As Margo stepped off the ramp, one of the men approached her. “Excuse me,” he said.
Margo looked up at him. “Yes?”
“Are you Margo Posner?”
“Why, yes. What’s…?”
“I’m Dr. Zimmerman.” He took her arm. “We’d like you to come with us, please.” He started leading her toward the ambulance.
Margo tried to jerk away. “Wait a minute! What are you doing?”
The other two men had moved to either side of her to hold her arms.
“Just come along quietly, Miss Posner,” the doctor said.
“Help!” Margo screamed. “Help me!”
The other passengers were standing there, gaping.
“What’s the matter with all of you?” Margo yelled. “Are you blind? I’m being kidnapped! I’m Julia Stanford! I’m Harry Stanford’s daughter!”
“Of course, you are,” Dr. Zimmerman said soothingly. “Just calm down.”
The observers watched in astonishment as Margo was carried into the back of the ambulance, kicking and screaming.
Inside the ambulance, the doctor took out a syringe and pressed the needle into Margo’s arm. “Relax,” he said. “Everything is going to be all right.”
“You must be crazy!” Margo said. “You must be…” Her eyes began to droop.
The ambulance doors closed, and the ambulance sped away.
When Tyler got the report, he laughed out loud. He could visualize the greedy bitch being carried off. He would arrange for her to be kept in a mental health facility for the rest of her life.
Now the game is really over, he thought. I’ve done it! The old man would turn over in his grave—if he still had one—if he knew that I was getting control of Stanford Enterprises. I’ll give Lee everything he’s ever dreamed of.
Perfect. Everything was perfect.
The events of the day had filled Tyler with a sexual excitement. I need some relief. He opened his suitcase and, from the back of it, took out a copy of the Damron Address Book. There were several gay bars listed in Boston.
He chose the Quest on Boylston Street. I’ll skip dinner. I’ll go straight to the club. And then he thought, What an oxymoron!
Julia and Sally were getting dressed to go to work.
Sally asked, “How was your date with Henry last night?”
“The same.”
“That bad, huh? Have the marriage banns been posted yet?”
“God, forbid!” Julia said. “Henry is sweet, but…” She sighed. “He isn’t for me.”
“He might not be,” Sally said, “but these are for you.” She handed Julia five envelopes.
They were all bills. Julia opened them. Three of them were marked OVERDUE and another was marked THIRD NOTICE. Julia studied them a moment.
“Sally, I wonder if you could lend me…?”
Sally looked at her in amazement. “I don’t understand you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re working like a galley slave, you can’t pay your bills, and all you have to do is lift your little finger and you could come up with a few million dollars, give or take some change.”
“It’s not my money.”
“Of course it’s your money!” Sally snapped. “Harry Stanford was your father, wasn’t he? Ergo, you’re entitled to a share of his estate. And I don’t use the word ergo very often.”
“Forget it. I told you how he treated my mother. He wouldn’t have left me a dime.”
Sally sighed. “Damn! And I was looking forward to living with a millionaire!”
They walked down to the parking lot where they kept their cars. Julia’s space was empty. She stared at it in shock. “It’s gone!”
“Are you sure you parked your car here last night?” Sally asked.
“Yes.”
“Someone stole it!”
Julia shook her head. “No,” she said slowly.
“What do you mean?”
She turned to look at Sally. “They must have repossessed it. I’m three payments behind.”
“Wonderful,” Sally said tonelessly. “That’s just wonderful.”
Sally was unable to get her roommate’s situation out of her mind. It’s like a fairy tale, Sally thought. A princess who doesn’t know she’s a princess. Only in this case, she knows it, but she’s too proud to do anything about it. It’s not fair! The family has all that money, and she has nothing. Well, if she won’t do something about it, I damn well will. She’ll thank me for it.