An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [59]
“He waited around ten or fifteen minutes and then left. He went home, changed his clothes and was out again by six. He picked up some chick and they went to dinner. He spent the night with her.”
That, too, was typical.
“Wednesday…” Rich continued as Julia flipped through the photographs. “Again he was late to the office. He arrived about ten and left again at eleven-thirty. He drove to Henshaw’s, that fancy restaurant on Lake Union.”
Julia nodded; she knew it well. An eternity earlier it had been one of their favorite places. The food was delicious and the ambience luxurious but not overpowering.
“Whoever he was supposed to meet was waiting for him outside. I assume this was a business lunch. The guy he was meeting was angry about something. The two of them exchanged words outside the restaurant. We got several excellent photos. It looked for a moment like they were going to have a fistfight. Frankly, Stanhope was smart to avoid this one. The guy would’ve pulverized him in seconds.”
Julia flipped to the next series of pictures. Her gaze fell on Alek’s angry face and she gasped.
Rich’s attention reverted from the tablet to her. “You recognize him?”
Julia felt as if she was going to vomit.
“Ms. Conrad?”
She nodded.
“An employee?”
Once again she nodded. “Yes,” she managed. “An employee. You can leave the rest of the photographs here and I’ll go through them later. You’ve done an excellent job, Mr. Peck.” She stood and ushered him to the door. “Jerry will be in touch with you sometime later this afternoon. I believe you’ve solved our mystery.”
“Always glad to be of service.”
“Thank you again.”
Julia collapsed against the door the instant it was closed. Her stomach twisted into a knot of pain. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. She felt nauseous and made a dash to her wastepaper basket, where she threw up her lunch. She was kneeling on the floor, her trembling hands holding her hair away from her face, when Virginia walked into the office.
“Oh, dear! Are you all right?”
Julia nodded.
“Let me help you,” Virginia said. With her hand under Julia’s elbow, she raised her to her feet. “You need to lie down.”
“Could…would you see if you could find my brother for me?”
“You don’t want me to call your husband?”
“No,” she said forcefully, “get Jerry. Have him come as soon as he can.… Tell him it’s an emergency.”
Her legs were unstable and she slumped into her chair. In the past three years Julia had received a number of lessons in pain. Roger had been her first teacher, but his tactics paled when compared to Alek’s. It would’ve been easier to bear if Alek had aimed a gun at her heart and pulled the trigger.
It took her brother twenty minutes to reach her office; he must’ve been in the middle of something important when Virginia called. As she waited she gazed sightlessly at her desk. She should be sobbing hysterically; instead, she found herself as calm and cool as if the man who’d been betraying her and her brother was barely more than an acquaintance.
Jerry rushed into her office, apparently having run at least part of the way, because his face was red and he was breathless.
“Virginia said it was an emergency.”
“I…I was being a bit dramatic.”
“Not according to Virginia. She wanted to know if she should phone for an ambulance. You’re pale, but otherwise you look fine.”
“I’m not, and you won’t be, either, once you take a look at these.” She handed him the series of three photographs.
The blotchy redness faded from Jerry’s face and he blanched as he studied Rich Peck’s photographs.
“Alek?” he breathed in disbelief.
“It appears so.”
“There’s got to be some explanation!”
“I’m sure there is.” There always was. Something that would sound logical and persuasive. She’d been through this before and knew all there was to know about betrayals of trust. When she’d confronted Roger, he’d worn a hurt, incredulous look of shock and dismay. He’d angrily declared his