Mercy

minutes my wife has been gone,' he said. 'Some nights it seems like only yesterday.'

'It's been almost a month.' Cameron studied his friend as he made the comment. He picked up his glass and saluted John.

'I think you ought to start dating. I really do.'

'Are you crazy?' Dallas whispered. 'It's way too soon.'

Preston vehemently nodded. 'People will talk if he starts dating this soon, and talk leads to speculation. We don't want that.

Don't you agree, Dallas?'

'Hell, yes, I agree. I can't believe you suggested it, Cam.'

John leaned back in his chair. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly and his expression looked pained. 'I couldn't do it, not yet anyway. Maybe never. I can't imagine being with another woman. I loved Catherine, and the thought of replacing her makes

me sick to my stomach. You know how I felt about my wife.'

Cameron gripped his hands together in his lap to keep himself from reaching across the table and grabbing the lying bastard by

the throat.

'Yeah, I guess you're right. I was being insensitive.' He reached down into his open briefcase and pulled out a thick manila file folder. Pushing his drink aside, he carefully placed it in the center of the table.

'What's that?' Dallas wanted to know.

'Another investment opportunity?' Preston guessed.

Cameron stared at John as he dropped his bomb. 'Lots of notes and figures,' he said. 'And…' 'And what?' John asked. 'Catherine's medical records.' John was reaching for the folder. When Cameron announced what was inside, John reacted

as though a rattlesnake had just landed on his hand. He jerked back and then came up halfway out of his chair. The shock was quickly replaced by anger. 'What the hell are you doing with my wife's medical records?' he demanded. John's face was so red he looked as if he was about to have a stroke. Cameron began to hope that he would and that it would be massive and debilitating. The prick should suffer as much and as long as possible.

'You son of a bitch,' Cameron hissed. 'I saw you Saturday night with the blond. I couldn't figure out why you hadn't told us about her, and so I decided to do a little investigative work on my own.'

'You didn't trust me?' John was genuinely outraged.

'No, I didn't.'

Turning to Preston and Dallas, Cameron said, 'Guess what? Good old Catherine wasn't dying. John just wanted to get rid of her. Isn't that right, John? You played us for fools, and, damn, we were that. We believed every word you told us. You knew Monk wouldn't kill her unless we all agreed. That was the deal when we hired him. He works for the club, and you didn't have the guts to kill her yourself. You wanted to involve us, didn't you?'

Dallas whispered, 'I don't believe it.'

Preston was too stunned to speak. He stared at the file folder as he asked, 'Is Cameron right or wrong? Catherine was terminal, wasn't she? You told us it was her heart, a congenital defect…' He stopped and turned helplessly to Cameron. Then he whispered, 'My God.'

John's lips were pinched together. His eyes blazed with fury, his gaze fully directed on Cameron. 'What gave you the right to spy on me?'

Cameron laughed harshly. 'You arrogant ass. You've got the balls to be outraged that I spied on you and your little Barbie doll?' Glancing at Dallas, whose complexion was rapidly turning green, he asked, 'Want to hear something else really funny? You'll get

a kick out of this news. I know I did.'

Dallas picked up the folder and asked, 'What?' John lunged to grab the file, but Dallas was quicker.

'Catherine introduced this woman, Iindsey, to John. She hired the bitch to redecorate her bedroom. Isn't that right, John? The affair started almost immediately after you met her, didn't it? But you had already decided to kill your wife.'

'I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this here,' Preston said with a worried glance around the bar to see if anyone was watching them.

'Of course we should talk about this here,' Cameron said. 'This is, after all, where we planned the mercy killing.'

'Cam, you've got it all wrong,' John said. He looked earnest now, sincere. 'I've only had one date with Iindsey, and it wasn't really even a date. It was a business meeting.'

Eager to believe John was telling the truth, Preston vigorously nodded. 'If he says it was business, then that's what it was.'

'Bullshit. He's lying. I followed him home. I saw Iindsey's car parked in his garage, and she was there waiting for him. They were all over each other. She's living with you now, isn't she, John? And you're hiding it from everyone, especially the three of us.' Cameron began to rub his temples. He'd had a pounding, relentless headache off and on for the past week, ever since he discovered John's nasty little secret. 'Don't bother to answer. I've got all the facts right here,' he said, pointing to the folder

Dallas had just opened. 'Did you know Lindsey thinks you're going to marry her? I got that bit of information from her mother. She's already planning the wedding.'

'You talked to Lindsey's mother? All that alcohol has gotten to you, Cameron. It's made you delusional… paranoid.'

'You pompous ass,' he scoffed.

'Lower your voice,' Preston pleaded. His brow was covered with perspiration, and he wiped it away with the bar napkin. Fear made his throat dry.

'Shall we discuss Catherine's little trust fund that John was so worried would run out?'

'What about it?' Preston asked. 'Was there any left?'

'Oh, yes,' Cameron drawled. 'About four million dollars.'

'Three million, nine hundred seventy-eight thousand to be exact,' Dallas read from die folder.

'Dear God… this can't be happening,' Preston said. 'He told us… He told us he took her to Mayo, and they couldn't do

anything for her. Remember, Cameron? He told us…'

'He lied. He lied about everything, and we were so damned trusting we believed him. Think about it, Preston. When was the last time any of us saw her? A couple of years ago? It was right before she went to Mayo, wasn't it? We all saw how bad she looked. Then when she got back, John said she didn't want to see anyone. And so we respected her wishes. For two years, it was John who told us how her condition was deteriorating and how much she was suffering. All that time, he was lying.'

They all stared at John, waiting for him to explain.

John lifted his hands, palms up in mock surrender, and smiled. 'I guess the game's over,' he said.

Stunned silence followed the announcement.

'You admit it?' Preston asked.

'Yeah, I guess I do,' he said. 'It's kind of a relief, really, not to have to sneak around you guys any longer. Cameron's right. I've been planning this for a long time. Over four years,' he boasted. 'Did I ever love Catherine? Maybe, in the beginning, before she turned into an obsessive, demanding pig. It's funny how love can turn into hate so quickly. Then again, I might not have loved her at all. It could have been her trust fund. I did love the money.'

Dallas dropped a glass. It landed with a thud on the carpet. 'What have you done to us?' The question came out in a choked whisper.

'I did what I had to do,' John defended. 'And I don't have any regrets. Well, no, that isn't exactly true. I regret inviting Lindsey

to move in. I mean, I've loved every minute I've had her. She'll do anything in bed, anything at all that I ask, and she so wants to please me. She's getting clingy, though, and I'm sure as hell not going to get tied down again.'

'You son of a bitch,' Cameron snarled.

'Yes, I am that,' John agreed smoothly. 'Want to know the best part, besides the pig's trust fund? It was so