A Fine Mess

Chapter 38

Myles set down the drink he'd built and tried a little bluster but was soon dissuaded of any such attempt by the sudden snick of Howard's silenced pistol as he fired a splintering shot into the ebony end table beside the sofa. Moira shrieked and leaned back moaning.

"For God's sake, man!"

"No, Forbin. For my sake and ultimately, yours. How much then, Moira?" He smiled and moved the barrel back toward her.

"I don't know wha—" She stared at the man in terror.

"Skip the bullshit. What we have here is a meeting to negotiate just how much you are going to pay me for this bag of material." She didn't move and he felt an odd tremor of doubt. Is it possible she was used from the get go?

Howard came around and sat in the chair, a smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "In case you wonder what's in here, Moira... I can call you Moira, right? Sure. You can call me Howard. By the way, I know your company voted last night and you are sitting very pretty." She just stared, trembling. "This bag contains all of the late Mister Tubbs original material from the tapes he made for you. Your pal there wanted me to hide it away for ah, safe keeping. Right Myles?"

Moira turned and glared at Myles who kept his eyes on Howard. "You bastard." The curse came out in a deadly hiss and Gil could see Myles flinch as he felt her venom. He wished now that he had listened to Jarlayne and called the police with his evidence, this was not going to end with him just saying good night and calling a cab. He tried to shrink into the background.

Howard nodded, She did know but not about her partner's game. "Sorry, to break the bad news, Moira, Forbin and I—"

"We had an arrangement." Myles blurted angrily. He shifted on the sofa, trying for a space between he and Moira.

"Yes, we did, Forbin but you know what, I want a new one." He patted the bag and grinned at Moira. "You are some piece of work, lady. That was some performance you gave." His eyes drifted down to her legs and she closed her knees instinctively, tucking her skirt about her thighs. "Oh, suddenly modest are we? I bet you don't squeeze 'em together like that with old Myles here." He gave a dirty laugh and shrugged toward Gil. "Maybe we can fix you up, lawyer, if the negotiations go well." Gil groaned inwardly at being brought back into notice.

"What do you want, Tillman? Stop fooling around." Myles boldly got up, stepping around the shards of wood on the carpet and went to the bar and fixed himself another drink. "How did you find me anyway?"

"That's the best part, but I'll save that for later. From what I read in the paper, Moira here now has shares in WesCat to the tune of eighty-five percent. That's a nice nest egg for the lady. And I assume the two of you were going to milk it equally, right?" Myles started to protest. "It was rhetorical, Myles. I know you were. I'm not greedy, forty percent would keep me comfortable... for a while anyway."

"Don't be ridiculous, that would leave us- Moira, with only forty-five. She could be outvoted by the others at any time."

"Yes but, Myles, I would have the swing vote wouldn't I? As long as you and the lovely Moira here keep me happy..." Once again he let his eyes track across her body, finishing with his eyes locked on hers.

"If you are suggesting some kind of relationship with me in exchange for my shares you had better think again." Moira had gathered herself and was beginning to regain a measure of control; if she didn't, all her work would vanish down the drain. "Besides, I can't just sign over corporation shares at will, the board has to review the action and vote on whether to accept or not, and in your case, I would expect a flat refusal—not only expect, I would flat out demand it. And as for him," she spat angrily toward Myles. "There will be no sharing of control of any kind with me or my company."