“And spent all your money in the process,” Jesse said.
“Yes,” Miriam said.
It was the first word with a hint of feeling in it.
“If I will give him one million dollars,” Miriam said, “he will go away and get a quiet divorce—Nevada, perhaps—and I will be free of him.”
“If you had one million dollars,” Jesse said.
“Yes.”
Jesse nodded and was quiet. The wind off the ocean brought with it the smell of salt and distance and infinite possibility.
“There is a developer,” Miriam said, “Austin assures me, who will pay ten million for the Crowne estate, in order to build a resort. Austin says the town will not prevent him.”
“Austin Blake,” Jesse said.
“Yes.”
“The zoning board might have a problem,” Jesse said.
“Austin assures me there will be no problem.”
“He’s your attorney?” Jesse said.
“Yes. Do I need him here now?”
“I have no plans to arrest you,” Jesse said.
“Will you keep my secret?” she said.
“If I can,” Jesse said. “You’ll need to lay off the kids at the estate, though.”
“I know,” she said.
“I’ll use whatever undue influence I have to keep Channel Three from using it.”
She nodded. Jesse thought it might have been a grateful nod.
“What am I to do?” she said.
Jesse took it as a rhetorical question. But she repeated it.
“What am I to do?” she said.
“What if you got the divorce, without selling the Crowne estate?” Jesse said. “And it was still done quietly?”
“I would at least be free to live my life.”
“What would that mean?” Jesse said.
“I…” She stopped, struggling to say what she was trying to say. “I have a relationship with Walter Carr.”
“Which you would be free to pursue?” Jesse said.
“Overtly,” Miriam said.
Jesse dropped his head so she wouldn’t see him smile. This does not bode well for Suit, he thought.
“Does Walter know all of this?” Jesse said.
“No.”
