Chapter Twenty: Sabotage
"Guilty? Why on earth should Marco feel guilty?" Mary lifted her heavy eyelids and peered at the attractive man lying by her side. The two of them were relaxing by the massive outdoor pool after a strenuous game of tennis, which Mary had won in straight sets.
Handsome young David Rizzio looked embarrassed, and a little frightened, as though he'd forgotten his place and said too much. Mary gazed at him intently. Then he smiled and patted her hand. "Forget it, beautiful. I just meant . . . well, Marco is plenty tough, but he wasn't able to keep you out of prison. Elizabeth took over your business, your family fortune, your whole life basically."
"Cousin Elizabeth has always been jealous of me," Mary said, lying back with a shrug. "She always wants what she can't have." But Elizabeth could never have Marco. Relaxing on the cushions, Mary closed her eyes and let the hot sun sink deep into her skin, soothing away her cares just like the tender touch of a lover. Marco had become her lover back when she was still wealthy and powerful, before Elizabeth had stripped her of power and thrown her into prison. Mary didn't care about what she'd lost. She had Marco, and she knew that Elizabeth had always wanted Marco for herself. But why should Marco feel guilty unless . . . unless . . .
When Mary woke up the sun was going down, and the outdoor pool was nearly empty. She stretched and yawned, feeling a bittersweet pride and regret. In some ways, Red Lake Spa had hardly changed at all since the days when she had been the boss. The handsome young lifeguard smiled when she asked about his ailing grandmother. But he frowned when Mary asked for the key to the upstairs office.
"You'd have to check with security, ma'am, inside at the desk."
Mary felt a bit too conspicuous crossing the richly carpeted lobby in bare feet and a bikini. But she told herself that if anyone spotted her she'd just look like another affluent guest looking for a restroom. Poor David Rizzio would be quite scandalized by her behavior! Mary smiled to herself as she reached behind the security desk and quickly helped herself to the upstairs key. David was a dear friend, but he lacked daring. He had been no match for her at tennis, though later, when she dozed off, she had the feeling he'd gone off for a second strenuous match on his own. But the second match had most likely been in private, with the new spa masseur, a muscular young man with obvious charms.
David was not always very discreet!
Letting herself into Elizabeth's private office, Mary felt a little shiver of apprehension. She wasn't stealing, she quickly reminded herself. She was merely examining the company payroll. She wanted to know just how long Marco had been on the payroll, and whether or not his payments had been strictly for spa work. When the two of them first met, Marco had told her upfront that Elizabeth had hired him very recently. But maybe she'd been paying for something more than body rubs and massages. Maybe he'd been hired as a spy, reporting to Elizabeth on her every move. Maybe he'd only made love to her as a form of sabotage!
The office was very different from what she remembered. Mary had always had photos everywhere of her workers, and their families, and all the picnics and charity events she'd hosted. But Elizabeth's walls were covered with profit charts and graphs. Mary yanked open the file cabinet, looking for the old spa payroll. Marco's personnel folder had to be in here somewhere . . .
"Hold it right there!" The security man was brand new, and he didn't seem to recognize Mary at all. His gun was brand new too.