Page 14 of Oleander

“When the time is right, I will sell,” she said. “But not now. Not to rescue you from choices you made.” Color rose along Hollis’s neck.

“You sanctimonious old fool.”

Dorothy sat very still, but her hand closed around the folded napkin.

“You have lived off that company while pretending you were above it,” he said. “You took the dividends, kept the houses, and let me carry every burden our father left behind.”

“The houses were sold ages ago. But you already know that. I carried burdens too,” she said.

“No. You ran from them. You have always been weak, Dorothy, and now you are hiding spite behind caution because it is the only power you have left.”

The candle flame shuddered as someone opened the kitchen door, and for a moment Hollis’s shadow climbed the wall behind him.

“You will regret this,” he said. “When the company falls, when the name is stripped off the rigs, remember that you could have stopped it.”

“Perhaps,” Dorothy said. “But I will not be frightened into saving you.”

Hollis drove his fist into the table. Glasses jumped, silverware rang, and the bourbon spilled in a dark wave across the white cloth.

Every face in the restaurant turned toward them, but Hollis saw only Dorothy, pale and motionless beyond the ruin of the table.

He rose, snatched his coat from the empty chair, and walked out without looking back, leaving the door to slam against the storm and Dorothy alone with the dying candle.

CHAPTER TEN

The funeral for Dorothy Martin was attended by hundreds of former students whom she’d helped get their start in business. Many still managed those businesses, free because of her.

The lines to pass her coffin took hours to complete. Former fellow teachers, a few students, and Rod gave touching tributes to the woman who was a mystery to them all.

At the cemetery one man stood off to the side, elderly, well-dressed, his cane digging into the soft earth. He didn’t move closer, didn’t speak to anyone. Just stood there staring as she was lowered into the ground. Behind was a man they were certain was a bodyguard or some sort of security.

“Who is that man?” asked Luke.

“No clue,” said Eric. “I’ve never seen him before. Or if I did, I don’t remember him.”

“You know him,” came the whispered voice between the two men. It was Matthew. He was hidden from the others, but Luke and Eric knew exactly who was standing there.

“Grandpa, can you give me a hint.”

“Burton Drilling,” he said softly. Luke frowned and then looked at Eric and back at the old man.

“Hollis Burton,” frowned Eric. “I thought he was dead after what happened on Platform Nine.”

“You would have thought it would’ve killed the bastard, but no. He’s still standing and all those men are dead. Why is he here?” asked Luke of his grandfather.

“That’s what you need to figure out. Remember, she held a huge number of shares to his company.” Matthew disappeared before Eric or Luke could say anything. When the service ended, they made their way toward the old man.

“Mr. Hollis?” called Luke. He turned frowning at the young men.

“Now is not the time to ask for a job young man. A wonderful woman has died.”

“I don’t need a job from you, Mr. Hollis,” said Luke. The tone of the ‘from you’ made Hollis instantly bristle. “My name is Luke Robicheaux.”

“Ah,” he said with sudden recognition of the name. “The famous Robicheaux Oil and Gas. Don’t you own enough? I’m not selling anything.”

“You seem determined to make me your enemy, Mr. Hollis. That is not my intention but I assure you if you want an enemy of me, it won’t end well for you.”

The man bristled, his lip quivering in anger as he gripped the handle of his cane tighter.