doubt at
Martin’s suggestion.
“It’s not what you think,” she told Robbie. “Martin and I
love…”
“Shut the fuck up!” Robbie screamed.
“Stop lying!” Morgan shoved Amanda so hard she tumbled to
the floor. “You better just shut the fuck up before Robbie gets even madder.”
Amanda seemed genuinely startled by Robbie’s behavior. Didn’t
she remember all the times Robbie had lashed out against people he thought had
wronged him? Like the time he turned in a science project that Amanda had done
for him. The teacher gave him a failing grade, said she knew he hadn’t done the
work himself. He got mad and smashed the project right in front of the woman.
But that wasn’t enough for Robbie. The next day, when the teacher got to her
classroom, she’d found all the tropical fish in her aquarium dead. Naturally,
she accused Robbie. And Robert was sure he’d done it. But Amanda refused to
believe her golden boy could do anything like that. Maybe she was finally
getting it now.
A whimper distracted Morgan, and she glanced over at Robbie.
He was quickly losing steam.
“Start filling that bag,” she snapped. “You just became one
rich motherfucker.”
Robbie’s face had a pasty hue; his hand shook as he unzipped
the duffle bag. He pulled the top velvet tray out of the safe that had been
wedged in at an angle.
Nestled on the black fabric was the David Yurman amethyst
necklace Robert had bought Amanda when she accepted his marriage proposal. The
next tray held several Chopard necklaces, another was piled with Unsworth and
Baccarat bracelets.
“Jesus Christ!” Morgan gasped as she watched the jewels
tumble into the bag. “I may have to keep a couple of those.”
She snatched the Damiani coiled bracelet from its tray: ten
diamonds alternating with black pearls to commemorate Robert and Amanda’s first
ten years of marriage. He remembered how Martin had insisted Robert buy her
something special. But her arm was so fat, she had to have the coils reshaped
so the bracelet would fit.
With his teeth, Robbie pulled open a drawstring bag and
nodded for Morgan to open her hand. A cascade of rings flowed into her palm.
Castaways that no longer warranted a slot in a jewelry tray.
Each twinkle of a diamond brought a little more color to
Robbie’s cheeks. And when he flipped open the lid on the Zambian emerald and
diamond necklace, Morgan gasped.
“Dear God!” she chortled at Amanda. “You must have taken it
in the ass for that one!”
Plucking it up gently with his fingers, Robbie gazed at the
necklace. His shoulders tipped and his legs wobbled. He had to take a small
step back to keep from falling. Was some fragment of reality finally sinking in?
That particular necklace was insured by Lloyd’s of London. Even if Amanda
didn’t go after Robbie and Morgan, the insurance company would.
The duffle slipped from Robbie’s hand and fell to the floor.
An instant later, Robbie dropped to his hands and knees and vomited on the
white carpeting.
Was he finally realizing how this was going to end?
“Jesus, Robbie,” Morgan said. “Don’t barf on the goods.”
Squatting down, Morgan jerked the necklace out of Robbie’s
clenched fist and tossed it into the bag.
“Why don’t you take the bag and go start the car,” she said
quietly. “I’ll grab our stuff.”
She helped Robbie to his feet and gave him a nudge toward
the door.
“No!” Robert yelled, running ahead, holding out his arms to
keep Robbie from leaving. “Stay here! You can’t be that much of a coward.”
But Robbie’s eyes had that dull vapid stare of someone who
had shut down. Lowering his head, he trudged out of the room without a
backwards glance.
The moment he was gone, Morgan grabbed Amanda’s arm and
yanked her to her feet.
“Hey!” Morgan yelled, turning toward the door so Robbie
would be sure to hear. “What are you doing?”
Then she pulled Amanda against her, wedged the gun between
them, and shot Amanda in the
Martin’s suggestion.
“It’s not what you think,” she told Robbie. “Martin and I
love…”
“Shut the fuck up!” Robbie screamed.
“Stop lying!” Morgan shoved Amanda so hard she tumbled to
the floor. “You better just shut the fuck up before Robbie gets even madder.”
Amanda seemed genuinely startled by Robbie’s behavior. Didn’t
she remember all the times Robbie had lashed out against people he thought had
wronged him? Like the time he turned in a science project that Amanda had done
for him. The teacher gave him a failing grade, said she knew he hadn’t done the
work himself. He got mad and smashed the project right in front of the woman.
But that wasn’t enough for Robbie. The next day, when the teacher got to her
classroom, she’d found all the tropical fish in her aquarium dead. Naturally,
she accused Robbie. And Robert was sure he’d done it. But Amanda refused to
believe her golden boy could do anything like that. Maybe she was finally
getting it now.
A whimper distracted Morgan, and she glanced over at Robbie.
He was quickly losing steam.
“Start filling that bag,” she snapped. “You just became one
rich motherfucker.”
Robbie’s face had a pasty hue; his hand shook as he unzipped
the duffle bag. He pulled the top velvet tray out of the safe that had been
wedged in at an angle.
Nestled on the black fabric was the David Yurman amethyst
necklace Robert had bought Amanda when she accepted his marriage proposal. The
next tray held several Chopard necklaces, another was piled with Unsworth and
Baccarat bracelets.
“Jesus Christ!” Morgan gasped as she watched the jewels
tumble into the bag. “I may have to keep a couple of those.”
She snatched the Damiani coiled bracelet from its tray: ten
diamonds alternating with black pearls to commemorate Robert and Amanda’s first
ten years of marriage. He remembered how Martin had insisted Robert buy her
something special. But her arm was so fat, she had to have the coils reshaped
so the bracelet would fit.
With his teeth, Robbie pulled open a drawstring bag and
nodded for Morgan to open her hand. A cascade of rings flowed into her palm.
Castaways that no longer warranted a slot in a jewelry tray.
Each twinkle of a diamond brought a little more color to
Robbie’s cheeks. And when he flipped open the lid on the Zambian emerald and
diamond necklace, Morgan gasped.
“Dear God!” she chortled at Amanda. “You must have taken it
in the ass for that one!”
Plucking it up gently with his fingers, Robbie gazed at the
necklace. His shoulders tipped and his legs wobbled. He had to take a small
step back to keep from falling. Was some fragment of reality finally sinking in?
That particular necklace was insured by Lloyd’s of London. Even if Amanda
didn’t go after Robbie and Morgan, the insurance company would.
The duffle slipped from Robbie’s hand and fell to the floor.
An instant later, Robbie dropped to his hands and knees and vomited on the
white carpeting.
Was he finally realizing how this was going to end?
“Jesus, Robbie,” Morgan said. “Don’t barf on the goods.”
Squatting down, Morgan jerked the necklace out of Robbie’s
clenched fist and tossed it into the bag.
“Why don’t you take the bag and go start the car,” she said
quietly. “I’ll grab our stuff.”
She helped Robbie to his feet and gave him a nudge toward
the door.
“No!” Robert yelled, running ahead, holding out his arms to
keep Robbie from leaving. “Stay here! You can’t be that much of a coward.”
But Robbie’s eyes had that dull vapid stare of someone who
had shut down. Lowering his head, he trudged out of the room without a
backwards glance.
The moment he was gone, Morgan grabbed Amanda’s arm and
yanked her to her feet.
“Hey!” Morgan yelled, turning toward the door so Robbie
would be sure to hear. “What are you doing?”
Then she pulled Amanda against her, wedged the gun between
them, and shot Amanda in the
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