(1984) Uneasy Alliance by Jayne Ann Krentz

Author:Jayne Ann Krentz [Krentz, Jayne Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

« ^ »

“Our blackmailer seems to do his homework fairly thoroughly.” Torr

ignored Abby’s stunned expression, methodically picking up the scattered

clippings and the note that accompanied them. He straightened and

calmly finished unlocking the front door.

Abby, still crouching, stared after him for a timeless moment. He was

acting as if nothing had happened. He was so monumentally cool about

the whole thing while she was on the verge of exploding from a

combination of fear and anger.

Speculation that Latimer had killed his wife in a jealous rage. Latimer,

the brilliant successful head of a large corporation. Latimer, who had told

her that he’d wanted a career change about three years before.

Latimer, whose amber eyes had flared with the promise of masculine

possession, who’d claimed that Abby belonged to him now. Had his dead

wife once seen that possessiveness? Been a victim of that claim?

Abby scrambled to her feet and followed Torr into the house. “The

note,” she managed in a voice that surprised her with its steadiness, “let

me see the note that came with the clippings.”

Torr carried the envelope and its contents into the kitchen and set them

down on the table in a neat pile. The typed note was on top and he read it

before silently handing it to Abby. She almost snatched it from his hand.

There is no safety with him. Latimer killed once because his woman

was sleeping around. He’ll do it again when he finds out what a little

whore you are. You’ve jumped from the frying pan into the fire.

Better run if you still can.

Shaking, Abby dropped into a chair beside the table. She stared

sightlessly out the window, vaguely aware that Torr was preparing coffee.

How could he do that, she wondered. How could he calmly make coffee

while these clippings hung between them like a time bomb?

“I didn’t kill her, you know,” he said quietly as he waited for the coffee

to filter into the pot. “The coroner’s verdict was accidental drowning. She

took the sailboat out by herself even though the weather reports had been

bad. I wasn’t home at the time. I was in New York on business.”

Abby brought her gaze back to his as he set coffee down in front of her

and took the seat on the other side of the table. “Was she…did she have

another man?”

“Oh, yes, she had another man.”

Abby stared at him, trying to read the stark shuttered expression in his

eyes. “Did you know?”

“I knew.”

“You quarreled?”

“We quarreled. Frequently.”

“Why didn’t you just get a divorce?” Abby asked painfully.

“I was going to file after I returned from New York.”

“Why hadn’t she filed already if she was in love with someone else?”

“She was more in love with her share of my income than she was with

the other man. Money was always very important to Anne. She hadn’t had

a lot of it while she was growing up and the lack of it left its mark. She

needed the financial security I could give her. But she didn’t need me for

much else.”

There was no bitterness in his words. There was no emotion at all.

Somehow that made Abby more nervous than anything else could have

done.

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