He said he was going out for a last round of meetings.”
“What company? RTG?”
“It wasn’t RTG. It wasn’t a direct competitor of yours at all.
That’s why I didn’t think it important to tell you the truth. But as it
turns out, it really doesn’t matter which company it was.”
“Why not?” Gamble looked surprised.
“Because what Jason told me wasn’t the truth. There was no job offer,
no meetings. I just found that out.” She said this as calmly as she
could.
Gamble finished his wine and made considerable progress on his cigar
before he spoke again. Sidney had noted this trait with other clients
who possessed vast wealth. Nothing hurried them. Your time was their
time.
“So your husband lied to you and you lied to me. And I’m now supposed
to accept what you’re telling me as the gospel?” His tone remained even,
but his incredulity was unmistakable. Sidney remained silent. She
couldn’t actually blame him for not believing her.
“You’re my lawyer; advise me on how I should handle this situation,
Sidney. Do I accept what the witness is saying, or not?”
Sidney spoke hurriedly. ‘I’m not asking you to accept anything.
If you don’t believe me, and you probably have reason not to, then
there’s nothing I can do about that.”
Gamble nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. What else?”
“There is no ‘what else.” I’ve told you all I know.”
Gamble flicked his cigar into the fire. “Come on! In the course of my
three divorces I’ve found, much to my dismay, that pillow talk does
happen. Why should you be any different?”
“Jason doesn’t … didn’t discuss Triton business with me. What he did
at your company was confidential as far as I was concerned. I don’t
know anything. I have a lot of questions myself but no answers.”
Her tone was suddenly bitter, but then she quickly calmed down. “Has
anything happened at Triton? Anything that involved Jason?” Gamble
didn’t say anything. “I’d really like an answer to that.”
“I’m not inclined to tell you anything. I don’t know whose side you’re
on, but I doubt if it’s mine.” Gamble was eyeing her so severely that
she felt her face growing red. She uncrossed her legs and looked up at
him. “I know you’re suspicious–”
Gamble broke in heatedly. “You’re goddamned right I’m suspicious.
With RTG breathing down my neck. With everybody telling me my company
will be an also-ran unless I do a deal with CyberCom.
How would you feel?” He didn’t allow her to answer. He swiftly sat next
to her and gripped one of her hands. “Now, I’m really sorry your
husband is dead, and under any other circumstances his getting on a
plane wouldn’t be any of my business. But when everybody starts lying
to me at the same time my company’s future is blowing in the wind, then
it very much becomes my business.”
He let her hand drop.
Tears pulled at the corners of Sidney’s eyes as she jumped up and
grabbed her coat. “Right now I don’t give a damn about your company or
you, but I can tell you that neither my husband nor I have done anything
wrong. You got that?” Her eyes blazed at him, her chest heaving. “And
now I want to leave.”
Nathan Gamble studied her for a long moment, then went over to a table
in the far corner of the room and picked up the phone. She couldn’t
hear what he said. In a moment the door opened and Lucas appeared.
“This way, Ms. Archer.”
Walking out, she looked back at Nathan Gamble. He lifted his wineglass
in a salutary manner. “Let’s keep in touch,” he said quietly.
The delivery of those four simple words sent a shiver through her entire
body.
The limousine reversed its trek and less than forty-five minutes later
Sidney was deposited in front of her Ford Explorer. She quickly got in
and drove off. She punched a speed dial on her portable phone. A
sleepy voice answered.
“Henry, it’s Sidney. Sorry if I woke you.”
“Sid, what time… Where are you?”
“I wanted you to know that I just met with Nathan Gamble.”
Henry Wharton was fully awake now. “How did that come about?”
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