car. You two go on ahead. I’ll slip back and get it.”
The two men followed her lithe movements, one man driven by lust, the other, a father’s instinctive protectiveness, Absentminded in his personal life, Henry Inglefield’s legendary business expertise and unrelenting drive for success rivaled Jake’s. The two men held each other in mutual approval and respect. Possessing not a shard of his wife’s snobbery, Henry had been the one to suggest his daughter assist Jake in unsnarling the mess Tony left behind.
The man seemed to throw them together at every opportunity, and this invitation to stay at Greenbriar caused Jake to wince inwardly. While he had every intention of screwing Henry’s daughter as often as she’d let him, neither marriage nor a serious relationship entered into the picture. He’d hate to lose Henry’s respect, but that didn’t deter him for a second, not since the primitive craving to be inside Tee had become his sole focus.
Five minutes later, ensconced in buttery, cavernous chocolate chairs and nursing fifteen-year single malt whisky, Jake listened to Henry’s summary of the police investigation into the break-in. He made the appropriate noises about cooperating with the authorities and delved into the business reason behind his visit.
“As you know, I’ve been trying to decide what to do with the Trinidad operation,” Jake said and took a good slug of liquor. “There’s no diplomatic way to put this, Henry, but our offshore bank account in Antigua , the one Tony opened, was cleaned out a week after his death. The
SEC
is scrutinizing Trent and Mathews’ books, and I suspect the media will be sniffing around. If Tony was involved with drugs as the police implied this morning, I don’t know what the recriminations will be for you and your family.”
The older man’s freckled complexion darkened, and he coughed. “A refill is in order, I believe.”
“Don’t get up. I’ll get the decanter.”
Jake stood, and the soft leather sighed, relieved of his weight. He’d sifted his options on the plane and decided against sharing his suspicions with Tee’s father until he had more evidence. Pouring the golden liquid into Henry’s crystal tumbler, he reversed his decision.
“What was your opinion of your son-in-law?”
Shadows crept across the wine colored Persian rug as Jake settled back into the chair. Straightlaced, but diplomatic to the core, the older man shook his head and grimaced.
“This must remain in strict confidence, m’boy. As you know, my daughter is somewhat reclusive, and both her mother and I worried about her obsession with the Olympics.” He steepled his long fingers together. “I hired Tony because he’d won two gold medals. He did a good job training her, but when Tee failed to earn a spot on the UK team, she grew despondent.”
“And Tony stepped in?”
“Tricia encouraged a relationship between the two of them. Now I look back on things, I’m convinced Tee simply went along with her mother’s wishes. You should have gathered from my comments since Tony’s death, all was not well between my daughter and her husband. Trinidadian society is incestuous, and it wasn’t long after they were married I first began hearing the rumors of his affairs.”
Her parents didn’t know the marriage hadn’t been consummated, Jake realized, and the suspicious bent in his nature went on amber alert.
“She didn’t bat an eye when the fatal accident occurred. Never shed a tear, not that we know of anyway. But Tee’s normally reticent, and she and my wife are not close. The long and short of it is, Tony Trent hurt my daughter, and I harbor not a single positive thought about the sodding bastard.”
Stunned by the inherent dislike cording Henry’s perfect diction, Jake tossed back his drink and went for the gusto.
“Then you should know I hired a security firm to investigate him thoroughly. I suspect the Antigua account is the tip of the iceberg.” He
The two men followed her lithe movements, one man driven by lust, the other, a father’s instinctive protectiveness, Absentminded in his personal life, Henry Inglefield’s legendary business expertise and unrelenting drive for success rivaled Jake’s. The two men held each other in mutual approval and respect. Possessing not a shard of his wife’s snobbery, Henry had been the one to suggest his daughter assist Jake in unsnarling the mess Tony left behind.
The man seemed to throw them together at every opportunity, and this invitation to stay at Greenbriar caused Jake to wince inwardly. While he had every intention of screwing Henry’s daughter as often as she’d let him, neither marriage nor a serious relationship entered into the picture. He’d hate to lose Henry’s respect, but that didn’t deter him for a second, not since the primitive craving to be inside Tee had become his sole focus.
Five minutes later, ensconced in buttery, cavernous chocolate chairs and nursing fifteen-year single malt whisky, Jake listened to Henry’s summary of the police investigation into the break-in. He made the appropriate noises about cooperating with the authorities and delved into the business reason behind his visit.
“As you know, I’ve been trying to decide what to do with the Trinidad operation,” Jake said and took a good slug of liquor. “There’s no diplomatic way to put this, Henry, but our offshore bank account in Antigua , the one Tony opened, was cleaned out a week after his death. The
SEC
is scrutinizing Trent and Mathews’ books, and I suspect the media will be sniffing around. If Tony was involved with drugs as the police implied this morning, I don’t know what the recriminations will be for you and your family.”
The older man’s freckled complexion darkened, and he coughed. “A refill is in order, I believe.”
“Don’t get up. I’ll get the decanter.”
Jake stood, and the soft leather sighed, relieved of his weight. He’d sifted his options on the plane and decided against sharing his suspicions with Tee’s father until he had more evidence. Pouring the golden liquid into Henry’s crystal tumbler, he reversed his decision.
“What was your opinion of your son-in-law?”
Shadows crept across the wine colored Persian rug as Jake settled back into the chair. Straightlaced, but diplomatic to the core, the older man shook his head and grimaced.
“This must remain in strict confidence, m’boy. As you know, my daughter is somewhat reclusive, and both her mother and I worried about her obsession with the Olympics.” He steepled his long fingers together. “I hired Tony because he’d won two gold medals. He did a good job training her, but when Tee failed to earn a spot on the UK team, she grew despondent.”
“And Tony stepped in?”
“Tricia encouraged a relationship between the two of them. Now I look back on things, I’m convinced Tee simply went along with her mother’s wishes. You should have gathered from my comments since Tony’s death, all was not well between my daughter and her husband. Trinidadian society is incestuous, and it wasn’t long after they were married I first began hearing the rumors of his affairs.”
Her parents didn’t know the marriage hadn’t been consummated, Jake realized, and the suspicious bent in his nature went on amber alert.
“She didn’t bat an eye when the fatal accident occurred. Never shed a tear, not that we know of anyway. But Tee’s normally reticent, and she and my wife are not close. The long and short of it is, Tony Trent hurt my daughter, and I harbor not a single positive thought about the sodding bastard.”
Stunned by the inherent dislike cording Henry’s perfect diction, Jake tossed back his drink and went for the gusto.
“Then you should know I hired a security firm to investigate him thoroughly. I suspect the Antigua account is the tip of the iceberg.” He
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