When the Devil Drives Read Online Free PDF Page A

He glanced round. 'May I sit down?'
    'If you wish.' She pretended faintly surprised amusement. 'Is this
    going to be a long interview? I do have other plans...'
    'Then cancel them,' he said pleasantly, seating himself on the sofa. 'I'd
    prefer your undivided attention.' He leaned back, crossing his long
    legs. 'I gather Simon will not be joining us.' - She hesitated. 'His wife
    isn't very well.'
    'I'm sorry to hear it.' He didn't sound even slightly regretful. 'She must
    take after her mother. She's thoroughly enjoyed very poor health for
    years. Apparently medical science is baffled.'
    He'd captured the lady's martyred tones with wicked accuracy. To her
    annoyance, Joanna discovered an unwilling giggle welling up inside
    her, and hastily turned it into a cough.
    'Can we get back to the business in hand, please?' She took the
    armchair opposite to him. 'I suppose you want to know when you'll
    see some tangible return on your investment.'
    'No,' he said. 'I'm prepared to bide my time on that. There are other far
    more pressing matters between Simon and myself.' He reached into
    the inside pocket of his jacket and extracted a small sheaf of papers,
    held together by an elastic band. He tossed them on to the low oak
    coffee-table between them. 'Do you know what these are?'
    Her brows snapped together. 'How could I?'
    'Then I suggest you take a look.'
    Reluctantly she reached for the papers, and removed the band. As she
    studied them, her frown deepened.
    'I don't understand.'
    'You're not a fool, Joanna,' he said quietly. 'You know as well as I do
    that those are IOUs, and that the signature on them is Simon's.
    They're gambling debts that he ran up at the country club.'
    Her mouth was dry suddenly. She'd been doing addition sums in her
    head as she riffled through them, and the total she'd reached was
    horrifying, and still incomplete.
    She said, 'Gambling? But Si doesn't gamble.'
    'He certainly doesn't gamble well. He's lost consistently at poker,
    blackjack and roulette. He's exceeded the house limit for credit more
    than once as well, and used my name to get more. I've had to bar him
    from the gaming-rooms.' He saw the colour drainfrom her face, and
    smiled sardonically. 'I presume this is news to you.'
    She said thickly, 'You know it is.'
    'Then I may as well add that he's in hock to a bookie in Leeds for
    several thousand.'
    She dropped the papers back on the table with an expression of
    distaste. 'You're very well informed.'
    'I find it pays to be.'
    'Yet it's hardly ethical. Neither is your presence here this afternoon.
    These—debts should be a private, matter between Simon and
    yourself, surely. You have no right to involve me.'
    'Sometimes private matters have a tiresome habit of becoming
    incredibly public.' He seemed impervious to the ice in her tone. 'And
    then you'd find yourself involved right up to the hilt, my dear Mrs
    Bentham. For instance, I could insist on having a spot audit made at
    the Craft Company.'
    The words hung in the air between them, challenging her.
    She swallowed. 'And what would that prove, pray?'
    'Perhaps nothing. But I'm afraid—I'm very much afraid that there
    would be certain sums unaccounted for. Simon had to find his stake
    money from somewhere, after all.'
    'I don't believe you. In fact, I don't believe any of this.' She flicked the
    IOUs with a contemptuous finger. 'If Simon had known you were
    going to raise any of these matters this afternoon, he would have been
    here in person. He thought you were coming to discuss the Craft
    Company, and only that. Therefore he obviously has no guilty
    conscience...'
    'A true Chalfont! Your grandfather had no conscience either. It's a
    pity Simon hasn't inherited his strength as well.'
    Joanna got to her feet. 'I think you'd better leave.'
    'When I'm good and ready,' he retorted, making no attempt to move.
    'Sit down, Joanna, and hear me out. Simon had good reason for
    failing to realise I was about to call in his markers.'
    She didn't want to