The Wife Who Knew Too Much(33)
Maybe the other woman wasn’t Lauren. Nina’s attention had shifted to a second suspect, one who cut more deeply. Dawn. The person on earth to whom Nina felt closest, after Connor, based on years of practicing yoga together, which to Nina was something intimate and spiritual. Dawn was beautiful enough to turn any man’s head. Willowy, long mahogany hair—she looked like a ballerina. Early on, Nina had worried that Connor and Dawn would like each other too much, but then it had been the complete opposite. They openly feuded and mistrusted each other. Connor claimed Dawn’s schtick was just a bunch of woo-woo nonsense, that she was a bad influence, sucking Nina dry with a charlatan’s efficiency. Dawn said even worse things about Connor—he was a fraud, after Nina’s money. Was it just a cover? The investigator hadn’t been able to substantiate anything between Connor and Dawn. That didn’t mean it wasn’t happening.
Unsatisfied with the answers she was getting, Nina fired that investigator and hired a new one to root out the truth, and it turned out to be more than she’d bargained for. The new person had proved much more effective than the one from two years ago who’d cleared Connor of involvement in his girlfriend’s disappearance. That was either incompetence or a whitewash—probably the latter. There was a conspiracy underway against her. She didn’t know how far it went, but it was going to end tonight.
“I know you have your hands full with the guests,” she said to Steve as she shut the door. “But something has come up that I need your help with. It’s confidential, and rather delicate.”
“Any way I can be of service. Confidentiality is a given. If you don’t want to take my word for it, I signed an NDA when I came to work for you.”
“Right. What I’m about to share with you is covered by that, obviously.”
“Of course.”
She unlocked the top drawer of her dressing table and handed him the investigator’s file.
“Read this. It’ll give you the background.”
He sat down on the bench and opened the folder. His face slackened with surprise as he read.
“This is true?” Steve said, looking up at Nina with shock in his eyes. “Jeez, you think you know people.”
She looked away, not wanting him to see the shine of tears in her eyes.
“I thought so, too. But I’ve learned that a woman in my position can’t trust anyone. Not even the people closest to her.”
“But … why? What’s their play?”
“The obvious. They want my money. They want me out of the picture.”
“Tell me what you want me to do,” Steve said.
“I’m initiating divorce proceedings against my husband, and I’m going to need your assistance with safely removing him from my property.”
He got to his feet. “I’ll go grab him now. Throw him out before the party starts.”
“Just—hold on a minute. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
The dressing-room window looked over the terrace, where a tent had been set up in case of rain. The band must’ve arrived already. Nina couldn’t see them, but she could hear them tuning and doing mic checks. The guests would begin arriving any minute. Some were actual journalists. Others had big Twitter followings, or just big mouths. Nina had spent twenty-five long years getting humiliated in the press by Edward’s infidelities. This split was going to happen on her terms, which meant quietly.
“The timing of the investigator’s report is unfortunate,” she said. “Now that I know, I have to take immediate action, and yet, I don’t want a scene. I’d prefer to go through with the party like nothing is wrong. Once the guests have left, that’s when I’ll confront Connor, with you present. In the coming days, I’ll have a publicist make a discreet announcement that we’ve separated.”
“Due respect, ma’am, that’s not smart. From what the report says, this has been going on for a very long time. They knew each other from way back—”
“Exactly. This has been going on for years, so why make a move tonight, with hundreds of people around, including you and your team? All I ask is that you keep an eye on him. As soon as the guests are gone, you escort him to my office. My lawyer gave me the divorce papers. I’ll ask you to serve them, then you’ll escort Connor off the property.”
“If that’s how you want to play it.”
“It is.”
Steve looked troubled.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“I need you to understand that it may not be possible to monitor him every second.”
“He’s not going to attack me in front of a crowd.”
Steve shrugged. “My expert opinion is, people do crazy shit. But this is your call, ma’am.”
“I’m not worried. I have everything under control.”
17
The skies opened just as the guests arrived. Heavy winds shook the tent as Nina snaked through the crowd, greeting and air-kissing, grabbing mojitos from passing waiters. By eight-thirty, it was hot and soupy under there, and she was halfway to drunk. Rain pounded the canvas roof, and thunder rumbled loudly enough to drown out the band. With every thunderclap or gust of wind, guests would look up and laugh nervously, like the tent might lift off and blow away. There was an edge of hysteria to the party. Everyone felt it, not just her.