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‘Get to the starting-price, damn you, Freddy!’

He audibly sed ‘Yes Sorry I saw Salmond as alked into the restaurant He was at a corner table; he was having dinner withyou’ll never guess, I couldn’t believe my eyes –’

‘I don’t have tiames, Freddy Just tellfor the crunch – ouldn’t Freddy spit out whatever bad news he had to tell?

‘Chantal Rousseau,’ Freddy gabbled out, and Paul jerked as if souts

‘What?’

‘I couldn’t believe it, either, when I saw theuy, after all he lives in the States, I had no idea’

‘Sal to persuade her to sell her shares to hiht aloud

‘That was the first thought I had But I sat there for two hours and watched therimly ‘And they never even noticed rossed in each other There was no tays about it, they kept touching hands, looking into each other’s eyes, I could even see under the table, their knees touchinghe wasan affair’

‘Shit,’ Paul said thickly ‘That bitch, that two-faced bitch Sweet as honey to oing to sell me out’

Freddy sighed ‘I re over to the States regularly over the last six months; her firm are associated with some American firm now, aren’t they? That’s how she and Salmond must have met But of course that doesn’t mean she’ll sell him our shares Well, we can’t be sure she’d do that I mean, she wouldn’t confuse her private life with her business – she’s quite a cold-headed bitch, isn’t she? That was the impression I always had of her’

‘I wouldn?

?t be surprised to find out that it was her who suggested he targeted us,’ Paul said flatly ‘Chantal has always been one of those people who enjoys revenge served cold She’s never forgiven me’

‘She must have been crazy about you to feel that bad,’ Freddy said, sounding pitying, and Paul laughed angrily

‘It was her ego not her heart that got hurt, Freddy! Don’t be so senti; she felt I’d hu she’d have publicly dumped me first, but I was over in the States when I ossip colu Chantal She never forgives an injury Oh, she’s put on a good act this past year, pretending to be very friendly whenever weher chance to hit back atwith him to take my firm away from me’

Freddy groaned ‘What are we going to do, Paul?’