probably one of the reasons Harvey ran into the arms of the blonde a generation removed from his wife. Troy vaguely remembered Marcia’s replacement: lots of curly hair and she chewed gum.
‘So what have you got planned for today, honey?’ Marcia was teasing him.
‘Marcia, tell me why you hated Harvey so much.’
The colour drained right off her face. Even the dog fell silent beside her. ‘What do you mean?’ Her voice was a whisper.
‘Harvey. Your first husband. He fell from the twelfth floor. He must have done something to really piss you off.’
She had recovered slightly, her back stiff and formal. She tried to gather her babydoll at the neck to protect herself from his onslaught. ‘How do you know Harvey?’
‘Oh I don’t. But I know you paid, and I know how much.’ Troy pointed his finger at her. ‘You clever little bitch. You waited and took your revenge long after he left you. The first flush of a new marriage is perfect cover—’
She was a fighter. She ran to the side of the bed and hit the panic button. ‘Get out of here!’
Troy leaned back against the armoire and picked something out from beneath his nail. ‘You paid £40,000 to Darek to have Harvey killed. Revenge, jealousy, pride, I don’t care. You paid once, but now you’re going to pay again.’
‘Who the hell are you? You’ve no proof!’
‘I’ve plenty.’
‘Liar!’
‘Room 392 at the Florina Plaza in Dubai. A hot night in March four years ago. Harvey took an unfortunate tumble from his balcony wearing only a bathrobe. Don’t look so shocked, you know how I know all this. You hired and paid Darek, who paid
me
to do the job.’ He picked up her mobile and threw it on the bed. ‘Phone the security company.’
She was shaking, mute, ugly blotches of red on her cheeks, but she didn’t move. Troy was calm, he still had time. ‘Life with Harvey wasn’t all bad – you have Arabella.’ A strangled gasp came from Marcia. ‘She’s got a nice life partying in Chelsea. I wouldn’t want to ruin that. This is simply a business decision, Marcia. I want what the middleman got.’ Her face was now deathly pale again. ‘I like you, Marcia, that’s why I came to you before ruining Arabella’s pretty face. You of all people understand the power of a pretty face. It made you your fortune. Now you’re sharing a little of that fortune with me. This way, no harm done.’
Marcia was panting now, as if on a treadmill at the gym, but she didn’t move. ‘We can do it your way, if you want.’ Troy moved to the bedroom door and made to leave.
His going shocked her into sound. ‘Wait!’ She grabbed the phone and made the call to the security company to cancel the alarm, then she dropped down on the bedcovers, her legs unable to support her. ‘I haven’t got that kind of money.’
Troy grinned. He had her right where he wanted her: vulnerable in her babydoll get-up, in her bedroom. The fleeting passion of last night was like a soiled tissue she was keen to throw away. ‘Open the safe.’
He saw her swallow nervously. ‘I don’t have a safe.’
‘Oh Marcia.
That
wasn’t very smart.’ Troy slowly shook his head before moving swiftly to the picture hanging next to the built-in wardrobes. A bullfighter swirled a red cape in front of a charging animal. He tossed it to the floor to reveal the safe.
‘How do I know you won’t plague me?’ She sounded old.
‘Marcia, I’m a fair guy, I really am. It’s just a shame that there are so many people who seem unable to play by the rules. I took the risk so I should receive the reward. But I have since discovered that the parasite in the middle gets the lion’s share. Trickle-down economics is really just what it says on the tin. A trickle. So I want what Darek the middleman got. No more, no less. Now, let’s start with the rocks Harvey gave you, shall we?’
Five minutes later he left with her cache of jewellery in a Louis Vuitton luggage bag. He started to walk towards
‘So what have you got planned for today, honey?’ Marcia was teasing him.
‘Marcia, tell me why you hated Harvey so much.’
The colour drained right off her face. Even the dog fell silent beside her. ‘What do you mean?’ Her voice was a whisper.
‘Harvey. Your first husband. He fell from the twelfth floor. He must have done something to really piss you off.’
She had recovered slightly, her back stiff and formal. She tried to gather her babydoll at the neck to protect herself from his onslaught. ‘How do you know Harvey?’
‘Oh I don’t. But I know you paid, and I know how much.’ Troy pointed his finger at her. ‘You clever little bitch. You waited and took your revenge long after he left you. The first flush of a new marriage is perfect cover—’
She was a fighter. She ran to the side of the bed and hit the panic button. ‘Get out of here!’
Troy leaned back against the armoire and picked something out from beneath his nail. ‘You paid £40,000 to Darek to have Harvey killed. Revenge, jealousy, pride, I don’t care. You paid once, but now you’re going to pay again.’
‘Who the hell are you? You’ve no proof!’
‘I’ve plenty.’
‘Liar!’
‘Room 392 at the Florina Plaza in Dubai. A hot night in March four years ago. Harvey took an unfortunate tumble from his balcony wearing only a bathrobe. Don’t look so shocked, you know how I know all this. You hired and paid Darek, who paid
me
to do the job.’ He picked up her mobile and threw it on the bed. ‘Phone the security company.’
She was shaking, mute, ugly blotches of red on her cheeks, but she didn’t move. Troy was calm, he still had time. ‘Life with Harvey wasn’t all bad – you have Arabella.’ A strangled gasp came from Marcia. ‘She’s got a nice life partying in Chelsea. I wouldn’t want to ruin that. This is simply a business decision, Marcia. I want what the middleman got.’ Her face was now deathly pale again. ‘I like you, Marcia, that’s why I came to you before ruining Arabella’s pretty face. You of all people understand the power of a pretty face. It made you your fortune. Now you’re sharing a little of that fortune with me. This way, no harm done.’
Marcia was panting now, as if on a treadmill at the gym, but she didn’t move. ‘We can do it your way, if you want.’ Troy moved to the bedroom door and made to leave.
His going shocked her into sound. ‘Wait!’ She grabbed the phone and made the call to the security company to cancel the alarm, then she dropped down on the bedcovers, her legs unable to support her. ‘I haven’t got that kind of money.’
Troy grinned. He had her right where he wanted her: vulnerable in her babydoll get-up, in her bedroom. The fleeting passion of last night was like a soiled tissue she was keen to throw away. ‘Open the safe.’
He saw her swallow nervously. ‘I don’t have a safe.’
‘Oh Marcia.
That
wasn’t very smart.’ Troy slowly shook his head before moving swiftly to the picture hanging next to the built-in wardrobes. A bullfighter swirled a red cape in front of a charging animal. He tossed it to the floor to reveal the safe.
‘How do I know you won’t plague me?’ She sounded old.
‘Marcia, I’m a fair guy, I really am. It’s just a shame that there are so many people who seem unable to play by the rules. I took the risk so I should receive the reward. But I have since discovered that the parasite in the middle gets the lion’s share. Trickle-down economics is really just what it says on the tin. A trickle. So I want what Darek the middleman got. No more, no less. Now, let’s start with the rocks Harvey gave you, shall we?’
Five minutes later he left with her cache of jewellery in a Louis Vuitton luggage bag. He started to walk towards
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