Going For Broke (2 page)

             
Victoria arrived at the restaurant precisely at noon.  She hated being late, and hated it more when other people kept her waiting.  The maitre ‘d greeted her warmly and told her that Mrs. Montgomery and Mrs. Pearson were already waiting for her.  Well done, ladies.  As they passed the gorgeous Nobu bar, made from one single rough-hewn plank of wood almost 25 feet long, Victoria ran her hand along it, admiring its smoothness.  Perhaps they should think about putting something like this in the rec room of their house in Connecticut?  They were redoing the basement, and going with a Zen-like feel could be just the ticket.  She’d have to call her decorator Kappy in Connecticut first thing tomorrow. 

             
As she approached the table, her friends rose to greet her.  There was much air kissing and general gushing.  Most of it towards Victoria.

             
“Victoria -- you look amazing, as usual.”  Victoria just nodded.  Amazing as usual was a compliment as usual.  She turned to Kiki.

             
“Kiki, darling.  How are you?  How is the new jumper?  I hope he’s giving you a run for the money.”  Kiki Montgomery loved her horses more than her children.

             
“Victoria, thank you for asking.  He’s magnificent!  I can’t wait to get back to the farm to see him again.” She spoke with the wistful longing of someone in the throes of new love.  “You really should come see him the next time you’re up.”

             
They had saved Victoria the seat that looked out into the restaurant, knowing how particular she could be.  Victoria was known to walk out of a restaurant, a group of seven people in tow, if the table didn’t suit her. It didn’t happen often, and never happened twice in the same restaurant.

             
The waiter came, and as expected, Lucy ordered a bottle of wine.  An expensive bottle, as she knew Victoria was paying. Victoria never drank during the day, she had too much to do.  Kiki would have one glass, barely touching her lip with it, leaving the rest for Lucy.  They didn’t look at the menus. 

             
“Just have Chef send out something for us,” Victoria said dismissively. 

             
“Uh, he isn’t in today,” the waiter responded, a bit confused.

             
Victoria looked up, studying the waiter intently, “You’re new here.” It wasn’t a question.

             
“Yes,” the waiter’s voice cracked a bit.

             
“If he’s not here, then call him.”

             
Victoria turned to Lucy and focused all of her attention on the holder of the secrets.  Victoria’s ability to make someone feel that they were the center of her universe was one of the reasons that she was so well-liked, even though she was feared.  “Okay, Lucy.  Spill.”

             
Lucy Pearson then took the stage.  She regaled Kiki and Victoria with a juicy story about how Bunky Davenport not only did not bring his “long-time girlfriend” Alyssa, which was code for ‘never going to marry her’, but his date for the evening had a decidedly masculine vibe.  So much so, Lucy said, that she got it on very good authority that Bunky’s date was spotted peeing in the ladies room standing up, feet to the wall.

             
Victoria laughed a deep laugh, and Lucy was gratified that her gossip du jour had been so effective.

             
“I want to know who was looking under the stalls in the bathroom at the Plaza,” Victoria said, laughing as she picked up her spicy Big Eye Tuna Roll.

             
“Probably Judy Warburg,” Kiki said.  “She was falling down before dinner was served.

             
“And falling out,” said Victoria.  “I guess if you pay that much for breasts, you might as well show them off.”

             
“I think it’s vulgar,” Kiki said.  Kiki had a chest as flat as a twelve-year old boy. 

             
Lucy put down her glass and cupped her own breasts with her two hands.  “They may not be very perky anymore, but they’re all mine!”

             
Victoria did get a kick out of Lucy.  Although she normally wouldn’t schedule a lunch with both Kiki and Lucy, it was fun to watch Lucy shock poor Kiki.  Kiki Montgomery still had the sensibility of a Miss Porter’s girl, and still dressed like one.  When Lucy came on the scene ten years ago, she had mountains of money, all of it new, which she never tried to hide.   The Pearsons had serious money.  Past tense.  Even though they may be on hard times lately, Freddy Pearsons was the kind of guy that rebounded easily.  Kiki may have been scandalized by Lucy’s antics, still there was a wildness to her that Kiki adored.  They all did.

             
Victoria’s phone vibrated in her unnecessarily large purse, so it took her a while to fish around to find it.  She was hoping that it was Trip - she had tried to reach him this morning, and wanted to check with him about the plans for the house party in Hobe Sound next weekend.  She checked her missed calls.  Nothing.  Just an email from the Chapin School about an upcoming art show.  She really needed to give them a different email address.  She hated them clogging up her inbox. 

             
“Oh, that’s Trip,” she lied.  “He wants me to stop by the office.” She fished out a couple of hundred dollar bills and tossed them on the table.  “Sorry I have to run.”

             
             
             
             
             
             
###

             
Victoria walked into her apartment in a foul mood.  The meeting at the Met was a complete waste of time.  Those women could spend all day debating what shade of lavender they should use for the napkins at the next Visiting Artists reception.  She knew they were well-educated, yet believed that once they got married, every intelligent thought had evaporated from their perfectly highlighted heads.  It was important to Trip that she was on this Board, nevertheless she found it to be insipid.  Not that anyone could ever tell. Victoria was an excellent actress.  They thought she was the most dedicated person in the room.  No matter what room she was in. 

             
All she wanted to do now was to get changed, wash up and get ready to meet Trip at six.  She shed her daytime clothing like a snake as she walked across her room.  Just thinking about her next outfit brightened her mood.  She had a new Marchesa dress that she was dying to wear.  On most people it would be a bit over the top for drinks, Victoria was able to carry it in such a way that it just made everyone else who was in the room feel underdressed.

             
For the second time that day, Lumi knocked on the door, this time more assertively than the last.  “Mrs.” she almost shouted. 

             
“Lumi, please!” Victoria didn’t even turn around.  Couldn’t the help leave her alone for more than five minutes?  “Whatever it is, it can wait.”

             
“Mrs.- I’m so sorry, but Pieter --”

             
Victoria hated it when they got a new elevator man.  It took forever to break one in.   Manuel had been there for ages, but finally got deported.  Too bad, he was excellent. 

             
“-- he said that there are men to see you,” Lumi continued.

             
“Men?”  Maybe it was a business associate of Trip’s.  Some men were so clueless about common social etiquette.  One didn’t just ‘drop in’ in this neighborhood.  Victoria sighed and reached for the phone. “They’re in the lobby?”

             
“No, Mrs., Pieter brought them up.  They’re here,” Lumi steeled herself for the rebuke she knew was coming. 

             
“In my apartment?” Lumi nodded.   “Why in the hell would Pieter let some strange men into my apartment?  Or you Lumi?  You know better.”

             
“Mrs.--” Lumi was near tears.  “They have guns.”

Chapter 2

             
Victoria arrived at her front door clad in her Frette bathrobe and a fierce annoyance.  Technically, it wasn’t her front door, as the elevator opened directly into her apartment.  The three men who stood in front of her looked completely out of place.  Two of them had on nylon Members Only jackets over tan pants, which Victoria correctly assumed were Dockers.  Black leatherette tennis shoes and white collared shirts - she guessed short sleeved - completed their ensembles.  The third man, who Victoria figured had to be their leader, only because he had escaped Members Only Hell and was wearing a khaki trench coat.  Not Burberry.  She checked. 

             
“Can I help you?” She offered with no intention of assistance.

             
The trench coat man flashed a badge at barked at her.  “We’re looking for Robert Vernon.  Is he here?”

             
The two other men almost broke their necks straining to look further into the apartment.  The trench coat man never took his eyes off of her.  She gathered the collar of her robe around her neck, feeling exposed.  It was not a sensation she liked. 

             
“It’s the middle of the day.  I’m sure he’s at his office,” she said, with a bravado that was a little shaky.

             
“We’ve already been there.  He never showed up today,” trench coat man said.  He placed his badge back in his breast pocket and turned to go.

             
“Is that it?  You’re going to barge in here with no explanation, demand to see my husband and then just leave?  What’s this all about?” she roared.  She was almost ready to stamp her foot.

             
As the Members Only sidekicks turned to call for the elevator, Mr. Trench Coat took out a business card and handed it to Victoria.  “When you see your husband, my advice is that you make sure he calls me.  First.”  The elevator arrived and Pieter just smiled and said  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Vernon”.  It was obvious that he’d be repeating the story of Mrs. Vernon’s unlikely visitors to the evening shift and janitorial staff.

             
Victoria stood in the foyer holding the card.  “Michael Towner, Special Agent, FBI”.  Special Agent?  FBI?  What the hell was going on?  She let out a yell so loud the agents  could probably hear it in the elevator.

             
“Lumi!” She screamed.  Lumi, who was standing about two feet behind Victoria jumped.  “Get me a phone.”

             
             
             
             
             
             
###

             
In the elevator on the way down, Mike Towner replayed the scene in his mind.  He had been working in the Organized Crime Unit for so long, the only wives he had come across lived in New Jersey and had hair that could hide Jimmy Hoffa.  This woman was another story.

             
He laughed to himself thinking of her coming out in such a snit.  He loved the effect of flaunting his badge and watching the mighty mistress of the manor come to a screeching halt.  He had to give her credit, though, she did recover nicely. 

             
“Could you believe that place?” asked Pauly, one of his Members Only coworkers.  “Jeez, those paintings looked like they could be in a museum.”

             
“They probably were,” replied Mike.  He had noticed the paintings, yet the bitch in the bathrobe held his attention much more.   He had seen plenty of houses like this.  Her “I’m better than you” attitude was too much for him.   He had had enough of that kind of woman in his life.  Give me the Donna Feredicos of the world, he thought.