bracelet and necklace. She’d had her soft brown hair cut and blow-dried in the city in a sophisticated jaw-length style that curved beneath her chin and accented her oval face. At Vin’s insistence she’d even had her makeup done that morning, and she had to admit that the soft mauve shadow and liner made her brown eyes look deeper and slightly exotic.
For hours she worked the room as Vin had suggested. She moved from one group to another, making sure that everyone was entertained. Several times she carried a tray of champagne flutes to be sure that all the guests were feeling relaxed. She fielded compliments on the house and the party with an innate charm that she hadn’t realized she had.
The small combo began playing at five-thirty, and several couples made use of the dance floor. At six the guests adjourned to an elaborate buffet and took plates to the tables. By ten that evening the moon had risen and finally everyone had departed.
“That was quite a party,” she said to Vin as they dropped onto lounge chairs beside the pool. “I think everything went really well.”
“It certainly did, and a few very big people said they’d call me next week. It certainly showed how far I’ve come.”
“Everyone seemed to have a great time.” After several minutes Pam huffed out a breath and swung her legs off the chair. “Let me change into jeans,” she said to Vin as she looked around at the masses of glasses and plates cluttering every horizontal surface, “and I’ll get started cleaning up this joint.”
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her onto the chair beside him. “Forget everything. I arranged with the same folks who cleaned up yesterday. They’ll be here first thing tomorrow morning and they’ll take care of everything.” He kissed her lightly on the top of her head. “You were a wonder, darling,” he said, holding her close. “Even Eugene Banner Senior commented on how charming you are and what an asset you are to me. He really meant it. You were fabulous.”
She had no idea who Eugene Banner Senior was, but Vin’s tone showed that he was impressed, so she was, too. “I didn’t do much,” Pam said, glowing under his praise. “The people you hired did most of the work.”
“You held it all together. Next time you’ll be able to direct and organize everything.”
“Next time?”
“Several of my clients wondered whether they could use the house for their office summer and Christmas parties and I said we’d think about it. Can’t you picture a Christmas party: big tree in the corner, fire in the fireplace, eggnog, the works. I didn’t promise anything, and I wouldn’t without checking with you, love, but it would mean a lot to me. I’m incredibly complimented that anyone would even suggest it.”
“I guess,” she said. It would be a lot of work, but if it would advance Vin’s career…
“Listen, you take to this like the proverbial duck to water. You were the most charming hostess I’ve ever seen and it means a lot to me, and to my future.”
She laughed and punched him in the ribs. “You know flattery will get you anywhere with me.”
“It might be flattery, but it’s also true. Will you do it? For me?” He stroked her face and turned her toward him. “Please?” He kissed her and his hand found her breast.
Pam sighed. Vin was getting deeper and deeper into his image, and appearances were becoming more and more important. Pam often thought that even the vacations they took were planned as much for the cachet they gave him at the office as for the pleasure they would give the two of them. What the hell? She kissed him back and slid her fingers through his hair. What the hell? If this is what he wants, why not?
Over the next few months, to further enhance his reputation at the office he began to buy hand-tailored suits, monogrammed shirts, and Italian leather shoes. He became a technojunky, getting a PDA before any of his cohorts and one of the fanciest cellular phones made. He was on his way up. Way up. That had been more than two years ago, she thought. And now?
Pam pulled herself back to the present. “Where did the money go, Mark? I really thought we had lots.”
“Frankly, Pam, I haven’t a clue. I know he lost a few good clients, but I thought he still had some. I must admit that I was a little surprised at the state of his finances.”
“It all went into the business? He took almost half a million out of the house last year. Everything’s gone?” Pam slumped in her chair. “I’m in shock.”
Mark reached across the desk and took Pam’s hand. She sensed there was something going on beneath his calm exterior. “I can imagine.” He lowered his voice and seemed almost conspiratorial. “Pam, I don’t know whether I should say anything to you, and I don’t mean to imply anything illegal or immoral, but maybe there are accounts I don’t know about. Secret ones.”
“You mean that Vin might have been moving money to the Cayman Islands or something?”
He looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know what I mean. I’m pretty sure Vin was an honest man.” She watched him make a decision. He gazed directly into her eyes. “I’ve known you and Vin for many years, and it’s just that there’s not as much money as I thought there should be, either, and I can’t imagine where it might have gone. I suspect that he’s been either hoarding cash or spending it on something besides the business. I hadn’t wanted to bother you, but frankly I’m stumped and you deserve to know what was going on.”
“Something beside the business? Like what? Other women? Gambling?”
Mark sat up straight and looked miserable. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Please.” He clasped his hands on the desk. “Let’s do this. You take some time and then go through the papers in his desk at home. See whether you can find anything—records, bank statements, credit card bills, anything like that, anything that might give a hint of where some of this money might have gone. I’ll give you a complete list of everything I know about and you can compare what you find with that. Maybe there are bank accounts I don’t know about. Let’s hope so, anyway.”
“Why don’t you come out to the house and look for yourself?”
“I’d rather you did it. If there turn out to be tax implications I’d rather find out all at once.” He didn’t say, or not at all.
“What if we find something illegal? Should we go to the police or the IRS?”
“Let’s consider that if, and it’s a very big if, the time comes. Take your time and call me when you’ve had a chance to look over his things. Don’t hurry. Take a few weeks if you want to.”
Chapter
4
It was almost three months before Pam finally got up the courage to look through Vin’s office for any of the information Mark had alluded to. Oren Stevens had called frequently, keeping her abreast of the developments at the agency, and several times he’d asked her to come into the city to sign papers. However, it was all just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s necessary to close the business down. He’d asked her whether she wanted to go through Vin’s office but she declined, so he’d packed up several large boxes and had them delivered to the house.
Mark had also called from time to time but he kept saying that she could let any investigating slide, so she kept putting it off. What
