Read Online The Wives of Beverly Row 1: Lust Has a New Address by Abby Weeks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Abby Weeks
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investments?”
Ariel looked him over. She could see what Veronica had meant when she said he was boring. He was a nice man, decent, but he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy that had girls weak at the knees with sex appeal. He was an accountant, he talked like an accountant, and he looked like an accountant.
“Oh, I’m far from wealthy,” Ariel said. “I got a great settlement but I’ll have to figure out something to do with myself. I spent most of my money on the house.”
“What did you do before?”
“Before I figured out my husband was hiding millions of dollars from me?”
“Did you work?”
“Sure. I ran the gallery with Gabe. It was a passion for both of us. He handled the finances, I curated the art, contacted artists, asked if we could show their work, that sort of thing.”
“Were you good at it?”
“I never knew it, I thought we were broke the whole time, but it turned out I was excellent at it. Gabe always handled the transaction and told me we couldn’t get the commission we wanted, but we made sales all the time. I was good at reading our buyers. I was good at predicting what would sell, what artists would go on to get attention. I can safely say that anyone who ever bought a piece at our gallery made a very good investment.”
“But he managed to pull the wool over your eyes for years?”
“Basically,” Ariel said. She always felt a little stupid when she explained how her husband had managed to hide so much money from her for so long. “I mean, the gallery did okay from the sales we made. We supported ourselves and our life in Pomona. We raised Becky with the money.”
“And where did the other money come from?” Hank said. “The millions?”
“Hank!” Veronica said as she came back into the dining room with the cake. “Sorry, Ariel. It’s in his nature. He’s a forensic accountant. Finding the places people hide money is what he does.”
“I don’t mind,” Ariel said. “You might as well know the whole story. It’s not that exciting really. He just did sales off the books that he never told me about. Artists love making sales they don’t have to declare. That way they don’t have to pay tax on them. Buyers are the same. Often they’re trying to hide money too and secretly buying art is a great way of storing wealth without having it show up in any bank accounts.”
“To me, that’s really interesting,” Hank said. “My firm would probably be willing to pay your husband to show us all his methods.”
“I could mention it to him, I suppose,” Ariel said.
“Please do.”
“To be honest, he’d probably be very reluctant to discuss it. It’s still how he makes his living and it’s not always kosher with the IRS. There’s a huge part of the art world that’s involved in tax evasion and he’s pretty deep into that side of things, especially now that I’m gone. I was the legitimate side of the operation, it appears.”
“If he saw what we’d be willing to pay for his time, he might think twice. Give him my card at least.”
Hank took a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Ariel.
“Hank! Really!” Veronica said. “Can’t we have one nice meal without discussing business?”
“I’m sorry,” Hank said, “but give him the card. He’ll be very interested in what I have to say.”
“Hank,” Veronica said. “Tell Ariel about Matt.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Hank said. “I don’t know if she’d be interested in that.”
“In what?” Ariel said.
“Hank’s got a friend he could set you up with.”
“On a date?”
“Yes, on a date. Matt’s a great guy. You’d get on with him like a house on fire.”
“He is a nice guy,” Hank said.
Ariel was surprised. She’d had no idea Veronica was thinking of setting her up with someone.
“Who is he?”
“He’s a contractor,” Veronica said. She said it like that was the sexiest possible answer she could have given.
“He’s done a lot of work for us,” Hank
Ariel looked him over. She could see what Veronica had meant when she said he was boring. He was a nice man, decent, but he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy that had girls weak at the knees with sex appeal. He was an accountant, he talked like an accountant, and he looked like an accountant.
“Oh, I’m far from wealthy,” Ariel said. “I got a great settlement but I’ll have to figure out something to do with myself. I spent most of my money on the house.”
“What did you do before?”
“Before I figured out my husband was hiding millions of dollars from me?”
“Did you work?”
“Sure. I ran the gallery with Gabe. It was a passion for both of us. He handled the finances, I curated the art, contacted artists, asked if we could show their work, that sort of thing.”
“Were you good at it?”
“I never knew it, I thought we were broke the whole time, but it turned out I was excellent at it. Gabe always handled the transaction and told me we couldn’t get the commission we wanted, but we made sales all the time. I was good at reading our buyers. I was good at predicting what would sell, what artists would go on to get attention. I can safely say that anyone who ever bought a piece at our gallery made a very good investment.”
“But he managed to pull the wool over your eyes for years?”
“Basically,” Ariel said. She always felt a little stupid when she explained how her husband had managed to hide so much money from her for so long. “I mean, the gallery did okay from the sales we made. We supported ourselves and our life in Pomona. We raised Becky with the money.”
“And where did the other money come from?” Hank said. “The millions?”
“Hank!” Veronica said as she came back into the dining room with the cake. “Sorry, Ariel. It’s in his nature. He’s a forensic accountant. Finding the places people hide money is what he does.”
“I don’t mind,” Ariel said. “You might as well know the whole story. It’s not that exciting really. He just did sales off the books that he never told me about. Artists love making sales they don’t have to declare. That way they don’t have to pay tax on them. Buyers are the same. Often they’re trying to hide money too and secretly buying art is a great way of storing wealth without having it show up in any bank accounts.”
“To me, that’s really interesting,” Hank said. “My firm would probably be willing to pay your husband to show us all his methods.”
“I could mention it to him, I suppose,” Ariel said.
“Please do.”
“To be honest, he’d probably be very reluctant to discuss it. It’s still how he makes his living and it’s not always kosher with the IRS. There’s a huge part of the art world that’s involved in tax evasion and he’s pretty deep into that side of things, especially now that I’m gone. I was the legitimate side of the operation, it appears.”
“If he saw what we’d be willing to pay for his time, he might think twice. Give him my card at least.”
Hank took a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Ariel.
“Hank! Really!” Veronica said. “Can’t we have one nice meal without discussing business?”
“I’m sorry,” Hank said, “but give him the card. He’ll be very interested in what I have to say.”
“Hank,” Veronica said. “Tell Ariel about Matt.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Hank said. “I don’t know if she’d be interested in that.”
“In what?” Ariel said.
“Hank’s got a friend he could set you up with.”
“On a date?”
“Yes, on a date. Matt’s a great guy. You’d get on with him like a house on fire.”
“He is a nice guy,” Hank said.
Ariel was surprised. She’d had no idea Veronica was thinking of setting her up with someone.
“Who is he?”
“He’s a contractor,” Veronica said. She said it like that was the sexiest possible answer she could have given.
“He’s done a lot of work for us,” Hank
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