Til Debt Do Us Part

Chapter 16

The flight attendant set the drinks on the fold down tables, smiled brightly and continued down the aisle. Through the small windows Mathew could see the tufts of white cloud and far below the steel blue of the ocean. Constance had listened to her options with concern and in the end agreed to accept a call from the Police Captain.

He smiled to himself recalling her performance. They both had known the little act they went through was hogwash. Constance had been huddling with Humphrey ever since all transactions were halted. The fact that the divorce could have no further bearing on the ownership of the villa permitted them to simply refine the plan they had discussed the first time Humphrey was hospitalized.

Humphrey, unfortunately couldn't escape being press-ganged into service for Percy's court case; a hail Mary gesture at best since the others would testify against him in the reckless endangerment suite. It was Percy's word that Rodney's act of shooting him caused the crash; another futile gesture in the face of the other witnesses.

The hand on his arm caused him to sigh inside and he turned toward Lillian.

"I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am, Mathew."

"Don't try."

"I have to. I feel absolutely horrible about what I did . . . what it did to you . . . us."

"If there had really been an us, Lillian you wouldn't have done it." Her eyes filled and the hand on his arm curled away. "You just couldn't be happy with a nine to five husband and three weeks a year at that villa. My life didn't provide the excitement you craved."

"You grew away from me."

"No, Lil. You grew away from me." He took a swallow from his drink.

"What happens now then? To us?"

"I don't know. We still own the house and all the expenses that involves. You withdrew the divorce action. I could launch a suit against Percy . . . that would shine an unwelcome light on you." Lillian's face paled. "I have no income, Lil, and no villa to sell now. Bills have to be paid."

"Would you really sue Percy?"

"I don't want to hurt you any more than you are now. The best option would be to sell the house." Her light gasp didn't go unnoticed. "Get an apartment and try to find some work."

Lillian swallowed her own drink and put her head back, closing her eyes.

********

Percy sat at his office desk staring morosely at the letter before him. The Patton villa had been purchased by Blue Shoals for an amount that made his stomach heave and the demolition had already begun to clear the way for the new construction. The seller was a numbered company and Percy would spend the rest of his days never knowing who that was.

His legal fees and insurance problems had required the sale of his shares and the Blue Shoals Management had removed him from the board. Debt still haunted him with the notice of Patton's suit for alienation of affection and criminal conversation.

Humphrey had resigned leaving him without representation and the amount, if Patton won, would cripple his company. What hurt the most was Lillian was backing up her husband's claim. He groaned and reached for the intercom, frowning at the new telephone.

"Janet, what happened to my old phone?"

"You cancelled your private line, sir. The company said you didn't need the other model for a single line so they replaced it . . . you,uhm, have to dial your own numbers now, Mr. Rudman . . ."

He shut the intercom off and felt himself wanting to cry. He was ruined. Everything was lost. Percy stood and wandered to the window, slipping and crashing to the floor, watching his missing golf ball slowly roll past.