Chapter 9 - THE MISTRESS WANTED A DEAL
Brenda requested a meeting.
My attorney advised against seeing her alone.
So we met inside a private conference room with two lawyers present.
Brenda arrived wearing sunglasses.
She removed them slowly.
The confidence from the mansion was gone.
“You look different,” I said.
“So do you.”
She glanced at my suit.
“Guess I should’ve known.”
“Known what?”
“That you weren’t who they said you were.”
I leaned back.
“And who did they say I was?”
Brenda hesitated.
“A nobody.”
The honesty almost made me laugh.
She placed a flash drive on the table.
“I want immunity.”
My attorney responded immediately.
“We don’t grant immunity.”
“Then protection.”
“From whom?”
Brenda looked toward me.
“Andrew.”
I studied her.
“You weren’t afraid of him when he hit me.”
Her eyes dropped.
“I know.”
“You smiled.”
“I know.”
“You helped frame me.”
Her lips tightened.
“Yes.”
For the first time, she did not pretend.
That made her easier to listen to.
“What’s on the drive?” I asked.
“Records.”
“What records?”
“Transfers Andrew made that even Margaret doesn’t know about.”
I said nothing.
Brenda continued.
“He was planning to move money out of the company before filing for divorce.”
“How much?”
“Almost ninety million.”
My attorney stopped taking notes.
“Where?”
“Multiple offshore accounts.”
“Why would you know?”
Brenda laughed bitterly.
“Because he promised some of it to me.”
Of course.
She pushed the drive toward me.
“I thought he was leaving you because he loved me.”
Her mouth twisted.
“Yesterday, I heard him telling his lawyer I manipulated him.”
I watched her carefully.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
That answer surprised everyone.
Brenda looked directly at me.
“I wanted your life.”
“Why?”
“Because from the outside, it looked perfect.”
She swallowed.
“Big house.”
“Private dinners.”
“Cars.”
“Money.”
“Andrew.”
She laughed again.
“I didn’t realize Andrew was the least valuable thing in it.”
For the first time since meeting her, I almost respected something she said.
Almost.
My attorney picked up the drive.
“If this evidence is authentic, it will be reviewed.”
Brenda stood.
Before leaving, she turned toward me.
“There’s one more thing.”
I waited.
“The necklace wasn’t supposed to end up in your bag.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Margaret changed the plan.”
“What was the original plan?”
Brenda looked uncomfortable.
“To put it in your father’s office.”
My blood went cold.
“Why?”
“So Andrew could accuse the Escalante family of stealing Whitmore property.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does if you know what he wanted.”
She opened the door.
May you like
“Andrew wasn’t only planning to divorce you.”
“He was planning to sue your father.”
