lost.
Count me out, I’m not going on any suicide mission.”
Russell quivered. “Don’t use that word.”
“Put a sock in it, Russell,” Margo snapped. “Andrea didn’t
commit suicide. She was murdered. Just like everybody else.”
All of Margo’s bravado evaporated, and she
swayed slightly, but caught herself on the mantelpiece.
“At least we could try,” Gene persisted. “This situation has
gotten completely out of control.”
“You might say that,” Ward said, acknowledging the understatement.
“Accidents,” Killegrew muttered. “We’ll say they were accidents.”
“For Chrissake!” Max burst out. “Are you talking about a
coverup? That’s crazy, Frank!”
“Let’s talk about it,” Ward said in a calm voice. “It’s about
time we considered damage control.”
“Holy cats!” Renie said under her breath. “Let me out of
here. I can’t listen to this bilge.” She stomped off to the library.
Judith followed, closing the door behind her. “Killegrew
can’t be serious,” she said.
Renie had flopped into a leather wingback chair. “Yes, he
can. You’d be shocked by the things that CEOs and other
executive types think they can get away with. Have you forgotten Watergate?”
“This is far worse,” Judith asserted, sitting down in the
mate to Renie’s chair. “People are being murdered. If they
attempt a coverup, the killer will go free.”
Renie rolled her eyes. “You still don’t get it, do you? The
people—excuse me, the
think like the rest of us. They live by a different set of rules
and ethics. Try looking at it from Frank’s point of view. If
they get out of here with most of them still alive, and can
actually pass off the three deaths as accidents, then allowing
the murderer to go unscathed is a small price to pay to preserve not only OTIOSE’s public image, but the company itself. The others would keep their mouths shut in order to
keep their jobs. That’s the way it works—or can—on the
executive floor.”
“Margo’s already said she’s going to quit,” Judith pointed
out. “She won’t keep quiet.”
“Maybe not, but it might depend on the package they
offer her when she leaves. It could be very lucrative—and
very tempting. Besides,” Renie went on, “you’ll notice she
didn’t mention quitting in front of the others. As far as we
know, she only talked about it to us.”
Judith mulled over Renie’s words of corporate wisdom. It
was peaceful in the library, especially to Judith, who had always sought solace among books. Someone had built a fire
in the small grate. For the briefest of moments, Judith tried
to imagine that she and Renie were having a cozy chat on a
wintry weekend in the mountains.
The pager went off again, shattering the illusory respite.
