THE TAINTED TRUST: A DOUGLASS CRIME AND ROMANCE THRILLER SERIES (THE KING TRILOGY Book 2) (26 page)

Visconti opened his eyes and placed his hand on Kerri’s shoulder. “Hi,” he said with a broad grin.

She turned to face her lover, then allowed her head to descend to his chest. “Hi,” she groaned. “You were fantastic.”

“We were fantastic,” Visconti countered, then stroked Kerri’s cheek with his index finger. “Making love to you was better than anything I could have imagined. Visconti was contemplating a simple truth: he had, at long last found a woman with whom he wanted to stay after sex. “I don’t want to live alone for one more minute. I’ve been too lonely, too long. I want us to live together, starting right now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, every delicious minute of it.”

“I’m not sure,” Kerri replied, feigning a worried frown.

“Why?” Visconti asked, his smile replaced by a pained grimace.

“How can we be sure last night wasn’t just preparation colliding with opportunity?”

Visconti smiled, then reached behind Kerri’s buttock and pulled her close to his body. “Let’s make sure,” he said.

Kerri responded, this time more assured. She took time to savor each sensation, to build a crescendo, straining to postpone the ultimate sensation.

When it was over, Visconti nibbled on Kerri’s right ear lobe. “You sure now?” he whispered.

“Very.”

“Then live with me?”

“On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“That you take me back to Miles’s house on Sunday night.”

“Why?”

“I want to wake up there on Monday morning and tell Miles and Andrea in person. I couldn’t do it any other way. They’ve been too kind to me.”

CHAPTER 66

Toronto. Monday. April 16. Nine, A.M.

The years had been kind to Dan Turner. His hair had whitened, yet the thinning had mercifully stopped. He had retained the same commanding presence, still capable of inspiring confidence with his piercing stare, deep baritone voice and imposing profile. “Welcome,” he said, hoisting himself from his chair to greet Mike and Karen King.

“Good to see you again, Dan,” Mike said, then shook Turner’s hand.

“The pleasure’s mine,” Turner said, then remained standing and focused on Karen, still every inch a stunning beauty. “It’s been a long time, Karen. How have you been?” he asked. “You don’t look a day older than the day you were married.”

“I feel a lot older, but I appreciate the compliment.”

Turner pointed to the windowed corner of his office which faced Lake Ontario, the islands, and the busy Gardiner Expressway. Opposing one another in front of the giant windows were twin sofas, covered in forest green leather and separated by a large and elegant nickel plated coffee table. “Let’s sit over there,” he suggested.

All three headed for the sofas.

“How has married life been?” Turner asked as he sat facing his clients.

“Wonderful,” Mike replied.

“Beyond my wildest expectations,” Karen said with a big grin.

“And the children. They are well?”

Karen nodded, then frowned. “We have a problem.”

Silence.

“Phillip’s part of the problem,” Mike said, swallowing hard. “The trust is the other part… Karen and I have decided it’s time we did something about it.”

Turner leaned backward, hung one leg over the other and glared at his clients. “Obviously something’s changed.”

“Everything’s changed,” Mike answered.

“In round numbers, what’s the current value of the trust?”

“Around six hundred million.”

Turner gave a slow whistle and raised his eyebrows, sharpening the numerous creases in his forehead. “Who’s administering it?”

“A man named Louis Visconti. His office is in New York.”

“Okay, now I know what we’re dealing with. Tell me what’s changed.”

Mike responded, anxious to give his attorney an accurate answer. Turner had ventured well beyond the call of legal propriety in his efforts to assist him and Karen. “Our attitude toward the Trust. When we first found Servito’s money, you know how determined I was to keep it. I’m still not sure why. I guess I just wanted to make a statement. The Feds had treated us like numbers. Karen and I could have spent years in prison, and they wouldn’t have given a shit. If I live forever, I’ll never forgive them for that… Karen has been very patient with me. I really don’t think she ever wanted to keep her husband’s money, but she agreed to do it for my benefit. It’s taken a long time, but she’s finally managed to convince me that we should get rid of it. She thinks that it’s never been anything more than a mental ball and chain.”

“Am I to assume you want to give it back to the Feds?” Turner asked.

Mike’s face reddened. “Over my dead body. I’d rather burn it.”

Turner chuckled and rolled his eyes. “It’s a very unique problem, one I’ve never faced in my entire legal career. I suppose under the circumstances you would like it to vanish into thin air, without a trace.”

“Not exactly,” Mike said, relaxing slightly. “We want to give it anonymously to the World Agricultural Foundation. It’s one of the most efficient charities in the world.”

“How do you plan to do it?”

“That’s what we want to talk to you about.”

Turner squinted at Mike. “Okay, it’s obvious that you’ve given this a lot of thought. You’ll need an intermediary. It’s imperative that you have implicit trust in whoever you chose.”

Mike winked at Turner. “There’s only one individual who falls into that category.”

“I hope you’re not referring to me.”

“None other.”

Turner frowned and shook his head. “I can’t. I’m flattered, but I can’t do anything that could be construed as complicity in this flagrantly illegal financial adventure of yours. I’m already way over the line with this thing. I do, however, give your latest decision a standing ovation.”

“Do you know anyone who would qualify?” Karen asked.

“I know lots of people who would, but you would have to think long and hard about trusting any of them with a six hundred million dollar secret.”

Deflated, Mike and Karen exchanged morose expressions. “Isn’t this beautiful?” Mike said. “We’re sitting on over six hundred million and we can’t even give it away.”

“I’m sure if you look hard enough you’ll find the right person,” Turner offered. “The best advice I can give you is to find someone completely removed from the system, someone immune to, or unconstrained by the legal systems of Canada and the United States.”

Karen jerked upright, as if bitten by an insect. “I know who we could use,” she declared.

“Who?”

“Alfred Schnieder.”

Mike smiled and blew her an approving kiss. “If he’s still alive, he’d be perfect.”

“Do you know where he is,” Turner asked.

“He retired and moved to Zurich in nineteen eighty. I hope he’s still there.”

“Then give him a call, but be careful. You’re dealing with an extremely dangerous quantity of money,” Turner warned.

CHAPTER 67

Glen Cove. Monday, April 16.

The flurry in the kitchen resembled a fast forward video. Breakfast at the Dennis household on a weekday morning, normally a very controlled and civilized event, was vastly different that morning. Kerri, Miles and Andrea, all victims of extraordinary and exhausting weekends, had slept late. Kerri, the first to arrive, proceeded to the refrigerator and removed her beloved orange juice. Andrea, still dressed in her pajamas and nightgown, arrived seconds later. Her eyes showed the affects of consecutive late nights. “Kerri, darling!” she said, delighted to see her. “I’m sorry we missed you last night. How was your weekend?”

Kerri grinned, gulping her juice and measuring ground coffee into a filter. “First tell me about Chicago,” she replied.

“I asked you first,” Andrea countered.

The kitchen door burst open and Miles rushed in. “Good morning, Kerri,” he sang, hugging her with one arm and sticking the other in the sleeve of his blue suit jacket. He took a sip of her orange juice, then grinned at her. “How was your weekend?”

Kerri was about to reply when Miles glanced at his watch. “Sorry. You’ll have to tell me later. We’re late.” He turned to Andrea. “Would you get the car, please, dear?”

Andrea stuck her tongue out at Miles, then reluctantly headed for the garage.

Miles and Kerri filled styrene cups with coffee, then hurried to meet Andrea in the driveway. They climbed into the van while struggling to hold their cups in a perpendicular position.

“Now speak to me, Kerri,” Andrea demanded, then placed the gear shift in reverse and turned her head to look out the rear window. “I’m dying to know about your weekend.”

“The first part was horrible. The second part was fantastic.”

“Tell us about the horrible part,” Andrea demanded.

To the horror of both Miles and Andrea, Kerri proceeded to disclose the story of her ugly confrontation with Brian.

Andrea frowned at Miles. “I told you something like that would happen,” she scolded.

“Did he hurt you in any way?” Miles asked.

“No, but I’m sure he would have if…” Kerri paused to wipe tears from her eyes.

“If what?” Miles asked, his eyes bulging, his mouth open in anticipation.

“He made me take him to your bedroom. Then he forced off my clothes and…” Again Kerri wiped tears from her eyes. “He grabbed my hair and threw me on the bed… At that point I knew I was going to have to let him rape me.”

Andrea slammed the brakes and brought the car to an abrupt stop in the train station parking lot. “My God!” she declared. “What…”

“We’ve got to run, dear,” Miles interrupted. “Kerri will call you the minute she gets to the office. She’ll tell you the whole story.” He climbed out of the van and started walking toward the station.

“Just tell me fast, Kerri,” Andrea insisted. “It’ll only take a second.”

“It had a happy ending. I’ll call you as soon as I get to the office,” Kerri promised, then hurried to catch up with Miles.

“I’ll kill you if you don’t!” Andrea shouted, cursing her decision to remain in pajamas.

“What did happen?” Miles asked as Kerri took a seat on the train beside him.

Kerri grinned. “I was rescued.”

“By whom?”

“You’ll never guess in a million years.”

“Give me a clue.”

“He’s your biggest client.”

“Louis Visconti?”

Kerri nodded. “Honestly, Miles, I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life.”

“Well I’ll be damned! How did Louis know?”

“He said he just decided to come to the house and see how I was. When he saw Brian’s car in the driveway, he went in and followed the noise.”

“How did he handle Brian?”

“He told him the police were on the way.”

“What did Brian do?”

“He left.”

“Incredible.! I’m going to thank Louis as soon as I can.”

“I’ve already done that,” Kerri said, smiling like the proverbial cat.

“How?”

“We spent the rest of the weekend together, in his apartment.”

“Out of gratitude, or did you really want to do it?”

“I resent that, Miles,” Kerri said with a scowl of indignation. “I would never do anything I didn’t really want to do.”

“I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t.”

Kerri was now compelled to complete her story. She saw it as necessary to set the stage, or in some way to justify her decision to live with Louis Visconti. Her heart beat faster. She moved forward in her seat, then turned to face Miles. “It was more than gratitude, Miles.”

“What are you telling me?”

“I love him.”

“You love him! How could you? You barely know him.”

“I know him better than I’ve ever known anyone in my entire life and I love him from the bottom of my heart.”

Miles grinned. “I’m shocked, relieved, flabbergasted, and happy as hell for you… I suppose you’re going to tell me you want to live with him.”

“How could you possibly know?” Kerri asked, feeling an avalanche of relief. The one thing she had thought would be the most difficult had suddenly become a nonevent.

“I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist. I brought up three kids in the seventies and eighties.”

“Do I have your blessings?”

“You have my blessings, and only one piece of advice.”

“I’ve learned to respect your advice. What is it?”

“However strongly you feel about this relationship, move slowly and keep your eyes wide open. Remember, Louis is a lot older than you and he’s lived in the fast lane for a long time.”

Kerri kissed Miles on his cheek. “I will, and thank you for being so understanding.”

“What are you going to do about your husband?”

“Louis is going to arrange an appointment for me with a lawyer he knows. Hopefully, she’ll remove Brian from my life.”