hold on her wrist. “Where are you taking me?”
“Why, Tamara? Can’t you guess?” he mocked. “You are taking me home to introduce me toyour dear, precious mother. Unless, of course, she has risen from her deathbed to do some shopping.”
With a callous lack of concern, he dragged her out of the office past the members of her staff. He was indifferent to the stares that turned Tamara red with embarrassment. Outside, Bick shoved her into the passenger seat of the car and climbed into the driver’s side. Tamara rubbed her wrist, trying to stimulate the flow of blood into her numbed hand and fingers.
They were a block from the office before she ventured to speak. “I think I can explain what happened about the insurance policy.”
“Have you had time to come up with a good story?” He ridiculed her maliciously. “You must have an excellent imagination.”
Tamara tried to ignore his jibes. “I didn’t cash that policy in, but I think my mother did.”
“That’s good,” Bick nodded. “Blame it on your mother. No doubt the two of you are working together anyway.”
Tears burned her eyes and she turned her head away from him so he couldn’t see them. She stared out the window, her vision blurring.
“I mentioned to you that my mother received a small inheritance about seven or eight months ago,” she reminded him in a small voice. “I used most of it to pay back the first loan. At the time that my mother gave me the inheritance check to deposit in the bank, I was so overjoyed at this totally unexpected windfall that I never questioned it.”
“You wouldn’t want to be accused of looking a gift horse in the mouth, would you?”
Tamara ignored his comment as best she could. “Several times my mother had tried to persuade me to drop the insurance—to cash it in and take what equity it had accumulated because it was becoming so impossible to make the payments. I didn’t. Mr. Stein—Art Stein—convinced me the policy was excellent collateral, under the circumstances. So whenever she suggested it, I refused. This last time, I think she took it upon herself to do something about it.”
“That’s a good try, but not very convincing.”
“All right, so there isn’t any insurance money—and there won’t be!” she was stung into retorting. “But I swear to you I’ll pay the money back.”
“How?” Bick challenged.
“You can take part of it out of my check every month—make it a regular deduction,” Tamara argued.
“My God!” The exclamation was a strangled laugh. “You’ve got guts suggesting such a thing.”
“Why? At least, you are guaranteed you are going to get your money, aren’t you?” she flared.
“I presume, of course, that you are suggesting that the deducted payment be somewhere around a hundred dollars a month,” he said dryly.
“I will need money to live on,” Tamara pointed out.
“Do you have any idea how long it will take to pay back twenty thousand dollars and the interest it would accumulate? Twenty-five years, if you’re lucky.”
“Yes, I know.” She brushed at a tear that slipped from an eyelash. “But I will pay you back.”
“Your plan has a flaw.”
“What?” she demanded.
“You don’t have a job.”
“What?”
“You’re fired, that’s what,” Bick retorted.
“Why?” Tamara turned in the seat to give him a stricken look.
“You don’t honestly believe that I am going to let you continue working when I have proof that you are a thief!” He sliced her a narrow look. “I wouldn’t put you in charge of a petty cash fund, let alone permit you to continue working in an accounting post.”
“But I’m good at my work,” she protested.
“Too damned good!” he scoffed. “Adam almost didn’t find your little ‘loan,’ and he’s the best. I wouldn’t hire you to answer the telephone!”
“But …” Tamara faltered, suddenly panic-stricken. “But I have to work. How can I possibly earn a living?”
“It’s a pity you
“Why, Tamara? Can’t you guess?” he mocked. “You are taking me home to introduce me toyour dear, precious mother. Unless, of course, she has risen from her deathbed to do some shopping.”
With a callous lack of concern, he dragged her out of the office past the members of her staff. He was indifferent to the stares that turned Tamara red with embarrassment. Outside, Bick shoved her into the passenger seat of the car and climbed into the driver’s side. Tamara rubbed her wrist, trying to stimulate the flow of blood into her numbed hand and fingers.
They were a block from the office before she ventured to speak. “I think I can explain what happened about the insurance policy.”
“Have you had time to come up with a good story?” He ridiculed her maliciously. “You must have an excellent imagination.”
Tamara tried to ignore his jibes. “I didn’t cash that policy in, but I think my mother did.”
“That’s good,” Bick nodded. “Blame it on your mother. No doubt the two of you are working together anyway.”
Tears burned her eyes and she turned her head away from him so he couldn’t see them. She stared out the window, her vision blurring.
“I mentioned to you that my mother received a small inheritance about seven or eight months ago,” she reminded him in a small voice. “I used most of it to pay back the first loan. At the time that my mother gave me the inheritance check to deposit in the bank, I was so overjoyed at this totally unexpected windfall that I never questioned it.”
“You wouldn’t want to be accused of looking a gift horse in the mouth, would you?”
Tamara ignored his comment as best she could. “Several times my mother had tried to persuade me to drop the insurance—to cash it in and take what equity it had accumulated because it was becoming so impossible to make the payments. I didn’t. Mr. Stein—Art Stein—convinced me the policy was excellent collateral, under the circumstances. So whenever she suggested it, I refused. This last time, I think she took it upon herself to do something about it.”
“That’s a good try, but not very convincing.”
“All right, so there isn’t any insurance money—and there won’t be!” she was stung into retorting. “But I swear to you I’ll pay the money back.”
“How?” Bick challenged.
“You can take part of it out of my check every month—make it a regular deduction,” Tamara argued.
“My God!” The exclamation was a strangled laugh. “You’ve got guts suggesting such a thing.”
“Why? At least, you are guaranteed you are going to get your money, aren’t you?” she flared.
“I presume, of course, that you are suggesting that the deducted payment be somewhere around a hundred dollars a month,” he said dryly.
“I will need money to live on,” Tamara pointed out.
“Do you have any idea how long it will take to pay back twenty thousand dollars and the interest it would accumulate? Twenty-five years, if you’re lucky.”
“Yes, I know.” She brushed at a tear that slipped from an eyelash. “But I will pay you back.”
“Your plan has a flaw.”
“What?” she demanded.
“You don’t have a job.”
“What?”
“You’re fired, that’s what,” Bick retorted.
“Why?” Tamara turned in the seat to give him a stricken look.
“You don’t honestly believe that I am going to let you continue working when I have proof that you are a thief!” He sliced her a narrow look. “I wouldn’t put you in charge of a petty cash fund, let alone permit you to continue working in an accounting post.”
“But I’m good at my work,” she protested.
“Too damned good!” he scoffed. “Adam almost didn’t find your little ‘loan,’ and he’s the best. I wouldn’t hire you to answer the telephone!”
“But …” Tamara faltered, suddenly panic-stricken. “But I have to work. How can I possibly earn a living?”
“It’s a pity you
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