Page 163 of Salvage Him

"Why didn't you set up the account?" Iasked.

"I did. Well, almost. I was just waiting for him to return your signaturecards."

"That's why he wanted to get back together. He needed mysignature."

What aprick.

"What about the life insurance?" Brooklyn groaned as she tried to sit up. "I signed stuff when we got married. An investment account and other financialstuff.”

“He’d liquidated them,"Robertsaid.

"Jesus,"Brooklynsaid.

"How much is the mortgage?" Iasked.

Robert hesitated. "Eight milliondollars."

Brooklyn's eyesgrewbig.

"Wow." I whistled and sat down on the edge ofthebed.

"How could you let him get into this mess?" Brooklynasked.

"Let him? It wasn't my fault." Robertfrowned.

"What about Alise?" Brooklyn's voice rose. I felt her pulsequicken.

"He didn't tell me why. He just told me to cut her off, so I did." Robert shookhishead.

"Without looking into what kind of trouble he may have gotten himself into." Brooklyn panted, her breathshallow.

"Brooklyn, baby." I stood back up and ran my hand up and down her arm. "Calm down. You're going to hurtyourself."

"None of what he did was illegal. I wasn't under any obligation to report it." Robert took astepback.

"Except for stealing ten million dollars." Brooklyn bit her lip and rubbed herforehead.

Myheadhurt.

"I have an eight-million-dollar home with an eight-million-dollar mortgage. Is that what you’re telling me?" sheasked.

"Yes. That's about it." Robert flipped through somepapers.

Brooklyn looked upatme.

"I'm a long way from Brooklyn, New York,"shesaid.

Her accent made melaugh.

"Paul has a few debts, but I think we can take care of those with what's left in the household account." Robert pulled a form out of the folder and set it on thetable.

He reached into his pocket to retrieveapen.

We both turned to look atRobert.

"What?" He put the pen back in hispocket.

"What about Alise?" Brooklynasked.