Westmoreland's Way - Brenda Jackson [53]
Ramsey took a sip of coffee. “I take it you’re serious about Pam Novak.”
Dillon smiled as he grabbed his coat off the rack. “Yes, and I intend to marry her.”
Dillon did get stuck at the Denver airport due to the snowstorm, and it was noon the next day before he arrived in Gamble. He was upset that he still hadn’t been able to reach Pam. He hadn’t spoken to her since last Friday and here it was Friday again.
Once he arrived in Gamble he went straight to Lester Gadling’s office, deciding to let the man explain things before going to see Pam to let her know what he’d learned. He got to Gadling’s office only to discover he was out to lunch, so Dillon waited.
It was close to three o’clock before Gadling returned and, when the secretary told him Dillon had been waiting for him, he looked at him nervously before asking if he had an appointment.
“No, I don’t, but I need to talk to you about Sam Novak.”
“What about Sam Novak?”
Dillon didn’t like the fact the secretary was sitting there all ears. “I prefer talking to you about this privately,” he said.
Gadling seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he asked, “And what relation are you to the Novak family?”
“A friend.”
Moments later Dillon followed Gadling into his office and as soon as the door closed behind them, the lawyer asked nervously, “And what is it you want to know?”
Dillon didn’t hesitate. “I want to know why you’ve led Pam to believe she owes a balance on her mortgage. I know she doesn’t, so you better have a good answer for me, Mr. Gadling. And I want to know what happened to those payments she’s been making to you every month.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” the man said.
Dillon gave him the smile that all his family members knew meant business. “No, you don’t have to tell me anything. I can always call the state attorney’s office to let them know about attorney fraud.”
That got Gadling’s attention. He went around his desk and to Dillon’s surprise pulled out a bottle of scotch, filled a shot glass and gulped the liquid down. “I didn’t want to lie. It was Fletcher Mallard’s idea. I am being blackmailed.”
Dillon stared at the man for a long time and then sat in the chair in front of Gadling’s desk. “I think you need to start at the beginning.”
The man began talking and Dillon listened. Every so often Dillon’s hands would clench into fists at how Mallard had manipulated both Gadling and Pam to get what he wanted. Pam actually thought Fletcher Mallard had come to her rescue, not knowing he had orchestrated the entire situation.
“So, there you have it. Mallard was so obsessed with marrying Pamela Novak he would have done anything to have her at his mercy.”
Dillon’s jaw twitched. “I’m going over to the Novaks’ and bringing Pam back here. I want you to tell her everything that you’ve told me.”
The man seemed surprised at his request. “That might be hard to do.”
Dillon leaned forward. He refused to accept any excuse from the man. “And just why might that be hard, Gadling?”
“Because she and Mallard are getting married today. In fact, the wedding is probably taking place as we speak.”
Eleven
“P lease, Pammie, you don’t have to marry him,” Paige said with tears in her eyes.
“And why didn’t you want to talk to Dillon when he called this week?” Nadia asked. “Why couldn’t we pick up the phone when caller ID said it was him?”
Pam closed her eyes and looked across the room at Jill who hadn’t said anything but whose eyes were narrowed. She then looked at Iris who looked just as upset. “Listen you guys, this is my wedding day.”
She then turned her attention to Paige. “And I do have to marry him. You don’t understand now but one day you will.
“The reason I didn’t want to talk to Dillon this week is rather complicated, but I had my reasons,” she said to Nadia.
She ignored Jill’s undignified snort. “Come on, Reverend Atwater just arrived and we need to get this over with.”
Pam glanced over at Iris, glad her friend had kept her mouth shut for once. Iris had been