired someone.”
“He couldn’t have.”
Greg looked into his mother’s eyes. “You have no idea of how low he really is, do you?”
“Now, Greg, I won’t listen—”
“You think he loves you? He loves the corporation! He loves that stupid Moonbase!”
“He’s my husband,” Joanna said.
“Right. Sure. And last night he was in bed with Melissa Hart. Some husband.”
Joanna could feel her face flame. “That’s not true!”
“Isn’t it? Do you think it’s a coincidence that Melissa’s been at the Houston and LA divisions the same time he’sbeen there? Is it an accident that they both booked the same hotel in San Francisco?”
Joanna’s breath caught in her chest. She could not answer.
“Why shouldn’t he take his pick of younger women?” Greg went on. “He’s the top dog now, isn’t he? He’s an important man, thanks to you. He can have any woman he wants.”
“You’re lying!”
“Check with the travel office. The two of them have been travelling across the country together. Your black CEO and his black mistress.”
“But I thought Melissa …” Joanna ran out of words. Her thoughts were tumbling through her head.
“Melissa’s a slut who’ll sleep wherever the power is. You gave Paul the power so she’s gone back to him.”
“No …” she said weakly.
“He murdered my father and he’ll spit on you now that he’s got what he wants.”
“No,” Joanna repeated desperately. “Paul’s not like that. He isn’t!”
“He’s a cheat and a murderer.”
“No!”
“He is! I know he is! He murdered my father and now he’s cheating on you.”
“But why? Why would he murder your father?”
“To get you!” Greg blurted. “To get control of the corporation. To save his precious Moonbase.”
Trying to drive thoughts of Paul in bed with Melissa out of her mind, Joanna shook her head stubbornly.
“But he already had me, Greg. I loved him and he loved me. We were going to tell your father, sooner or later. I was going to get a divorce.”
“But if you divorced Dad, then Paul could never hope to get control of the corporation. He had Dad murdered so he could make himself CEO.”
Joanna said again, “No, Greg. Paul had no idea that he could become CEO. He was shocked when I told him I was going to nominate him.”
“But—”
“And that was just a few minutes before the board meetingstarted,” Joanna continued. “You were there. Didn’t you see how stunned he looked?”
“I was there, all right,” Greg growled.
“I know, it was a shock to you, too, dear. But I had to make Paul take over the company. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain it to you beforehand.”
“He forced you into it, didn’t he?”
“No, dear. He didn’t know anything
“There’s quite a lot of things in the basement. Mostly old toys and school papers.”
He shook his head. “I won’t have room for that. My condo’s too small.”
“I’ll keep it all here for you.”
Greg swallowed hard. “I—I suppose it’s time that I moved into a place of my own.”
Smiling as gently as she could, Joanna said, “Greg, dearest, you’ve had a place of your own in New York for quite a while now.”
“I mean … moving out of this house.” His voice almost broke. “My home.”
She held her arms out to him and he dropped to his knees and let her embrace him.
“Oh, Greg, I’m so sorry that things have worked out this way. I didn’t want it to happen like this.”
“I know,” he said, his head on her lap. “It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not anyone’s fault.”
“It’s his!” Greg snarled, looking up from his mother’s lap, his eyes red and burning. “He’s done this to us!”
“If you mean Paul—”
“He murdered my father!”
Joanna stroked his midnight hair, trying to soothe him. “Greg, I told you … I was with Paul all that afternoon. I really was.”
Shaking his head stubbornly, Greg insisted, “He didn’t have to do it himself. He could have hired someone.”
“He couldn’t have.”
Greg looked into his mother’s eyes. “You have no idea of how low he really is, do you?”
“Now, Greg, I won’t listen—”
“You think he loves you? He loves the corporation! He loves that stupid Moonbase!”
“He’s my husband,” Joanna said.
“Right. Sure. And last night he was in bed with Melissa Hart. Some husband.”
Joanna could feel her face flame. “That’s not true!”
“Isn’t it? Do you think it’s a coincidence that Melissa’s been at the Houston and LA divisions the same time he’sbeen there? Is it an accident that they both booked the same hotel in San Francisco?”
Joanna’s breath caught in her chest. She could not answer.
“Why shouldn’t he take his pick of younger women?” Greg went on. “He’s the top dog now, isn’t he? He’s an important man, thanks to you. He can have any woman he wants.”
“You’re lying!”
“Check with the travel office. The two of them have been travelling across the country together. Your black CEO and his black mistress.”
“But I thought Melissa …” Joanna ran out of words. Her thoughts were tumbling through her head.
“Melissa’s a slut who’ll sleep wherever the power is. You gave Paul the power so she’s gone back to him.”
“No …” she said weakly.
“He murdered my father and he’ll spit on you now that he’s got what he wants.”
“No,” Joanna repeated desperately. “Paul’s not like that. He isn’t!”
“He’s a cheat and a murderer.”
“No!”
“He is! I know he is! He murdered my father and now he’s cheating on you.”
“But why? Why would he murder your father?”
“To get you!” Greg blurted. “To get control of the corporation. To save his precious Moonbase.”
Trying to drive thoughts of Paul in bed with Melissa out of her mind, Joanna shook her head stubbornly.
“But he already had me, Greg. I loved him and he loved me. We were going to tell your father, sooner or later. I was going to get a divorce.”
“But if you divorced Dad, then Paul could never hope to get control of the corporation. He had Dad murdered so he could make himself CEO.”
Joanna said again, “No, Greg. Paul had no idea that he could become CEO. He was shocked when I told him I was going to nominate him.”
“But—”
“And that was just a few minutes before the board meetingstarted,” Joanna continued. “You were there. Didn’t you see how stunned he looked?”
“I was there, all right,” Greg growled.
“I know, it was a shock to you, too, dear. But I had to make Paul take over the company. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain it to you beforehand.”
“He forced you into it, didn’t he?”
“No, dear. He didn’t know anything
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