The Price of Greed

CHAPTER 30

Milo waited for Gloria to come to the phone, his hopes up for some of the money she tentatively promised. He steered around a halted garbage truck and pulled over to the curb; a fine for getting caught on the phone in the car was something he just could not afford right now.

"What do you want, Milo, I'm just going to sit down for breakfast?"

"Are you kidding me? You were going to call me, remember? The money?"

"Look, I can't just grab handfuls of cash whenever I want. Victor has sealed my account and cancelled my credit cards. I'm barely surviving on the allowance he's given me. Until the divorce is settled I don't have access to money. You already got the last I had on hand."

"You said you'd see what you could do."

"Did you hear what I said, I can't do anything, so that's it."

"So what am I going to do now?"

"How the hell should I know. I paid your damn lawyer bill, what else do you want?"

"What are you going to do after the divorce?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could we uh, pick up where we left—?"

"Are you nuts! Why in God's name would I want to take up with you? You are the cause of all this, Milo." She screamed at him and slammed down the phone.

"Me!" He dropped his cell phone and stared out the window of his car. "Me!" A finch landed on the hood of the car and crapped before taking off.

The sun slipped behind a cloud and shadows fell across Milo in his car like the curtain falling on a flopped play. "My friggin' life in spades!" He slammed the steering wheel, bruising the edge of his hands.

********

Victor tapped his pen on his den desk and looked at Charlotte. A half eaten slice of toast and a cold coffee sat by his elbow. He shifted his shoulders inside the dressing gown and listened to Charlotte's response to his query.

"I didn't tell him anything other than my hours and the fact that I had seen your wife on the phone before I left. Twice."

"Why would he be questioning you?"

"Because I work in your home and would have knowledge of the comings and goings. Don't be dense, Victor. I would expect nothing less from a competent policeman."

"What if he finds out—?"

"Why should he? I'm not a suspect and I hardly think you'll be volunteering anything about that." She went to the front of his desk and leaned down. "Don't let me find out you've said anything out of line, Victor."

He glanced up at the stern look and he felt his heart beat faster. Her eyes seemed to strip away his façade of strength and he willingly let the feeling wash over him. With a simple glance, Charlotte could bring him to a level of expectation that nothing else could match.

He hoped she would say or do something right that moment, something to give him the security of her strength and the reassurance of her dominance.

"I haven't even been questioned." His breath was raspy and he locked eyes with her.

Charlotte straightened up and considered him. Maybe this would be a good time for a little lesson in obedience, something to firm up his resolve for when he is interviewed. She walked to the den door and slipped the lock then turned and leaned against the door. Victor groaned softly and came from behind the desk, falling to his knees when she indicated for him to get down.