Ethics of a Thief by Mary Gale Hinrichsen

ever made a surprise visit, they could turn it back to its original position.”
    “How would they hide the chips and cards?” Brent asked.
    “They had foam and plastic that clipped over the gambling top. It was ingenious. No one knew about it except the Top Dogs and crew. I don’t think their spouses even knew.”
    “How come you never told me?”
    “Sworn to secrecy.” Robert cocked his head. “All crew members agree to keep their secret.”
    “How did you hear?”
    “I dated a food server, and one day, she needed a replacement -- I showed up.”
    Luke Percy leaned against the bulkhead to steady himself from the sway of the touring vessel. He saw his reflection in a porthole. He didn’t look as bad as he felt. Although short in stature, he could easily pass for a male model. He had blue eyes, black hair and a refined style of dress. I feel queasy, he thought.
    Luke knew women were attracted to him, so he spent time with many beautiful, wealthy women; one became his wife. Linda was a petite, natural blond with expressive gray-blue eyes. He liked the fact that she seldom dressed in high heels.
    He missed not having her on his arm. She complemented him, but last year things changed between them. He needed to get his hands on money quickly, so he arranged for her diamond and ruby heirloom necklace to be stolen for insurance money. She suspected him. Its disappearance coincided with his payoff to his pregnant girlfriend.
    Early in their marriage, she caught him seducing a family friend. Linda agonized over divorcing, but decided against it. He crossed the line when he took her family heirloom given to her by her father on her wedding day. She screamed, “You have one week to return my necklace! If you fail to deliver, I’ll tell Dad. You’ll be ruined! You’ll never get away with stealing from me. I’m filing for divorce.”
    Luke depended on her for his social standing. If they divorced, he would have little to show from the marriage. She forced him to sign a prenuptial agreement -- he would get nothing.
    There was no way of retrieving the stolen necklace because it was sold in a silent auction without a paper trail.
    Linda could easily destroy Luke, socially and financially. Once crossed, she became more ruthless than he. Luke had no choice. He had to do something quickly. He called Forelli. The man owed him. No one would hire Forelli because he had a federal criminal record. Luke offered him a job. It was payback time.
    The deed was done within a few days -- Luke became a widower and inherited her estate worth millions. Linda didn’t have an opportunity to tell her father, and Luke remained in good social standing with his father-in-law. Forelli made it look like a car accident, so no investigation took place.
     

Chapter Seven
    After Alisa pulled back the drapes, she watched the ocean waves crash on the rocks. “What a beautiful view. The kids would love it.” She spun around to face David.
    He patted the bed. “Come here. We need to talk.”
    While walking toward him, she searched his eyes hoping to see the cause of his seriousness.
    After sitting beside him, David took her hand and kissed it. “I meant what I said. You never have to work again. We’ll find a way, financially. We always do. The children need you. Look how great they’re turning out.” David gazed into her tear-filled eyes. “I’m glad you stuck by your convictions. It was stupid of me to ever leave you.” He gently took his thumb and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. “Please forgive me for being such a fool.”
    “You’re not a fool. Oh, David, I forgave you long ago.” They hugged, kissed and came together as never before -- they gave of themselves completely.
    While returning from a trip to a volcano, David and Alisa held hands in the back seat of their taxi. She glanced up toward the mountain they just visited.
    David squeezed her hand. “We made the right decision to get back together.”
    “We sure did,” she