One Lost Soul More by M Glenn Graves

Author:M Glenn Graves [Graves, M Glenn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781629182193
Publisher: City Lights Press
Published: 2014-08-08T22:00:00+00:00

34

“What in God’s name did you say to Andy at the funeral?” Craven asked me as we were speeding along towards our hotel in the stretch limo.

“Just being my friendly self. Wanted to get acquainted with her.”

“Well, she certainly did not take a liking to you, whatever you said. She called you several choice names and suggested rather strongly that I dismiss you as my protégée.”

‘Good thing you don’t take orders from her,” I said.

He coughed a few times in an unsuccessful attempt at clearing his throat. His color was a shade whiter than normal. He was struggling. J.C. leaped across the seat to assist him.

“Are you okay, Mr. Malone?” she asked.

“Fine, fine. Just lost my breath there for a moment. This old body is closing down quickly. I need some rest, that’s all.”

He coughed again and this time strained to clear his throat. Sounded the same to me. J.C. remained at his side the rest of the trip back.

I stayed in the lobby while the rest of our motley entourage retired, presumably, to their suites. I had no real reason to remain in the lobby except that I wanted a break from my business associates and needed some privacy to call Rogers. Time to check in.

“How’s life with the rich and famous?”

“Luxuriously boring.”

“No handsome hunk waiting on the terrace anxious to sweep you off?”

“Rein in that wild imagination of yours. Tell me about that home in Mooresville.”

“Not much to report.”

“Pulling my leg?”

“Not this time. Apparently they were given an anonymous gift, and the donor insisted that no paper trail lead back to him or her. Everything seems to be above board as far as I can discern. I can find no misappropriations or even the hint of impropriety. Looks like you will have to travel to Mooresville and check them out in person if you are to find something.”

“And I pay you so well to find things out. Now you fail me.”

“My efforts have not been completely wasted, love.”

“You have something with which I can actually work?”

“Guess who is the head of state at Lusty?”

“Now that Joey Malone is out of the picture?”

“Even before that.”

“You mean it wasn’t little Joey?”

“Joey was the boss on paper, but the files I hacked revealed a rather different pecking order.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Barbara Anderson Dilworth. Have you had the pleasure?”

“I’ve had something, thank you. Pleasure would not be my first choice of terms to describe the encounter. Generally speaking, she’s a bitch, and that’s a nice word for her. She’s the editor, of course she runs things.”

“She’s been that since the late sixties. Can’t find anything yet on how she got there, but she came in as Assistant Editor two years prior to her big advancement. Nothing like a quick trip up the corporate ladder. She’s a cutthroat. Watch your backside. Dangerously smart. Anyhow, it’s documented that Joey Malone liked her from the beginning. I found some non-public interoffice memos to that effect. I read a little between the lines and figured that maybe there was something more than professional respect between Dilworth and Malone.

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