exactly
meteoric, but it was steady. He and his wife—I think her
name is Patrice—have two grown children. Patrice is a typical
corporate wife—pampered and spoiled. More so than most,
because I think her family had money. Frank golfs, skis, and
has a big cruiser. They live in one of those plush neighborhoods on the lake and have a summer home on another lake
in Montana.”
“Good work,” Judith said approvingly. “You seem to know
Mr. Killegrew quite well.”
“Not really.” Renie was opening cereal boxes. “I’ve designed some brochures that featured his bio. Some of the
other, more personal stuff I’ve picked up from the downtown
grapevine.”
“How about Ward Haugland?” Judith asked as she began
to cut up a big Crenshaw melon.
“A native Texan, another engineering degree, another guy
who rose through the Bell System ranks,” Renie said. “He
served as an assistant vice president under Frank, then left
with him to form the new company. He also golfs, skis, and
has a boat.”
“Is that required at the executive level?” Judith asked with
a little smile.
“In a way,” Renie replied, quite serious. “It’s part of the
old boy network. If, for example, you play golf with the boss,
you’re more inclined to get the next promotion. If you golf,
ski,
non-sports enthusiasts would have you believe.”
“Is Ward married?” Judith inquired, tackling a cantaloupe.
“Definitely, to a world-class hypochondriac. Helen Haugland has suffered more diseases than the AMA allows.”
“Is she also spoiled and pampered?”
“Not to mention coddled and overprotected. I’ve never
met her—she never goes anywhere except to the doctor—though come to think of it, I did meet Patrice Killegrew
once,” Renie said as she turned the heat on under the bacon.
“It was a couple of years ago, at some graphic design awards
banquet. She was a stuck-up pill.”
“Somebody said Leon had lived with his mother,” Judith
remarked. “What else?”
Renie shook her head. “Nothing. I think she died not long
ago. Leon kept himself to himself, as they say.”
“Except when he was keeping company with Andrea Piccoloni-Roth,” Judith pointed out.
“So it seems. The odd couple.” Renie paused, apparently
conjecturing about the unlikely pair. “Andrea and—what’s
his name? Alan Roth—have a couple of teenaged boys. Roth
stays home on the pretext of being a house-husband, as well
as the aforementioned computer genius. I saw his picture on
her desk once. He’s rather good looking, in a lean, pedantic
kind of way.”
“More of a hunk than Leon Mooney?” Judith started to
