When The Devil Drives

‘No, I started losing really badly. I kept telling myself my luck would change, but it didn’t. It just kept getting worse.’

‘Then why on earth didn’t you stop?’

‘I couldn’t,’ he said simply. ‘I had to go on trying to win.’

Joanna ran the tip of her tongue round her dry lips. ‘Did you borrow any more money?’ she asked carefully.

‘Some,’ he muttered. ‘I’d have been all right—I know I would—if bloody Blackstone hadn’t barred me from the casino. How the hell was I supposed to recoup my losses if I wasn’t allowed to play?’ He gave her a petulant look. ‘I still don’t see why he found it necessary to drag you into all this. I thought we had a gentlemen’s agreement about it.’

‘Cal Blackstone,’ she said quietly, ‘is no gentleman. Tell me, Si, and I want the truth—is there any hope that you’ll be able to repay at least the—loan from the firm?’

There was a pause, then he shook his head. ‘I can’t. Philip and I are both drawing minimum salaries at the moment. And I’ve had so much extra expense with the baby coming. The nursing home fees cost a fortune for a start.’ His expression became alarmed. ‘Blackstone won’t really insist on this audit, will he? I mean—I can explain to old Phil, and I’m sure he’d understand, but I’d rather not.’

Joanna murmured something non-committal, but in her heart she wasn’t at all convinced that old Phil would be quite so amenable to the news that some of their slender profits had been illegally squandered on gambling, and vacations in the West Indies.

‘So what does Blackstone want?’ Simon demanded apprehensively.

Joanna hesitated. ‘I’m not altogether sure,’ she prevaricated. ‘Now that I know his—allegations are true, I have to get back to him—work something out.’

‘Oh, goody.’ Simon’s voice was heavily sarcastic. ‘I didn’t realise that you two were so much in each other’s confidence. Yesterday you couldn’t stand the sound of his name. Today you’ve got your heads together, deciding what to do for the best about poor misguided Simon. Does he get his knuckles rapped, or just stand in the corner?’

Joanna bit her lip. ‘That kind of attitude doesn’t help.’

‘And having my private affairs chewed over behind my back isn’t totally acceptable either,’ Simon retorted furiously. ‘You should have refused to listen—referred him straight to me, instead of meddling in what doesn’t concern you.’

Joanna held on to her temper with an effort. ‘If you’re charged with embezzlement, it will concern me very closely,’ she said evenly. ‘It will concern us all. And imagine the effect it could have on Daddy.’

‘Oh, yes, let’s.’ Simon’s face was stony. ‘Look, everyone, Simon’s been a naughty boy. And Joanna’s the blue-eyed girl who’s going to put everything right. Well, bloody good luck to you!’ He glared at her. ‘What a pity you didn’t stay here and pitch in after Martin died, instead of swanning off to the States. Things might have been different then.’ He scraped his chair back and rose. ‘I’m going back to the nursing home to stay with Fiona. Have your high-level conference with Blackstone, sister dear, and get everything sorted. Feel free to let me know some time what’s been decided for me.’