Alexandra’s twenty-third birthday party was a great success. There were forty guests. She had asked George to invite some of his friends, but he had demurred. “It’s your party, Alex,” he said. “Let’s just have your friends.”
The truth was that George had no friends. He was a loner, he told himself proudly. People who were dependent on other people were weaklings. He watched as Alexandra blew out the candles on her cake and made a silent wish. He knew the wish involved him, and he thought, You should have wished for a longer life, darling. He had to admit that Alexandra was exquisite looking. She was wearing a long white chiffon dress with delicate silver slippers and a diamond necklace, a present from Kate. The large, pear-shaped stones were strung together on a platinum chain, and they sparkled in the candlelight.
Kate looked at them and thought, I remember our first anniversary, when David put that necklace on me and told me how much he loved me.
And George thought, That necklace must be worth a hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
George had been aware all evening that several of Alexandra’s female guests were eyeing him, smiling at him invitingly, touching him as they talked to him. Horny bitches, he thought contemptuously. Under other circumstances, he might have been tempted to risk it, but not with Alexandra’s friends. They might not dare complain to Alexandra, but there was a chance they could go to the police. No, things were moving along too smoothly to take any unnecessary chances.
At one minute before ten o’clock, George positioned himself near the telephone. When it rang a minute later, he picked it up. “Hello.”
“Mr. Mellis?”
“Yes.”
“This is your answering service. You asked me to call you at ten o’clock.”
Alexandra was standing near him. He looked over at her and frowned. “What time did he call?”
“Is this Mr. Mellis?”
“Yes.”
“You left a ten o’clock call, sir.”
Alexandra was at his side.
“Very well,” he said into the phone. “Tell him I’m on my way. I’ll meet him at the Pan Am Clipper Club.”
George slammed the phone down.
“What’s the matter, darling?”
He turned to Alexandra. “One of the idiot partners is on his way to Singapore and he left some contracts at the office that he needs to take with him. I’ve got to pick them up and get them to him before his plane leaves.”
“Now?” Alexandra’s voice was filled with dismay. “Can’t someone else do it?”
“I’m the only one they trust,” George sighed. “You’d think I was the only capable one in the whole office.” He put his arms around her. “I’m sorry, darling. Don’t let me spoil your party. You go on and I’ll get back as soon as I can.”
She managed a smile. “I’ll miss you.”
Alexandra watched him go, then looked around the room to make sure all her guests were enjoying themselves. She wondered what Eve was doing on their birthday.
Eve opened the door to let George in. “You managed,” she said. “You’re such a clever man.”
“I can’t stay, Eve. Alex is—”
She took his hand. “Come, darling. I have a surprise for you.” She led him into the small dining room. The table was set for two, with beautiful silver and white napery and lighted candles in the center of the table.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s my birthday, George.”
“Of course,” he said lamely. “I—I’m afraid I didn’t bring you a present.”
She stroked his cheek. “Yes you did, love. You’ll give it to me later. Sit down.”
“Thanks,” George said. “I couldn’t eat anything. I just had a big dinner.”
“Sit down.” There was no inflection to her voice.
George looked into her eyes, and sat down.
Dinner consisted of Coquille Saint-Jacques, Chateaubriand, a bibb lettuce salad, Brie, cappuccino and a birthday cake with Neapolitan ice cream.
Eve sat across from him, watching George force the food down. “Alex and I have always shared everything,” Eve told him. “Tonight I’m sharing her birthday dinner. But next year there will be just one of us having a birthday party. The time has come, darling, for my sister to have an accident. And after that, poor old Gran is going to die of grief. It’s going to be all ours, George. Now, come into the bedroom and give me my birthday present.”