Irreparable Harm (A Legal Thriller)
Page 53
Chapter 38
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Jerry Irwin woke up early on the best day of his life. He was unstoppable. By midnight tomorrow, the demonstration would be complete, the auction would be closed, and hundreds of millions—if not billions—of dollars would be flying through cyberspace, headed for his account in the Caymans. But that wasn’t even the best part.
The best part was that he’d awoken in the arms of his girlfriend. A most amazing creature. She was soft and refined, loving and supportive. She’d been neglected too long, stashed away in this well-appointed prison, but he was going to change all that.
The double doors leading from the hallway to the master bedroom swung open, and there she was. She shimmied through the door holding a silver tray that contained a mug of coffee for him and one of tea for herself, two croissants, and some jelly. Her blonde hair was tousled from sleep and she wore a gray cashmere robe over her silk nightgown. She smiled at him.
As she rested the tray on the bedside table, Laura said, “I’m afraid it’s typical Pittsburgh weather today. Cold and rainy.”
Jerry propped himself up on his elbows, leaned back against the pile of pillows arranged behind him, and patted the bed beside him.
“From what I can see, it’s a beautiful day.”
She gave him another smile. “I’m sorry we won’t be able to spend the day together. I just have so much to do to get ready for the funeral service.”
Jerry took her hand. “Stop. I’m here to support you through this, remember? Our new life starts next week, when you wrap up your affairs and hand off Noah’s estate to the executor. Then, you’ll join me at the villa and we’ll put all this ugliness behind us. Okay?”
She turned her blue eyes to his, “Yes.”
Jerry smiled back at her, relieved. He’d been worried Noah’s death would change everything, make her reconsider her feelings for Jerry, but it hadn’t. She’d told him she was sad Noah had died, of course; but, given his drinking problem, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. She’d said, in some ways, his death made things easier for her. She wouldn’t have to tell him about the affair or suffer the guilt of leaving him.
Laura’s pragmatism and ability to adapt to the circumstances encouraged Jerry. The one small loose end in all of his plans was that Laura didn’t know about the RAGS application. She believed he was selling his business at a huge profit and retiring. If he could get her out of the country quickly enough, that story would still hold together. If not, well, he just hoped she’d accept the truth.
“Are you going to go to the Cancer Center today?” she asked.
They had met through the Cancer Center. Vivian had used her connection with Laura, who was on the center’s board of directors, to get him access to candidates to carry the phones on the planes. He needed men who were terminally ill and had financial worries. Vivian had told Laura that a fellow Carnegie Mellon alumnus wanted to set up a fund to help cancer patients with their expenses.
Laura had taken the prospective donor out for dinner. By the time they’d ordered coffee and dessert, she had a commitment from Jerry to seed the fund with a million dollars. They spent a lot of time together over the next months, setting up the fund and reviewing the applications for financial assistance.
His attraction had been immediate. Hers had grown over time. Her husband was always working and she was lonely. Jerry had been patient and attentive. And, look at him now.
She was waiting for him to answer.
“Oh, uh, no. I think I’ll stay here and do some paperwork. If I want to run out for a bite, is there somewhere nearby?”
He didn’t want to bring Gregor and that other goon into Laura’s tasteful home. He’d meet them out somewhere to get the files.
She gave him the name of a bistro just a few minutes away. Then she went to take a shower.
Her smile over her shoulder as she walked to the bathroom was an invitation to join her in the oversized marble shower. As soon as he finished his breakfast, he intended to do just that.
His ringing cell phone killed his erection. It was the wrong phone. Not Gregor calling to say he had the files, but Vivian.
He kept an eye on the bathroom door as he answered it. He heard the water start to run.
“Good morning, Vivian,” he answered as evenly as he could.
“Irwin, why is Sasha McCandless still alive?”
“I’m not sure she is. My guy was in her condo last night, searching for the files.”
“Well my guy jumped her this morning, as she was going for a run. Unfortunately, she evaded him. Get those goddamn files, Irwin.”
He sighed.
“I’m working on it. I’m sure I’ll have them by noon.” He lowered his voice, “Don’t call me again, okay? I’m at Laura’s.”
Vivian laughed. It was an ugly sound, more like a bark. “Comforting the grieving widow, are you?”
The water stopped. “Jerry?” Laura called out from the bathroom, wondering when he was going to join her.
“Goodbye, Vivian.”
Jerry stripped off his boxer shorts and headed into the bathroom.