Sexual Persuasion (25 page)

“Because I will collect,” Max said, “one way or the other.”

Davidson shot out of his chair. “I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can,” Alex said. “You can fight this, try to sell part or all of the Regent, but then this stack of tapes goes to the police, and you’ll go to prison for all kinds of illegal recording. Presumption of privacy, audio. A good prosecutor will have you behind bars for a long, long time.”

“And you’ll have to explain how you got them,” Jack said.
“By doing the same thing.”

Alex tilted his head in agreement. “Good point. But I didn’t say I’d
take
them to the police. I said they’d get them. I’m willing to take the chance. Are you, especially after they see what you’ve done over the years? Maybe you’ve already hit on some people. I don’t know. But you’d be personally sued by everyone who’s ever stayed there. We have pictures of how you set it up. You’d have to prove how we exposed your scam. And you can’t. By the time you get out of federal prison for illegally recording without consent, along with a string of other charges, you wouldn’t have anything left anyway.” Alex took a folded sheet of paper from his breast pocket. “Max will probably be pissed at me for making this deal.” He pointed to the figures.

Davidson sat hunched over in his chair, head down, eyes slanting sideways at the paper.

“This is what you owe,” Alex tapped his finger at a number on the page, “including the vig. This is what the hotel is worth in today’s market. You can see fifty-one percent doesn’t cover your debt, but sixty does. Now look at this. These are the projected figures of what the hotel could take in once Max implements some changes. Maybe he’d install a Broadway-style dinner theater. Who knows? He might even put in a small casino if this state relaxes the laws. Then the figures would escalate. Why should all the gambling money go to surrounding states? It’ll be a win-win for everyone, and you’d have a source of income. You’d probably lose it at the tables, but that’s your problem, not ours.”

“Even if a bill passes, the Regent is small potatoes for getting a casino contract. They’ll want big money-making resorts.”

“True, but a few slots, a couple of tables. Why not? Times are changing. The state needs money. Cities too. Why should Boston be left out? We have a few political connections that might help pull it off, wouldn’t you say, Max?”

Max licked his lips.
“Seems someone in the Office of Economic Development could be on our side. There’d be a few people to buy, but money talks, doesn’t it?”

“You fight this, Jack,” Alex said, “and I’ll make sure we expose what kind of person Jack Davidson is.” He pulled a disk out of his pocket. “This is a digital video recording of you and Rip Cord, recorded with the same equipment you’ve used to record people for years in every room on the top floor, including your private suite. I assume you reserved that for some very special people. I seriously doubt you’d want that exposed.

“This is the best deal you’re going to get, and you’d still have a job. Kind of. Max’s people will be in there to protect his interest, but you’ll still
appear
to be the boss. Take it or leave it.”

Max looked happy, but Alex wouldn’t know until Jack left and they discussed it. This was a clean sale, or it would be when Davidson signed it. The casino idea was iffy, at best, but things
were
changing.

Davidson sat quietly, his face as crimson as his tie. “Doesn’t look like I have a choice, does it?”

“There’s always a choice,” Alex said, “but sometimes it’s a Hobson’s choice.” He took an envelope from his inside breast pocket and extracted two papers. “Here’s the proposal. Look it over, and sign here.”

Visibly deflated, Davidson said, “You don’t mind if I look this over more carefully than the last time I signed something for you, do you?”

“Take all the time you need. Take it to that shyster lawyer of yours, O’Reilly. That’s if you want him to know what you’re doing. My suggestion is he isn’t trustworthy, but that’s my take. There’s no trick wording, no lawyer mumbo-jumbo. It’s straight English. Even you’ll be able to understand it.” Alex got up. “Coffee?”

Davidson looked at him with what only could be described as hatred. “Scotch would be more appropriate, but coffee will do.”

Alex brought a cup and the carafe to the table, filled all the cups. He sat down and waited while Davidson read the papers. Max remained quiet throughout. He trusted Alex to settle the business without getting involved, and that pleased Alex.

Davidson signed the paper and slid it across the table to Max, not to Alex. Alex smirked at the obvious slight. He pushed another paper toward Jack. “Here are two copies of your IOU. Sign them both.” Jack did. Alex took one of the copies. “You made a good trade, Jack.”

“I underestimated you, Andros. I’d heard you didn’t do the dirty work, but you play as dirty as your boss.”

Max sat forward in his chair. “I’m not sure I like that comment.”

“Thank you,” Alex said. “But neither I nor my boss plays as dirty as you. Know that we could have taken it all, and there wouldn’t have been a damn thing you could have done without exposing to the world what you are. That would have given me great personal pleasure. By the way, you will disconnect all the equipment in your hotel before Carpathian Enterprises takes over. I’ll let you know when that is. Now, get out.”

Davidson took both papers, folded them, and slipped them into his jacket pocket. He gulped down the last of his coffee, stood, and walked out the door without another word.

“Why didn’t you take it all?” Max asked.

“And make this public? You know better than that. Besides, as slick as we thought we were, I doubt it’d hold up in court. In the future, if a bill passes and you’re able to
put in some tables or slots, you don’t want people to think you’re running a crooked game.”

“They’ll think that anyway.”

“Don’t give them ammunition by doing anything illegal. You’d have the gaming commission all over you. That’s my advice.”

“Illegal? How many crimes did you commit getting these?” Max asked, pointing at the tapes.

“Why, Max, you know I never do anything illegal.”

Max’s guffaw brought Gino to attention. Max waved him off. “So now I’m a hotel owner.”

“Just barely. I ran the numbers. The hotel is worth less than it was a few years ago, but so is everything else. It was a good deal for you, and it was fair.”

“And you’re always fair, aren’t you, Alex?”

“I’d like to think so. But this time I did some things I didn’t like to make it work, but they had to be done.”

“I’ll hate to lose you. My father always said that you had your father’s brains, and I had Anton Carpathian’s lack of ethics. I would have fleeced Davidson and wouldn’t have lost an hour’s sleep. We made a good combination all these years, you and me. I wish you’d reconsider.”

“All good things come to an end,” Alex said.

“So what now for you?”

Alex checked his watch. “I have an appointment later this afternoon, and I’ve had two nights where I maybe got a couple of hours’ sleep. I’m tired. I’m going home to take a nap, think about some things.”

“So, we’re finished?”

“We’re friends. We’ve always been friends, and we always will be. We’ve known each other too long, been through too much. We’re just not in business together anymore.” Alex picked up the packet of pictures and tossed them in the sack of videos. “I’ll call you.”

“Yeah.
Let’s do lunch sometime. It’s always on the house for you. Oh, I forgot. I got a call from Rip Cord this morning. He appreciated meeting Davidson last night. Said he wanted to see him again.”

Alex laughed. “We heard. Jack looked thrilled.”

“I doubt Carl will be.”

“Carl? Who’s Carl?”

“You know him as Candy Gayheart. Carl’s an old, um, friend of mine who wanted a sex change. I paid for it. Top-of-the-line work. Between Cord and Candy, our friend Davidson will have a very busy sex life. Who knows? Maybe they’ll work out a ménage à trois.”

Alex shook his head
, laughed. “It couldn’t happen to a more worthy guy.”

Alex left the restaurant.
Okay, one down, one to go.

The Past―R.I.P.

The store had been hopping all morning, but Charlotte’s thoughts were on Alex and his meeting. He’d always been so cool and collected, but last night she saw a different Alex Andros. Tense and uptight. And tired. She checked her watch.

While they had eaten dinner at the Thai place, Alex had explained some of what he planned to bring Jack down. She wondered if Jack had photographed her
at the hotel. They’d stayed in his suite a few nights. Then there was the yacht. Alex figured Jack probably set up cameras there too, but he wasn’t up for more than one break-in. If Jack had filmed her there and Alex found tapes, he wouldn’t tell her.

“How’d it go?” she asked when Alex called around one.

“I’m safe in saying that I’m not Jack Davidson’s favorite person. He looked like he could have stuck a shiv in me at any point during the meeting.”

“Glad he didn’t.”

“I’m going to take it easy this afternoon. Read a little, relax. I’m strung out. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay. You know where I’ll be.”

* * * * *

Alex thought back to Gianni’s call. It had been years, and the call shook him badly. He’d decided it was time to face his demons―the last link to his past.
The link that kept him from moving on. Now the time had come. He owed that to himself. To Charlotte. To Gianni.

“You look good,” Alex said when the elevator door opened. Gianni always looked good in the past. Still handsome, still exuding an air of allure.
But not to Alex. The time had come and gone.

“You too.”

It may have been the most awkward moment of Alex’s life. He didn’t have a clue what Gianni wanted or why he called. Certainly after all the years, there was nothing to resurrect. No relationship to rekindle.

Alex ushered him into the living room. “Still drinking vodka?”

“With a twist, yes.” He gazed at Alex, then looked around. “Great place. Wish I had designed the building. I’d have made some changes.”

“Looks like you didn’t need this commission. You’re doing quite well.”

“Have you been following my career?”

Alex nodded. “Yes. I’ll always be interested in how you’re doing.” The confession surprised Alex. He was interested. After what happened, he wanted Gianni to do well. To get past the end of their relationship and the days that followed. Maybe Alex needed that reassurance as well.

“I’ve followed yours too. Somehow I never expected you to represent someone like Max Carpathian. You kept that part of your life from me.”

“It never came up.” It never came up because Alex never brought it up.

Gianni smiled. “I’d say you’ve made a name for yourself too. Every time someone refers to you in the papers, it’s with guarded respect.”

“Or disdain.”

“That too.”

Alex handed Gianni the vodka. He sipped his scotch. “Why are you here?”

“To tell you that I’m finally over you. It took seventeen years. I’ve been with other men, but no one took your place. Until now. I’ve found someone. Someone I love as much―no, more than I loved you. It was the only way I could ever free my heart of you. But I had to see you one more time to make sure.”

“And you’re sure?”

“I felt nothing when I saw you. Nothing but gratitude that you stayed with me those last two months to see me through the worst of it. I wanted you to know I appreciate that.”

“I’ve carried a lot of guilt. Sometimes it weigh
s on me.”

“Nothing was your fault.”

“I’ve felt it was.”

“Time is not always the great healer people say, but love is.”

“Who is he?”

“No one you’d know. His name is Michael Schiff. He’s a neurologist. He’s moving into my new house with me.”

“I’m happy for you. Truly happy.”

“And you?”

“I guess we left our marks on each other. There’s been no one for me either, until recently. Her name is Charlotte Stone. She owns a―”

“Trends.
I was in there yesterday. She’s a doll.”

Alex swallowed hard. The thought that his old lover would frequent
Charlotte’s store never entered his mind. “Boston is a small town, isn’t it?”

“Too small.
If I were straight, she’d be someone I’d be interested in. See? We still have the same tastes. I’d better keep Michael away from you.”

Alex laughed. “No need to worry. I’ve found my soul mate. It’s a new relationship, less than a week old, but you know how things happen when it’s the right chemistry.”

“Yes, I do. It happened to us.”

“Charlotte and I are still feeling each other out, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to work. I told her about you, even mentioned your
first name, but I don’t think she put it together. I never thought of the possibility that you two might know each other. Telling her about that part of my life was hard. I never shared my time with you with anyone, but I felt like I’d let you down. It was the truth about me I couldn’t face.”