Lovers & Players (32 page)

M
ax’s main concern was getting Lulu settled somewhere safe, far away from the prying eyes of the press. Fortunately Amy came through. As soon as she heard the news she rushed over to his apartment, full of concern and caring. ‘Oh, Max,’ she said, hugging him tightly. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s such a terrible tragedy.’

‘I know,’ he responded, holding onto her.

‘Did they break in? Was it a robbery?’ she asked, extracting herself.

‘That’s what the detectives seem to think.’

‘I don’t know what to say. It’s just awful, Max. I wish there was something I could do.’

‘There is. I’d like you to take Lulu for a couple of days. Her nanny’s quitting on me, and Lulu shouldn’t be around here with the press setting up camp outside.’

‘There’s no question I’ll take her. It’s the very least I can do.’

‘Thanks, sweetheart, it means a lot to me.’

‘Don’t
wanna
go, Daddy,’ Lulu muttered, lower lip quivering when he informed her she was going home with Amy. ‘Wanna stay
here
with
you.
’

‘You can’t, sweetie,’ he explained. ‘Daddy’s got things he has to take care of. Important things.’

‘Then I want my mommy,’ Lulu said, putting on a stubborn face. ‘Where’s my mommy?’

‘We had to take Mommy to the hospital, but she’s going to be okay, and she wants you to spend the night with Amy.’

‘We go see Mommy, Daddy,’ Lulu said hopefully. ‘Just you an’ me. We go see her
now
!’

‘Soon,’ he promised.

‘Then Lulu stay here with Nanny.’

‘Nanny Reece has to fly back to England.’

Lulu’s pretty face crumpled. ‘Why, Daddy?
Why
?’

‘Because she does. Don’t worry, sweetie, Amy will take care of you. It’s only for a day or so.’

‘Do I
have
to go with stupid Amy, Daddy?’ Lulu said, scowling.

‘Please don’t call Amy names,’ Max warned. ‘It’s not nice.’

Jett stepped forward and scooped Lulu up into his arms. ‘Hey, pretty girl, how about
I
too? Is that okay with you?’

‘Yes!’ Lulu squealed, her scowl turning into a coquettish little smile. ‘My uncle come too.’

‘Thanks,’ Max said gratefully, as Lulu snuggled up to Jett. ‘That’d be a big help.’

Amy was silent. She was horrified enough about Mariska’s brutal murder, and now she was going to have to deal with Jett. This wasn’t the right time for them to sort out what had happened between them.

‘I’ll call you later,’ Max said, kissing Amy’s cheek as he accompanied the three of them to the elevator. ‘Take care of my girls,’ he said to Jett. ‘They’re both very precious.’

‘Yeah,’ Jett said. ‘I’ll do my best.’

As the elevator doors closed, Amy turned to Lulu. ‘We’re going to have so much
fun
,’ she said brightly.

‘No, we’re not,’ Lulu responded. ‘We’re not! We’re not! We’re
not
!’

Amy exchanged a quick look with Jett. ‘It’ll be fine,’ he mouthed.

Easy for
him
to say. He wasn’t a quivering, nervous, guilt-ridden
wreck
.

After everyone left, Max began filling Chris in on the Vladimir story–including Mariska’s threat to have the man taken care of.

Chris listened intently. ‘And
you
think he took care of
her
instead?’ he said thoughtfully when Max was finished.

‘That’s
exactly
what I think,’ Max replied, his expression grim.

‘But you can’t be sure?’

‘I’m sure all right. Vladimir is an evil son-of-a-bitch with a big agenda. He was after money and plenty of it. Somehow Mariska must’ve got in his way, so he decided to get rid of her.’

‘Shouldn’t you tell the detectives what you know?’

‘Are you
shitting
me?’ Max exploded. ‘Have you any idea what the press would do to me if they got hold of the truth? They’d crucify me. And what do you think they’d do to Lulu? She’s
illegitimate,
Chris. And God knows what Mariska did back in Russia–it’s possible she was a prostitute.’

‘Then you’re not telling the detectives anything?’ Chris said, frowning. ‘You’re allowing this Vladimir to walk around loose, a suspected murderer?’

‘I need to see if Mariska kept any documents concerning him.’

‘What about close girlfriends? Someone she might’ve confided in?’

‘I doubt it. All Mariska cared about was running with the social set. She was relentless–only interested in who had the most money and what charity board she should get on that would elevate her social position.’

‘You didn’t know she was like that when you married her?’

‘Unfortunately not.’

‘Too bad,’ Chris said. ‘You could’ve saved yourself a lot of grief.’

‘Do you think I don’t know it?’

‘Well, if you want my advice, you should tell the detectives everything, let
them
get into it, that’s their job.’

‘I appreciate your concern, but I have to wait.’

‘For
what
?’

‘Vladimir.’

‘It’s your call.’

‘I know,’ Max said, walking over to the window. ‘Have you
seen
what’s going on downstairs?’ he muttered, peering out. ‘The press are getting ready for a siege. You
do
realize that the entire family will be involved. Red, you, possibly even Amy. And—’

‘Not me,’ Chris interrupted quickly. ‘I’m not part of this family.’

‘You’re my brother,’ Max stated grimly. ‘They’ll find a way to drag you into it.’

‘I’ve
never
traded on the Diamond name,’ Chris pointed out.

‘You think
I
have?’

‘None of us did, so there’s no reason why we’d get brought into it.’

‘The media will start digging for anything they can.’

‘I’m a lawyer,’ Chris said, scratching his chin. ‘They say or print anything inaccurate and I’ll sue their asses.’

‘Keep that thought. It’s not going to stop them.’

‘You don’t think so, huh?’

‘Not the New York press. They’re relentless.’

‘You missed the morning meeting with Red,’ Chris said.

‘Is he leaving us everything?’ Max asked sarcastically.

‘He walked in with two hookers on his arm.’

‘Am I supposed to be surprised?’

‘Lady Jane was sitting in the library pissed as a cat on a hot tin roof, and in he marches, bold as shit.’

‘Friday he fails to turn up, and today you’re telling me he walks in with hookers. What kind of game is he playing?’

‘Who knows?’

‘I’d better call Clive Barnaby,’ Max said, glancing at his watch. ‘He was meeting with the Japanese bankers on my behalf.’

‘Before you make the call,’ Chris said, ‘you should know that Lady Jane let it drop it was
Red
who forced the U.S. banks to withdraw from your building project. Seems he has that kind of leverage.’

‘What?’
Max said, shocked and angry. ‘
Red
is responsible?’

‘She showed us copies of his e-mails to the banks involved.’

‘That conniving
bastard
!’

‘Sorry, Max, he really screwed you.’

‘Do you
realize
what that son-of-a-bitch has put me through? I could lose everything.’

‘Guess what? Me too. Remember my gambling debt? Well, the pressure to pay is apparently coming from Red. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a major shareholder in the fucking casino. He’s got his bony fingers in every pie.’

‘Jesus
Christ
!’ Max said, still steaming. ‘Nothing changes, does it?’

‘Hey, the bastard can’t beat us with a stick, so he devises other ways to punish us. Dear old Dad, always full of any crap he can hand out.’

Standing in the elevator as it descended to the lobby, Jett glanced over at Amy. She was staring straight ahead, her perfect face quite impassive. ‘You okay?’ he asked, in a low voice, wondering what she was thinking.

‘Thank you, yes,’ she replied, trying not to look at him. She was not okay at all, her stomach was churning and she felt sick.

‘Uh…I guess we need to talk,’ he said tentatively.

‘Not now,’ she said, staring pointedly at Lulu. The little girl was busily sucking her thumb, her arms firmly clutched around Jett’s neck.

‘I didn’t mean now,’ he said, remembering the incredible softness of her skin and the way she smelt of soap and perfume and all things nice.

‘Maybe later,’ she said hesitantly, for she knew they couldn’t continue to ignore what had happened between them. She didn’t know about him, but for her the tension was a killer.

‘Definitely later,’ he agreed, thinking how vulnerable and pretty she looked in spite of everything.

Max’s car was waiting downstairs in the garage. The three of them got in and the driver whisked them straight to Amy’s apartment.

As soon as they walked into her place she felt awkward. Having Jett on her territory was extremely uncomfortable, they’d shared such intimacy, yet they were still virtual strangers.

‘Uh…can I get you anything?’ she asked, glad that she’d tidied up before leaving in the morning. Unlike her mother, who had maids on twenty-four-hour call, she preferred to have a cleaning lady come in only once a week–something Nancy never stopped complaining about.

‘No, thanks,’ he said, removing Lulu’s arms from around his neck and putting the little girl down.

‘Wanna see a movie,’ Lulu said, immediately aware that she was not the centre of attention.

‘I’m afraid I haven’t got any children’s DVDs,’ Amy said helplessly.

‘Anything in particular you’d like to see, pretty girl?’ Jett asked, bending down to her.

‘Wanna see
The Incredibles,
’ Lulu said, in a high-pitched voice. ‘Wanna see it with
you.
’

‘Maybe we should take her out for something to eat,’ Amy suggested. ‘I’ve got nothing here. There’s a coffee shop on the corner.’

‘You hungry, Lulee?’ Jett asked.

‘Wanna see
The Incredibles,
’ Lulu repeated.

‘Okay, here’s the deal,’ he said. ‘You, me and Amy will go downstairs to the video store and buy you the DVD of
The Incredibles
, then we’ll take you for a burger. You like big fat burgers with onions and relish and all the trimmings?’

‘Mommy says I mustn’t eat hamburgers,’ Lulu said primly.

‘Special treat,’ he said. ‘burgers and french fries, and after that we’ll come back here and watch the movie. How does
that
sound?’

‘Only if you carry me,’ Lulu said, quick as a flash. ‘Carry me! Carry me!
Carry me
!’

‘I can’t carry you
everywhere
we go,’ he said, laughing. ‘You’re too heavy. You’re like a big lumpy sack of potatoes.’

‘Potatoes,’ Lulu repeated, almost cracking a smile. ‘
Big
sack of lumpy
potatoes!
’

‘That’s
right
, little girl.’

‘I’m
not
little.’

‘Fine–
big
girl. How’s that?’

‘Carry me! Carry me!
Carry me!
’ Lulu chanted.

‘Okay, okay,’ he said, sweeping her up into his arms again. Then, glancing at Amy, he said, ‘Y’know, Gianna and I, we’re not a couple.’

‘You don’t have to explain anything to me,’ she said, thinking how patient and understanding he was dealing with his niece.

‘I thought you should know. That’s all.’

‘Now I do.’
And it makes no difference. I’m engaged to Max, and that’s that.

‘Okay, Lulee,’ Jett said. ‘We’re going on an adventure. Let’s
blow
this pop stand.’

‘Pop stand!’ Lulu said, bursting into a fit of giggles. ‘Pop stand! Pop stand!
Pop stand!
’

Sonja was looking forward to getting back to her apartment. Weekend jobs were not her favourite, even though they paid handsomely. She’d worked long and hard to have her own apartment, and now that she did, she enjoyed her time alone.

One of her rules was never to entertain any of her clients at home. It was either their place, a suitable venue, or a hotel. She made no exceptions.

Walking in, she was dismayed to find her cousin Igor sprawled on her pristine white couch in front of her new flat-screen TV, stuffing potato chips into his mouth.

‘What the
hell
you doing here?’ she demanded. ‘I told you not to use my key. You’re supposed to phone first.’

Igor gave her an unconcerned look. ‘I’m your cousin,’ he said reproachfully. ‘Do not speak to me like that. What it matter to you anyway? You were away all weekend, didn’t think you’d mind.’

‘You
know
I mind,’ she said bad-temperedly. ‘I like my privacy.’

‘Privacy,’ he scoffed. ‘How much
privacy
do the johns you spend all your time with give you?’

‘My
clients
pay lot of money,’ she said, stepping out of her shoes. ‘And
you
never object to taking some of it.’

Igor was her favourite cousin, the only family member who’d made it to America. She had a soft spot for him, but he was always getting himself caught in ‘situations’, and she was always helping him out.

Sometimes she wished he’d find himself a legitimate job and stop sponging off her.

‘I’m in a…situation,’ he said. ‘It’s best I not go back to my place for day or so.’