The Boy from the Woods(60)

Hester Crimstein stepped out of the copter. She spotted Wilde and Gavin, smiled, and spread her arms wide.

“Can I make an entrance, boys, or what?”





CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR



Five minutes later, they were all ensconced in the Maynards’ over-the-top library turret. Hester sat across from Dash and Delia. Gavin Chambers stood behind the Maynards. There was an empty burgundy leather wingback chair next to Hester, purportedly for Wilde, but he chose to stand too.

“Can we get you a beverage?” Dash Maynard asked.

Hester looked at Wilde, arching an eyebrow at the word “beverage,” as if understandably annoyed by the use of the word in casual conversation.

“We’re good,” Hester said.

“We appreciate you agreeing to join us on such short notice,” Dash continued.

“You sent a helicopter and offered to pay double my regular rate,” Hester said. “How’s a girl to refuse?”

Delia Maynard had yet to speak. There was a slight tremor in her pale face. Her eyes stared out, unfocused. For a few long moments, no one spoke.

“Hey, listen, I can wait all day—double my usual superexpensive-though-worth-it rate? Mama’s gonna buy herself a new pair of Louboutins, you know what I’m saying?”

Dash glanced at Delia. Wilde glanced out the window behind them. The view was magnificent. The manor was so high up that you could see the skyscrapers of Manhattan above the tree line.

“I’m joking,” Hester said.

“Pardon?”

“Yes, you offered to double my fee. But I don’t work that way. I’ll bill you the same hourly rate as every other client—no more, no less. And I don’t like wasting time, even if I’m on the clock. I don’t need money that badly. I’m rich already. Not as rich as you, Mr. Maynard—”

“Call me Dash.”

“Okay, Dash, cool. Since you seem a little hesitant, let me set a few ground rules to get us off the ground, okay?”

“Yes,” he said, clearing his throat, “that might be helpful.”

“First thing: You said on the phone that you wish to engage my services.”

“Yes.”

“So now I’m your attorney. Wonderful, mazel tov.” She glanced up over Dash’s shoulder to Gavin Chambers. “Please leave. This is a private meeting between my client and myself.”

“Oh no,” Dash said. “It’s okay if Gavin—”

“It’s not okay with me,” Hester interjected. “I’m now officially your attorney. What you divulge to me gets locked away under attorney-client privilege. In short, no one can compel me to reveal what you’re about to say. Mr. Chambers here doesn’t get that same legal recourse. He can, like it or not, be compelled to reveal the contents of this conversation. So I want him out.” Hester glanced to her right. “You too, Wilde. Skedaddle.”

Dash said, “But we trust Gavin—”

“Dash? You told me to call you Dash, right? Dash, this is pretty simple. I’m setting up ground rules, like I told you. Rule One: If you want to hire me, you’re going to have to listen to me. If you don’t want to listen to me, well, my driver is on his way out here—I’ll skip that helicopter with that farkakte noise on the way back, thank you—and should be arriving soon. I’ll head back into the city and charge you for the visit, and we will go our separate ways. This isn’t a democracy. I’m your Dear Leader for Life. We understand Rule One?”

Dash looked as though he might argue, but Delia put a hand on his leg.

“We understand,” Delia said.

“Good.”

Gavin said, “I don’t like it.”

“In another lifetime,” Hester said, “I’ll care, really. I’ll shed tears. But for now, shush and depart.”

Dash nodded to Gavin. Gavin threw up his hands and started for the door. Wilde followed behind him.

“Wait,” Delia said.

Both men stopped.

Delia looked at Hester. “We’ve gotten a full briefing on Wilde’s background.”

“You don’t say.”

“He’s still a licensed investigator with CRAW Securities,” Delia said. “You used to employ him to do work for you, correct?”

“And if I did?”

“Employ him again,” Delia said. “For our situation. Then anything he would hear would fall into attorney-client work product, right?”

“Hey, nice thinking.” Hester spun and looked back at Wilde. “Want to work for me?”

“Sure,” Wilde said.

“Then sit down. Don’t stand over me and lurk, it gives me vertigo.”

A few moments later, Gavin Chambers was out of the room. The four of them sat in the leather chairs, Delia and Dash on one side of the teak coffee table, Hester and Wilde on the other.

“I don’t understand,” Dash said. “If you could hire Wilde as your investigator, why can’t you hire Gavin.”

“Because,” Hester said.

“Because why?”

“Because I said so. You flew me out here on a helicopter because I assume your situation is urgent. Let’s get to it, shall we?”