Elizabeth was gaining more confidence in herself. At a sales meeting they were discussing a new hair conditioner that was selling badly. Elizabeth had tried it, and she knew that it was superior to similar products on the market
“We’re getting heavy returns from drugstores,” one of the sales executives complained. “It’s just not catching on. We need more advertising.”
“We’re already over our advertising budget,” Rhys objected. “We’ll have to find a different approach.”
Elizabeth said, “Take it out of the drugstores.”
They all looked at her. “What?”
“It’s too available.” She turned to Rhys. “I think we should continue the advertising campaign, but sell it only at beauty salons. Make it exclusive, hard to get. That’s the image it should have.”
Rhys thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “I like it. Let’s try it.”
It became a big seller overnight.
Afterward. Rhys had complimented her. “You’re not just another pretty face,” he had said, grinning.
So he was beginning to notice!
CHAPTER 26
London.
Friday, November 2.
Five p.m.
Alec Nichols was alone in the club sauna when the door opened and a man walked into the steam-filled room, wearing a towel around his waist. He sat down on the wooden bench, next to Alec. “Hot as a witch’s tit in here, ain’t it, Sir Alec?”
Alec turned. It was Jon Swinton. “How did you get in here?”
Swinton winked. “I said you was expectin’ me. He looked into Alec’s eyes and asked, “You was expectin’ me, wasn’t you, Sir Alec?”
“No,” Alec replied. “I told you I need more time.”
“You also told us your little cousin was going to sell the stock, and you’d give us our money.”
“She—she changed her mind.”
“Ah, then you’d better change it back for her, hadn’t you?”
“I’m trying. It’s a question of—”
“It’s a question of how much more horseshit we’re going to take from you.” Jon Swinton was moving closer, forcing Alec to slide along the bench. “We don’t want to get rough with you ‘cause it’s nice to have a good friend like you in Parliament. You know what I mean? But there’s a limit.” He was leaning against Alec now, and Alec slid farther away from him. “We did you a favor. Now it’s time to pay us back. You’re gonna get hold of a shipment of drugs for us.”
“No! That’s impossible,” Alec said. “I can’t. There’s no way—”
Alec suddenly found that he had been crowded to the end of the bench, next to the large metal container filled with hot rocks. “Be careful,” Alec said.
Swinton grabbed hold of Alec’s arm and twisted it, forcing it toward the bed of rocks. Alec could feel the hair on his arm begin to singe.
“No!”
The next instant his arm was pressed down onto the rocks, and he screamed with pain and fell to the floor in agony. Swinton was standing over him.
“You find a way. We’ll be in touch.”
CHAPTER 27
Berlin.
Saturday, November 3
Six p.m.
Anna Roffe Gassner did not know how much longer she would be able to stand it.
She had become a prisoner in her own home. Except for the cleaning woman who came in for a few hours once a week, Anna and the children were alone, completely at Walther’s mercy. He no longer bothered to conceal his hatred. Anna had been in the children’s room as they listened together to one of their favorite records.
“Welch ein Singen, Musizieren, Pfeifen, Zwitschken, Tiriliern…”
Walther had stormed in. “I’m sick of that!” he had yelled.
And he had smashed the record, while the children cowered in terror.
Anna had tried to placate him. “I—I’m sorry, Walther. I—I didn’t know you were home. Can I do something for you?”
He had walked up to her, his eyes blazing, and he said, “We’re going to get rid of the children, Anna.”
In front of them!
He put his hands on her shoulders. “What happens in this house must be our secret” Our secret. Our secret. Our secret.
She could feel the words reverberating in her head, and his arms started to crush her until she could not breathe. She fainted.