Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game (47 page)

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Authors: Sidney Sheldon,Tilly Bagshawe

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“You have to get me off this, Mark.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I can’t stay here, I’ll go crazy. I have to get back to the States.”

“Whoa, slow down a minute, would you? You only just got
out
of the States. And that wasn’t easy.”

“I want my company back.”

Mark Hambly laughed. “One thing at a time, Lexi. Let’s focus on keeping you out of jail, shall we?”

“What do you suggest?”

Mark explained the various possibilities for a defense: Eve Blackwell was known to be of unsound mind. Lieutenant Carey hadn’t followed proper procedures.

“But your best bet, honestly, is to pin all this on Kolepp. I don’t know how you’d feel about that.”

Lexi shook her head. “Uh-uh. No way. I can’t do that to Carl.”

“Why not? The guy’s in Paraguay, totally cashed out. He’s happy as a clam.”

“Even so…”

“Think about it. The feds can’t touch him. And what does Kolepp need to go back for? Nothing. He’s not married. His company’s gone.”

Lexi thought about it. Mark did have a point.

“Or…” The lawyer took another sip of his wine. “You could take a page out of Kolepp’s book yourself.”

Lexi frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean forget going home. Settle down here. Chill out. Retire. Make a life. I’m assuming you have offshore funds you can access?”

“Naturally.”

“So, why not? There are worse places.”

Lexi gazed out over the tranquil blue ocean. Twin sailboats bobbed on the horizon, bathed in pale butter-yellow sunlight. She thought about Gabe, still naked and asleep in their bed. And baby Maxine, content and sleepy in the housekeeper’s arms.
I love them so much.
For a moment happiness flooded through her.

Then she thought about Eve Blackwell. Happiness turned to rage.

“No. I have to go back.”

“Okay.” Mark raised an eyebrow. “It’s up to you. But, you know, even if I get you off the fraud charge, you’re going to have a ton of civil suits against you. All your U.S. assets will be considered fair game. You’ll be declared bankrupt. Gabe, too. I can’t protect you from any of that.”

“I know.”

“You’ll be poor, Lexi. You don’t know
how
to be poor.”

“I know. But Kruger-Brent…”

Mark said brutally: “Kruger-Brent is finished, Lexi. I’m sorry. But you have to face reality. There’s no way back from this. Not this time.”

You’re wrong. There’s a way. There’s always a way.

Later that afternoon, Lexi walked alone along the beach. The seawater was as warm as a bath between her toes. A gentle breeze blew the hair back from her face.

It’s so peaceful here.

Gabe and Maxi were back at the villa. Mark Hambly was already on a plane, on his way back to New York to face the music on Lexi’s behalf. It wouldn’t be long before word got out that she and Gabe were in the Maldives. When that happened, the sleepy island of Ihuru would turn into a war zone. The paparazzi would attack by land, air and sea. Lexi would retreat to the seclusion of the villa. It was beautiful, but it was still a prison. She had to savor her freedom while it lasted.

Sitting down on the sand, she unfolded a piece of paper. She’d only received it two days earlier, but already Eve’s letter was worn thin with use. Now Lexi read it again for the last time. Her aunt’s beautiful handwritten Palmer script leaped off the page.

425 5th Avenue

New York

October 12, 2025

Dear Alexandra,

May I call you Alexandra? Of course I may. If you’re reading this, I have already gone to join my dear sister, your mother, in hell. The dead may do as they please.

They all think I’m mad. But I’m not. I’m the only one in this family who has kept her head. I should have been running Kruger-Brent from the start. Then none of this would have happened.

I know what you’ve done. I know everything. You were right to get rid of my son. Max was a fool, weak like his father. But did you really think you would get away with bankrupting
my
company? You’re a thief, Alexandra. You stole from shareholders and you stole from me, just like your mother. Thieves must be punished.

The police are on their way. I’ve sent them another letter, detailing everything. You have no way out, Alexandra. Not this time. You and your friend Mr. Kolepp can reminisce about what might have been from the comfort of your jail cells. Jail is worse than you can possibly imagine, Alexandra. Take it from someone who knows.

May God curse you and your children, as He cursed me and mine.

Good-bye, Alexandra.

Your loving aunt
,

Eve

With the letter still in her hands, fluttering in the tropical breeze, Lexi hitched up her skirt and waded into the ocean. She walked far enough for the water to reach the top of her thighs. Then slowly, deliberately, she began tearing the paper into tiny pieces, scattering them on the waves like confetti.

Good-bye, Aunt Eve.

Good riddance.

I may not have won the game. Not yet. But I’m still here. Still playing.

For Eve Blackwell, it was all over.

But for Lexi Templeton, the game went on.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I have been a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon’s writing since I first read
If Tomorrow Comes
at the age of fourteen. When I wrote my first novel,
Adored
, I actually sent Sidney a copy of it along with a letter telling him how much his work had inspired me. He wrote me a very kind and generous reply, which now hangs above my desk in London. Little did I imagine then that five years later I would have the honor of being approached to write a sequel to
Master of the Game
, Sheldon’s epic family saga.

Sidney Sheldon was always known as the Master of the Unexpected. The hallmarks of his writing are suspense, excitement and, above all, a gripping and compelling story. His heroines are all strong, unforgettable women—I would go so far as to describe Sidney as a feminist, another of the factors that drew me and millions of women like me to his books. But Sidney’s books do not appeal only to women. During his lifetime, he received hundreds of thousands of letters from men and women, from all walks of life, who felt compelled to let him know how much his books meant to them. Sheldon readers are as diverse as Sheldon characters: princesses and paupers, Mafia bosses and death-row prisoners, cancer patients and Greek shipping magnates. All were drawn to his storytelling. And those stories live on.

Writing
Mistress of the Game
has been more fun than any job has a right to be. It is my sincere hope that Sheldon fans everywhere will enjoy the book as much as they have enjoyed all of Sidney’s wonderful stories, and that perhaps a new generation of readers will now be lucky enough to discover the magic of the incomparable Sidney Sheldon.

T. B., 2009

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My sincere thanks are due to everyone who has worked so hard to make this book a reality. First and foremost, to the entire Sheldon family for their trust in me and their generosity. Also to Mort and Luke Janklow, without whom none of this would have happened—I owe you both so much—and to everyone at HarperCollins in New York and London, especially my editors Wayne Brookes and Carrie Feron. To my own family for their love and support, especially my parents and my husband, Robin. Finally, I would like to thank the late, great Sidney Sheldon for being an inspiration to me and to so many others. It’s been an honor to follow in his footsteps.

About the Authors

Novelist and screenwriter SIDNEY SHELDON remains one of the world’s top bestselling authors. His books have sold more than 300 million copies and have been published in dozens of languages.
Guinness World Records
heralds him as one of the most translated authors in the world. He is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar.

TILLY BAGSHAWE is a
New York Times
bestselling author. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and London with her husband and children.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

BOOKS BY SIDNEY SHELDON

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The Sky Is Falling

Tell Me Your Dreams

The Best Laid Plans

Morning, Noon & Night

Nothing Lasts Forever

The Stars Shine Down

The Doomsday Conspiracy

Memories of Midnight

The Sands of Time

Windmills of the Gods

If Tomorrow Comes

Master of the Game

Rage of Angels

Bloodline

A Stranger in the Mirror

The Other Side of Midnight

The Naked Face

Credits

Jacket design by Richard L. Aquan

Jacket photograph by Blend Images/Alamy

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

MISTRESS OF THE GAME
. Copyright © 2009 by Sheldon Family Limited Partnership, successor to the rights and interests of Sidney Sheldon. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Adobe Digital Edition June 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-189891-4

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