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“Let me show you some of h Clover’s as if they were sisters in sorand piano

Framed family photos sat on top of its closed lid On vacation at a ski resort At a beach Aboard a yacht Each one showing off the Carlyles with their big, open sht away Even as a little boy in a dirty baseball uniform he had a stubborn

set to his chin

“How about neither of us insults the other’s intelligence and you tellon?” Helene asked, an icy hardness to her voice that didn’t match the calm, borderline aloof expression on her patrician face

Clover glanced around the room filled with men in suits and women in little black dresses “Looks like a cocktail party to me”

The other woaze narrowed and her pasted on smile faltered “Is it a matter of money?”

Oh no She went there “Excuse me?”

“Disappear and I’ll have er cut a check”

“Wo much?” She shouldn’t have said it, but there was no way she could let Helene get aithout busting her chops for this bullshit

Helene lifted the photo of young, baseball-playing Sawyer and showed it to Clover Fro a friendly chat about how hard it was for the housekeeper to keep Sawyer’s white uniforree you’ll cut off all contact immediately and I’ll make it worth your while”

She threw out the biggest number she could think of that didn’t make her sound like a bad Bond villain “Half a million?”

“Yes,” Helene said without blinking

Damn If she was another kind of person, that offer would be beyond te “No deal”

“You want hed and put down the photo “How much will it take?”

Clover couldn’t resist taking another poke at her “One point five”