CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT #2
But Tabby didn’t care. These people were up to no good, she could smell it. They weren’t looking out for Stuart’s best interest at all. But she was certain Stuart already knew it too.
“All charges have been dropped,” Stuart said. “They know who made that attempt.”
“You mean your quote-unquote ‘lady’s’ ex-boyfriend?” Alan asked.
Nora and Clare were shocked. “What?” asked Clare.
“What are you talking about, Alan?” asked Nora.
Alan smiled. “It’s not public knowledge just yet. And the DA, a friend of mine, won’t go public with this information unless Father fails to cooperate. But yes, he’s blaming the attempted assassination on this young lady’s ex-boyfriend. A boyfriend, by the way, who happens to conveniently be dead.”
Nora and Clare audibly gasped.
“I thought they had evidence that he was in Ohio when it happened,” said Nora.
“He was,” said Alan. “But there’s still such a thing as murder-for-hire.
They paid her ex to try to kill me, but cleverly to blame it on Father.
And to blame Father on video by telling the booth guard in my parking garage to lie and say it was Father.
That way, it’ll get the job done and take all suspicions off of Pops. ”
Then he looked at his father. “It was all an elaborate hoax.”
Nora stood up. “I declare, Stuart, you are the lowest of the low to pay someone to kill your own son. I hope you rot in hell!”
“If you don’t sell me every single share you own,” said Alan, “I will make a stank about this very believable scenario that will ruin you and your reputation forever. And then I’ll sue you for every dime you’re worth for what you tried to do to me.
Which will be five times more than what those shares are worth.
And after the public outcry over you, every jury will sympathize with me. ”
Tabby was stunned that he could turn the truth on its head so easily.
“You have until Monday morning to get to yes. If not, Monday afternoon I’ll commence to destroying you.” Then Alan pushed his sister forward. “Let’s go, Clare,” he said. “Come on, Mother.”
They all began to head for the exit. But when Alan got beside Stuart and Tabby, he whispered softly into his father’s ear, although Tabby heard him.
“You needn’t stay the night on Friday,” he said.
“I’m back in service now, and have been for the two years you weren’t. You ruined the stayover long ago.”
He gave his father a knowing look, and then walked out with his mother and sister.
But Tabby was floored. “Didn’t that Jennifer person ask you to stayover with her Friday night after her dinner party like you used to do?”
Stuart was in deep contemplation. “That’s what she said.”
“Didn’t he just say you ruined staying over two years ago when you stopped sleeping with her?”
“That’s what he said.”
“So he’s talking about Jennifer, the woman who treated me so shabbily two years ago. He’s talking like he’s sleeping with her himself and have been since you broke up with her.”
“Sounded that way to me, although there never was a breakup.”
Then it became diabolical to Tabby. “What if it means . . .”
He looked at her. “What?”
“What if Jennifer’s the mastermind, Stuart? What if your son just told you who’s really behind the takeover of your company without realizing he was telling you?”
Stuart nodded. “Sounded that way to me too,” he said.
Tabby studied him. “What are you gonna do about it?”
Stuart exhaled. And then he returned her gaze. She was young, but she was a very old soul. She was turning out to be not just his soul mate, but his mother confessor too. “What do you suggest I do about it, Tabby?”
Tabby didn’t have to think about that. “Face it,” she said. “Go to her dinner party Friday night and bring it all out in the open once and for all.”
“And let the chips fall where they may?”
Tabby thought about that. “Do you have a choice?”
A very old soul, Stuart thought with an inward smile. “No,” he admitted. “None whatsoever.”
But Tabby could tell that it was information overload. Tabby could tell that it was so unsettling to Stuart that it was making him unwell.
“Excuse me,” he said as he went out on the terrace just outside of the parlor, to get some fresh air.
But mainly to call the CEO of Dellstone.
“Alan, Nora, and Clare just left.”
Mel, on the other end of the call, sounded shocked. “Are you serious? What did they want?”
“They want me to sell them all of my shares or there will be hell to pay, according to Alan.”
“Hell to pay? Like what?”
“That’s not important.”
“You aren’t going to sell, are you?”
“Of course not!”
“When are you supposed to make up your mind?”
“He gave me until Monday morning.”
“The nerve of that punk! And we still don’t know who’s the mastermind.”
“We know now,” said Stuart.
“We know? Well who is it for crying out loud?”
“That’s not important,” said Stuart. “On Friday night, while I’m at Jennifer’s dinner party, I want you to pull the trigger. I want no communication between us. Just do it.”
“Got it, Boss,” Mel said. “Finally.”
Stuart nodded. “Finally,” he agreed.