write in his phone number?
Rogart appeared in no hurry to leave the
table. Diana watched him signal a busboy to refill their water
glasses. “You in a hurry to get back to the office?” he asked.
“Not really. I don’t have any appointments
this afternoon.”
He nodded. “Good. There’s something I’d like
to run by you.”
Okay. So this isn’t a free lunch. Diana matched his gaze, feeling a nibble of disappointment.
“My financial situation can’t go on like
this.”
“You’re probably right.”
“The fact is there’s a ready solution. My
wife has a discretionary trust that was set up for her by her
grandmother, Joe’s mom. Problem is Joe’s the trustee. He’d never
willingly part with a nickel because he wants me to fail in
supporting the kids, so he’ll have a reason to take them.”
“Do you know the terms of the trust? Can it
be used to support your children?”
Rogart reached into his inside jacket pocket
and withdrew a manila envelope. “Better yet, I have the trust paper
right here.”
Diana blinked. “Trusts are not generally of
public record. Their privacy is what makes them attractive. How’d
you get a copy?”
“I found it in a drawer at home after Brandi
disappeared. If I’m reading it correctly, it can be used to support
our kids. But what do I know? Could you at least take a look at
it?”
* * * * *
What harm could it do? In the parking
lot Diana transferred the manila envelope under her arm while she
got out her car keys. After she pressed the lock release, Rogart
opened the door for her and held it while she got in.
As she rolled down the car window, Rogart
leaned against the door. “Thank you, Diana. You don’t know how much
I appreciate this.”
“No guarantees. I’ll just take a look and get
back to you.”
To the west, behind Rogart, the sun had paled
and was nearly obscured by clouds that had taken on a darker hue.
Lunch had lasted much longer than Diana had anticipated.
Then, as she put the key in the ignition, she
felt him move and turned to see him leaning toward her through the
open window. Paralysis set in as she felt his warm lips cover hers.
Sensations she thought were gone for good ran through her body like
electric charges. Yet she couldn’t kiss him back. Though she felt
the urgency of his tongue pushing on her teeth, she kept them
rigidly clamped shut, in spite of what the rest of her body
wanted.
She blinked as the clouds shifted and a glint
of silver in the row of parked vehicles behind Rogart stole her
attention. Diana wrenched free, broke off the kiss with a gasp.
As the sound escaped her lips, Rogart whirled
to see what had so alarmed her.
“Flannigan’s truck,” she managed to squeeze
out. “He’s following me again.”
Rogart turned and strode purposefully toward
the silver pickup. Diana could see the hood ornament glinting in
the sun’s last rays. Then darkening clouds shifted again, dimming
the picture.
After what seemed like minutes, but she knew
were only seconds, Rogart came back with the news. “The truck’s
empty. It sure looks like Joe’s.”
She couldn’t stop trembling. She wondered how
much of the reaction was fear of Joe Flannigan and how much was
fallout from Rogart’s unexpected kiss. “I think I may need to get a
restraining order if this keeps up.”
She watched him glance up and down the
street. “It’s me he’s following.” He looked hard into her eyes.
“Looking for something he can use against me. I’m sorry. I just
used poor judgment.”
The kiss, she thought. His SOB son-in-law
kissing his former attorney? If Flannigan saw it, he’d go
ballistic. “We both did,” she said. It won’t happen
again.
“A restraining order wouldn’t be a bad idea,”
he said. “Lock your doors and windows.”
Diana fumbled with the locks and the ignition
key. When she backed out of the parking space and jerkily drove
toward the street, Rogart was nowhere in sight.
Chapter 20
He knows that
Rogart appeared in no hurry to leave the
table. Diana watched him signal a busboy to refill their water
glasses. “You in a hurry to get back to the office?” he asked.
“Not really. I don’t have any appointments
this afternoon.”
He nodded. “Good. There’s something I’d like
to run by you.”
Okay. So this isn’t a free lunch. Diana matched his gaze, feeling a nibble of disappointment.
“My financial situation can’t go on like
this.”
“You’re probably right.”
“The fact is there’s a ready solution. My
wife has a discretionary trust that was set up for her by her
grandmother, Joe’s mom. Problem is Joe’s the trustee. He’d never
willingly part with a nickel because he wants me to fail in
supporting the kids, so he’ll have a reason to take them.”
“Do you know the terms of the trust? Can it
be used to support your children?”
Rogart reached into his inside jacket pocket
and withdrew a manila envelope. “Better yet, I have the trust paper
right here.”
Diana blinked. “Trusts are not generally of
public record. Their privacy is what makes them attractive. How’d
you get a copy?”
“I found it in a drawer at home after Brandi
disappeared. If I’m reading it correctly, it can be used to support
our kids. But what do I know? Could you at least take a look at
it?”
* * * * *
What harm could it do? In the parking
lot Diana transferred the manila envelope under her arm while she
got out her car keys. After she pressed the lock release, Rogart
opened the door for her and held it while she got in.
As she rolled down the car window, Rogart
leaned against the door. “Thank you, Diana. You don’t know how much
I appreciate this.”
“No guarantees. I’ll just take a look and get
back to you.”
To the west, behind Rogart, the sun had paled
and was nearly obscured by clouds that had taken on a darker hue.
Lunch had lasted much longer than Diana had anticipated.
Then, as she put the key in the ignition, she
felt him move and turned to see him leaning toward her through the
open window. Paralysis set in as she felt his warm lips cover hers.
Sensations she thought were gone for good ran through her body like
electric charges. Yet she couldn’t kiss him back. Though she felt
the urgency of his tongue pushing on her teeth, she kept them
rigidly clamped shut, in spite of what the rest of her body
wanted.
She blinked as the clouds shifted and a glint
of silver in the row of parked vehicles behind Rogart stole her
attention. Diana wrenched free, broke off the kiss with a gasp.
As the sound escaped her lips, Rogart whirled
to see what had so alarmed her.
“Flannigan’s truck,” she managed to squeeze
out. “He’s following me again.”
Rogart turned and strode purposefully toward
the silver pickup. Diana could see the hood ornament glinting in
the sun’s last rays. Then darkening clouds shifted again, dimming
the picture.
After what seemed like minutes, but she knew
were only seconds, Rogart came back with the news. “The truck’s
empty. It sure looks like Joe’s.”
She couldn’t stop trembling. She wondered how
much of the reaction was fear of Joe Flannigan and how much was
fallout from Rogart’s unexpected kiss. “I think I may need to get a
restraining order if this keeps up.”
She watched him glance up and down the
street. “It’s me he’s following.” He looked hard into her eyes.
“Looking for something he can use against me. I’m sorry. I just
used poor judgment.”
The kiss, she thought. His SOB son-in-law
kissing his former attorney? If Flannigan saw it, he’d go
ballistic. “We both did,” she said. It won’t happen
again.
“A restraining order wouldn’t be a bad idea,”
he said. “Lock your doors and windows.”
Diana fumbled with the locks and the ignition
key. When she backed out of the parking space and jerkily drove
toward the street, Rogart was nowhere in sight.
Chapter 20
He knows that
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