Page 120 of The List

“I’d caution you against trusting too much or assuming the other side will be fair.”

“Exactly what my lawyer said.”

“Sound advice. Your wife not only has a lawyer for a boyfriend, but seems intent on taking you for whatever she can get. I’ve heard the tapes myself. Your wife right now is downtown in a hotel suite with Greene. We’d like to take you there.”

“The crap for?”

“You need to see it for yourself. We also have electronic monitoring set up. Their conversations may be helpful in defending her claim against you. I don’t mean to be insensitive, but they like to pillow-talk and we’ve learned a lot from those conversations.”

“I didn’t hire you. Why go to all the trouble?”

“Mrs. Greene wants to help. Thank her.”

“Yeah, right. This was the last thing I wanted to hear. What I want is my wife back. I’d do about anything to make that happen. I was just on my way to see her.”

He twisted the knife. “She’s not home.”

Wyler paused, seeming to consider what he’d said. “No, she’s downtown in a motel room with some shyster lawyer screwin’ his brains out. Maybe you’re right? I do need to see it for myself.”

“We need to coordinate how this is going to happen. I have a man stationed near the room where your wife and Greene are now. I don’t want to raise any suspicions on anybody’s part, so please follow us downtown in your car. The hotel is the Regency Arms. Park in the underground garage and head up to the lobby. There’s a sitting area near the elevators. Wait there. When my associate and I arrive, follow us into the elevator. Don’t act like you know us. We’re uncertain of who Greene knows at the hotel. Since he’s a regular, the staff is familiar with him. When we get up to the floor stay quiet, just follow us into our room. We’ll talk there. Understand?”

Wyler nodded. “I got it.”

“You know where the Regency Arms is?”

“Yeah,” Wyler said, voice breaking. “Vikki and I spent a weekend there once.”

7:50P.M.

JON SMILED.

Burt Wyler followed instructions to the letter and stayed behind their maroon LeSabre all the way downtown.

This should be easy.

Thankfully, S. Lou Greene was a creature of habit. When in Atlanta the lawyer stayed in Room 478 at the Regency Arms, a two-room suite with a whirlpool tub that faced the front of the hotel. Greene’s affair with Vikki Wyler had been easy to document. As was Burt Wyler’s weakness for his wife. Greene had been seeing Vikki nearly a year, and ever since she’d moved out they’d regularly spent the weekend together whenever Greene was in Atlanta.

He thought it strange somebody like Greene would even havea mistress. After all, the lawyer wasn’t all that visually appealing. But the money liberally spent on meals, gifts, liquor, and hotel rooms apparently more than made up for any lack of physical presence.

And Vikki was an easy mark.

An ambitious woman who openly used Greene to ingratiate herself into the workers’ compensation bar. In fact, it was thanks to Greene that a lot of claimants’ lawyers from around the state now routinely used her professional services.

Arriving at the Regency Arms, Burt Wyler continued to follow instructions, dutifully turning into the underground garage and stopping at the automatic gate. The dispensed receipt would later provide excellent corroboration on the precise time of arrival.

Jon did not have Frank Barnard follow Wyler into the garage. He assumed each level was closed-circuit-monitored by hotel security and the last thing he wanted was a videotaped record of his arrival and departure. That privilege was reserved solely for the red Corvette, the videotape providing more than enough corroboration to the tragedy he was about to stage.

Barnard parked on the street, a couple of blocks west of the hotel’s main entrance. Jon filled the meter with quarters so there’d be no danger of receiving a citation. He and Barnard then strode back to the Regency Arms and entered the plush main lobby. The hotel was one of Atlanta’s oldest, lovingly remodeled into a four-star jewel with elegantly decorated suites and first-class service to guests who could afford the luxury. It was a favorite of businessmen during the week and couples on the weekend looking for two days of peace and quiet. He and Barnard strolled through the lobby, appearing like two businessmen in town for the weekend returning from an important Saturday meeting. Barnard toted a burgundy leather briefcase.

They headed straight for the elevators but kept their faces turned from the lobby cameras. To his left, he caught a glimpse of Burt Wyler sitting exactly where instructed. Wyler saw him too and dutifully rose, following them onto the elevators. He pushed the buttonfor the fourth floor and was pleased Wyler continued to say nothing. When the doors parted, he, Barnard, and Wyler stepped off.

He pointed right.

They headed down the hall.

At Room 479 he inserted the plastic card and tripped the lock. He pushed against the spring-loaded hinges and inched the door inward, inviting Wyler in first. At the end of a short entrance hall was a double bed, desk, chair, and luggage rack.

Wyler calmly stepped forward into the room.