gave them a rueful look.
“Sorry. But breakfast is almost ready.”
Russell and Margo didn’t budge. It occurred to Judith that
they preferred staying in a group. As if to underscore the
conferees’ feelings, Max Agasias and Ward Haugland appeared next, entering from the laundry room.
Max went straight to Russell and put a hand on the other
man’s shoulder. “Hey, no hard feelings about last night. I
lost my temper, that’s all. Sometimes I get pretty damned
frustrated with the second-class way my marketing people
are treated.”
Russell recoiled slightly, but managed a small smile. “We’re
all protective of our own shops,” he said simply.
“Coffee’s ready in the dining room,” Judith announced as
a furtive Nadia Weiss slipped into the kitchen.
“I saw it,” she said in a nervous voice. “But I…well, I
thought I’d wait.” Her blue eyes darted every which way,
then came to rest on Russell. “Shall we get coffee now?
Or…?”
“We’ll all go,” Max said.
“I need a refill,” Margo chimed in. The five of them trooped
off to the dining room.
Judith began cracking eggs in a frying pan. “Take that
toaster out and plug it into the outlet with the coffee urn,”
she said to Renie. “It’s almost eight. They’ll be here in a few
minutes.”
They were, except for Andrea. As Judith dished fried eggs
directly onto the conferees’ plates, Frank Killegrew opined
that his vice president-human resources was probably too
upset to come down for breakfast.
“Andrea was fond of Leon,” Killegrew said, passing the
toast around the table. “I mean, really fond of him. She took
his death pretty hard.”
“Oh, Frank.” Margo was shaking her head.
“What?” Killegrew stared at Margo.
“We’re all taking it hard,” Margo asserted. “Don’t you get
it, Frank? Somebody is out to kill us.”
“That’s extreme,” Gene Jarman said quietly. “We mustn’t
jump to conclusions. Nobody knows for certain what
happened to Barry Newcombe.”
“We know he’s dead,” said Ava Aunuu. “That’s not a good
sign.”
Gene’s calm brown eyes rested on Ava. “It could have
been an accident. Think it through, consider the exigencies.
Barry went off to the store or wherever just before a storm
like this one hit. He could have returned in the middle of it,
lost his way, and sought refuge in that cave or whatever it
was. He froze to death. It happens.”
“With a leather strap around his neck?” Ava sneered at
Gene. “So what happened to Leon? He smothered himself
