After a few minutes she could hear her husband moving to the bar and pouring fresh drinks. Andrew was talking all the time, but then Brett said something she couldn't quite catch, until Andrew stopped talking.
“That's what I pay you a large salary for! You wouldn't be a valuable asset to my business if I could change your mind!” Brett's voice boomed up through the air vent. Margaret recognized Brett's old tactic of offhandedly complimenting someone before he asked for a favor. Somehow the favors Brett requested always sounded like an order which demanded to be carried out.
There was silence for a long minute and she thought they were sipping at their drinks. She pressed her ear closer to the vent to be sure they weren't whispering and satisfied, Margaret relaxed to wait for the conversation to continue.
“Are you settled in your new house, Andy?” Brett asked after a moment. He was turning the conversation on a more personal approach.
“Yes, we have. Actually, Anita has been wanting to renovate, but that will come with time,” Andrew answered. What he meant to say was that he couldn't afford to make changes in his new home at the present time.
Brett was aware that Andrew Hewitt had overextended himself by moving into Northport, Long Island, and that was exactly the sort of thing that made Brett Stover happy. He liked his employees to be dependent on their jobs. Brett, of course, had power in many different ways but he especially liked to have people dependent upon him for his money. When he hired Andrew Hewitt, he knew that he would instantly put himself into a situation such as the huge house and chauffeur that made him easy prey for Brett. If Andrew lost his position with Brett suddenly, he would have difficult financial worries. Andrew had been relatively conservative with his money until he married his young wife. Then everything changed, as Anita was a voraciously demanding spender who could make Andrew do just as she wanted. Brett Stover saw this in Anita Hewitt and it was just the sort of situation that he could really appreciate.
“Yes, I'm sure she could do a lot for that old house,” Brett agreed. “Care for another drink?” he asked, to change the subject. He walked slowly over to the service bar he had in the plush den.
Margaret listened carefully and intently as Andrew took the drink from Brett's hand. She was getting impatient and was going to leave her listening post if they didn't say something about her soon.
“I'm going to send my son, Brett, to Los Angeles to take care of a transaction for drilling equipment. You might call him tomorrow and see if he needs any monetary advising before he leaves,” Brett said seriously. Andrew nodded his head in agreement as Brett continued. “My son had had a tendency sometimes to forget that he works for his father. It probably would never occur to him to contact you.”
“I'll give him a buzz first thing in the morning,” Andrew promised quickly. He knew how Brett, Jr. was, and didn't like it, but he wanted to keep his feelings about the younger Stover from his father. After all, it would be wrong to go against the boss' son.
“Terrific! Then there is one other thing I would like you to do for me,” Brett went on. He paused for a short moment as if to reflect on the correct way to phrase his request.
Margaret leaned closer to the listening device, afraid she had possibly missed something more that Brett had said. But she heard only silence for a moment. Then Brett's deep voice again boomed up through the vent.
“I'll need you tomorrow evening for a brief errand. Do you know my son's wife, Victoria?” Brett sounded quite businesslike in his inquiry.
“Yes, I met her once. I think she and Anita were at the same finishing school,” Andrew responded as if to justify for Brett his knowledge of the beautiful blonde.
“Very good! Then you know where she lives.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, I'd like to have you contact her in the evening. Tell her that you and I need to discuss some financial matters with her at my house. You can pick her up and bring her here. I'll take care or the rest.” Brett talked as though he were dictating a letter to his private secretary and he could see the astonished look on Andrew Hewitt's face. Brett didn't care as he knew that Andrew would do exactly as he had requested.
“Oh, of course, Brett. Is there anything you'll need from the office? Anything I can get for you?” Andrew asked. He wasn't sure what to make of Brett Stover's command and he thought that was something that he had forgotten about. He tried to remember if Brett had discussed her with him before now.
“Just Victoria! Tell her anything you like, but be sure she gets here by nine o'clock,” Brett said forcefully. He didn't want to discuss any details with Andrew Hewitt. The less Andrew knew, Brett thought, the more he'll want to know. “Can you take care of that matter for me, please?” Brett asked, his tone a little more polite than it had been earlier in the conversation.
Andrew Hewitt was thinking as fast as he could, but he didn't understand what business Brett Stover might have with his own daughter-in-law. Whatever it was, Andrew knew he wouldn't particularly like it, but he knew, too, that he would do anything Brett Stover asked of him. Andrew's employment contract with Brett Stover Enterprises wasn't legally in force until after an eight month trial period and he needed and wanted to keep his new job. “At nine o'clock?” Andrew verified, wanting to be exact.
“Or earlier if possible,” Brett said and he grinned at Andrew Hewitt. He could see that Andrew didn't understand his ulterior motives at all.
Andrew Hewitt remained silent for a moment until it finally occurred to him what Brett Stover was really after. He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't imagine any other reason for Brett's obscene leering self-satisfied grin. He decided to try his wings.
“Can I bring anything for Mrs. Stone?” he inquired, but his expression was worriedly questioning Brett's need for assistance.
Stover laughed loud and long before answering Andrew's question. “You needn't concern yourself about my wife. I don't!” Brett Stover said casually but he winked at Andrew in a gesture of shared secrets.
Andrew recognized that his guess had been correct. Brett Stover was planning something for Victoria and most obviously it was Brett Stover himself. What amazed Andrew more than anything else was that Brett Stover wasn't concerned at all by Margaret's possible reaction. In fact, Brett didn't seem to care if Margaret was around or not! He didn't say so, but Brett's look told Andrew that Margaret wasn't really involved closely with him in any way but by name.
Margaret moved away from the listening post, wondering what Brett had in mind for his son's wife. She couldn't believe that it would be anything good, yet she certainly didn't think it could be more than some type of information concerning their son. Naturally, Brett would use Victoria to get information on her husband's activities. But Margaret couldn't help wondering why Brett wanted Andrew to bring Victoria to their house. It would certainly be much simpler for Brett to talk to her directly and especially since their son would be leaving for Los Angeles. Margaret tried to reason out why Brett was involving Andrew in such a simple errand when Brett could merely drop in at their son's home without all this fuss. Then Margaret remembered that her husband didn't ever want to go to Brett's and Victoria's house unless Nora, the maid, was gone for the evening.