Gregory's first impulse was to crumple the paper up and throw it across the room. Logic made him drop it to the desk and reach for the intercom instead.
"Emily please call Detective Torres for me. Ask him to come by as soon as possible."
Emily knew better then to ask questions. "Of course Mr. Richards. Right away."
The moment the intercom clicked off, Gregory picked up the first object that he could throw across the room. A glass paperweight. It was heavy enough to provide some release for his anger. He set it back down. He needed his anger where it was. Gregory picked up his phone and pressed the button for his private line. It only took a ring for the party to pick up.
"Stanton." Gregory was curt and to the point. Stanton wasn't a man who stood on ceremony. "I want you to drop what you're doing."
"This takes precedence...Absolutely, over everything else." Gregory stared down at the picture of Olivia. He balled his free hand into a fist, the knuckles on his other hand going white with tension around the phone. "Find everyone who has ever threatened my wife."
"I expect your report in twenty-four hours." Slamming the phone down made his hand sting, but it did nothing to make him feel any better.
He turned away from his desk, looking out over the buildings of downtown, out into the ocean. Gregory shut his feelings down. Pushing aside the sick sense of helplessness that came from knowing Olivia was in danger, he let his analytical skills take what he knew and build it into a theory.
But he couldn't concentrate. Gregory couldn't chase the voice that insisted this time he would fail. Even when she hated him, Olivia had always been there. As dependent on his hatred as she was on his love. In the darkest hour of their marriage he never would have allowed anyone to harm her. He was the one who hurt her. Even that was his right alone.
He didn't realize the paperweight was back in his hand until it was shattering on the wall.
Detective Ricardo Torres hated being summoned. He hated the casual arrogance with which Gregory Richards treated the police. As if all of the SBPD served at his beck and call. Officer Paula Steven was far more relaxed. She dealt with the receptionist who sent them straight up to the fifth floor.
Tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, Ricardo sighed heavily. "I thought I'd had enough Gregory Richards for a lifetime."
Paula smiled sympathetically as she tucked her hands into her belt. "I know he was impossible during the murder investigation, but he's still a citizen of Sunset Beach and under our protection."
"He's still impossible." Ricardo corrected. "Because the Douglas case is still open."
She brushed his shoulder, wishing she make things better for him. "You did a good job Ricardo. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Even the Feds couldn't find any more evidence. It was a professional job."
The elevator opened onto the fifth floor, showing the beautiful wood paneling of the walls. The brass lettering on the doors was what bothered him the most. It was just so pretentious.
Dr. Roger Baxter was the first office on the left. "Gregory's old friend." Paula observed quietly. "Mom says he's really a character."
"I didn't know Gregory had any friends." Ricardo whispered dryly.
Paula gave him a dirty look, shaking her head. "Alex Mitchum. Nice article about her in the paper this morning."
"Ben Evans." Ricardo sneered slightly, he had no love for his brother-in-law. Paula said nothing. She knew the harsh feelings between Ben Ricardo and she knew better then to get involved.
He expected the next door to be Gregory's as the reached the end of the corridor. But the door on the left said Olivia Richards. "I didn't know she was a board member."
Paula smiled. "She's not. Olivia's doing publicity for the hospital project. Bette and Mom had a party for her at the Waffle Shop a couple days ago. They were all pretty excited. Mom thinks we need more women in business in Sunset Beach."
Richards' secretary looked shaken, but she was doing her best to hide it behind a mask of quiet calm. Ricardo could only imagine what it would be like to work for the man, to be subject to his every whim. She had his sympathy.
"Mr. Richards is waiting for you." Emily explained politely, keeping most of her unease out of her voice. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
"We'll let ourselves in." Ricardo opened the door and headed into the lion's den. His boots crunched on something in the carpet. Glass by the sound of it. "Break something?"
Gregory didn't turn back from the window. "Yes. Better keep your shoes on detective."
"I'm sure we won't be staying long enough to get comfortable." Ricardo muttered under his breath. Paula stopped short of elbowing him as Gregory turned to face them.
His eyes looked like they could be used to carve marble. Gregory crossed his arms over his chest, balancing his chin on one closed fist as he nodded to the desk. "I received this envelope this morning. Emily has a copy of the security tape for you, but I doubt you'll find anything on it."
Paula took her gloves out of her belt pouch, snapping on the blue latex. "You're the only one to touch it?"
"Emily touched the outer envelope when she put it on my desk. I'm the only one who has seen the contents." His voice held no emotion, but his body belied something. Fear? Anger? Disgust? Ricardo wasn't sure he wanted to find out.
Paula checked the envelope and placed it in a plastic evidence bag for forensics. "The block printing won't help place the handwriting."
Ricardo finished putting on his gloves and reached for the first clipping. "I assume this necklace is insured?"
"Of course." Gregory replied curtly, making it obvious he'd anticipated the question. "It would be impossible to replace, but my investment would be protected."
Ricardo let Paula pick up the other clip as he reached for the yellow note. "I'm sure your collection has been threatened before-"
Holding up the picture of Olivia, Paula cut him off as her face went serious. "Ricardo, look at this."
"Choose one." Gregory finished, ice filling his voice. "Interesting method of blackmail, isn't it? Instead of asking for the value of the necklace, or making some other ridiculous demands, he went straight for Olivia."
Paula handed the smiling picture of Olivia to Ricardo, concern filling her voice. "Does she know?"
"No." Gregory uncrossed his arms, grabbing the edge of his desk. "And I'd prefer if we could keep it that way."
"Do you think this is about your wife or her jewelry?" Ricardo asked softly.
Gregory reached for stapler on his desk. Caressing it and wondering how it would feel to throw it at the Detective's thick head. "You tell me."
Letting Paula put the clipping and the note into another evidence bag, Ricardo took out his notebook, snapping it open. "Can you think of anyone who has ever threatened your wife before?"
"Specifically threatened Olivia? No." When he sighed Gregory seemed nearly human. "I've had my share of idle threats tossed angrily across a courtroom, but nothing the police have ever needed to investigate."
Ricardo wrote that down, deciding to run his own background check on Olivia Richards. "What about you? How many people have a grudge against you?"
Leaving his desk for the water pitcher by the window, Gregory chuckled bitterly. "Personally or professionally?" He downed a glass of water quickly and tried to be more helpful. "I've made my share of enemies, both in and out of the courtroom. I wouldn't even know where to tell you to start."
Tightening his jaw, Ricardo was about to snap his notebook shut and leave, but Paula took over the questioning. "I know you are upset Mr. Richards, and I don't blame you. We'll get this to forensics. If you think anything else that would help us, give us a call." Paula handed him a business card, which he took almost gratefully.
"Thank you officers. I hope to hear from you shortly." He turned back to the window, finished with them.
When the door shut behind them he was alone again. Gregory stood in his empty office just long enough to feel the walls start to close in on him.
He needed to see her, to touch her, prove she was all right. Now.
Bursting through his door would have continued to frighten his poor secretary, had she not decided to escort the officers out of the building. Cutting down the hallway, Gregory stopped himself just short of throwing open the door to her office. That would make her worry. He forced himself to take a deep breath. Then another. When control was restored, he let himself open the door slowly.
Roger had moved on. Olivia ran her tongue between her lips as she concentrated on her computer screen. She didn't even look up as he crossed to the front of her desk. Just looking at her had made the tension in his shoulders ease.
She was safe.
Cautiously closing the door, Gregory kept her undisturbed. She typed, searched the screen, went through the scattered papers on her lap, the desk and the floor. Oblivious to him. Unaware of the potential danger and entirely lost in her work.
Wishing he had Alex to capture her on film, Gregory had to settle for burning her image into his mind. Committing every part of her face to memory gave him a reason to stare at her. Waiting for her to realize he was there, he let time tick by. He forgot about everything but the way Olivia furrowed her eyebrows when she concentrated. The way tiny curls of her hair teased out of the twist on the back of her head, sunlight making them look golden.
The way her cheeks gave way to subtle dimples when Olivia smiled, finally catching him. "When were you going to tell me you were there?"
Gregory stepped out from the wall, smiling mysteriously back at her. His helplessness temporarily forgotten in her genuine pleasure at seeing him. "Maybe I wasn't going to tell you at all."