Hot Money by Sherryl Woods Page A

Hernando looked wan and troubled, either because he feared his affair with Tessa was about to become public knowledge or because he’d been the one who’d clobbered her. Molly gazed into his bleak eyes and reassessed the possibilities. Perhaps it wasn’t remorse or guilt that had turned his olive complexion pasty, but sorrow. It was entirely possible that he had truly cared for Tessa more deeply than his usual quick conquests.
    Since it was hardly fitting to console the bereaved married lover of the also married dead woman, especially with his wife present, Molly was at a loss. She gratefully turned her full attention to Caroline. “Could we speak to you a minute? We need your advice on something.”
    “Now?” Caroline asked, casting a worried look at her husband.
    “Yes,” Liza said, linking her arm through the woman’s and drawing her away. “You’re the public relations expert. How should we handle the media? Can we salvage anything from tonight’s disaster?”
    There was a spark of interest in Caroline’s eyes as she considered the challenge. “Here’s what I’d do,” she said after several thoughtful moments. “I’d tell the media that Tessa’s death has put the fate of all of these environmental causes in jeopardy. As tragic as her death is, we cannot allow it to signal the end to her commitment.”
    Molly could practically hear the closing quotation marks at the end of the statement. Caroline paused.
    “One other thing,” she said finally. “Try to get to Roger. See if you can convince him that in lieu of flowers a memorial fund be established for these causes in Tessa’s honor. I suspect donations will pour in, out of guilt if not out of respect.”
    Liza looked a bit more hopeful. “Caroline, you’re a genius.”
    “I’ll bill you accordingly,” she said with a faint smile that warmed her cool, classic elegance. “Liza, you’re the one who ought to take over the reins of this now. I know you prefer to work behind the scenes, but you’re good with people and you genuinely care. You wouldn’t be in it for the glory.”
    “I’ve been trying to convince her of the same thing. She has Jason Jeffries’s backing, too,” Molly said.
    “Good for you. He might be an old curmudgeon, but he’s well connected. If you have his blessing, you can set this town on its ear. I’ll do anything I can to help,” Caroline said with obvious sincerity. “I don’t say that lightly either. When I commit to a project, I follow through.”
    Liza’s worried expression had slowly begun to brighten. “Thank you. I’ll think about it. And thanks for the advice about the media,” she said just as Michael joined them.
    He pulled Molly aside. “We can get out of here. Are you two ready?”
    She glanced at Liza, who was looking more exhausted and frazzled than she ever had in all the time Molly had known her. Crusades usually charged her batteries. Until the last few minutes the prospect of this one had seemed merely to drain her. Right now she was beginning to look wilted and forlorn again.
    “Liza, are you ready to go?” Molly asked gently.
    “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.
    “Just remember Caroline’s advice and we’ll have it made.”
    The three of them slipped through the doors onto the south lawn, then set out along the access road that was currently occupied by the caterer’s truck and several police cars. The narrow road wound through the dense cover of banyan trees and other tropical foliage before emerging in the parking lot.
    Molly was just about to celebrate their clean escape when she spotted Ted Ryan, the earnest, wily reporter from the morning paper, perched atop the hood of her convertible. Despite the formal nature of tonight’s party, he was dressed as usual in faded jeans, a rumpled short-sleeved shirt, and boat shoes. No socks. Either it was his usual attire or Molly had only run into him when he’d been dragged out of bed late at night to cover a breaking