Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Andrea Kane Page B

gold, and I inherited your business creativity and the balls to take Pierson & Company where it needs to go.”
    A simple enough explanation, Blake mused. With an ocean of details omitted. It was true that neither he nor James was afraid of their grandfather. But that was for entirely different reasons. And, yes, they each represented a different priority in Edward’s life. But that’s where the similarities ended.
    “If you’re saying I’m softer on the two of you because of your likenesses to me, that’s bullshit, at least where you’re concerned,” Edward replied, as if reading Blake’s mind. “James is one story. But I’m harder on you than I am on any of your cousins, your uncles, and, certainly, your father. He’s a lost cause.”
    Blake shrugged. “Dad’s just not driven.”
    “Oh, he’s driven all right. To sail, play golf, take vacations. You’d never know he’s Pierson & Company’s VP of marketing. He’s in the office about three days a month. The rest of the time he and your mother are gallivanting around the world.”
    “He manages his end of the business.”
    “No,
you
manage his end of the business.” Edward’s gaze clouded. “But that’s about to change. Everything’s about to change, with Frederick gone.”
    “I realize that.” Blake blew out his breath. “Let’s take this one step at a time. The coroner has the dental records. Soon they’ll make a positive ID. After that, we’ll call James —
before
the news leaks out and he catches sight of a newspaper. The corporate jet will be there waiting. It’s on standby, ready to fly him home, and back to Wellington after the funeral. Niles and Lynn are already back from Florida, and Mom and Dad will be landing tonight. Everyone else is home, ready to do whatever’s necessary. As for the other company VPs, I’ll call them after we’ve told James. We’ll call an emergency management committee meeting for later this week, once the funeral’s behind us.”
    Edward nodded. “Good.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking peaked but, at the same time, as if his wheels were spinning a mile a minute.
    “As for the cops, maybe they’ll be more forthcoming once they have official confirmation of Frederick’s death,” Blake suggested.
    “I wouldn’t hold my breath.” A pause. “Sally Montgomery’s ex is a retired cop.”
    Now,
that
announcement came out of left field. “So?”
    “So he was with the NYPD. Worked a tough area in Brooklyn. Retired from the force a couple of years ago. Now he’s got his own PI business. He’s got quite a client list, from what I gather.”
    “And you know this how?”
    “I made a few phone calls this afternoon, too — after I found out this Pete Montgomery had driven up to Lake Luzerne to consult with the sheriff.”
    “Next question — why is this important?”
    “Because he’s got an inside track to the cops and his ex-wife. Which means he might know more than he’s saying. Also, because he sounds like a good guy to have in our corner.”
    Blake’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to pump him for information?”
    “No.” Edward gripped his knees, the faraway look in his eyes vanishing. “I’m going to hire him.”
     
     
    DEVON FINISHED THE last of the dinner dishes while Terror finished the last of the table scraps.
    “Starting tomorrow, you’re going to have to share that food stash,” Devon informed him.
    Terror’s head came up, and he blinked, clearly irked by the announcement.
    “Relax,” Devon said with a chuckle. “You won’t mind your dinner partner. It’s your pal Scamp. He’s coming to stay with us, just until his mom gets home. Imagine the possibilities. By day, you can romp around together and drive everyone at doggie day care nuts. And by night, you can team up and destroy this place, leaving a trail of laundry in your wake. It’s a veritable dream come true.”
    Terror barked his agreement. Then, prompted by the word
laundry
, he tore off in search of a