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“Are we taking bets on the fact that, if he does make it onto the stand, he’ll blame grief for the whole thing?”
Anthony laughed. “I’ve seen shorter odds on a Melbourne Cup favorite, but not by much. Oh, Clayton’s brothers want another meeting at nine tomorrow.”
I raised my eyebrows. “To make a counteroffer?”
He nodded. “They didn’t say what. I suspect they’re still hoping to browbeat you with the magnificence of their presence.”
Behind us, Saska snorted.
“Yeah,” Anthony said, “that was my initial response too.”
“I am willing to discuss our options, but I refuse to take an insanely low offer, for Belle’s sake rather than mine. She not only saved me from the bastard I married, but also spent years on the run with me. She deserves full compensation for what she went through.”
He nodded. “I think you’ll find their low offers have more to do with a lack of cash flow than unwillingness to do what it takes to make all this go away.”
I frowned. “But Clayton had investments up the wazoo, and his family could never be considered poor.”
“Investments aren’t cash, and selling shares or indeed property in the wrong market can sometimes mean an unacceptable loss.”
I raised an eyebrow, amusement twitching my lips. “This would be a bad thing in most situations, but in this one? I like the sound of it.”
He laughed. “If you don’t want mediation to drag on, then settle for a lower cash payment—maybe a mill each—and take some of his property instead. He has them all around the country, so there’s no need for you to pick up anything in Canberra.”
“Picking something in Canberra—a property my father wanted, for instance—does sound rather enticing though.”
He laughed again. “Then definitely go for a mix.”
“I will.” I paused. “How do you want to play this? How many should I start with?”
He hesitated. “Start with eight or nine, then be whittled down to three or four. It’ll seem like a win for them and still give you and Belle a good payout.”
“I’ll check the portfolio tonight and come up with a list.”
He nodded and walked out.
I shoved my coat on, then collected my purse and followed Saska from the room. The halls were busy, but the sensation of being watched didn’t start up again until we stepped outside. Whoever was doing the watching obviously didn’t have the authority to enter the building.
As we followed the path around to the parking area, I said, “Our watcher is back.”
She didn’t glance up, which showed more control than I would have had in a similar situation. “Are you sure it’s the same one?”
“Yes.”
She grunted and got her phone out. “We’ll change cars then. That should shake them for at least a little while.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You have a spare car handy?”
“I’ll just steal one. The boss can sort it all out later.”
I laughed. “And is this something you do often?”
“Not these days.” She raised a hand and wriggled her fingers. Tiny threads of magic stirred around them—the beginnings of some sort of break and enter spell, from the look of it. “Chances to hone my thieving skills sadly don’t come by all that often nowadays.”
“I take it they used to?”
She grinned. “Let’s just say that Samuel and I walked a fine line when we were younger. It’s actually what helps make him such a good investigator now.”
We walked into the underground parking area, the breeze at our back pushing away any exhaust fumes that might have had my stomach protesting.
