used her ruthlessly to steal one of her biggest clients. That was almost worse than discovering he'd been jumping from her bed to her client's bed and back again.
Kate took another swig from the bottle before recapping it. She had, at the time, considered going to Larry Bittle with a formal complaint. But her pride had outweighed whatever satisfaction she might have gleaned from that.
The client was satisfied, and that was the bottom line at Bittle. Roger would have lost some ground, certainly, if she'd filed a complaint. Others in the office would have distrusted him, pulled back from him.
And she would have looked like the whining, betrayed female, sniveling because she had mixed sex and business and had lost.
Better that she'd kept it to herself, Kate decided and put the
Mylanta back in her drawer. Better that she'd been able to say, straight to his face, that she had put the whole incident behind her.
Even if it was a lie, even if she would detest him for the rest of her life.
With a shrug, she recalled her data. Better by far to avoid slick, smart, gorgeous men with more ambition than heart. Better, much better, to stay in the fast lane on the career track and avoid any and all distractions. Partnership was waiting, with all the success it entailed.
When she had that partnership, had climbed to that next rung, she would have earned it. And maybe, she thought, just maybe, when she reached that level of success, she would be able to prove to herself that she was not her father's daughter.
She smiled a little as she began to run figures. Stick with numbers, pal, she reminded herself. They never lie.
Chapter Three
The minute Kate walked into Pretenses, Margo scowled. "You look like death."
"Thanks. I want coffee." And a moment alone. She headed up the curving stairs to the second floor, found the pot already brewing.
She knew she hadn't slept more than three hours, not after poring over every detail in the report from the detective back east. And every detail had confirmed that she was the daughter of a thief.
It was all there - the evidence, the charges, the statements. And reading through those papers had killed the faint hope she'd hidden even from herself that it had all been some sort of mistake.
Instead, she had learned that her father had been out on bail at the time of the accident and had instructed his lawyer to accept the plea bargain he'd been offered. If he hadn't been killed that night on that icy stretch of road, he would have been in prison within the week.
Telling herself to accept it, to get on with her life, she drank her coffee hot and black. She needed to go back down, get to work. And face a friend who knew her too well to miss signs of stress.
Well, she thought, carrying her cup with her, she had other excuses for a poor night's sleep. And there was nothing to be gained by obsessing over facts that couldn't be changed. From this moment, Kate promised herself, she would cease to think about it.
"What's going on?" Margo demanded when Kate wound her way down the stairs. "I want an answer this time. You've been jumpy and out of sorts for weeks. And I swear you're losing weight with every breath. This has just gone on long enough, Kate."
"I'm fine. Tired." She shrugged. "A couple of accounts are giving me some problems. On top of that it's been a weird week." Kate opened the cash register, counted out the bills and coins for morning change. "Monday, that scum Thornhill came slinking into my office."
Margo turned from setting up the teapot. "I hope you kicked his ass right out again."
"I let him think we've made up. It was easier," she said before Margo could comment. "He's more likely to leave me alone now."
"You're not going to tell me that's what's keeping you up at night."
"It gave me some bad moments, okay?"
"Okay." Margo smiled in sympathy. "Men are pigs, and that one is a blue ribbon hog. Don't waste your beauty sleep on him, honey."
"Thanks. Anyway, that was only the first weird thing."
"The wacky life of a CPA."
"Wednesday, I got tossed this new account. Freeland. It's a petting zoo, kiddie park, museum. Very strange. I'm learning all about how much it costs to feed a baby llama."
Margo paused. "You lead such a fascinating life."
"You're telling me. Then yesterday, the partners all hud dled together for