the Locke Foundation. His assistants, his secretaries, close colleagues.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he admitted grudgingly, looking put out.
“We’d better make lists. Compare notes later.”
“What about the other wives that are still alive coming to the funeral ?
Betsy Bethune, for instance?”
“You can forget about Betsy,” he muttered. “She’s playing the piano in Sydney. She’s apparently on some sort of world concert tour.”
“And what about Christabelle?”
“Good God, Christa! What made you think of her? I don’t know where she is. Neither does Luciana. She’s probably dying. Of cirrhosis of the liver. Somewhere. Don’t invite her. Luciana’ll have your guts for garters. She can’t stand her mother.”
“What about the memorial service at St. John the Divine?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Luce is responsible for that. She promised to handle it.
Thday.”
“Did she finally agree to have it there? You know how … how contrary she can be.”
“You call me a flake, her contrary. You’re being pretty damn tough.”
“I am. It’s about time somebody called it correctly.”
“Brutally honest today, kid. Is that it?”
4.“Yes. And you’ve been callous, cruel, and cold-hearted about Sebastian . Savage, in fact. I find that hard to tolerate. You’re impossible, Jack.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s call it quits. Put our gloves away. Shall we?”
“My pleasure.”
He swung around and headed to the door, but paused on the thresh old.
“Let’s just get him buried. And memorialized. Then I can beat it.
Go back to Paris.” -Instantly, a nasty retort sprang to my lips, but I bit my tongue, and I said in a cool, businesslike tone, “You’d better have the public relations people at Locke Industries prepare the various announcements, and then we’ll go over the material together.
Just to make sure they strike the right note. That is, if you wish me to help you.”
“I do. I’ve just spoken to Millicent Underwood. At the Foundation.
She’s already working.”
‘Amazing.”
“What is?”
“Your sudden and inexplicable efficiency.”
“I want to get this out of the way. Over and done with,” he answered .
Then he smiled at me.
I stared at him.
I took in that wide, genial smile, noted the complete lack of concern in his eyes, registered yet again the absence of sorrow, and I knew. He was glad. Jack was glad that Sebastian was dead.
This clarity of vision on my part, this sudden rush of knowledge stunned me. I could only incline my head before I turned.
“Brutally honest today, kid. Is that it?”
“Yes. And you’ve been callous, cruel, and cold-hearted about Sebastian . Savage, in fact. I find that hard to tolerate. You’re impossible, Jack.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s call it quits. Put our gloves away. Shall we?”
“My pleasure.”
He swung around and headed to the door, but paused on the thresh old.
“Let’s just get him buried. And memorialized. Then I can beat it.
Go back to Paris.” -Instantly, a nasty retort sprang to my lips, but I bit my tongue, and I said in a cool, businesslike tone, “You’d better have the public relations people at Locke Industries prepare the various announcements, and then we’ll go over the material together.
Just to make sure they strike the right note. That is, if you wish me to help you.”
“I do. I’ve just spoken to Millicent Underwood. At the Foundation.
She’s already working.”
‘Amazing.”
“What is?”
“Your sudden and inexplicable efficiency.”
“I want to get this out of the way. Over and done with,” he answered .
Then he smiled at me.
I stared at him.
I took in that wide, genial smile, noted the complete lack of concern in his eyes, registered yet again the absence of sorrow, and I knew. He was glad. Jack was glad that Sebastian was dead.
This clarity of vision on my part, this sudden rush of knowledge stunned me. I could only incline my head before I turned away from
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