The Price of Greed

CHAPTER 7

Gloria arrived home just before dinner time and went straight to the living room for a pre-meal brandy. Victor was already there reading the paper, which he dropped to floor beside him when she walked in. He watched her pour her drink, give him a silent toast then walk to a chair across from his.

Gloria sensed a confrontation and she tried to compose herself, sipping the brandy and mentally girding her loins. Victor lifted an envelope from the side table and dumped the contents onto his lap, watching her the entire time, then began his scripted outrage. He gathered the contents together and stood, crossing to her chair, dropping the lot on the table beside her and stomped to the bar.

"This self satisfying, carnal adventure of yours is the last straw, Gloria!"

She glanced at the pictures, frowning at the surprisingly sordid images they presented. It was not the romantically imagined representation she expected. She picked up the typewritten report and scanned it quickly, relieved to find no mention of the codes or any conversation that might prove incriminating; Cutter was still on her hook.

"Your appetites haven't gone wanting, husband dear." She retorted angrily, tossing the report down.

Victor suppressed control of his temper and vowed to maintain that state of affairs without her in any future association. Gloria began to panic. A divorce proceeding before she had fulfilled her plan would be disastrous and she unwisely blurted out her own threat.

"If I lose, we both lose, Victor!"

"Is that some kind of challenge, Gloria?"

"Remember what was said earlier about your own private habits."

"You just made a huge mistake."

"What are you going to do?" Gloria yelled at him.

"Fire your boy toy and then give you your divorce, darling."

"You weren't listening, Victor... I won't stay silent about you and Charlotte. Your reputation will be headlines for months and your precious deal will crash and burn."

"And I warned you." His face was a deep, dark red. "You've gone too damn far this time, Gloria. I'm starting proceedings in the morning."

She stared at him without speaking as the threat of his words assembled themselves into the ugly picture he painted. She had to move now.

Gloria left the room and headed straight for her bedroom and her telephone. She wrapped her housecoat about her and sat huddled on the bedroom balcony, her mind an explosion of unwelcome information. The divorce threat was a reality now and there was precious little she could do to protect herself unless Grover came through.

Derrick Cutter loomed large on her horizon as well. Victor had slipped his traces and she was furious with herself. She tried calling Grover again but there was no answer on his cell and she felt her base shifting precariously. Where the hell was he?

A quick call to Milo to give him a heads up about Victor's threat in the morning brought cries of protest.

"If we act immediately, Milo, and I can make this all go away. I will tell you where to deliver the copy; there is absolutely no time to lose."

His further protests were beaten back and reluctantly he acknowledged the urgency and rang off. Gloria turned her mind back to Grover; she had to reach him now.

********

Grover entered his room and tossed his key on the dresser. The message light was blinking and he made himself comfortable with a drink from the mini bar before calling down to the desk. He might have guessed it would be his sister and he took a long swallow before dialing her cell.